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using Sonos with Wiim, apple tv, eversolo, cambridge

  • December 29, 2024
  • 7 replies
  • 1240 views
Z

I want to stream Apple Music to my Sonos speakers with a direct connection rather than airplay in order to get the optimal sound resolution.

Currently I have an Apple TV 4K connected to my arc for video streaming and have found that when select the Apple TV 4K to output audio the sound is noticeably better than airplay. Is there a device or way to actually verify what if 16 or 24k or 44.1 or 48 is actually being broadcast. Has anyone had success connecting a Wiim (pro or Ultra) , Eversolo bluenode or Cambridge cvn v2 using the Sonos line adapter to era 100 or 300 and been able to add multiple room grouping to your other Sonos speakers ? 

 

Best answer by Corry P

Hi ​@Zipsgear 

so with Sonos there are no 3rd party streamers that allow for multi room lossless playback, correct ?

No - any device with line-out can connect to any Sonos device with Line In. Multiroom only comes into it once Sonos already has the feed, and any source can be played to multiple rooms. Finally, “lossless” doesn’t really mean anything when you’re talking about an analogue feed, but the way Sonos shares that feed with other rooms is lossless, yes, assuming the Line In compression setting is set to uncompressed.

When playing Apple Music through the Sonos app to Sonos is the stream airplay / airplay 2 and therefore not lossless ?

No. AirPlay is only used when initiated by the user (as in, if you choose it). When you use the Sonos app, the app just gives an instruction to the speaker to play something; the speaker is in charge of fetching that audio from the specified source. There is literally no opportunity for AirPlay to get involved.

Also am I’m reading correctly that another way to get lossless on Sonos is a direct line in to Sonos via an Apple iPhone or Ipad ? 

It is a rather a round-about way of doing things. As mentioned before, you can ensure the best available quality by using the Sonos app (or any other app that tells the speaker what to do, if you are trying to avoid the Sonos app). Line-in certainly does not support spatial audio. But yes, this would work.

It could be argued that a DAC (Digital to Analogue Converter - what will lie between a iPhone/iPad and a headphone jack) using battery power is not going to recreate audio as well as one that has unlimited power available, though I suspect Apple’s are rather good. You’d be hard-pressed to find a iPhone with a headphone jack these days (not sure about iPads), though, and you would also have 3 conflicting volume levels - iPhone’s volume, Line-In Level setting, and the speaker’s volume. This is not in any way ideal.

I hope this helps.

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7 replies

Corry P
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  • Corry P
  • Sonos Staff
  • December 30, 2024

Hi ​@Zipsgear 

Welcome to the Sonos Community!

The single best way to ensure you are getting the best Apple Music quality is to initiate playback from the Sonos app; AirPlay is not lossless or spatial when third-party (non-Apple) devices are involved.

In addition, when playing from Apple TV via HDMI, Sonos does not know that you are listening to music specifically, meaning the Music Level setting (in Surround Settings for the room) will not apply.

The Sonos app does not report the sample rate, but if it is above 48KHz, Sonos will not play it, therefore Apple Music will not supply it to the speaker. It’s safe to assume that you will be getting either 40KHz or 48KHz, more likely the latter.

You can connect any analogue feed to the Line-In adaptor, as long as it is at Line level (not direct from a microphone, turntable or guitar without pre-amplification), and that feed can be played on any or all speakers on your Sonos system (the Era 100 does not even need to be included, but obviously can be).

I hope this helps.

"Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by age eighteen." - Albert Einstein
N
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  • nik9669a
  • Senior Virtuoso
  • December 30, 2024

High-jacking the thread, ​@Corry P: you say it’s ok to connect a guitar with line-level output. Presumably not a bass guitar though? 

Corry P
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  • Corry P
  • Sonos Staff
  • December 30, 2024

Hi ​@nik9669a 

High-jacking the thread, ​@Corry P: you say it’s ok to connect a guitar with line-level output. Presumably not a bass guitar though? 

Whoa there! Did I say that? I am not convinced I did - I was merely using a guitar as one example of a low-voltage input that would not work without pre-amplification. Connecting an electric guitar to a Sonos Line-In would be a very interesting exercise in playing music while not hearing it until 75ms later - possible? Yes. Easy? Probably not.

"Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by age eighteen." - Albert Einstein
N
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  • nik9669a
  • Senior Virtuoso
  • December 30, 2024

Hi ​@nik9669a 

High-jacking the thread, ​@Corry P: you say it’s ok to connect a guitar with line-level output. Presumably not a bass guitar though? 

Whoa there! Did I say that? I am not convinced I did - I was merely using a guitar as one example of a low-voltage input that would not work without pre-amplification. Connecting an electric guitar to a Sonos Line-In would be a very interesting exercise in playing music while not hearing it until 75ms later - possible? Yes. Easy? Probably not.

Apologies - I may have misinterpreted your post, when you wrote: “You can connect any analogue feed to the Line-In adaptor, as long as it is at Line level (not direct from a microphone, turntable or guitar without pre-amplification)”. I agree the lag would make it somewhat impractical if not downright impossible! 

Corry P
Corry P
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  • Corry P
  • Sonos Staff
  • December 30, 2024

Hi ​@nik9669a 

To be fair to you, I did second-guess my inclusion of Guitars in the list - perhaps it would have made more sense to just not mention them.

"Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by age eighteen." - Albert Einstein
N
Z
  • Zipsgear
  • Author
  • Contributor II
  • December 30, 2024

so with Sonos there are no 3rd party streamers that allow for multi room lossless playback, correct ?
 

When playing Apple Music through the Sonos app to Sonos is the stream airplay / airplay 2 and therefore not lossless ?


Also am I’m reading correctly that another way to get lossless on Sonos is a direct line in to Sonos via an Apple iPhone or Ipad ? 

Corry P
Forum|alt.badge.img+19
  • Corry P
  • Sonos Staff
  • Answer
  • December 30, 2024

Hi ​@Zipsgear 

so with Sonos there are no 3rd party streamers that allow for multi room lossless playback, correct ?

No - any device with line-out can connect to any Sonos device with Line In. Multiroom only comes into it once Sonos already has the feed, and any source can be played to multiple rooms. Finally, “lossless” doesn’t really mean anything when you’re talking about an analogue feed, but the way Sonos shares that feed with other rooms is lossless, yes, assuming the Line In compression setting is set to uncompressed.

When playing Apple Music through the Sonos app to Sonos is the stream airplay / airplay 2 and therefore not lossless ?

No. AirPlay is only used when initiated by the user (as in, if you choose it). When you use the Sonos app, the app just gives an instruction to the speaker to play something; the speaker is in charge of fetching that audio from the specified source. There is literally no opportunity for AirPlay to get involved.

Also am I’m reading correctly that another way to get lossless on Sonos is a direct line in to Sonos via an Apple iPhone or Ipad ? 

It is a rather a round-about way of doing things. As mentioned before, you can ensure the best available quality by using the Sonos app (or any other app that tells the speaker what to do, if you are trying to avoid the Sonos app). Line-in certainly does not support spatial audio. But yes, this would work.

It could be argued that a DAC (Digital to Analogue Converter - what will lie between a iPhone/iPad and a headphone jack) using battery power is not going to recreate audio as well as one that has unlimited power available, though I suspect Apple’s are rather good. You’d be hard-pressed to find a iPhone with a headphone jack these days (not sure about iPads), though, and you would also have 3 conflicting volume levels - iPhone’s volume, Line-In Level setting, and the speaker’s volume. This is not in any way ideal.

I hope this helps.

"Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by age eighteen." - Albert Einstein
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