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iamjcl
Avid Contributor I
May 14, 2005 2:27 PM UTC

Delay compensation when used with AV receivers

When using the pre-outs of the ZonePlayer into a receiver or Pre/pro, and then having that unit process the signal in any way that requires digitizing the input, there is obviously a slight delay. Using the speaker outputs of the zoneplayer in an area close by results in the dreaded "echo" effect.

Most receivers (newer/better) have adjustable delay, but it doesn't do any good in this case, as the signal is already delayed too much.

If the zoneplayer had a programmable / adjustable delay for the speaker output only, you could utilize the built in amplifier (which is actually quite good, by my ears.)

This would be a VERY usefull addition.

- Thanks

Chris
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    142 replies

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    Mermantle
    Lyricist I
    Nov 24, 2011 1:56 PM UTC
    I have a Pioneer VSX-920 AV receiver that is totally out of sync with my other 3 zones (1 x S5, 2 x ZP80's, 1 x ZP120).

    I've tried plugging the ZP80 in using analogue cables with the Pioneer set to Pure Direct and Direct - but the delay still exists and means I have to drop it out when having a party - because it just sounds too bad

    I'm just about to buy a DAC (DACMagic) for another zone and am worried the same thing is going to happen - and I might end up with 2 out of 4 zones being out of sync...

    Now linking Zones for me was one of the reasons for investing in Sonos - and this is no longer possible..

    As a new feature, it would be great to use the zone with the greatest delay as a baseline and then add a small amount of delay to each of the other zones - so they all end up being in sync.

    There must be a way to add a delay to each zone player - and as a user I'd be quite competent at manually adjusting the delay to get the perfect sync using my good old ears

    I would love this feature added - as I feel sad that I once had the perfectly sync'd house - but now this is no longer the case
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    cue003
    Trending Lyricist I
    Dec 1, 2011 2:30 PM UTC
    I too am having the same issue with zp90 connected to pioneer Vsx-1120 receiver. Not good at all in party mode. The echo is pretty bad.

    My receiver is slightly behind the other zones so a delay setting at the receiver seems to make things worse. At least in my case.

    Please fix Sonos!!!!. All other zones are great but the zp90 used with other zones pretty much sucks.

    Thx
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    jbs
    Contributor III
    Dec 1, 2011 8:17 PM UTC
    My receiver is slightly behind the other zones so a delay setting at the receiver seems to make things worse. At least in my case.

    Unless I'm mistaken, everyone in this thread is in the same situation you're describing. I don't think anyone is contemplating a delay at the receiver, what we're saying is that inputting the receiver's delay as a variable of that zone would allow every OTHER zone to adopt a corresponding delay.

    It can never be the case that a receiver would be ahead of the rest of the zones since Sonos is synced to have the same noise exit each unit at the same time, so the receiver would have to be playing the sound before the Sonos sent it over. Predictive Audio! 🙂
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    Odders
    Lyricist III
    Dec 4, 2011 10:32 PM UTC
    +1 vote.

    Returned a new Yamaha AV unit yesterday because the sync issue was intolerable.

    The replacement Denon (2312CI) is much better on Straight/Pure Direct but still very bad on any other mode that utilized the sub and surround.

    Delay feature.. a must-have!
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    Sion
    Lyricist I
    Dec 5, 2011 3:41 PM UTC
    Ditto. Have 3 x S5's, 2 x ZP90's (one connected to Sony TV speakers, and one to a Surround Sound system). In party mode, the two ZP90's are out by about the same (a fraction of a second...whatever that is), and result in the same echo everyone else is getting.

    Come on Sonos - it's a great system...this would make it perfect. Any chance of an early Christmas present ? 😉
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    mpg
    Lyricist III
    Dec 12, 2011 5:04 PM UTC
    I NOW have the same issue but It worked fine before I connected an optical cable so back to phonos for me.

    This is with a ZP90 and Onkyo 876
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    cue003
    Trending Lyricist I
    Dec 13, 2011 12:24 PM UTC
    I NOW have the same issue but It worked fine before I connected an optical cable so back to phonos for me.

    This is with a ZP90 and Onkyo 876

    My setup is via optical as well. I haven't tried regular RCA connections to see if the problem is still there.

    Is anyone connected via RCA having this issue?
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    jbs
    Contributor III
    Dec 13, 2011 1:57 PM UTC
    My setup is via optical as well. I haven't tried regular RCA connections to see if the problem is still there.

    Is anyone connected via RCA having this issue?

    Yes, every time I've had this issue it's been via RCA. I rarely use the optical outs on the Sonos for that matter.

    The delays I've seen have come from processing by the receiver, so it's not surprising that decoding an optical signal would add some time to that (compared to the other zones which are simply sending electrical impulses straight to the drivers in the speakers) but signal processing of any sort in the receiver will cause the delay.

    Some receivers (as has been mentioned elsewhere) allow a stripped down mode that eliminates such processing, but not all do, and it doesn't always resolve the problem. The delay being proposed would solve the problem 100% of the time.
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    dubit
    Lyricist III
    Dec 13, 2011 3:41 PM UTC
    +1 for this feature request from me
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    mpg
    Lyricist III
    Dec 13, 2011 4:02 PM UTC
    If I set my av amp to stereo or direct its fine but if I ask it to do any processing its out of sync.
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