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Sonos One SL + Sonos Roam + Vizio Soundbar (optical audio to tv) + Apple TV Airplay 2 = never works

  • 29 April 2021
  • 3 replies
  • 412 views

I’ve had this issue for over a year with my One SL.
I recently added a Sonos Roam to my Sonos system and would like to try one more time for a solution.

I started with a One SL (for the airplay 2 support, mainly) in hopes to send audio from my Apple TV to my Sonos and Vizio soundbar (connected directly to tv via optical audio) as a group. Along with reports from the rest of the sonos community using airplay, the sound is never synced.
Maybe 1/50 times, the sound somehow syncs but that is extremely rare.
I gave up on this months ago, but have just added a Sonos Roam to my setup and was hoping this issue had been fixed through some kind of software update, but it has not.

I read that disabling the wifi on the One SL and using Ethernet, pairing the 2 Sonos speakers together via the sonos app rather than adding these speakers separately via airplay on the Apple TV, and changing with the audio output on my tv might resolve the sync issues. But, it. Did. Not.

It would be nice to have some kind of audio delay settings with the One SL instead of having to purchase a much more expensive system that enables this setting.

Curious to see if anyone else has found a solution..

Hi @cgmyso 

Welcome to the Sonos Community!

I wish I could help, but consider what you’re asking:

The Apple TV plays content through the HDMI cable to a TV, which then passes that Audio to your Visio soundbar over a one-direction-only data link, and the soundbar plays it (after doing all the processing, mixing and digital-to-analogue conversion that playback requires).

The Apple TV also sends audio via AirPlay which reaches your Sonos One via the WiFi router (two WiFi hops, minimum) and the Sonos One then prebuffers the stream in case it’s asked to share it with other Sonos speakers, processes, mixes and converts just like the soundbar and plays too

The Sonos One and the TV - never mind the soundbar - are completely unaware of each other, so can not possibly attempt to sync with each other. Only the Apple TV is in a position to arrange such a thing, and I don’t think they support syncing HDMI audio with AirPlay audio - it would be an exercise in futility.

The only devices we support for audio/visual applications are our Home Theatre products - Arc, Amp and Beam, along with the older Playbar and Playbase.

Okay that Makes sense..but, I guess I’m still not satisfied with your answer because it seems there should be a way for this to work.
When I send audio via AirPlay from my iPhone to the Apple TV (vizio soundbar) + my sonos one, the sound is nicely synced.. 

…And a simple audio delay option for the sonos one would also fix this issue. 
 

Also, I’m annoyed because of the sonos’ advertising featuring support for airplay 2 when it technically only halfway supports airplay 2. 

Hi @cgmyso 

Let me address these points 1 at a time:

Okay that Makes sense..but, I guess I’m still not satisfied with your answer because it seems there should be a way for this to work.
When I send audio via AirPlay from my iPhone to the Apple TV (vizio soundbar) + my sonos one, the sound is nicely synced..

Audio syncing is a lot easier to do than audio/video syncing - especially when the speakers involved have no idea about the existence of any video (hence our only supporting our Home Theatre products for Home Theatre usage).

…And a simple audio delay option for the sonos one would also fix this issue.

 

The whole point of a Sonos multiroom system is that all the Sonos speakers play in sync. We use a propriety technology to do this and would hardly jeopardise the Sonos experience with a setting that degrades it. Our Home Theatre products have exactly this setting because they have to sync with video and because we do not support sharing of TV audio across a network (Home Theatre satellites link directly to the HT product, bypassing the network), though it often works (out of sync).

Also, I’m annoyed because of the sonos’ advertising featuring support for airplay 2 when it technically only halfway supports airplay 2. 

It’s AirPlay 1 we don’t support, but our AirPlay-compatible speakers are designed to play audio streams and not to perform as a speaker for a video feed. Any syncing with video must be coordinated by your iPhone/iPad/Mac. This is best done by initiating AirPlay from within the app that’s playing the source and not from the system settings.

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