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Fix for audio drop out for pair 2nd gen Play 5 connected via line in to TV?
I have two Play 5s 2nd gen which are paired with line in to right speaker from my tv. Sometimes - and it’s not clear what causes this - I get audio drop out. I have now attached both by Ethernet cables directly to the router - it’s improved but still getting some drop out. I have to use uncompressed setting to maintain lip sync. Is there an optimal set up to avoid the drop out? Thanks!
Best answer by John B
Fair enough. See how it goes. If problems reappear it might be worth experimentally swapping the speakers, i.e. unpair then re-pair pressing the right speaker button, as Ken suggested. Your stereo will be wrong way round for the experiment, but if it works it may be worth putting the stereo back the right way and running a long line in. Hopefully won't be necessary.
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The Play:5 is not designed or intended for TV audio so to be honest the real answer is to get a Playbar. But you should try putting the line in in the left speaker.
Thanks for that. I suppose it shouldn’t matter whether the line in is from a tv or anything else. The key question is whether uncompressed audio works without drop out, and what are the best settings to achieve this.
The P:5 is capable of playing any source, but isn't designed to work where an audio lag matters - that is why it has a compressed option and why it is not perfectly suitable for TV. The left speaker controls the pair so you should line in to that one. Also try wiring the two Play:5s together (but keep a component wired to router to maintain Boost mode)
lukemontagu,
I have a similar setup with a Sony TV and Home Theatre. The HT in my case can delay the audio signal so I am lucky enough to sync my TV audio with the Play-5 line-in output.
I use uncompressed audio too, that tends to reduce the delay to about 30ms. I have my line-in source name set to 'Home Theatre' and I have set the line-in source level as 7. The source level just increases/decreases the volume.
It is all working fine over a Boost SonosNet WiFi.
The only difference is that I use the left speaker as my source line-in for the Play-5 stereo pair. I think that is the controlling speaker in the pair.
So my suggestion is break your stereo pair apart and re-pair them the other way around and just see if that makes a difference. I’m not sure if it will, but it’s worth a try, me thinks.
I can’t see any harm in cabling a speaker, but try just having the one Sonos device only cabled to your router and see how that goes.
I have a similar setup with a Sony TV and Home Theatre. The HT in my case can delay the audio signal so I am lucky enough to sync my TV audio with the Play-5 line-in output.
I use uncompressed audio too, that tends to reduce the delay to about 30ms. I have my line-in source name set to 'Home Theatre' and I have set the line-in source level as 7. The source level just increases/decreases the volume.
It is all working fine over a Boost SonosNet WiFi.
The only difference is that I use the left speaker as my source line-in for the Play-5 stereo pair. I think that is the controlling speaker in the pair.
So my suggestion is break your stereo pair apart and re-pair them the other way around and just see if that makes a difference. I’m not sure if it will, but it’s worth a try, me thinks.
I can’t see any harm in cabling a speaker, but try just having the one Sonos device only cabled to your router and see how that goes.
Thank you both Ken and John, really helpful. I don't want to get a Playbase as - apart from the cost - I like the wide stereo separation of the two speakers, and I don't want them turned into surround speakers when I'm playing music. The sound is great - when it works!
I can't use line in through the left speaker, as the router has to be located next to the right speaker, due to sockets etc. There's a fireplace in between, which makes running a long line in cable sub optimal.
I have however changed my 2ghz wifi channel to 11, and am linking only the right speaker to the router via ethernet. Seems to be working so far! Ken - like you I have a TV which has allowed me to change the delay on the audio signal. It's only a couple of ms out now. Hopefully this has fixed it!
I can't use line in through the left speaker, as the router has to be located next to the right speaker, due to sockets etc. There's a fireplace in between, which makes running a long line in cable sub optimal.
I have however changed my 2ghz wifi channel to 11, and am linking only the right speaker to the router via ethernet. Seems to be working so far! Ken - like you I have a TV which has allowed me to change the delay on the audio signal. It's only a couple of ms out now. Hopefully this has fixed it!
I don't understand this bit, as the line-in comes from the TV not the router.
Fair enough. See how it goes. If problems reappear it might be worth experimentally swapping the speakers, i.e. unpair then re-pair pressing the right speaker button, as Ken suggested. Your stereo will be wrong way round for the experiment, but if it works it may be worth putting the stereo back the right way and running a long line in. Hopefully won't be necessary.
Ok am still getting audio drop out. Have switched the line in to left speaker as suggested but it’s not making any difference. Have noticed more drop out when kids are home and I assume using phones etc over WiFi. But system is operating in Boost mode so that shouldn’t make a difference? Have just switched WiFi channel from 6 to 1 and will see if that helps. The right speaker which had the Ethernet connection isn’t close to any wireless router but it is a foot or so from the tv. Maybe interfering? But don’t really understand why the issue is intermittent. Maybe submit a ticket plus error log to Sonos? Thanks!
Yes a diagnostic after a drop out would be a good idea. Is your wifi channel width 20 or 40 MHz? Should be 20.
Are drop outs only happening with line in?
Are drop outs only happening with line in?
I have a similar set-up, two gen1 Play:5 speakers configured as a stereo pair left and right of television, using Line-in on left speaker to connect to TV sound. It usually works great but the sound drops out at random times. Wifi signal strong and consistent, altering channels makes no difference. I settled on this solution because the cabinets in this room are built-in with a fireplace in-between so there is no way to run cables between left and right and installing a Playbar would be ugly and/or raise the TV too high off the wall. Equally unexpected problem - my Cox cable box somehow detects the use of external speakers and disables its own audio controls so I can't use the universal remote to control or even mute the output volume to the Sonos.
(Forgot to mention - for me, dropouts are ONLY with TV line-in. Playing music works flawlessly. I assume the difference is the lack of compression of the TV audio signal.
Do you have the same problems when the Play-5's are not stereo 'paired' together. If so, then it might be the audio cable. I would test that next.
Ok problem solved! :D
The solution was to attach the right speaker to the router by Ethernet, which created a Boost system. This speaker also has the 3.5mm line in from the TV. Then I changed the Sonosnet WiFi channel from channel 6 to channel 1. Since then it has been working perfectly, am really pleased!
Thank you all for the help.
The solution was to attach the right speaker to the router by Ethernet, which created a Boost system. This speaker also has the 3.5mm line in from the TV. Then I changed the Sonosnet WiFi channel from channel 6 to channel 1. Since then it has been working perfectly, am really pleased!
Thank you all for the help.
lukemontagu,
That’s great news, glad things are now fixed.
That’s great news, glad things are now fixed.
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