Why is there input delay on line-in and digital inputs?

  • 13 December 2022
  • 34 replies
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34 replies

M

@John B that’s actually one of the best explanations I’ve read thusfar. Instead of people saying it isn’t possible for reason x or y. 
 

I guess I’m just kind of hooked to the Sonos experience and sound. That’s why I would love it to also work for my other musical endeavours. 
 

If this makes any sense: it feels like having a 4 lane road paved and ready for use, but only allowing all people to drive on 1 single lane. 

K


 

My best guess is that they don’t remove the delay in standalone to ‘force’ people to buy an amp or soundbar instead of hooking up their Five’s via line-out on their tv’s. 
 

 

Again, from regular actual use, of a TV wired via its audio out jacks to a Connect and thence to an amp and via ethernet wire to other Sonos units: I see no intrusive delay even when I look for it, and grouped play when needed is very reliable. Many people do see the delay, I do not, so YMMV.

The ethernet wire is to ensure stable music play; nothing to do with delay.

melvimbe

If Sonos is not made for external instruments, why have a line in? If you want line in only for streaming purpose with delay, there is a Sonos Port for that.

To clarify just this: The line in is to allow an external audio source such as a turntable to play via Sonos without having to invest in a Port to get just that capability.


You are absolutely right. I’ve used a wrong usecase example. The vinyl usecase is actually thrown around a lot in threads about line-in in combination with delay. Though, why does Sonos not offer pre-amp functionality if their sole purpose for the line-in is suposed to be for vinyl. Now that would be user friendly! 

 

 

Because there are plenty of other devices (CD players, digital media players, etc) that don’t require a preamp.  There are even plenty of turntables that don’t need a preamp.  And of course, plenty of folks that buy a Five, Amp, or Port and don’t use the aux input at all, and thus it’s a useless cost.

 

My best guess is that they don’t remove the delay in standalone to ‘force’ people to buy an amp or soundbar instead of hooking up their Five’s via line-out on their tv’s. 

 

 

Considering the prevalence of TV audio formats beyond stereo these days, I don’t think that’s really much of a motivation.  Besides, people who are fine with stereo audio can usually adjust the delay slightly, and get used to things being out of sync a bit, to get used to it.

 

The reasons you already provided are good enough.  Sure, it’s technically possible, and proof since Denon did it, but you can’t really say it’s a killer feature that’s driving sales, as I don’t think Heos is really competing that well with Sonos.  Instead of working on this feature, Sonos is working on others that they think will be useful for more customers and drive more sales.  Maybe they are right, maybe wrong.  

 

I’d love it if Sonos would just honestly tell us the delay in standalone situations is here to stay and will never be removed because they just don’t want to. I could finally have peace 😉

 

Never say never.  Sonos can’t predict the future, and if stand alone without delay suddenly becomes I highly desired feature by millions of customers, they are going to do it.   But that is highly unlikely, so it’s probably best to assume the feature won’t be added, be at peace with that,  and carry on with your decisions accordingly.    

Danny
J

If Sonos is not made for external instruments, why have a line in? If you want line in only for streaming purpose with delay, there is a Sonos Port for that.

To clarify just this: The line in is to allow an external audio source such as a turntable to play via Sonos without having to invest in a Port to get just that capability.


My best guess is that they don’t remove the delay in standalone to ‘force’ people to buy an amp or soundbar instead of hooking up their Five’s via line-out on their tv’s. 
 

What ludicrous paranoia.  The line-in was included on Sonos’ earliest products - the ZP80 and ZP100 and the gen 1 Play:5 because it was, at that time, a big leap for many potential customers to totally abandon their physical media.  Sonos has maintained the line-in on the successors to those products and left it off all subsequent new products.  So it is there if people still want to play physical media through their multiroom audio system, but Sonos is not going to go to any effort to change it,  No pre-amp (which would be unsuitable for CD players anyway), no standalone version, no removal.

But I am sure that is too simple and innocent an explanation for you to accept.

jgatie

Use case:

Playing Line-In on Five in your bedroom with no delay.  You leave the bedroom and wish to shift the music to kitchen while you make your coffee.  You either have to:

  • Delay the shift, resulting in a drop off.
  • Put up with stuttering as the buffer builds up

Neither of which are the seamless Sonos experience.  Question answered.  Go buy the Denon.

M

If Sonos is not made for external instruments, why have a line in? If you want line in only for streaming purpose with delay, there is a Sonos Port for that.

To clarify just this: The line in is to allow an external audio source such as a turntable to play via Sonos without having to invest in a Port to get just that capability.


You are absolutely right. I’ve used a wrong usecase example. The vinyl usecase is actually thrown around a lot in threads about line-in in combination with delay. Though, why does Sonos not offer pre-amp functionality if their sole purpose for the line-in is suposed to be for vinyl. Now that would be user friendly! 
 

My best guess is that they don’t remove the delay in standalone to ‘force’ people to buy an amp or soundbar instead of hooking up their Five’s via line-out on their tv’s. 
 

I’d love it if Sonos would just honestly tell us the delay in standalone situations is here to stay and will never be removed because they just don’t want to. I could finally have peace 😉

K

If Sonos is not made for external instruments, why have a line in? If you want line in only for streaming purpose with delay, there is a Sonos Port for that.

To clarify just this: The line in is to allow an external audio source such as a turntable to play via Sonos without having to invest in a Port to get just that capability. The Port is to incorporate a legacy sound system to a Sonos environment in the home; if one wanted to just add streaming capability to such standalone kit, an Echo dot will do the same for a lot less. In my case, since I prefer the Echo user interface, I have Echo Show devices wired to the line in jacks on my Sonos amps. Since all suffer the same delay when more than one unit is being used, music still remains in sync.

M

There may be solution for you in the attached thread - I have not tried it out, but it seems to work.

https://en.community.sonos.com/speakers-228992/sonos-5-line-only-no-delay-6872736?postid=16607951#post16607951


Thanks, that might work. I already found that thread earlier. As the thread has been closed, no one knows if this is a legit usecase that works for everyone. I might go to a local store to try this. But it should not have to be this difficult and unreliable. 

K

There may be solution for you in the attached thread - I have not tried it out, but it seems to work.

https://en.community.sonos.com/speakers-228992/sonos-5-line-only-no-delay-6872736?postid=16607951#post16607951

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