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AirPlay Connection Drops After One or Two Songs (iPhone 13 Pro, Apple Music, Airplay)

  • 22 November 2023
  • 9 replies
  • 1615 views

I have a brand new Sonos Arc and Sub Gen 3 and as the title describes, the AirPlay connection drops typically after one song. I use an iPhone 13 Pro Max with AirPlay and Apple Music. The problem occurs on my MacBook as well. After one song, if I’m lucky, two, the connection seemingly drops. I still see that the song is playing but the sound drops off. If I switch back to iPhone audio then back to Sonos system, it reconnects again and will play (and weirdly the volume changes) but then after a song, same thing.

I’ve scoured both these forums as well as Apple community forums and troubleshooted just about every suggestion under the sun. Reset my Sonos devices, reset iPhone and Mac, delete and reinstall Sonos app, reset cable/router as well as multiple factory resets on the Sonos products. Set up Sonos as a wired SonosNet system. Turning off private address on iPhone. Even went as far as splitting my Wi-Fi bands into separate 2.4 and 5ghz SSID’s and tested both independently. I’ve spent over 4 hours with Sonos support between chat and calls and no solution. And all in all, my exact same iPhone with settings as they were originally were, never had issues connecting to two different relatives’ Sonos systems (This is how I fell in love and wanted one of my own!).
I’m sort of at my wits end here and unfortunately on the verge of looking for a new sound system. This is my last ditch effort here to see if there is anything else I can do, I’d love to get it right as I really enjoy the Sonos system, but for a product this expensive to simply not work as advertised with AirPlay is not acceptable.

System Settings I’ve tried.
Sonos Arc + Sub
- wireless connection with my wifi 2.4ghz band on channels 1, 6, and 11.
- hard wired connection, with sonosnet channel on 1, 6, and 11

As for my phone and router settings, I’ve configured them in multiple ways at this point as suggested in the reference articles below, all to which no avail.

**

Not to mention the Support System is abysmal. The chat associates just say to do exactly what I already did and copy and paste tips from the forums. Then they recommend phone support for advanced troubleshoot, you have a minimum of 20 minutes waiting time and eventually get connected with someone who tells you the same thing. It’s also pretty flawed, call support using your phone, when you’re trying to troubleshoot connection issues to the device with your phone…

Didn’t mean to come in so hot with such a long post, but I am just baffled how a product this expensive doesn’t work as advertised. I am open to any solutions and happy to share much more detail about my system settings, phone settings, and home network settings as I want this to work, but I fear I may just have to send it back and find a different sound system.

 

Reference Articles


https://www.reddit.com/r/sonos/comments/13x3inw/airplay_to_sonos_one_dropping/
https://www.reddit.com/r/sonos/comments/vnnn95/sonos_arc_airplay_issues/
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/254916287
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/255282501
https://support.sonos.com/en-us/article/music-service-audio-stops-or-skips

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9 replies

Ken_Griffiths

@Wobble101,

Apart from a different iThingy model (I have iPhone XR and iPad Pro running iOS 17.1.1) I have this same/similar Sonos Arc setup (and other devices besides) and not seeing any Airplay issues at all when using the Apple Music ‘native’ App. I’m also running the latest Sonos App/firmware update. I think if this was a ‘general’ Sonos issue, then this community would have lit up here in more recent months/days, not just the few links like you’ve selected, that in some instances date back over a period of 1 or 2 years.

I think for every thread or link you have chosen, that there are hundreds, if not thousands, of other similar links where Airplay is working fine for them - although rarely people ever post online just to say things are working perfectly.

Airplay often loses sight of its devices if things are not on the same network subnet and there are occasions when a phone might lose its connection to its Airplay beacon. An example can be the router is not supporting the Bonjour service over the network, or MAC addresses are getting mangled by wireless network access points or extenders… those are just mentioned as examples only here.

On step perhaps worth trying, is to quickly setup a different wireless network and to try the devices on that. I have done this myself in the past to test a few ‘other’ things and have used a D-Link DWR-2101 mobile router as part of my own testing, but any old router will do, as the iphone, can still stream tracks from Apple music over its mobile connection.

I’m not sure if it might even be worth trying such a test with a Mobile Hotspot acting as router, but note the hotspot device must be separate to the controller device. If Airplay works on a different WiFi network then you can then focus any troubleshooting on the matter being related to your local router/network setup. If it doesn’t work, then try it with a different sending device (ensuring that device has no firewall/vpn service, or other security software, running on it). 

If the issues still persist after trying those things then it’s perhaps time to go back to Sonos Support. It’s worthwhile submitting one or two Sonos system diagnostic reports at each step of the way too from within the Sonos App, note their references and then contact/chat with Sonos Support Staff via this LINK and see what the Staff can perhaps then suggest to try to resolve the matter.

 

W
Userlevel 1

@Ken_Griffiths 
Hi Ken, extremely appreciative of the detailed response here. To be more specific, I do have a cable modem/router combo, and granted its not the best one as it’s provided from my ISP, nor do I have as much control of it as I’d like, but I did go as far as separating the bands as mentioned and testing both the 2.4 and 5ghz bands independently with no success. The hotspot idea is interesting as it will help to really isolate what’s causing the issues. Bear with me with the holidays here, but I will report back soon enough. Thanks!

W
Userlevel 1

Hi @Ken_Griffiths , just to update here, after some experimentation with the wifi, I am able to get my MacBook successfully connecting without drops, at least in my short initial testing. Because I used my phone as a hotspot, I was not able to test the iPhone. It looks like we can isolate to it being some strange networking issue occurring on my end between my network, phone and the Sonos system. I’ll probably need to go the route of buying a new wi-fi router and setting up a new network, unfortunate but seems to be the only solution. Will keep the thread updated throughout my progress for others that may be experiencing a similar situation.

W
Userlevel 1

Updating again here, so after further testing and toying, interestingly enough I’m not sure if it can be completely drawn up to network issues. While both the iPhone and MacBook (yup it came back) experienced the drop issues when playing through Apple Music, the MacBook seems to always work successfully as long as I airplay the entire machine’s sound output (Going into settings and changing audio output to Sonos System, as opposed to just toggling airplay on through Apple Music). Unfortunately iPhone issue remains either way. I’m still debating going through the hassle of installing a whole new network just to get my Sonos properly working with my iPhone. If any of these new discoveries spark a new idea to troubleshoot, please let me know! 


cc:
@Ken_Griffiths and friends :)

Ken_Griffiths

@Wobble101 ,

With your iPhone (if not done already) go into the iOS settings and do the following…

  • Switch off ‘use mobile data’ for your Sonos App
  • Switch off ‘WiFi Calling’
  • Switch off ‘Private Address’ (MAC Spoofing) in the WiFi network connection properties (note this is per wireless network if you do swap between networks)

Reboot the iPhone and just see if that improves Airplaying from that device.

W
Userlevel 1

Attempted these settings changes with no success. I also find it odd, because my phone with Apple Music can airplay just fine in a relative’s house with similar Sonos set up, even with those settings on...

Ken_Griffiths

Attempted these settings changes with no success. I also find it odd, because my phone with Apple Music can airplay just fine in a relative’s house with similar Sonos set up, even with those settings on...

They were just some things to try, but if all works fine at another location with that phone and you rebooted your local network/speakers etc. then I’m not sure where the issues lie.

You can always go onto submit a Sonos system diagnostic report from within the Sonos App, note it’s reference and then go back and contact/chat again with Sonos Support Staff via this LINK and see what the Staff can perhaps suggest.

Its not something I’ve seen widely reported with a mobile device, but seen it mentioned with a MacBook previously, but that was issues with Airplaying in general to speakers.

Maybe take your speakers to the relatives house and try them there too, if they’re okay with that? At least it might help to narrow things down perhaps?

M

Exactly the same issue.

Dont even get to finish the song and then have to rejoin my Beam to the server.

My wife has no issues with her new iPhoneSE but no joy with my new iPhone 12.

Interestingly , I can’t project on to the tv (just sound)  whereas my wife can project the banner for the song she is playing.

Without Bluetooth on the Beam, I’m stuffed so any definitive solution would be helpful.

 

 

 

M

Well, I’ve connected my Beam (2nd gen) directly to the Ethernet so routed straight to my hub and that appears to have solved my drop out issue. I still can’t ‘cast’ to the tv so only sound through airplay but good enough. 
 

Dont know why the Ethernet connection solved my problem but it appears to have done so.

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