Contributor I

Feature Request - Negative delay for Sonos Port

Forum|Forum|7 months ago
February 27, 2026
37 replies
381 views

The Sonos Port is designed to be connected to external audio devices, it is the sole purpose of this device. Those external audio devices are likely to add latency due to audio processing. It makes no sense to expect users to remove audio processing just to have the port be able to almost be in sync with other sonos devices in the house. To resolve this, the sonos port should have negative delay.

This is how I believe it should work. Obviously adding negative (future) delay is impossible. When a Sonos Port is configured with a negative delay of say 60ms, and it is joined into a group with other Sonos devices, the OTHER devices should have a positive delay of 60ms added to them, which would allow the port to be in sync with the entire group. When the Sonos Port is removed from the group, they would remove that added positive delay.

I know this has been discussed in other topics which are all closed now, but this device really takes a hit when it can’t function with a good chunk of AVRs on the market without removing processing features from those AVRs.

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C

craigski

Local Superstar

That said though, if Sonos were to do this,

If Sonos were to do this, make it a premium feature available as a monetised subscription for the very few consumers with specific use cases and deep pockets. I personally would not want to pay more (to cover development costs) for a product that has features I don’t use.

BTW - I noticed the Amp Multi has a ProTune feature:

ProTune offers a full suite of manual controls, including a 10-band parametric EQ plus adjustable gain and delay offsets, enabling truly bespoke audio experiences.

Maybe a Port Multi at some point for Installer market at somepoint?

P

PhAzEAuthor

Contributor I

Agreed. Lowest common denominator.

How would you handle cases where the 3rd party amp is actually the audio source for the Sonos system, not just the sink? Your non port speakers are now 120ms, in addition to the normal line in delay (60 ms), behind the amp that is the source, or 180 ms. If the line in source is on port 2 you’re actual needed delay time is going to be the new ‘slowest’ port + the line in delay, or 85 ms + 60 ms = 145 ms. Maybe that doesn’t matter to you, but since the line in source is often going to be acompanied by video, it matters to many.

So, im a little confused on the setup you’re describing here. You would have an AMP pushing an audio source for a TV into the Sonos environment through a port, that then plays on other ports and speakers and still needs to sync video to multiple TVs? Or is this like syncing to a TV in your living room and having audio sync in other rooms where you can only hear the TV audio?

If there is a mandatory 60ms input delay on the line in of the port, would your video already not by synced right from the get go as it is today? Like, in that setup, the only way to truly sync video across multople rooms and across multiple sonos speakers would be to have delay added to the video stream, because i see no other way even as it stands today to sync it up if the port line in has a 60ms delay already.

Edit: Keep in mind that leaving the port delays at 0 (the default) everything would function exactly as it does today.

P

PhAzEAuthor

Contributor I

That said though, if Sonos were to do this,

If Sonos were to do this, make it a premium feature available as a monetised subscription for the very few consumers with specific use cases and deep pockets. I personally would not want to pay more (to cover development costs) for a product that has features I don’t use.

BTW - I noticed the Amp Multi has a ProTune feature:

ProTune offers a full suite of manual controls, including a 10-band parametric EQ plus adjustable gain and delay offsets, enabling truly bespoke audio experiences.

Maybe a Port Multi at some point for Installer market at somepoint?

Why would this need to be an extra cost? How exactly would you have pay for a new feature like this, some kind of back bill on products you’ve already bought?

A software feature like this wouldn’t require a price increase or anything, companies update their software all the time as a regualr part of business, including bug fixes and new features.

melvimbe

Agreed. Lowest common denominator.

How would you handle cases where the 3rd party amp is actually the audio source for the Sonos system, not just the sink? Your non port speakers are now 120ms, in addition to the normal line in delay (60 ms), behind the amp that is the source, or 180 ms. If the line in source is on port 2 you’re actual needed delay time is going to be the new ‘slowest’ port + the line in delay, or 85 ms + 60 ms = 145 ms. Maybe that doesn’t matter to you, but since the line in source is often going to be acompanied by video, it matters to many.

So, im a little confused on the setup you’re describing here. You would have an AMP pushing an audio source for a TV into the Sonos environment through a port, that then plays on other ports and speakers and still needs to sync video to multiple TVs? Or is this like syncing to a TV in your living room and having audio sync in other rooms where you can only hear the TV audio?

No, not multiple TVs, but yes, syncing audio in other rooms. Keep in mind that we are talking Sonos rooms, which are not necessarily the same as physical room. . For some the 60 ms delay between 2 speakers is not that noticeable to some, but a 145 ms delay would be.

If there is a mandatory 60ms input delay on the line in of the port, would your video already not by synced right from the get go as it is today?

It is already delayed, yes. However many are ok with a 60 second delay. It’s not uncommon for people to post on here that they connect their TV via line to a Sonos speaker, and are quite happy with it. When you increase that delay, it’s unlikely anyone will be ok with it.

Like, in that setup, the only way to truly sync video across multople rooms and across multiple sonos speakers would be to have delay added to the video stream, because i see no other way even as it stands today to sync it up if the port line in has a 60ms delay already.

Pretty much yes, but that’s only the goal if you’re looking for perfect sync and not just good enough for my human ears. And for any Sonos case, controlling the video stream isn’t an option. I guess the overall point is that in the quest for perfect sync, it’s entirely possible that you make synced audio worse, particularly when you don’t have control of all the sources.

Edit: Keep in mind that leaving the port delays at 0 (the default) everything would function exactly as it does today.

Danny

jgatie

Hi @PhAzE

Welcome to the Sonos Community!

Thank you - I've marked this thread as a feature request and it will be seen by the relevant teams for consideration. Keep the ideas coming!

Please note, however, that for the reasons listed above, and for others, I think this very unlikely. It’s not up to me, of course, so your feedback will be passed on.

Considering the bolded above is about as close as a Sonos rep ever gets to saying something isn’t going to happen, any further discourse on this request is probably moot.

P

PhAzEAuthor

Contributor I

No, not multiple TVs, but yes, syncing audio in other rooms. Keep in mind that we are talking Sonos rooms, which are not necessarily the same as physical room. . For some the 60 ms delay between 2 speakers is not that noticeable to some, but a 145 ms delay would be.

It is already delayed, yes. However many are ok with a 60 second delay. It’s not uncommon for people to post on here that they connect their TV via line to a Sonos speaker, and are quite happy with it. When you increase that delay, it’s unlikely anyone will be ok with it.

Pretty much yes, but that’s only the goal if you’re looking for perfect sync and not just good enough for my human ears. And for any Sonos case, controlling the video stream isn’t an option. I guess the overall point is that in the quest for perfect sync, it’s entirely possible that you make synced audio worse, particularly when you don’t have control of all the sources.

so in those cases, just leave the setting at 0 and it will function as it does now. without video delay it'll never sync up perfectly to the video, and this setting wouldn't adjust for that situation. Leaving the port delay at 0 would leave overall delay in that instance at 60ms still.

R

Robbio

Enthusiast I

I have a NAD Amp, that has Dirac room correction, Even though it has BluOS I added a SONOS Port to the Optical In so I could use SONOS with it and group it with my other speakers.

Since the digital in of the AMP takes time to do processing there is a massive echo when I group speakers together. No option to turn off processing at all.

Sonosequencer has the ability to add a delay to any SONOS product, So I add a delay to all of the other speakers and it gets very close, but it only allows a numbered delay of 1 though 5.

If the delay was in ms it would be better.

The solution though is to add a negative delay to the PORT.

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