Sonos won't play certain .wav files

24 bit recordings are easily converted to 16 bit 44.1 using any number of programs like foobar 2000 or dBPoweramp. They will even do it in batch form. That way you get the better mastering, without the intermodulation distortion that can make your equipment sound worse with hires recordings, not better.

There are benefits associated with using wide and high bit rate sampling in the recording studio. If I had my choice while recording, I'd go beyond 24/192. While it is great for a living room "my dog is better than your dog" confrontation, there are no peer reviewed studies that prove any audible benefits to the end listener when delivering anything beyond 16/44.1.

I know that there can be some stunning demos comparing "high-res" and "regular" releases, however, if you look into the details, the mastering process for the two releases was quite different. Regular releases are doctored to sound good in vehicles and on portable players out on the street. In my opinion this processing is actually beneficial in these listening contexts, however, I don't appreciate these doctored releases in a quiet room listening on a high end system. Similarly, I would not enjoy listening to the "high-res", non processed version out on the street. My point is that it is the mastering process, not the "high-res" part that is the important detail. Some less than honorable "high-res" releases are simply up sampled regular releases. At best, these "high-res" versions will sound identical to the regular version. If the up sample process is flawed, the "high-res" version will sound worse than the regular version.

If you can obtain a Mobile Fidelity Original Master CD release and a regular release from the same era, compare them on a high end system in a quiet room. In most cases there is a shocking difference (both CD's were released at 16/44.1) -- you'll need to make multiple comparisons, just to satisfy to yourself that these releases originated from the same session master.

With inexpensive huge hard drives, fast computers, and cheap Internet bandwidth, it is not a major issue to slosh the larger 24/192 files around from site to site, however, home network congestion, especially with WiFi, makes real time dealing with these large files in a whole house, wireless, multi-zone context very unattractive. If you look closely at the competing wireless "high-res" systems, there are weasel words and not so generous limits. Some will limit the user to one 24/192 transmission, while the other the streams are 16/44.1. Other systems stall at a more limited number of rooms. The SONOS scheme is rated at 32 rooms.

If you need bragging rights, go for the "high-res". If you want a reliable multi-room wireless system, the SONOS approach works well. It is not the case that the SONOS engineers are inept or don't care.

24 bit recordings are easily converted to 16 bit 44.1 using any number of programs like foobar 2000 or dBPoweramp. They will even do it in batch form. That way you get the better mastering, without the intermodulation distortion that can make your equipment sound worse with hires recordings, not better.

Do you have a recommendation for a free conversion program for Mac OS?

Sorry, not a Mac person.

I'm not a Mac person either. A quick search turned up this discussion that compares a few options.