As a long-time enthusiast and user of Sonos, it pains me to report a persistent and frustrating issue that has arisen with my iPhone 15 Pro Max running on iOS 17.1. The problem lies in the inconsistent AirPlay connection between my iPhone and my Sonos Play:5s and Ones, which leads to unexpected drops while streaming audio.
Having been with Sonos since its early days, I've witnessed the brand's evolution and have thoroughly enjoyed the seamless integration and impressive sound quality that it traditionally offers. However, the latest experience has been disheartening, marking the worst period of connectivity issues in my history with Sonos products.
Initially, I suspected that environmental factors or network congestion could be contributing to the problem, but after thorough testing, resetting network settings, replugging Sonos products, changing the WIFI router brand, doing network stability checks and ensuring that my devices' software was up to date, the issue persisted. My iPhone 15 Pro Max, which boasts the latest hardware and software capabilities that one would expect to work flawlessly with premium products like Sonos, seems to be at the heart of the matter.
The AirPlay dropouts occur randomly—sometimes mid-song or just as a track begins. This not only disrupts the listening experience but also undermines the reliability of the ecosystem that I've heavily invested in over the years. I have over 12 Sonos units at home, in different rooms. While the Sonos app itself remains stable, it's the AirPlay feature, which is crucial for streaming a variety of content from my iOS device, that is failing to maintain a steady connection.