Skip to main content

I'm experiencing an issue with my Sonos Era 100 stereo pair and Sub Mini when using AirPlay from my Mac Studio. After pausing playback for a few minutes, upon resuming, the progress bar on my MacBook indicates that the content is playing, but there's no sound from the speakers. Disconnecting and reconnecting AirPlay resolves the issue temporarily, but it's inconvenient to do this repeatedly. Is this behavior inherent to AirPlay, or is there a solution to prevent this from happening?

System Configuration:

  • Speakers: Sonos Era 100 (stereo pair) + Sub Mini
  • Source Device: Mac Studio running the latest macOS
  • Connection Method: AirPlay

Troubleshooting Steps Attempted:

  1. Restarted Devices: Restarted both the MacBook and Sonos speakers; issue persists.
  2. Firmware and Software Updates: Confirmed all devices are running the latest software versions.
  3. AirPlay Settings Verification: Ensured correct AirPlay configuration on the MacBook.
  4. Network Stability Check: Verified a stable Wi-Fi connection; other streaming functions work without issues.
  5. Speaker Reset: Performed a factory reset on the Sonos speakers and reconfigured them; problem remains.

To my knowledge, this is inherent to AirPlay 2, which ‘times out’ a connection after X period of non activity. 

You may want to confirm with Apple, though. 

I have a Mac Studio (M1 Max). I don’t use Airplay that often but decided to test it going to my Era 300’s in stereo pair with Sub.  There is a delay for Airplay to start but that’s normal as it has to hitch a ride across my WiFi. However, after pausing for three (3) minutes the delay was very, very slight...say about a second.

If you are experiencing a greater delay than that I’d run a diagnostic within 10 minutes of the next occurrence, make note of the reference ID (do not post it here) and then call Sonos Tech Support on a regular business day.

Do not factory resent your speakers nor reboot your network. There is data in the diagnostic that is useful to Sonos.

Additional note: The AirPlay issue was almost resolved by slightly elevating the placement of the speakers. (Additionally, the stereo pair connection has also stabilized.) It seems it was a Wi-Fi problem. Thank you for the replies.

Terms & ConditionsCookie settings