How to connect a dj-controller to SonosNet

There is a slight delay when using Connect (Connect:Amp same way - connect Amp has amp built in to it for external speakers like a receiver).   They should probably just be called Connect and Amp.  Amp does have analog inputs (like the Play:5 does to).  Connect has analog/digital outputs and analog inputs (so the outputs are what make Connect different).

As far as delay there is a slight one.  It is not a lot but enough for example if you had hooked up to TV and had TV speakers on and Sonos on you would hear echo like in stadium if that makes sense.  Without TV speakers on I have not noticed it enough to cause lip sync to be off with TV.  I know that is not what your trying to accomplish but giving you idea of how much delay.

The delay has been quoted as 70ms.  So there would be an echo between your headphones and the speakers.

Now the Playbar has a digital input that does not introduce any delay.  You could hook your DJ controller up to the Playbar (I would do directly as going through receivers/tv etc. is going to eventually add delay).  Probably easiest thing to do is when you want to use DJ controller just unhook the fiber cable from the TV and then hook to your controller.  If your controller doesn't have digital out just get a fairly inexpensive analog to digital converter (example: http://www.amazon.com/Analog-Digital-Audio-Converter-Adapter/dp/B005F20756/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&...)

Otherwise if don't want to move the cable back and forth you are going to need some time of switch to hook to playbar to switch inputs.  Which are out there as well.

Thank you for your answer, Chris!
Connecting to the optical input on the Playbar seems to be the best way to do it.

However i explained my problem to the dutch Sonos Technical Support too, and they say, that connecting to the Playbar would also mean i can only play my mix on the Playbar, Sub and 2 Play:3's, and not to any other Sonosspeakers in my house.
Can you confirm this will not be possible?
If this is idd the case, can i use the optical input on a Sonos Connect, instead of the optical input on the Playbar to be able to play my mix to all Sonosspeakers in my house?
Or will i get the 70ms delay, like with an analog connection?

Thanks again!

That answer is incorrect.  If you have the optical connected to the Playbar and playing via your soundbar ... you can then group any other speaker in the house to the playbar and play whatever the Playbar is playing.  The only limitation when it comes to the digital input into the Playbar is that in order to play on all other Sonos speakers you have to be playing playing via the Playbar at the same time (although volume of playbar could be turned down to 0).

Other Sonos inputs you can actually play what is being input into it even if that speaker is not playing it.  ie.  if I have TV input into a Play:5.  I can Play TV sound on a Play:3 in another room even though leaving Play:5 playing other music.

There is not optical input on the Connect only analog input.  Playbar is only Sonos with digital input.

The digital ports on Connect are both output.

I just double confirmed for you.  I turned on TV on my 3rd floor connected to Playbar optical input. 

I am now listening to the to the 3rd floor TV on my Connect in my office on 1st floor (just by grouping my office with the Playbar as you would any room).

Thank you very much for all the info and the testing!
I think i will try and connect everything like you suggest. I only hope that the 'analog-to-digital'-converter will not introduce a delay. Eventually this is also a convertingprocess... (i guess you don't have any info about that?)

Anyway, thanks again for everything and when i have my setup completed, i will try to come back to give an update!

UPDATE - In the meantime i have bought my Sonos-speakers. (Playbar, Sub & 2 Play:3's). What a sound! :-)
I have connected my dj-controller trough an 'analog-to-optical-converter' to my Playbar, and it works just great! No delay's or other problems!
Thanks again, Chris, for all the information and doublechecking! 

great to hear De Jean

great to hear De Jean


Hi De Jean, can you tell me the analog to digital converter you use? Thx Sebastian

That is one of the many great things about Sonos.  Once you get a signal in to the system you can play it any where you want.  

There is a slight delay when using Connect (Connect:Amp same way - connect Amp has amp built in to it for external speakers like a receiver).   They should probably just be called Connect and Amp.  Amp does have analog inputs (like the Play:5 does to).  Connect has analog/digital outputs and analog inputs (so the outputs are what make Connect different).

As far as delay there is a slight one.  It is not a lot but enough for example if you had hooked up to TV and had TV speakers on and Sonos on you would hear echo like in stadium if that makes sense.  Without TV speakers on I have not noticed it enough to cause lip sync to be off with TV.  I know that is not what your trying to accomplish but giving you idea of how much delay.

The delay has been quoted as 70ms.  So there would be an echo between your headphones and the speakers.

Now the Playbar has a digital input that does not introduce any delay.  You could hook your DJ controller up to the Playbar (I would do directly as going through receivers/tv etc. is going to eventually add delay).  Probably easiest thing to do is when you want to use DJ controller just unhook the fiber cable from the TV and then hook to your controller.  If your controller doesn't have digital out just get a fairly inexpensive analog to digital converter (example: http://www.amazon.com/Analog-Digital-Audio-Converter-Adapter/dp/B005F20756/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&...)

Otherwise if don't want to move the cable back and forth you are going to need some time of switch to hook to playbar to switch inputs.  Which are out there as well.


If you connect your mixer using one of those analog-digital converters like i have, the music will play through the playbar but not the surrounds 😞, also the sound quality is shocking when using that setup not even a scratch on the sound quality if you played the same song/same bit rate through the app. 

This is really disappointing as I would have purchased a few more sonos speakers so when i am mixing the music would play throughout the house with the same quality as when playing through the app. @Sonos open to suggestions as using the  : http://www.amazon.com/Analog-Digital-Audio-Converter-Adapter/dp/B005F20756/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&...) just does not produce good sound

Can I also resurrect this - specifically, has this approach cured the delay issue in terms of headphones and output?

I recently bought the connect amp and for DJing it is useless, due to the delay (even in uncompressed mode)

Be keen to understand if there is a better A-D converter too

Sonos is not designed for DJ use! Send the Connect:amp back and buy something appropriate. The line-in delay is never going to be removed, it's inherent in the system. You also can't do the A-to-D conversion offboard of Sonos, so there's not much point investigating that route.

Thanks. I've read your helpful posts elsewhere.

My question was aimed at others who also fell for the misleading marketing photo and assumed they could use it for this use case, specifically ones with a playbar and who bought a separate A-D converter to get the inputs in

I've already read the plethora of posts on the delay, it's engineered in, etc. Im simply trying to verify this potential work around. Chances are I will be returning it, so one less user to berate
😉

I'm not berating anybody, I'm just trying to stop you wasting your time but it's your time and your money, if you want to waste both on a fool's quest that's your business.

Paul O,

I answered your other post on this.

The delay is not defeatable or workaroundable. It's nothing to do with AD or DA conversion. Realtime transmission over an unsynchronised packet-based network must build in a small amount of buffering ('slack') to deal with the fact that packets may be slightly delayed in transit, for example by wireless interference. Without such a buffer the receiving device would periodically run out of data, and the audio would drop out.

By the way, what "misleading marketing photo"?

Probably the one with the turntable, because using a turntable always means you are DJ-ing? Who knows. This is why we have "Caution, contents are hot" warnings on coffee cups.