New Sonos Connect?
Userlevel 1
I have been wondering for a few years now. Will there ever be a new Sonos Connect? Something comparable to the Bluesound Node 2 in sound quality and design. The Connect seems so hopelesly outdated.
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Userlevel 1
That might be. But why not integrate this when anyone else is? Sonos is right and everyone else is wrong?
And am i right that the Connect controls volume digitally? Wouldn't it be nice to have a little more headroom then?
And am i right that the Connect controls volume digitally? Wouldn't it be nice to have a little more headroom then?
And am i right that the Connect controls volume digitally? Wouldn't it be nice to have a little more headroom then?
I for one am glad Sonos doesn't waste time on snake oil nonsense in order to bilk fools out of their money. It's a brave stance they are taking to basically spit in the face of the charlatans of the high end audio business.
Userlevel 1
''There’s far more than enough headroom, given Sonos’ 24-bit internal buss. Volume control won’t drop a single bit across its range.''
I did not know that! Well, then i don't care as much. I still however would really like a trigger out and a much needed design upgrade ?
I did not know that! Well, then i don't care as much. I still however would really like a trigger out and a much needed design upgrade ?
Userlevel 2
+1
i have my connect hooked to a very nice 2 channel stereo system. i finally got my self a set of my favorite speaker manufacturers best bookshelf speakers and i have a nice integrated amp.. i find the sonos playing FLAC files sounds just as good as playing a CD on my CD player. to my amazement i cant really hear a difference and i can usually hear a difference in any minor change to my stereo system.. i think the sonos sounds just fine. if i close my eyes i can almost imagine i am in the room with the band if its a good recording.. this set up sounds extremely natural.. what i would like to see is a nice 10 band EQ. i always like to bump up the low mids and add a little more warmth to my music. too bad you really cant get a good home stereo EQ these days so it would be ncie if sonos would add one. but over all i am very happy with the connect and i am one of those people who is rarely happy with audio equipment.
I’m also really happy with my Connect. I located it in an outdoor kitchen/dining/barbecue area and have the analog output going to a pair of old, but effective 40 watt speakers and the optical digital output running through a digital to analog converter to another set of powered speakers. I plan to get another d/a converter and connect another set of powered speakers.
Considering the location I’m really not going to sweat the sound quality. It’s perfect for where it is.
Considering the location I’m really not going to sweat the sound quality. It’s perfect for where it is.
Once I got over my OCD about audio kit, Connect sound quality was found to be perfectly adequate, regardless of location.
Userlevel 6
+15
So, is there anything more than educated guesses on a new Connect? The thread on FCC ID S15 seemed to indicate a March release - anything official come out on what it entails or if it's even a meaningful update? I'm waiting for a new amplifier to arrive, and I'll need a new connect to go with it when it does, so I'm trying to decide whether to look for deals now, or wait.
Userlevel 6
+15
You keep saying that Kumar, yet I've read dozens of reviews where qualified reviewers have demonstrated the opposite - that an improved DAC provides better sound. Perhaps you could be ... wrong? Or perhaps other people's opinions on the matter are OK.
I too have read many reviews, but not one that is supported by a controlled level matched DBT. Not one. In the absence of that, these are just subjective opinions that I don't have to subscribe to.
Userlevel 6
+15
Well, I guess when I get my system set up I'll do the blind comparison myself. I have a ZP80, running optically into a Yamaha receiver now in the living room. I'm waiting on delivery of the Billie Amp from Heaven11 (Kickstarter project gone way over original delivery date 😞 ), for which I'll buy a new Connect to set up for my bedroom. I'll be able to ABC compare output from the Connect into the DAC on the Billie Amp, from the optical output into an Arcam rLink DAC, and then analogue from the Connect direct to the amplifier. If there's new chips in the new Connect, I can repeat the process with the ZP80 into the same channels.
Anyone know of a reliable SPL meter for a smartphone or tablet, so I don't have to waste money on a hw meter?
And truthfully, I'm almost 50, so the differences might be imperceptible to me long term. I'll probably bribe my 20 year classical pianist progeny into the experiment as well.
Anyone know of a reliable SPL meter for a smartphone or tablet, so I don't have to waste money on a hw meter?
And truthfully, I'm almost 50, so the differences might be imperceptible to me long term. I'll probably bribe my 20 year classical pianist progeny into the experiment as well.
These tests are close to impossible to set up at home. For one thing, making sure that there is one and only one variable in play is not easy to accomplish, and level matching of sound levels needs to be done to within 0.1 dB; a smartphone hosted meter is almost certainly not going to be good enough. Then there has to be a way to do an instantaneous switch over to compare A v B, because human audio memory gets rapidly unreliable as seconds pass between one listening experience and the next.
I only attempted this once, imperfectly. It was possible to make a reasonable job of it because all I was doing was switching sources in a SACD player that had a Connect wired to it.
I don't mean to discourage you from the attempt, but some research on all that needs to be addressed in the test set up for the outcome to be valid may be a good idea.
Obviously this can be done in a lab or studio environment, but no one except the serious manufacturers does this because then there would be little to write every month in the latest issue of the magazine or wherever else the reviews are to be published for all the kit out there, with the exception of speakers.
I only attempted this once, imperfectly. It was possible to make a reasonable job of it because all I was doing was switching sources in a SACD player that had a Connect wired to it.
I don't mean to discourage you from the attempt, but some research on all that needs to be addressed in the test set up for the outcome to be valid may be a good idea.
Obviously this can be done in a lab or studio environment, but no one except the serious manufacturers does this because then there would be little to write every month in the latest issue of the magazine or wherever else the reviews are to be published for all the kit out there, with the exception of speakers.
It easily could, but if Sonos were to do that I think they would also add features like more input options as one example. How large is the market for the outcome will be the critical question though. The Connect is from an era before play units, streaming services and voice control and has become a very niche solution. Also, making it a lot cheaper would allow its use for a wide range of non Sonos speakers, adversely affecting Sonos speaker sales.
https://en.community.sonos.com/troubleshooting-228999/audio-delay-between-connect-and-play-5-5256084
There are ways round it but the sound in direct mode on most AV receivers isn't very good. This issue has been known about for +5 years surely they could fix this one.
Totally agree about this. There are many wonderful sounding AV Receivers, Room Correction devices (preamps etc.) as well as DACs that add some processing to the input. This unfortunately means that when using the sonos connect, the sound will be out of sync with other sonos speakers.
A sync adjustment in the Sonos Connect allowing +/- ms tweaking would be fantastic
Although I could agree on this subject, delay is possible, but not the opposite; maybe they could improve the sync algorithm between speakers to allow less delay than 70msecs.
In effect what's being requested is the ability to retard the sound coming out of the Sonos devices not connected to the receiver, to allow for the additional delay introduced by the receiver. While I imagine this is technically possible to achieve, I doubt it's a priority for Sonos.
As you probably know, 'improving the sync algorithm' is not really relevant here. Whatever delay Sonos introduces to allow for sync and reliability, the receiver will still be just as out of sync as before.
Exactly that. It is certainly technically possible to adjust the 'relative' sync of the connect in relation to other speakers. This would essentially mean adding a sync delay to the rest of the sonos speakers to allow the Connect + AV Receiver to be in sync. Unfortunately I also think this is not a priority for Sonos.
In effect what's being requested is the ability to retard the sound coming out of the Sonos devices not connected to the receiver, to allow for the additional delay introduced by the receiver. While I imagine this is technically possible to achieve, I doubt it's a priority for Sonos.
As you probably know, 'improving the sync algorithm' is not really relevant here. Whatever delay Sonos introduces to allow for sync and reliability, the receiver will still be just as out of sync as before.
Exactly that. It is certainly technically possible to adjust the 'relative' sync of the connect in relation to other speakers. This would essentially mean adding a sync delay to the rest of the sonos speakers to allow the Connect + AV Receiver to be in sync. Unfortunately I also think this is not a priority for Sonos.
Given that this has been in the development request queue for 5 years I would agree that it isn't a priority, however sonos are going to release a new connect and given that there isn't a single AV receiver on the market that can put out 2.1 sound without there being a sync issue. The sonos element is called a connect, you would hope it would connect to and work with pretty much everything.
Duncan totally agree with you and here's hoping that the new sonos connect will include this feature. I am honestly not very hopeful considering the overall sonos approach to sticking with a limited set of features. We don't even know for sure that a new sonos connect is about to be released. I hope it is but...
Having said that, not many streamers offer this syncing feature. Even the more expensive Bluesound Node 2 does not offer syncing adjustments. Google chrome cast does however and they call it 'group delay correction'.
Still hoping though 🙂
Just to note that this feature -- introducing a configurable, variable delay for selected Sonos devices -- is completely independent of a new CONNECT device, especially as the delay would likely apply to devices other than the CONNECT itself.
Yep it is independent, but given that this is a wish list for a new connect (and only impacts the connect and I guess amp if people are using it like a connect). It would be good if this issue could be addressed at the same time as any new hardware. Personally I have never found the sound quality lacking from the connect, that said if the sync issue was resolved the digital out from the connect could be connected to a different DAC with the appropriate input (using the digital out at the moment give even greater sync issues).
Yep it is independent, but given that this is a wish list for a new connect (and only impacts the connect and I guess amp if people are using it like a connect). It would be good if this issue could be addressed at the same time as any new hardware. Personally I have never found the sound quality lacking from the connect, that said if the sync issue was resolved the digital out from the connect could be connected to a different DAC with the appropriate input (using the digital out at the moment give even greater sync issues).
As the poster stated, the solution would not be handled by the Connect, the solution would require a delay in everything but the Connect. Bottom line is, if Sonos were going to address this, they could have done it a long time ago. So either it is not possible due to a tech issue, or they don't feel it is worth the effort, and most likely a new Connect will not change either of those.
Userlevel 1
Any more rumors about an updated Connect?
Honestly, the only problems I have with the current device are the dated design and the price. I can’t imagine why the Connect is so much more expensive than a One considering the Connect’s lack of a speaker and other features.
Honestly, the only problems I have with the current device are the dated design and the price. I can’t imagine why the Connect is so much more expensive than a One considering the Connect’s lack of a speaker and other features.
Userlevel 7
+21
Sonos updated the Connect last year with a new wireless card (a Mini PCIe card rather than the larger Mini PCI card it used to have, according to pictures from the FCC). It was re-filed with the FCC in March of 2017 and granted at the end of April 2017, so I would imagine it's been in production and on store shelves for at least a few months. If there were any other material changes to the Connect, I think we would have heard about them by now.
Honestly, the only problems I have with the current device are the dated design and the price. I can’t imagine why the Connect is so much more expensive than a One considering the Connect’s lack of a speaker and other features.
Yes and no. The Connect has a DAC which the One doesn't have, but that surely doesn't reference the full cost. I would imagine much of the cost difference has more to do with market than cost of materials and development. The Connect will effectively bring any analog source and any hi fi amp+speakers into the Sonos system. If the price is too low, the Connect could easily undercut the sales of Sonos other products.
Userlevel 7
+22
My thoughts exactly, Sonos is not in the business of selling other folks speakers and I'd guess they only offer the Connect / Connect Amp to lure other brand owners into the Sonos ecosystem. I know that worked for me, here I sit with two fairly high end home theater sound systems and well over 90% of the time I don't make an effort to listen to them (both have Sonos ZonePlayers) over my Play speakers.
And with that you have completely qualified all your previous responses..... You really believe a chrome cast is of the same audio output quality as ..... never mind, enough said.
http://archimago.blogspot.com/2016/02/measurements-google-chromecast-audio.html
As for objective sound quality, honestly, I was impressed by what I'm seeing here. If much of this is the result of AKM's new generation of 44xx chips and the budget 4430 is of such high quality already, I'd imagine the AKM "Verita" AK4497EQ "flagship" should be objectively impressive! Of course the question is whether human ears would be able to appreciate the quality...
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