Line-In Latency/Delay Disable PLAY:5

A beneficial side-effect of PLAYBAR using 5GHz to talk to its satellites is reduced interference. It clearly also helps that the connections are direct (hub-spoke) rather than over a mesh with an indeterminate number of wireless hops. PLAYBAR satellites can therefore afford to operate using a shallower (30ms) buffer.

Whilst there could be an argument for dispensing with such latency when PLAYBAR operates without satellites, the marginal gain presumably never warranted the extra development effort. Besides, for many the 30ms doesn't matter, and in some territories with bad broadcast lip-sync where video lags the audio the PLAYBAR latency can even be constructive.

Those using an external TV set-top box, Bluray/DVD, etc. who want tighter sync have the option of bypassing the TV and switching audio direct to the PLAYBAR.

Does the latency increase when grouped with other zones?

No, because the system doesn't attempt to maintain sync between PLAYBAR and the other zones for the 'TV' source. The other zones are in sync amongst themselves, but delayed with respect to PLAYBAR.

https://sonos.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/1966

Thanks for the link - that explains it all in detail. Perhaps the lag I'm getting with my TV and computer are a combination of the 30ms delay and other delays coupled in. Still voting for the latency bypass for the Play 5.

I would like to add to the call for an option to defeat the 70s delay when using the Line-in inputs. My desired usage is not obscure.

I have a Sonos Connect:amp for listening in the living room, which works fine with the SONOS app when listening in that room only.

However, I also have other devices that are connected via Apple streaming devices, such as an Apple TV, and an Airport Express. Before the SONOS system, it was possible to stream to all or any of them in perfect sync using iTunes AirPlay.

SONOS makes it possible, via the Line-in inputs (and even suggests their use specifically for Airport Express / Apple TV's) however, this puts it 70ms out of sync with the rest of the devices (and the computer itself as well). The idea would be, e.g. when having a party, to have all devices playing the same playlist in each listening zone.

The Line-in makes this possible for me, but at the same time makes it frustrating due to the delay.

I bought the Sonos device knowing I could use either the SONOS app (which I do), or alternatively, use the line-in with Airport system. Wasn't expecting the 70ms delay.

The delay is necessary for streaming reliability, and is not going away. Matter of fact, in the case of the Airport Express, the inherent unreliability of Airplaystreaming required the Airplay setting on the line in to increase the delay to increase the buffer. Sonos never promised to sync with other devices, only with Sonos devices and the delay helps accomplish that.

Right, we get it, necessary for streaming reliability. But what is being said here is that while some of us enjoy the multi-room streaming functionality of the Sonos, we also have other ideas for it -- and you've heard two of them (from the OP and me). If I had a boom box, I would plug my airport express into it, and there'd be no delay against the other rooms' airport express devices. I don't want a boom box in my living room, so I'd like my Sonos to *sometimes* function as one.

So for those of us who don't always want Sonos streaming reliability for our part-time purposes, we are asking the software design team to consider that.

What the OP and I are probably imagining it is that the complexity of buffering / streaming could be optionally bypassed, and the line-in inputs would be sent right to the amplifier.

I doubt very highly Sonos is going to enable this feature so that you can sync their devices with a competing product, while simultaneously decreasing the reliably of their streaming performance. But you never know . . . 😉

Nobody wants it to "sync with other devices" -- we just want it to OPTIONALLY play without a delay. Sheesh. The Airport device I have connected to it is already doing the sync-ing with the other Apple Products.

Sonos specifically markets to guys like me who use Apple Products -- co-branding with Apple Music, instructions for how to connect an Airport Express etc. etc.

Anyway, this thread was originally started to express the desire to do this. You're not really a part of this. 😉

I wanted to purchase a reasonable number of Sonos 5 speakers in a real time audio environment. The live music was strictly in a local environment and not dependent on the vagaries of internet and strictly hard wired with 1 gbps Layer 3 Ip switch ports on a private LAN environment. I am really not sure if the current code can still be maintained with an option to opt out for direct connect scenarios to reduce the delay from over 70 msec to around 5 msec. By Sonos being rigid in their approach, it is likely that Sonos will lose large chunk of business which may be up for grabs and it may go to other solution providers which are available in the market place which are as cost effective and give better audio experience. One of them is a Dante solution.