Connect vs Port vs Bluesound sound quality?

This tinkering is a good way to pass the time if bored in a lockdown, but has no other benefit that has been proved in even ONE level matched double blind listening test.

And if this involves any modification of the unit in question, warranties will be lost for justified reasons.

Snake oil sellers have been around for millenia and adapt themselves to present circumstances very easily because human nature has not changed in the same millenia.

You are right about the tinkering bit Kumar, we are bored, and we do tinker when we are bored… 😉 

Nothing wrong in doing some experimentation. Sometimes you learn interesting things. I can say I have. 

Certainly there is nothing wrong with experimentation, it is the foundation of scientific progress. But for progress to be real and not subjectively imagined, experimental conclusions need to be tested with the rigour that science applies. When that rigour is missing as it is almost always is with audiophiles, the subjective conclusions claimed are mere opinions that are of little common value.

This I have to agree with. Because this is exactly what I am seeing when I talk to “audiophiles” online. There is too much fake news online, especially in this field. Some of them simply will not agree even if you prove something scientifically beyond doubt. In such cases, I have just stopped commenting online - no point, trying to make such people understand, 

Audiophilia depends on faith.

The views on Sonos also depend on an element of faith as music is subjective. 
 

i asked Hi-Fi dealer how to spend a tax rebate for my headphones and Sonos connect system  He recommended upgrading the headphone amp but not the connect or DAC and was ambivalent about cables. There is a dramatic difference between headphones and the new amp made a dramatic difference as my other headphone amp simply wasn’t powerful to drive high impedance headphones.

There is no doubt that different DACS also make a notable difference as can clearly hear difference between different filters and blindly changing between filters always end up with same filter which is the same as most people. But between different DACS it does become subtle and personal preference. 
 

i still can’t tell the difference between Sonos connect and CD through same DAC and high end headphones. You do have to switch to fixed output from the Connect digital output as the variable output sounds clearly distorted on headphones. 
 

No doubt there is marketing and real difference. No doubt amps DACS and speakers/headphones make real noticeable sifferences some subtle and some dramatic but only you and your wallet can decide whether those differences matter. Sonos certainly sounds a lot better than my TV sound system and by the same token my Hi-Fi system sounds a lot better for music but for sure the differences wouldn’t be worth it for other people. Your financial circumstances also impact your perceptions. 

Just tried playing same song from Apple, Apple Lossless CD ripped file, Amazon lossy from Sonos Connect digital output versus CD through same high end headphone DAC/amp and headphones. Subjective but I couldn’t hear any noticeable difference between Apple lossy and lossless and Amazon lossy files. I thought the CD might have sounded marginally better but nothing I could pick in blind test. The DAC filters made a subtle but notable difference. The quality of amp and headphones made a dramatic difference.

So personally I conclude that the impact of your digital source is negligible. The impact of your DAC is subtle but noticeable if your system is transparent enough. Amps and headphones/speakers do make a dramatic difference though with the amp it was more about matching power rather than sound quality. It took a lot of reading and listening to get there so hopefully helpful for someone. 

I found this thread because I was looking info for the new port, I am laso thinking of upgrade my old connect.
 All is very subjective, your listening room will influence at least 50% of the sound you will hear,
If you want to really hear the diff 24/92 vs CD you need to source to be recorded in high definition also, and still the diff will be minimal or none if the room is not acoustic treated, like for many of us common mortal people.
I think the port beeing a new product will sound better (more modern electronic) that the connect (I have a connect), in the S2 you can stream now 24/92 also so no advantage vs bluesound now.
I think the Bluesound is crazy expensive, if I would change my sonos setup (I have 3 more speakers also) would be for a yamaha multicast system in that case, but for now I ll stick with the sonos setup I have.

 

Im pretty locked into Sonos and don’t regret that generally. However it is difficult to listen to Sonos after listening to my Hi-Fi headphone system as the Hi-Fi sound is in a different league. The problem with the connect and Port is they compare very poorly to other streamers such as bluesound note in terms of capabilities and price. The connect and port make no sense at all unless you are locked to Sonos 

Sonos is an excellent life style product but you have to accept that it is not designed sold or marketed as a Hi-Fi product and it does not have the sound quality or functionality of a hi fi product  I’m sure they are perfectly capable of making a product to compete with the bluesound note and numerous other streamers but that is not where their market is  if you just want a Hi-Fi streamer go else where unfortunately 

I can understand saying that it is not sold/marketed as a HiFi product - somewhat. But to say it is not designed as a HiFi product is a meaningless statement because there is no well accepted engineering definition of what is a “HiFi” product, anywhere in the world.