Best answer by Airgetlam
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Airplay and sorround simultaneously no-no?
I just replaced my two Play:1s that I was using for sorround with my playbar, with two Ones Gen 2 because I missed. I tried different things, but I was only able to do either airplay as a group or sorround. Googling a bit told me that it’s either sorround or airplay. Can this really be true?
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Then buy a Playbase. Basically the same sound and features of the Playbar but with Airplay. But difficult to wall mount of course ;)
But really, in my opinion, Airplay is inferior to using the Sonos-system. Using the Sonos-app allows multiple users to change music, continue playlists etc from different devices without interrupting anything. With Airplay, you are stuck using one device, which can’t be used for anything else when streaming music and which will be drained from power in doing so.
Your information on Airplay is incorrect. I use it constantly as well as using my phone for a dozen other things at the same time. It does not drain a lot of power to Airplay2 to devices, as it doesn’t use bluetooth necessarily, it can stream over WiFi, which is why it can be multi-room, even without Sonos Devices. Airplay2 is part of Homekit, which uses whichever device is acting as the “hub” to provide the signal to Airplay2 receiving devices.
On other notes: I agree with others that the Sonos app can be better to share, but for those of us that don’t want Amazon and Google to listen to our conversations and start targeting us with advertisements, we don’t have an option other than Siri for voice control. Since Sonos has declined to update their app to be part of the Siri Shortcut system, I can’t even make shortcuts for the most common things that I do.
Basically the implementation of Sonos with Airplay2 just wasn’t well thought out.
It would have been very easy to just make something like the “Port” which has an implementation of the Sonos App that would be transparent to the user. Then it could “decode” the Airplay2 Stream and then broadcast it to whatever room (whether new or old speakers) via the Sonos Net instead of making my device talk to each room.
The main issue is that Sonos want to sell their new equipment and not update their old equipment (same model as Apple, Samsung, and every other tech company). If they don’t want to include the new tech in the Playbar (or a Rev. 2 of the Playbar) then they shouldn’t sell it alongside a cheaper model that doesn’t have as good sound, but lacks features that the cheaper hardware has.
I cannot name another company that provides more features on a cheaper platform than is available on the same companies’ more expensive platforms.
No one said you were dumb, just use common sense and quit being a Sonos disciple. Will let you grow as an individual. Why do you think Apple sells a ton of Pro type devices for higher prices and higher margins. Because they are the best of the best of their products. They don’t put that tech in the lower end products first it goes to their top line products. Any company can figure that out and follow that model.
Consumers want that and Apple’s model has shown that as have others. Wake up and learn. I know I will be returning my PlayBar until Sonos updates it. Not paying more for less tech wise and many others feel the same, as in all the forums, constantly seeing the similar comments.. Just pure laziness on Sonos part!
Then buy a Playbase. Basically the same sound and features of the Playbar but with Airplay. But difficult to wall mount of course ;)
But really, in my opinion, Airplay is inferior to using the Sonos-system. Using the Sonos-app allows multiple users to change music, continue playlists etc from different devices without interrupting anything. With Airplay, you are stuck using one device, which can’t be used for anything else when streaming music and which will be drained from power in doing so.
When you promote a product to have airplay 2. You dont expect the feature to be taken away.
Thats absolutely wonderful advice, i purchased these speakers for airplay 2 and alexa. so what your saying is to goto a pair that doesnt have Alexa.
I would have respected you more if you would have said, have you tried Bose, they probably do everything you need.
I was a a big fan of SONOS, not anymore.
ha ha… can I just add I’m definitely not seeking your respect here. My post was just a suggestion for you to consider. You have made the wrong purchase due to a clear lack of basic research and the fact you are now mentioning Bose devices, shows that you are most certainly still not learning your lesson from this experience and likely going to make another wrong purchase. “If at first you don’t succeed, don’t try again… just redefine success.” It will likely provide you with exactly what you want and save you a lot of money in the long term.
Thats absolutely wonderful advice, i purchased these speakers for airplay 2 and alexa. so what your saying is to goto a pair that doesnt have Alexa.
I would have respected you more if you would have said, have you tried Bose, they probably do everything you need.
I was a a big fan of SONOS, not anymore.
I just purchased a pair of Sonos One to replace my Play:1’s and just found out i cannot have airplay2 as they are bonded to my palybar. Wonderful!
oh there is an amazing workaround i am told...unbond the playbar and then you can use airplay2. oh and f you want to get back to your movie on surround...unbond again and resetup your Ones.
Whoever decided to release the Sonos `ones with this limitation should get a knighthood. NOT.
Sorry to hear you didn’t realise that 'surround' devices do not support AirPlay. You could perhaps return them and go back to your Play:1’s .. you wouldn’t hear too much of a difference anyway, I suspect.
Or...you could utilise one or both of the ‘One’s' elsewhere in your home, as either standalone, or a stereo pair and then AirPlay to them and 'group' them with your PlayBar HT room, to get the best out of all your devices.
I just purchased a pair of Sonos One to replace my Play:1’s and just found out i cannot have airplay2 as they are bonded to my palybar. Wonderful!
oh there is an amazing workaround i am told...unbond the playbar and then you can use airplay2. oh and f you want to get back to your movie on surround...unbond again and resetup your Ones.
Whoever decided to release the Sonos `ones with this limitation should get a knighthood. NOT.
Thank you
When “bonding” speakers for true Dolby 5.1 surround sound, why can’t the One speaker be the “master” so that AirPlay is still available? Seems like a software update could enable this capability without even having to upgrade their hardware lineup.
It cannot. The master needs to process 5.1 audio into separate streams, and the One cannot do this, it lacks the hardware.
When “bonding” speakers for true Dolby 5.1 surround sound, why can’t the One speaker be the “master” so that AirPlay is still available? Seems like a software update could enable this capability without even having to upgrade their hardware lineup.
DBV,
I’m sure the Sonos Beam has proved to be a top seller, in the same way the Play:1’s were a top seller too… In Apple’s case the iPhone XR was/is their best selling iPhone (despite it being cheaper)… so I think these manufacturers know exactly what they are doing.
No one said you were dumb, just use common sense and quit being a Sonos disciple. Will let you grow as an individual. Why do you think Apple sells a ton of Pro type devices for higher prices and higher margins. Because they are the best of the best of their products. They don’t put that tech in the lower end products first it goes to their top line products. Any company can figure that out and follow that model.
Consumers want that and Apple’s model has shown that as have others. Wake up and learn. I know I will be returning my PlayBar until Sonos updates it. Not paying more for less tech wise and many others feel the same, as in all the forums, constantly seeing the similar comments.. Just pure laziness on Sonos part!
Userlevel 7
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Yep I’m dumb as a potato and Sonos stock is cratering as folks flee to other brands. UM, nope...
Guess they are the only mfg that puts better tech in their lower end models then. Stupid. You never see Apple, Samsung or other top tech companies do that and they sell plenty of high end, expensive devices. There is a reason Apple is one of the richest, if not the richest companies in the world. Newest tech goes in their most expensive devices first!
Maybe Sonos could learn from them. People that don’t understand that and keep backing Sonos have no clue.
Userlevel 7
+22
Common sense need not apply, Sonos builds what their research says will sell best.
We all know that, but Sonos should have updated the Playbar before the Beam. Only makes common sense. High end should have the latest and greatest!
Because the PLAYBAR was spec’d and designed 10 years before Airplay 2 was even considered by Apple, and consequently doesn’t have the CPU power or memory to handle the signal, whereas the Beam, being a much more recent product, can?
This is quite disappointing 
. We really should be able to continue using AirPlay when speakers are “bonded” to the PlayBar vs grouped. Without AirPlay to my Sonos One, my living room speakers are essentially “dumb” tv speakers that are useless when the tv is off. I understand that I can still use the Sonos app, but AirPlay makes interacting with the speakers so much more seamless and fluid (volume controls on my iPhone always immediately affect volume in the room and browsing music in the native apps vs the Sonos app is a much better experience). Just bought a PlayBar during the sale and am highly considering returning it if I can’t achieve true surround sound while watching movies and still easily use AirPlay for music.
I completely agree with you. How can Beam do it, but the higher end Playbar can not. Sonos has its priorities mixed up. Highest dollar tech should be updated first and then trickle down. I bought the Playbar last week, but will probably be returning and use a Beam until the Playbar gets updated.
Also - trying a Sennheiser Ambeo, but it does not currently have Airplay either.
This is quite disappointing . We really should be able to continue using AirPlay when speakers are “bonded” to the PlayBar vs grouped. Without AirPlay to my Sonos One, my living room speakers are essentially “dumb” tv speakers that are useless when the tv is off. I understand that I can still use the Sonos app, but AirPlay makes interacting with the speakers so much more seamless and fluid (volume controls on my iPhone always immediately affect volume in the room and browsing music in the native apps vs the Sonos app is a much better experience). Just bought a PlayBar during the sale and am highly considering returning it if I can’t achieve true surround sound while watching movies and still easily use AirPlay for music.
Thanks you.
No. They can be surround speakers or a stereo pair of speakers at one time. You can, however, have them play as a full set of stereo speakers by adjusting them in the extended settings for the room by turning them to “full” rather than ambient, and you can adjust the volume when playing music in the same area, in case you want them to be much louder than you want the Beam to be.
The Port is indeed an AirPlay 2 receiver, so it would show up in your Apple device.
I plan to connect an LP player to a Sonos audio device like the new Port, allowing music to stream into a pair of Play: 1 presently bonded to a Beam as surround speakers. Will adding a Port to the mix allow two surround speakers to be both bonded to a Beam AND grouped for full stereo music? And also, is a Port device Airplay2 detectable ? Thanks very much.
For completeness on this, it should also be emphasised that if the Ones are Grouped, they cannot also simultaneously be rear Surround effects speakers. It is, unfortunately an either/or option. You must go through the process of ungrouping and bonding and vice versa each time you want the other functionality.
Nothing's been taken away since the feature never existed. Speakers setup as surround speakers have never operated independently of what the 'master' speaker is (playbar, playbase, beam, or Amp). They can only play the audio track that is sent to them by the master...doesn't matter if it's airplay, streaming service, or otherwise.
And in technical terminology, surround speakers are not 'grouped' to the playbar, they are 'bonded'. It's semantics, but I think the terminology matters in this case since it helps clarify what functionality is available. For example, Sonos One speakers bonded to a playbar cannot play airplay content, while Sonos One speakers that are grouped to a playbar can.
I understand that the Playbar can't do AirPlay when it's grouped in surround because it's an older speaker doing the heavy lifting, but I should be able to AirPlay to the surround speakers individually! Don't just take that feature away from us.
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