Sonos Connect:Amp and Airplay 2

bluebarry · 2018-06-09T15:51:24+00:00

I've seen hundreds of references to the Sonos speakers that will and will not support Airplay 2, but I haven't seen a definitive word as to whether the Connect:Amp will directly support Airplay 2. By directly, I mean *without* piggybacking it on a new generation Sonos speaker.

No I don’t think the Connect Amp will support AirPlay-2, by itself ... these two links below seem to clarify that:

Sonos have made these recent announcements:

https://www.sonos.com/en-gb/airplay

https://blog.sonos.com/en-gb/airplay2-coming

Since there is no new model of the Connect Amp or announced new model.....I think they should incorporate a firmware update to allow Airplay 2 to work with the connect amp also. Unfortunately I purchased the majority of my system (play 5s and 3s) few years back, so they are all previous generation. I held off the last year adding a connect amp waiting to see if it would get an updated model also. Finally purchased it a few weeks ago only to now read it may not be able to get this latest feature.....very disappointing.

It's not an issue of firmware for the connect:amp, otherwise it would be updated like the other units. The amp doesn't have hardware required to support airplay 2.

sprgoat400,

If you were to add just one single AirPlay-2 compatible device to your Sonos system, like a Sonos One, for example, then it is understood that you can play an AirPlay source to that player and also group it with older legacy players/rooms, like a Sonos Connect amp or Play:3 etc. and then the audio will play on the entire group... so you could get AirPlay audio on your Connect Amp that way, by grouping it with one of the newer players.

There are currently four AirPlay-2 compatible players...

Sonos One

Sonos Playbase

Sonos Beam

Sonos Play:5 (gen 2)

'Group' your Connect Amp with one of these devices to get AirPlay when the Airpkay-2 update is released by Sonos.

Spot on and in my case also use airplay 2 to two homepods with it as well! In terms of airplay itself (not 2) a good workaround with the amp is just to connect an airport express (i use the plug version) to the line in on the Sonos if you don't want to buy newer hardware (I did this so I could listen to podcasts before I moved to pocket cast) Airplay 2 is nice but it isn't hat much better then 1 from my usage so far.

I understand if I have a newer device and group older devices I can use airplay 2, however, I have six zones all with connect amps so I assume I would need a newer device per zone? Is there any word on an updated amp coming out.

Ummm. Not sure that's correct, depending on what you mean. :)

You could group any number of the six zones with the AirPlay 2 receiving devices. However, if you wanted 6 different simultaneous streams, then yes, you'd need 6 different devices.

Why do you need Airplay in six zones in the first place? Wiring an AEX to one of the plenty of line in jacks that you have on your Connect Amps should meet any requirement of streaming directly from a iDevice or Mac.

I want airplay just because i use Apple Music and prefer to simply send the audio from that app versus the sonos app. It isn’t a huge deal but when I tried Spotify I liked how I could stream to my zones from within their own app. Again not a huge issue but would be nice.

My house is entirely connected with ConnectAmps that I purchased just 2 years ago (version 9: build44254230, hardware version 1.17.3.1-1, series ID: c100)

It is very disappointing that this equipment that cost over $5,000 for all the zones in my house would not be able to support what should be an easy software update.

Its not an "easy software update" when the Airplay 2 codec requires a large memory buffer and a 64 bit processor, neither of which the Connect:Amp has.

I guess I just have high expectations when I am paying $650 per connect amp that Sonos would be thinking far enough ahead that it would have anticipated the need for this and already had it built in. This equipment is, after all, just 2 years old.

But the design is 10 years old, going back to the ZP120.

I guess I just have high expectations when I am paying $650 per connect amp that Sonos would be thinking far enough ahead that it would have anticipated the need for this and already had it built in. This equipment is, after all, just 2 years old.

Your equipment is 2 years old, but the hardware specs are what, 10 years old now? Sonos does leave room for expansion and does expand features where it's physically possible (other companies won't), but they can only anticipate so far into the future.

I'd say the CONNECT:AMP is due for an upgrade, but I have no idea what the costs for that are or what kind of sales it would generate.

Shame on me, I guess, for not researching my purchase better. I thought I was buying an industry leading platform when I made my purchase. It is disappointing to now learn that I actually bought 10 year old technology packaged in a spiffy new box.

There was nothing at all wrong with your decision to purchase a Connect:Amp. It does all that it was advertised to do at that point and then some. What's wrong is the expectation that Sonos can predict the hardware requirements for features that do not yet exist and they have no control over. To me, expecting Sonos products to automatically be airplay 2 compliant isn't that different than expecting them to have voice control already built in to existing products. People don't complain about this though as microphones are physically visible, while the memory and processor of a unit are not.

Shame on me, I guess, for not researching my purchase better. I thought I was buying an industry leading platform when I made my purchase. It is disappointing to now learn that I actually bought 10 year old technology packaged in a spiffy new box.

Actually, the box isn't that spiffy either. It's the same exact box as the ZP120 came in 10 years ago. The name change was a simple rebranding. However, melvimbe is correct, it does all it claimed to do when you bought it, and there is no way Sonos can predict the hardware requirements of future functionality. Even if they could, building the ability to keep up with processing requirements for years into the future would require cutting edge processors; thus pricing themselves out of the market.

Unfortunately the fact that Sonos attempts to keep older units still functioning long after a forced obsolescence model would have abandoned them and made you buy a new replacement, is also the reason why eventually the older models are not going to be capable of all of the new functionality.

I'm super disappointed those of us early Sonos adopters and huge fans, now get screwed. Honestly, I built an AirPlay driver for a music company (you've all heard of) and I know the protocol. It isn't limited by hardware, if an iPhone can support Airplay, a Connect:AMP and Play:3 at least will do it. It's super lame Sonos isn't investing in us who love the product. I'm only connect:amp and one Play:3 and can't see myself going down the Sonos path any longer if they don't start innovating and supporting products evenly. There's no technical reason it won't work, and I challenge them to be more transparent on that claim.

Or at a Minimum, if Sonos won't support us who bought these claimed "older units", why don't they do a buyback program like Apple and at least buy this stuff back they won't support so we can upgrade. Your stuff isn't cheap and shouldn't be like cheap Amazon throw away stuff they at least support better (for the record, I bought this connect:amp LAST year for 400 bucks or whatever) and the Play:3 a few years back

Early adopters - us users with older equipment are not early adapters its a vary mature platfrom …. that never bought their speaker ever thinking you would get Airplay support. You didn't buy your speakers for airplay support - - we are lucky enough that the newer ones can do it and that they keep supporting all older equipment with every update they can push to it (like you didn't buy those speakers ever expecting Alexa support either - but Sonos gave it as a free update).

Fact is Sonos is giving free updates as much as they can and you can't expect them to keep being able to give every feature to every unit they ever made over the past decade. They are trying to support mature devices the best they can.

Heck - HEOS is only a few years old and they are now going to their 3rd generation to get airplay support. That is an example of early adapters were pretty let down.

My house is entirely connected with ConnectAmps that I purchased just 2 years ago (version 9: build44254230, hardware version 1.17.3.1-1, series ID: c100)

It is very disappointing that this equipment that cost over $5,000 for all the zones in my house would not be able to support what should be an easy software update.

Well well well..... looks like Apple has updated the good ol' Airport Express with Airplay 2 support. So all you gotta do is connect the audio output from the Airport Express to your Connect:Amp, and you'll be all set for Airplay 2 playback. No need to spend extra money for the newer Sonos speakers to group with your Amp.

https://9to5mac.com/2018/08/28/airport-express-airplay-2-homekit/

Does this mean that the Airport Express firmware is now fixed to let you see Sonos across WiFi? I have to keep mine on 7.6.7 otherwise my Sonos App on the ios devices says it can't see any of my 3 Connects/ZP90s. Also that article shows 7.6.9 in the image (which seems not to be available) but references 7.6.8 (which is very old) in the article . Apple have also discontinued this amazingly handy little device and replaced it with 3rd Party dross in their stores which do not support Airplay. Remarkable.

What is the best way to get AirPlay 2? Get a sonos one and group zones or get an airport express? Pros and cons?

An AE will work fine for AirPlay, as long as you have a line-in on one of your existing Sonos Products.

I agree that this is completely frustrating. When choosing my new home audio configuration AND equipment, I made the leap to Sonos, although they are fairly pricey. One reason due to the fact that they are leading edge. If Airport Express can handle this update, I gotta think that there are no hardware challenges. Sonos, get off your butts and pay a programmer to get this fixed. I’m for one going to be seriously shopping for another manufacturer series equipment line if this is the expectation now that they are a public company. Ugh.

Sign up

Login to the community

Scanning file for viruses.

This file cannot be downloaded