I have just subscribed Amazon Music Unlimited and tried playing some UltraHD music on my system. The newer Sonos Amp played them just fine and there was the UltraHD badge. But my Connect:Amp only played the same album at HD. If I tried grouping the Amp and the Connect:Amp, then the badge changed from UltraHD to HD.
However, according to this link, the Connect:Amp gen 2 does support UltraHD playback. I think my Connect:Amp is gen 2 because it runs the S2 app, and the manufacture date at its bottom is 1608.
Any explanation or clarification is much appreciated.
Answered
Does Connect: Amp gen 2 support Amazon Music UltraHD
Best answer by Ken_Griffiths
My own understanding of this is… the Sonos devices that support 24-bit audio are:
- Roam
- Arc
- Beam (both generations),
- Five
- Sub (all generations),
- Move
- One
- One SL
- Port
- Amp
- SYMFONISK Bookshelf
- SYMFONISK Table Lamp
- Play:5 (Gen 2)
- Connect (Gen 2) (Summer 2017–> onwards)
- Connect:Amp (Gen 2)
Adding older players to a group, such as Playbase, Playbar, Play:1(Gen1), Play:3, Play:5(Gen1), ZP80, ZP90(Connect), ZP100, ZP120 (Connect:Amp) may cause Amazon Music station to change format.
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My own understanding of this is… the Sonos devices that support 24-bit audio are:
- Roam
- Arc
- Beam (both generations),
- Five
- Sub (all generations),
- Move
- One
- One SL
- Port
- Amp
- SYMFONISK Bookshelf
- SYMFONISK Table Lamp
- Play:5 (Gen 2)
- Connect (Gen 2) (Summer 2017–> onwards)
- Connect:Amp (Gen 2)
Adding older players to a group, such as Playbase, Playbar, Play:1(Gen1), Play:3, Play:5(Gen1), ZP80, ZP90(Connect), ZP100, ZP120 (Connect:Amp) may cause Amazon Music station to change format.
My own understanding of this is… the Sonos devices that support 24-bit audio are:
- Roam
- Arc
- Beam (both generations),
- Five
- Sub (all generations),
- Move
- One
- One SL
- Port
- Amp
- SYMFONISK Bookshelf
- SYMFONISK Table Lamp
- Play:5 (Gen 2)
- Connect (Gen 2) (Summer 2017–> onwards)
- Connect:Amp (Gen 2)
Adding older players to a group, such as (Playbase, Playbar, Play:1(Gen1), Play:3, Play:5(Gen1), ZP80, ZP90(Connect), ZP100, ZP120 (Connect:Amp)) may cause Amazon Music station to change format.
Yes I did read that. But I am referring to the Connect:Amp, not the Connect. I am not sure if the date to determine the Connect:Amp’s generation is the same like the Connect, i.e. summer 2017. Maybe somebody can confirm on this.
Ah Yes, ‘Sorry’ I only have the note on the ‘Connect’ so it would be nice perhaps if the date for the C:A could be confirmed too. I think the 2nd Gen C:A started March 2015 —> onwards, but not ‘precisely’ sure if that month/year date applies to 24bit audio too.
What Month/Year are we talking about in your case?
What Month/Year are we talking about in your case?
It’s 08/16, and it has been running well with S2 app, so I guess it should be Gen 2.
Thank you. It’s 15%. I guess my question remains valid then.
If you’re Connect:Amp has a play/pause button rather than a mute button then it is Gen2, however, like you say as it’s connected to S2 then it is Gen2 and should play UHD as per Sonos’ own statement.
The Amazon Music hi-res release appears rushed as I cannot play UHD on Ones bonded with Sub Gen2, but fine without Sub bonded. The same Sub can play UHD when bonded with an Arc, but not when bonded with stereo pair Ones.
Let’s hope the Staff see this thread and can confirm if the C:A in question should stream Amazon’s HiRes audio, or not. It’s useful to know these things surrounding their dates, if only to save on the time spent trying to troubleshoot the issue.
Without hijacking this thread, i have a similar problem with my S2 Connect (pre summer 2017) playing Amazon Music HD. I get “Amazon Ultra HD” playing on my system perfectly, but when i add the Connect it pauses the music , I assuming to get a different stream, and then changes everything to HD.
Ive tested a few other options too:
When playing a Qobuz 24/44 stream , which scan be played by S2, i can add the Connect to the stream and it doesn't pause or change stream as it does on the when playing Amazon Music. This is the same result when i play 24/44 music from my own hard drive. Does this mean the connect is playing the 24/44 stream / files from both locally & via Qobuz stream?
Ive also tried Qobuz through Room and it appears that the connect is playing 24/44 music streams, so its appears that the Connect Gen 2 ( pre summer 2017) is capable of playing 24/44 music field / stream, but not from Amazon Music for some reason?
Hoping someone can add some more details.
Thanks
I can perhaps just briefly add that Sonos Staff have mentioned in the link below that the Qobuz service via the Sonos App operates slightly differently to the new Amazon Music HD/UltraHD service (at the moment at least) in that the Sonos Playbar supports 24bit audio streaming from Qobuz, but only 16bit HD audio from Amazon:
I assume there are some technical, or commercial reasons for these differences - I’m not complaining here by the way, as I’m not able to personally tell the difference between 16/44 and 24/48 audio anyway from my own A/B testing at Home, but it’s nice to have these slightly ‘grey areas’ clarified.
Any clarification from Sonos staff, I wonder?
You can contact Sonos Support directly either by telephone or chat and discuss it with them.
+17Hi
Apologies for the delay - it took a little bit of time to find the answer.
I’ve checked with our engineers, and they’ve confirmed that the Connect:Amp is not able to play Amazon Music UltraHD tracks.
It does appear that the support page linked in this thread is incorrect, so I’ve notified our web team to get that corrected.
Hi
Apologies for the delay - it took a little bit of time to find the answer.
I’ve checked with our engineers, and they’ve confirmed that the Connect:Amp is not able to play Amazon Music UltraHD tracks.
It does appear that the support page linked in this thread is incorrect, so I’ve notified our web team to get that corrected.
In that case, the following Sonos webpage is also factually incorrect under the section ‘How to listen to hi-res on Sonos’
Clarification should also be given around the Sub (all generations) as according to my previous telephone conversation with support, a DRM issue means Amazon Ultra HD is not supported when a Sub(gen2) is bonded outside a home theatre setup ie. Bonded with Ones/Fives etc.
Hi
Apologies for the delay - it took a little bit of time to find the answer.
I’ve checked with our engineers, and they’ve confirmed that the Connect:Amp is not able to play Amazon Music UltraHD tracks.
It does appear that the support page linked in this thread is incorrect, so I’ve notified our web team to get that corrected.
Thank you for your response. Though I am quite satisfied with CD-quality streaming and do not care much about hi-res, it is good to have a definite answer on the Connect:Amp’s capability.
Thank you for your response. Though I am quite satisfied with CD-quality streaming and do not care much about hi-res, it is good to have a definite answer on the Connect:Amp’s capability.
I’m more than happy too with 16bit audio. Any benefit from 24bit is likely lost on my own personal hearing abilities.
Thank you for your response. Though I am quite satisfied with CD-quality streaming and do not care much about hi-res, it is good to have a definite answer on the Connect:Amp’s capability.
I’m more than happy too with 16bit audio. Any benefit from 24bit is likely lost on my own personal hearing abilities.
24-bit has its place in the studio, to avoid overflow errors during recording. As a final delivery format 16-bit is all that’s required.
Besides, with so many modern recordings being dynamic range compressed (the ‘loudness wars’) you could probably get away with 12 bits or less. 
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