Hi @scobihughes,

I’ve answered this in the main thread for this topic here: 

In short, we’re unable to confirm when/if this feature is coming to Sonos. It’s up to the music service provider (Apple in this case) to work with us and decide which features are/are not available on Sonos products. 

I don’t understand what this has to with Apple deciding what features are / are not available on Sonos products. 

As things stand you can already stream to Sonos via Airplay 2, Apple will now make Airplay 2 capable of streaming Hi-Res files. So the question is, will Sonos products adapt to be capable of playing Hi-Res streamed through Airplay 2?

Apple have already confirmed to Bluesound that as long as their receiver has a DAC capable of Hi-Res then they are capable of playing Apple Music at Hi-Res. 

Example: I can stream via Airplay 2 at 16/44 to my Sonos Amp at the moment, as of next month through Apple Music and Airplay 2 i will be able to stream up to 24/196. As far as i know Sonos products including my Sonos Amp will not be able to play at 24/196. Will Sonos update to be able to play these Hi-Res files that 70 million Apple Music customers will have access to next month? 

Sure, I understand. What we can’t confirm for sure is whether Apple will unlock this higher resolution for Airplay streaming to Sonos products. The announcement was made only 2 days ago, so we need to get that confirmation from Apple before being able to give a definitive answer on this.

On the Amp’s capabilities - Amp can currently support up to 24 bit/44.1/48KHz from selected sources such as music library and Qobuz, so if this higher rate is unlocked for Airplay 2 it’s likely that it would be downscaled from 24/196 to a supported bit depth and sample rate.

Thanks, that’s all i wanted to know, 70 million Apple Music customers will not be able to stream anything above 24/48 to Sonos. 

Since you said this a second time: how many of the 70 million use Sonos? 

I’m afraid i wouldn’t know that as fine you know.

Out of Sonos 6 million customers though i’d be willing to bet quite a few.

Everyone i know who has Sonos uses Apple Music and until Apples announcement had no interest in Hi-Res music but that’s now changed. 

With Apple and Spotify now entering into higher resolution streaming a lot more people (not audiophiles) are taking an interest. 

I was curious to find out so i could tell my friends who have been asking that Sonos will cap off at 24/48. 

To summarise my response in another thread: I don't know either, but be sure that Sonos knows this very well via the data collection devices embedded in the Sonos app. They will do a prioritisation of their actions based on that very granular knowledge that they have.

Fantastic news, and what could the possible outcomes of that be do you think?

Your guess is as good as mine would be. And I doubt Sonos will let either of us know until they are good and ready. But I am pretty sure they won’t act just on what our friends feel.

You mean what everyone’s friends feel, lets face it 70 million people are about to become aware of Hi-Res music not just Audiophiles.

The market for Hi-Res is about to get bigger. We have already seen Sonos react to this by making Hi-Res available for Qobuz users via the S2 app.  Just a shame that it’s restricted to 24/48.  

That 70 million are just playing catch up with much bigger combined numbers from Amazon, Spotify, Tidal etc that crosses 200 million. And it would be interesting to see what percent of total sub fee paying users today are actually paying the higher fees for HD music, because that would be relevant to knowing if HD music has grown legs beyond the hot air which has been around it for at least a decade now.

I feel safe in betting that this number of paying customers would be less than 10%. Maybe even less than 5%.

Sonos must be an interesting place to be a fly on the wall of strategy meeting rooms, but we are not that, and we have no real data to make recommendations from except saying my friends and I want it, so Sonos better give it.

I don’t think anyone has said my friends and i want it so sonos better give it. 

However i’m sure if plenty of people do want it and don’t get it, like everything else in life you will just go elsewhere to get it. 

It was a niche market before, not so much now as Apple are about to introduce Hi-Res to the mainstream.  

I inferred that from your preceding comments. Perhaps a mistaken inference, perhaps not. Others here will decide for themselves:-)

Trial by ‘others’ lol 

I would suggest the market willing to pay for hi res is a significant niche but not Sonos‘s mass market given it was served by Tidal and Qubuz. But that is not a relevant argument any longer though as Apple Music hi res and Amazon UHD is now available at no extra cost.
 

Apple Music and Amazon are now highlighting on every track sample rates which increases awareness. If hi res is available at no extra cost and other manufacturers offer the ability to play it at no premium which they Will and they do emblazon it on their products then that is a marketing problem for Sonos. 
 

The problem is that bandwidths and memory have moved on since Sonos was introduced. I have no doubt Sonos starting now would be hi res capable. Their problem is balancing changes in the market and technology against backward integration. I suspect that the market change will mean that they will introduce hi res on new products and it will simply down sample on old products. 
 

Personally lossless on Sonos via AirPlay would be fine as Sonos is a great lifestyle product but it is not hifi so I will go elsewhere when I want to listen to hifi as that is not Sonos market.