What device are you using to connect to the Roam and at what distance is the speaker from the sending device?

Also have you tried the Roam’s Bluetooth connection using a different device (if you have one available?) just to rule out the possibility of it being the sending device at fault?  

Hi Ken,

Thanks for the quick reply and suggestion. I’m using an iPhone 11 to connect to the roam, no further than a meter away from the Roam when the fault is occuring.

Not sure why it didn’t occur to me to try a different bluetooth device! OK so initial tests on a second older iphone connecting only via bluetooth haven’t managed to replicate the fault, so it seems it may be a problem with my iPhone 11. Is there anything I can try to eliminate the problem?

Best,

Ben

In the iPhone’s Bluetooth settings, select the Roam and “Forget This Device”. Then reboot the iPhone and reboot the Roam by following these steps:

1. Disconnect Roam from charging cables and remove it from wireless chargers.
2. Hold the button on the back of Roam for at least five seconds until you hear the power-off tone and the light above the Sonos logo turns off.
3. Wait 10 seconds.
4. Press the button on the back of Roam to turn it back on.

Pair the iPhone with the Roam and test again.

Thanks GuitarSuperstar for the suggestion. I’ve just followed your instructions,and tried it several times, but the problem is still there unfortunately. The cutting out frequency seems to vary - sometimes every 20/30 seconds, other times every couple of minutes - bizarre. I really hoped that would fix it!

I’ve now tried two other iOS devices that worked fine with this Roam over ~Bluetooth, so clearly a problem with my iPhone 11. I tried reinstalling Apple Music (which I’m using) but no dice. 

 Any other suggestions would be most welcome.

Try the solutions in this article:
https://www.saintlad.com/bluetooth-stuttering-issues-on-iphone-11-pro-max/

Thanks for the link GuitarSuperstar - I appreciate your suggestions.

If anyone from Sonos is reading the forums: Have tried everything in the article kindly posted - reset network settings, removed the Roam from all other connected devices, forget device etc. but unfortunately the problem persists. Cuts out intermittently. Now at nearly 2am the speaker is suddenly inexplicably refusing to connect via Bluetooth at all. The only thing I haven’t tried is to hard reset my iPhone but that is a massive pain that involves re-linking the whole family’s apple IDs and a step I am loathed to try. Deeply frustrating, especially when much cheaper Bluetooth speakers connect without any signal drop outs. Honestly my daughter’s £20 speaker holds a Bluetooth signal more effectively.

I had quite a few issues with my Play 5 which finally seemed to be resolved, so thought I’d risk another Sonos product, but the Roam feels like depressingly familiar territory. 

Beyond the Sonos moderators, Sonos support does not read or respond in these forums. If you want a discussion with them, you would need to contact them directly, by calling Sonos Support directly to discuss it.

The simple fact is the Roam is not a simple Bluetooth speaker. It’s a networked Sonos speaker that also allows a Bluetooth signal. I’ll grant you, the distinction appears slight, but from an engineering / design standpoint, I suspect there is a significant difference.

Thanks Bruce - I hadn’t realised they didn’t monitor these forums. I will contact direct.

And I don’t doubt the engineering that goes into is significantly more complex than the average Bluetooth speaker. This is reflected in the price. The bottom line for me is that it’s marketed in part as a speaker than be used away from Wi-Fi - it’s one of the reasons I purchased it - and as such I expect the Bluetooth signal to work without interruption.

I hear you, for sure. So far, my devices have all worked in exactly the way that they were marketed to me, but then again, I tend not to pay a ton of attention in the first place, beyond looking more at the tech specs to determine actual functionality. And I frequently use the Bluetooth connection, both at home, and in another environment, without any issue. Hopefully, your direct conversation will be able to figure out where the issue lies with your devices/setup. 

In the other hand, I’ve not significantly exercised the ‘casting the Bluetooth to the rest of my Sonos system’ beyond an initial test, to see if the function worked. 

Hi Bruce, thanks for your reply & question in the other thread re: contacting support / running diagnostics. Unfortunately the support team only appear to be available monday to friday. I’m away from home on Monday but will try on Tuesday.

I didn’t know about the diagnostics option. I just found it (I think) in the sonos desktop app, so have submitted diagnostics and got the following confirmation number: 342522540. 

Thanks for your suggestions and help.

Ben

There’s a known issue with iPhone 11 and intermittent Bluetooth playback - see this link:

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/250659131?page=1

The above is one example of many i came across in a Google search. I would maybe suggest trying playback to the Roam from a different Bluetooth device and just see what happens. I’m thinking this might just be an Apple issue.

Thanks Ken. Certainly the fault isn’t occurring on two other iOS devices so maybe it’s an iPhone 11 thing, but I’m sure the Bluetooth worked ok on this device when I first set the speaker up so I’m wondering if it’s another conflict somewhere. Plus the descriptions in the thread you shared sound different. My problem is just a periodic gap in playback. 
 

I’ll phone Sonos in the week and try to get to the bottom of it. Will share outcome here. 

@buddhahat,

I have seen a couple of reports here in the community in recent weeks where an iPhone 11 as the BT ‘sending’ device was causing issues with the Roam and a change of mobile to something else, immediately fixed the issue, so I’m not sure if it’s a recent update of iOS, or the Roam, that’s causing the problem, but there have also been a few reports I came across via a Google search, which seemed to suggest the iPhone 11 was having some difficulty with its Bluetooth playback in general, involving other brands of speakers/headphones.

Hopefully this matter be highlighted to Sonos Staff here anyway and maybe an update, from either Apple or Sonos will fix it. I suspect it’s possibly an Apple issue, as things seem to point mostly towards the direction of the iPhone 11 on various online sites and the fact other devices immediately work okay is a good indicator too I guess, but let’s see what the Sonos Staff may say when you call in.

Thanks Ken. It may well be this specific phone that’s problematic and maybe, as you suggest, an update may resolve.

this morning I was reminded why I started connecting via Bluetooth in the first place - unfortunately there’s also an issue with airplay. When I first connect to the speaker, the playback drops out really frequently. Usually I’d have switched to Bluetooth but obvs that’s now also problematic.

Switching the roam off, then connecting via the Sonos app has seemed to resolve for now. Again, perhaps an issue with my specific phone but very frustrating that there seems to be no clear cut way that I can consistently ensure faultless playback with this speaker! Fingers crossed Sonos support have some ideas.

In the meantime, is it worth me factory resetting the roam?

I would probably reboot your router first of all, rather than factory reset you Roam .. in fact here are the suggested Airplay fixes from the Apple Site (note that Bluetooth has a role to play in these fixes too):

• Restart all devices and try to AirPlay again
• Toggle off Bluetooth, or if already off, try turning it on
• Turn off Cellular Data
• Disconnect from any other Bluetooth devices (like speakers)
• Connect to the same WiFi network access point
• Reset your network settings on your iDevice in Settings > General > Reset > Reset Network Settings
• Update iOS, and speaker firmware/software
• Move your devices away from other electronics and closer to the main router
• Renew your devices DHCP lease via the router configuration pages or reboot the router
• Switch off any Security/VPN software installed on the sending (mobile) device

Thanks for that ken!

I spoke to Sonos support yesterday and today but unfortunately the gappy playback / Bluetooth problem is still not resolved.

Yesterday I was advised to split the 2.4 ghz / 5ghz bands in my router settings which I tried but to no avail. 

It seems I can only play music flawlessly  between my iPhone 11 & Roam (via Bluetooth) when I drive far away from the house! However in the garden (which is one of the reasons I purchased the Roam) when I play via Bluetooth, the gaps in playback problem is present. So it seems that the house wifi signal is interfering with the Roam’s Bluetooth reception in the garden. However the Roam cannot pick up a strong enough wifi signal in the garden to play through the Sonos app - Catch 22!

But other IOS devices do not experience the problem at all. So weird.

But I don’t want to have to switch iOS devices if I want to use the Roam. This might sound fussy, but I bought this for the convenience of playing music anywhere via my primary phone. 

I’ve sent another email to Sonos support hoping they have more suggestions but feels like I’ve hit a brick wall. 

OK think I may have solved it! 

I unplugged a separate Bluetooth adaptor on the downstairs sound system and the problem hasn’t occurred for about 30 mins of playback.

I’d removed this device from my Bluetooth paired settings previously but it must have somehow still being interfering with the iPhone’s Bluetooth reception even though it wasn’t on the list of paired devices. Seems it was a Bluetooth issue ultimately between this 3rd adapter and my phone. 

Thanks all for the input.

Best,

B

Am hoping the adjustments to the Wi-Fi settings may have also sorted the stuttering issue with Airplay too