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zdimitrov
Contributor I
Oct 30, 2026 6:55 PM UTC
Question

Choppy sound on iMac - Sonos One SL

Hey, all!

 

I have a Sonos One SL and use it mainly to play through my phone on Spotify, it’s flawless. When I try to use it as a speaker while watching a film on my iMac (M4, 2024) though, it other doesn’t play sound at all or it’s extremely choppy and barely understandable. My WiFi is fairly strong, around 45-50Mbps, I’ve had this issue since purchasing the speaker 4 years ago and I thought that the numerous MacOS updates will solve it, especially AirPlay2, but nothing so far. Am I the only one?

 

For context, I also use Boom Audio 2 on my iMac but I try switching it off and it doesn’t solve the problem. It happens on iPlayer, Apple TV, YouTube, every app really. 
 

Thanks in advance!

Zak

9 replies

buzz
buzz
Grand Maestro
Oct 30, 2026 7:25 PM UTC

When you play SPOTIFY are you using the SPOTIFY App or the SONOS controller? Have you tested by moving the player and source to different physical locations?

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zdimitrovAuthor
Contributor I
Oct 30, 2026 7:40 PM UTC

I use the Spotify app, the speaker comes up and it connects when my phone is on the same network. Yes, I’ve tried a few locations, it doesn’t seem to change. 

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buzz
buzz
Grand Maestro
Oct 30, 2026 8:32 PM UTC

Unfortunately, I’m not an iMac user. Does the situation improve if you temporarily wire the iMac to the network?

I suggest that you submit a diagnostic, then contact SONOS phone support. Fundamental issues that we can only speculate about usually leave tracks in the diagnostics.

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    bibleblessings
    Lyricist III
    Oct 31, 2026 6:45 AM UTC

    No, you are not the only one. I had the same split where my phone played to the speaker perfectly but AirPlay from my laptop stuttered, and in my case it turned out the laptop and the speaker were on different Wi-Fi bands, so putting both on the same band cleared it up. It is also worth trying the Sonos app on the iMac itself, since that plays straight to the speaker without AirPlay, which tells you quickly whether AirPlay is the weak link.

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    zdimitrovAuthor
    Contributor I
    Oct 31, 2026 7:47 AM UTC

    Ah thanks, that’s reassuring! Silly question but how do I put them on the same band? I know my WiFi is 2.4GHz because of my Ring door bell. I used to have the Sonos app on the iMac but deleted it because they haven’t updated it for Apple silicone chips, is it worth downloading again and giving it a go? From what I remember though I could only play music through it rather than videos and films. 

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    kdowling
    kdowling
    Oct 31, 2026 1:43 PM UTC

    The current version of the macOS Sonos desktop controller is built for Apple Silicon. But you are correct, it tells the Sonos devices what to play and from where. The desktop controller will not “play” audio from your computer.

    Both your iMac and One SL are on 2.4GHz wifi? 

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      zdimitrovAuthor
      Contributor I
      Oct 31, 2026 1:47 PM UTC

      Thanks for clarifying! I’m not sure, how do I check? They’re both connected to the same 2.4GHz network. 

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      kdowling
      kdowling
      Oct 31, 2026 2:18 PM UTC

      Your symptoms sound like a wifi problem which can have numerous causes. Wifi interference, especially in the limited 2.4GHz band, is common.

      Here’s some info that may help:

      Improve your Sonos product’s WiFi connection

      Reduce wireless interference

      If none of that helps, then the next step would be to follow buzz’s advice above and submit a diagnostic within 10 minutes of seeing the problem and then call sonos support to discuss it. They have access to information about your system and network that no one here has, and can probably tell you what the problem is and how to resolve it.

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        bibleblessings
        Lyricist III
        Nov 1, 2026 6:28 AM UTC

        On mine it was just a case of checking the name each one was on. On the Mac, the Wi-Fi icon at the top of the screen shows the network it is connected to, and in the Sonos app on your phone you can see the speaker's network under Settings, System, Network, so if the two names do not match, join the same one on the Mac. If your router only shows one network name, they are already on the same one and there is nothing to switch. The desktop app is worth another try for music, but you are right that it only plays music, it will not carry the sound from a film.

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