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Audio dropout on BBC Sounds

Seen a number of threads on the topic of audio dropout on BBC Sounds, however not sure if there is a definitive fix

I've seen this problem within the last week. Select a BBC station and it drops out after a few seconds. It does this a number of times and then appears to settle.

Does anyone have a fix for this?

 

Thanks 

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15 replies

Corry P
Userlevel 7
Badge +18

Hi @POG2023 

Welcome to the Sonos Community!

Please test other music sources - if other sources are affected too, I’d concentrate your efforts on reducing wireless interference. Please keep both the affected speaker and the router in mind when looking for possible interference. A reboot of the router (switch it off for at least 30 seconds) may also help.

If, on the other hand, other sources are not affected, then I recommend you get in touch with our technical support team who have tools at their disposal that will allow them to give you advice specific to your Sonos system and what it reports.

I hope this helps.

"Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by age eighteen." - Albert Einstein
P
Userlevel 1
Badge +1

Thanks for the information Corry. 

I'd tried all the "clearing the pipes" drill of rebooting everything to no avail.

I also tried reporting it through "Technical Support" diagnostics, but it wouldn't send.

However, there has been a Sonos update this afternoon and that would appear to have improved the issue will continue to monitor and report back on the status. 

 

Thanks again for your continued support. 

 

Best regards 

 

B
Badge

Can't access BBC Sounds in the Sonos app at all. Every show I try to play I just get a message saying its unavailable. Have removed and reinstalled both apps, no change 😩

P
Userlevel 1
Badge +1

Hi Corry & Bushy,

As mentioned earlier, the Update that came to my system yesterday afternoon would appear to have resolved this problem.... No evidence of the Audio Dropout this morning. 

Will continue to monitor and report if it recurrs. 

 

Thanks again for your help 👍

Corry P
Userlevel 7
Badge +18

Hi @POG2023 

I think it was probably the reboot that the system did after the update that fixed whatever was going wrong, rather than the update itself.

I’m glad to hear it has improved things, however!

 

Hi @bushy 

There is a current issue affecting playback of on-demand content from BBC Sounds. It is being discussed here:

 

"Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by age eighteen." - Albert Einstein
P
Userlevel 1
Badge +1

Thanks for the feedback Corry. 

Well, whatever it was,it appears to have done the trick.

Thanks again for your attention on this matter. 

 

Best regards. 

P
Userlevel 1
Badge +1

Hi Corry, 

 

Audio dropout on BBC has been patchy recently but is back with a vengeance this morning.

Diagnostic report 263261512 submitted this morning and system is basically unlistenable due to dropout.

For your information, only the Sonos system is running through the router. 

Hope you can help 

 

Regards 

Corry P
Userlevel 7
Badge +18

Hi @POG2023 

Thanks for the diagnostics - they show that the Play:3 is having problems with writing data to it’s sound device. In short, it has developed a fault that I don’t think can be fixed.

It’s possible that you could decrease the frequency of the issues you experience by following some of the advice below, but I doubt that you’ll be able to eliminate it entirely.

  1. Wire the Play:3 to the network via ethernet, if possible, and disable it’s WiFi (Settings » System » Kitchen » Play:3 » Disable WiFi) to prevent it becoming a hub for the other speaker.

  2. Reduce the load on the player by turning off Crossfade and Shuffle.

  3. If you ever group your speakers together, be sure to start with Living Room and add Kitchen to it, not the other way around.

It’s also conceivable that a factory reset of the Play:3 would help, but I personally think it is doubtful.

If none of the above helps, I think you’ll need to replace the speaker. I recommend calling in to discuss your replacement options - you will be able to get a discount on a replacement.

I hope this helps.

"Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by age eighteen." - Albert Einstein
P
Userlevel 1
Badge +1

Thanks for the feedback and the prompt response Corry. 

It's a strange fault especially as it settles down after a while with no issues. Seems to be intermittent upon switch on. 

I'll try a few things as you have recommended and report back. 

 

Regards 

Corry P
Userlevel 7
Badge +18

Hi @POG2023 

Given your description, it’s entirely possible that the issue disappears once some of the metal conductors in the speaker have expanded with the heat the device naturally creates with normal operation. To me, this is still a faulty speaker, but if you can still use it, I get why you’d want to continue doing so.

Do you literally mean “switch on”, or do you mean when you start playing? If the former, Sonos devices are intended to be left powered-on at all times, and the repeated disconnection from power could, conceivably, shorten the lifespan of the speaker (just as it will for any other electronic device due to the microscopic swelling and contracting that temperature changes cause). Leaving the speaker connected to power all the time could mitigate the issue. If the latter, then it’s probably the CPU usage that’s warming things up a little, and things will presumably cool down again when playback stops. There won’t be much you can do about this short of keeping the speaker in a warmer location like on top of the refrigerator (maybe).

I hope this helps.

"Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by age eighteen." - Albert Einstein
P
Userlevel 1
Badge +1

Thanks again Corry. 

I did mean when a station is selected. And, yes, the speakers are on 24/7...which is why I found it unusual that the station would dropout while the units are permanently on

In the interim, I have connected only the Play 1 and it is operating fine today.

I may connect the Play 3 Up over the weekend to see what happens and how the unit operates.

Ultimately I may have to select a new Sonos unit as you suggest.

Will provide further updates as we progress 

 

Regards 

Corry P
Userlevel 7
Badge +18

Hi @POG2023 

Ah - it’s probably not related to thermals then, and instead just the issue I described after first seeing the diagnostics. 

It’s certainly unusual - the issue I described (with the specific errors I see in the logs) isn’t known to happen with the Play:3, though it’s not impossible, I suppose. It’s a first for me. I’m not sure of the exact nature of the issue, but it does tend to only manifest with certain music sources. BBC Sounds isn’t listed as one of the examples, but it is a fairly new service, so that’s not surprising. You may find that the Play:3 works perfectly with some other sources (though probably not with Spotify).

There’s also the mitigation steps listed in my previous post. I don’t think there’s a way to solve this altogether, however, short of a replacement.

I promise I am not on commission.

"Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by age eighteen." - Albert Einstein
P
Userlevel 1
Badge +1

Thanks again for your detailed information Corry. 

I'll try the Play 3 once again and see how it performs. I'll report my findings. 

Thanks again and have a good weekend. 

 

Regards 

P
Userlevel 1
Badge +1

Hi Corry, 

Tried to connect the Play 3 again over the weekend without success. 

Looks like it is a defective unit and I'll have to look for a replacement. 

You mentioned in a previous response that I should be eligible for a discount on a new Sonos unit. 

How do I obtain that?

 

Regards 

Jamie A
Userlevel 7
Badge +16

Hi @POG2023,

You’ll want to call into our support team to discuss with them, as they are the team that discuss and set up replacements and replacement options.

I hope this helps!

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