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Playback has started sputtering

  • April 25, 2026
  • 3 replies
  • 29 views

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Sonos has started sputtering during songs and finally halting that song at a standstill, then a message: “Network connection speed insufficient to maintain playback buffer.”  Then it goes to next song in the queue and again sputters to a standstill. Doesn’t always happen, sometimes goes along fine for a song or two before it happens again. Ookla speed test states 447.0 download, 19,9 upload. 

Driving me crazy and any help much appreciated. Only started happening 4 days or so ago.

My only Sonos-manufactured equipment is a single ZP80 and using Iphone (sometimes my Imac)  S1 controller.  Everything worked beautifully before this problem started. No other known problems with other various functions operating on my network.

3 replies

Stanley_4
  • Grand Maestro
  • April 25, 2026

Might be a wifi connection issue, try a temporary ethernet cable and see if it changes.

The speed issue, despite the message,  is rarely at the ISP to customer link.


Airgetlam
  • April 25, 2026

The ‘network speed’ it is talking about is the speed between your router and the speaker, not the router and the outside world. 

If ​@Stanley_4 ‘s suggestion doesn’t change things, I’d reset the network. Unplug all your Sonos devices from power, then reboot your router. Wait two minutes, then plug back in your Sonos devices. Wait another two minutes, then do your testing. 


106rallye
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  • April 25, 2026

Remember the ZP80 is very old, so might be malfunctioning. You could make diagnosis when this happens and call Sonos.