Sonos Connect purest signal question

Hi all,

Thanks for the quick responses! I must admit, I'm a bit disappointed...I was looking forward to simply add a streaming device to my integrated amp (24 bit compatible) which I could make use of my Tidal Hifi account with. I automatically assumed that bypassing the in-built DAC through the digital out connectors and setting the line level to fixed would result in a completely unaltered, clean signal from Tidal servers directly into my amp's DAC. Reading up on the link provided above with the 'variable' line output being preferable to the 'fixed' option, it's confusing as to why this is the case. I mean, with the 'fixed' option, the Sonos EQ options and other unnatural sound modifying sliders are disabled, which would lead me to believe that it lends itself to, as everyone puts it, a bit-perfect output. Why is this not the case? Is Sonos deliberately handicapping the digital outputs to encourage people to use the analogs? I bought my Connect as a open-box in a BestBuy recently. It was too good a price to resist! I'm not sure if it's a recent one...are there telltale signs? The open box did have the more recent graphics on it though. DO you guys reckon it's a hardware change they did or a software thing, as compared to the older models?

I get that the Tidal Masters / MQA format will not be streamed through the Sonos, seeing as it's an older product and MQA pretty much just came into Tidal. For my needs, just the Hifi bit-rate will do (admittedly, as far as I know, that's 16bit 44.1). So yeah, I know it's not ultimate fidelity, but as long as I'm getting the full bandwidth and bitrate transferred as-received into my amp, I'm happy!

So to conclude, are we saying that to get the maximum out of my current setup, I leave the optical connection as is, set the line level in the Sonos app to 'Variable' and leave it around 80%, leave all the EQ sliders and loudness toggle at their default/neutral settings and simply adjust the final listening volume on my amp?

Cheers guys, looking forward to more info!

Hi. I'm not sure why this happened but I do know that you are worrying about things that will not make one iota of difference to your listening experience. This has nothing to do, as I understand it, with whether you use optical or analogue. This is signal processing not a DAC issue (someone may wish to correct me on that).

I think you may be confusing bit rate and bit depth. You will get the lossless bit rate from Tidal, i.e. CD quality.

If you set your amp volume close to or at max, set Connect output to variable and control the volume with the Sonos app it will be effectively bit perfect. It will certainly be audibly indistinguishable from bit perfect. In fact, almost anything you do will be audibly indistinguishable from bit perfect.

Just connect the Connect and start enjoying the music.

Just connect the Connect and start enjoying the music.
I agree; life is too short and unpredictable. If you must worry about anything that will be productive, do so about the mastering quality - which you can only control via ripped from CD music where you get to decide which mastered version of the CD to buy - and speaker quality and placement along with room acoustics.
I use Apple Music and Google Play. I also have a ton of ripped CDs, some of which are from excellent masters. When these are heard in comparison with music streamed from the same CDs on Apple/Google, no differences can be heard once sound levels that can vary across sources, are equalised.

Thanks guys, perhaps you're right; I'm overthinking the whole situation a bit! The listening experience is very enjoyable as it is to be honest...it's just that sometimes I like to imagine the potential of my audio equipment. Right now, the integrated amp is the strongest component in my system, so yeah, it's not even the speakers that take top spot, so I'm really in no position to complain. I suppose I just kind of assumed the Connect to be a zero-modifying streaming-only device to de-clutter my primary sound system, hence my surprise about the whole 'less than bit perfect' digital output on it, I simply don't want it to be the weakest link in the system :)

Thanks for all the inputs and thoughts though. It does clear things up, and yeah, at the end of the day, I do simply want to Enjoy The Music!

Cheers!

the integrated amp is the strongest component in my system, so yeah, it's not even the speakers that take top spot

I do simply want to Enjoy The Music!

Without taking anything away from the last bit, for the future, note that it is speakers that need to be the best link in the chain with the source music quality at the other end being the other critical bit. All else is largely a commodity now.

Hi I've had a connect amp setup for years but I remember going through this perfection craze at the time. For bit perfect the recommendation I found was to set it up with fixed volume in the advanced Connect settings. You won't be able to use the app to adjust the volume instead just use the amp volume.