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Airplay with Playbase home theater doesn't work

  • February 7, 2026
  • 4 replies
  • 25 views

If you Airplay to a Playbase + Sonos One + Sub over WiFi, it will stutter.

The only way to stop the stuttering is disabling Surround, which is quite inconvenient since everytime you switch to TV viewing you have to go to the app and enable it again.

There are quite a lot of threads blaming it on the WiFi coverage, 2.4 Ghz and 5Ghz channels, even blaming the WiFi chips on the hardware. The only solution is wiring the ethernet in the Playbase, or as I have said, disabling the surround.

Since Surround works with Library over wifi and the normal TV, it really looks like a software bug which could be easily fixed. Even if it’s a hardware limitation, then when you airplay to the playbase the software could switch the sorround off for you.

Just so if anyone has the same setup they don’t waste time trying to fix it: either wire the playbase, disable surround everytime you airplay music, or don’t airplay until Sonos release a fix (unlikely)

4 replies

controlav
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  • Lead Maestro
  • February 8, 2026

The Playbase is ancient and was the very first Sonos HT device to support Airplay. As Airplay only supports stereo, I am surprised this scenario works at all.


106rallye
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  • February 8, 2026

I don’t think OP is sending surround via AirPlay, it seems to me he is sending stereo but it’s buggy unless he turns off the rear speakers.


  • Author
  • Contributor I
  • February 8, 2026

That’s correct, it’s just stereo Airplay.

It used to work properly, but stopped working at some point. Looks like the Playbase + surrounds setup had a tough time with the new apps and firmwares, though some of the other problems were luckily fixed last year


Airgetlam
  • February 8, 2026

I’d then suggest that you call Sonos Support to discuss it.

When you speak directly to the Support staff, they have tools at their disposal that will allow them to give you advice specific to your network and Sonos system. And if there’s a bug in the system, having identifiable information they can pass on would likely be extremely helpful.