I’d like the option to disable all stream quality above CD too. Do it for all services that support varying stream quality if possible.

I can’t hear it and all it causes is frustration when it drops out.

Please add possibility to disable Apple Lossless in Sonos App. Since you introduced lossless Sonos system is unstable and barely usable. 

 Can’t that be done in the IOS device, Settings-Music?  Maybe that would only apply to AirPlay.

Yes but will only affect Apple Music app and not the Sonos App. So you will be forced to use Airplay. In addition, the Apple Music app works perfectly with lossless and would like to continue listening to that with airpods and other non Sonos devices. 

Hi @GuitarSuperstar 

Thank you - I've marked this thread as a feature request and it will be seen by the relevant teams for consideration. Keep the ideas coming!

Thank you Corry. Please consider that this is more a regression issue than a new feature request. Since Apple Lossless support has been introduced with no possibility to disable it, Sonos system has become very unstable. Please make us happy customers again. Thanks. 

Don’t forget Sonos added Lossless pretty much at the same time that the new app was launched, so I would not be blaming Lossless’ data requirements as the issue - the far more likely cause is the app change that has impacted so many these last three months. I bet that with fixes in the coming weeks, Lossless will start streaming fine again and the request to turn it off will no longer be required. 

Hi @Rhonny 

I agree, but it depends upon what is actually unstable - if the speakers are unstable in their playback, that will likely be due to the increased bandwidth, in which case I would recommend that @antonio_r call our technical support team to see what steps will likely improve matters - even lossless audio is very little data as compared to a video stream, and modern WiFi solutions should definitely be capable. Very likely, identifying a source of interference and removing it will be the answer. The feature request stands, however - it’s a fair ask, in my opinion.

If, however, it is the app that appears unstable (missing speakers, can’t connect, or anything that works in the Desktop app but doesn’t in the main app) then you are probably right - things will improve with further updates.

Have already with case ******** and have been advised to use AirPlay as temporary workaround. 

Hi @antonio_r 

Thanks - an issue I was not aware of (I’ve been off work) has been tagged against your case. It seems not related to bandwidth after all, though an option to disable lossless would help in this situation, it seems.

The good news is that this should be addressed in a future update with no further work or troubleshooting required.

Bottom line here is that Sonos should never have introduced this feature (auto Lossless) this way. Forcing Lossless on users based on Sonos’ own bandwidth assessment of your network is crazy. This is so clearly a user-controlled feature - a simple toggle to turn on/off Lossless streaming. For all the reasons above, it makes one of my 3 Sonos locations completely unusable - because it thinks I have the bandwidth for it yet it fails miserably across 2 zones, much less the ideal 8 zones I’d like to stream to, because it keeps trying to push Lossless.

I would strongly suggest Sonos simply disable the auto-Lossless feature altogether right now, while fixing the myriad of other issues, and bring it back as user-selectable feature when it’s good and ready. 

The bandwidth for Lossless vs non-Lossless is negligible. Your wifi should handle that surely?

Theoretically yes. But in practice, not even close. The minute I go to Apple Playlists and it forces lossless format for all the songs the zone group folds fairly quickly. I flip back to streaming other sources - Pandora, Spotify, or specific songs from Apple Music that don’t have a lossless version play without issue. I could group 12 Sonos amps with no issue, and now I can barely group 2 when Lossless kicks in. But the bigger point stands - this needs to be a user controlled setting. 
 

So much irony: all this for getting more data than is needed for audible sound quality, and then all the hassle because all it causes is unnecessary grief.

And I am not the one saying that this is excess data; when Apple launched lossless, the head of Apple Music said that neither he nor his engineers could make out the difference between the prevailing AAC 256 kbps codec and Apple Lossless. It is Apple saying this! In June 2022 I think.

All Apple has done to make it sound better is have it play at slightly higher sound levels than the equivalent AAC streams.All that it takes for AAC to sound just as good is a nudge to volume slider to the right!

My mistake; it was June 2021:

https://musictech.com/news/industry/apple-music-head-cant-differentiate-lossless-and-compressed-audio-says-format-is-a-marketing-play/#

PS: this is also why people need to see the lossless indicator in the app to know that they are listening to lossless - the benefit is conveyed via the eyes not the ears 

A couple of things to try, whilst Sonos addresses issue in future update:

What Sonos products do you have, stereo pairs? If you have an older product that does not support Apple Lossless streaming, and its part of the group, it wont be a lossless stream, so you shouldnt see any drop outs.

Try AirPlay, as previously mentioned.

What WiFi do you have, multiple APs? It could be the Sonos devices are roaming unnecessarily, possibly causing issue with stream. If you can maybe make the static (non portable) devices in your household ‘sticky’ to the closest access point.

My own experience is Apple Lossless works well, I do see a short 1 second pause when I add an older product to group, now I understand that I can work around it. I did a test the other day with multiple lossless streams to different rooms, not a typical use case, but I didn’t experience any dropping of audio.

Yes agreed on Apple Lossless. Here again Apple Lossless is noticeable on my reference system in my listening room. Using super high quality DAC, and power and pre amps and speakers. Not at all necessary for most Sonos applications as the gear is not audiophile grade. Don’t get me wrong it’s an excellent multi room wireless solution I’ve had in multiple properties since 2005. Great for that application. But Lossless streaming out to typical in-ceiling speakers is very difficult to appreciate sonically. Which only adds to the reason to make this user selectable for Sonos customers. 

AirPlay across multiple zone groups is very cumbersome and AirPlay breaks up the amps in the groups regularly so it’s not perfect but it’s doable in a pinch. My setups are each across 12+ zones using all new Sonos amps. Eero mesh. No reason for this bad drop out behavior. Network is healthy and super fast for all other high bandwidth video and data activity. Can’t wait for the fix! I hope Sonos is paying attention. TGIF.