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Sonos One (Gen 2) and Apple TV issues

  • 16 January 2021
  • 8 replies
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Hi

 

I’m a little frustrated here and I can’t believe this is how the “system” is supposed to work. I have an Epson projector (no internal speaker) coupled with an Apple TV 4k. Up until recently I hardwired my stereo to the projector and everything was rosy. Last week I bought a Sonos 1 Gen 2 to use for the audio and it’s been ridiculously frustrating. I connect to the speaker using the control center on Apple TV and picking the speaker. Frequesntly I have trouble connecting the speaker to the Apple TV and when I do there are several issues (everything is fully updated):

 

1)No system clicks from the Apple TV. It’s completely silent until I start playing a video or watching something.

 

2)The volume control is erratic. Sometimes it connects fine sometimes it doesn’t. Sometimes it shows the volume graphic on the screen sometimes it doesn’t.

 

3)Today I tried playing a game, Asphalt 8, and there isn’t any sound at all even though the sound when playing a video from Netflix, for example, works fine.  Is this because the delay from the Airplay makes playing a game with wireless audio futile?

 

Any guidance is appreciated.

 

Brian

 

 

 

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Best answer by Corry P 24 February 2021, 13:22

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8 replies

controlav
Userlevel 7
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Sonos gear, and especially a Play:1 is not usually suitable for projector usage. Many projectors lack even optical output (eg yours) and very few have HDMI-ARC.

Your description does not make it clear how you are even connecting a Play:1 to any of this gear, I assume it is Airplay, which is likely to be out of sync with the video anyway.

i would recommend returning the Play:1 to avoid further frustration.

Author of the leading independent Sonos app for Windows, the only Sonos app for Xbox, and a Sonos app for iOS
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They are connected via Airplay aka wirelessly. Actually the audio sync with video/live TV streams is perfectly fine. And airplay devices, aka the Sonos Play gen 2, are Airplay 2 compatible so I don’t think there should be issues. Especially with Sonos which is typically rock solid.

Corry P
Userlevel 7
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Hi @Bermannyc 

Are you still experiencing these issues?

1)No system clicks from the Apple TV. It’s completely silent until I start playing a video or watching something.

 

2)The volume control is erratic. Sometimes it connects fine sometimes it doesn’t. Sometimes it shows the volume graphic on the screen sometimes it doesn’t.

 

3)Today I tried playing a game, Asphalt 8, and there isn’t any sound at all even though the sound when playing a video from Netflix, for example, works fine.  Is this because the delay from the Airplay makes playing a game with wireless audio futile?

 

I’ll address your issues one at a time:

  1. Apple AirPlay is similar to Casting, which is to say it’s for media sharing only. Apple doesn’t pass the system sounds to the speaker as they are not part of an encoded media stream. There’s a page on the Apple website explaining that AirPlay is for “watching a film or listening to music with your Apple TV” here: https://support.apple.com/HT202809. They are not being general - they are actually being somewhat specific.
  2. I recommend you switch your WiFi router off for at least 30 seconds, switch back on and wait a few minutes for WiFi to return, this is called a “power cycle”. This power cycle will refresh the router’s ability to maintain its connections between devices which is quite important, especially for AirPlay and for Sonos players. You may need to repeat this several times a year as a matter of course, especially if your router was supplied for free by your Internet Service Provider. Do this regularly at opportune times even if you don’t experience issues. If you continue to have issues with volume and connection despite trying this, please get in touch with our technical support team as there could be WiFi interference - Reduce Wireless Interference - or other problems which they will be able to identify and sort out with you.
  3. See point 1 - your game’s sound is not part of an encoded media stream, so it is not shared with other devices.

A recommended setup for your requirements would be to connect a Sonos Beam to a HDMI-ARC (rare on projectors) socket or an optical output. You could then experience stereo sound for any input providing a compatible audio stream - this would include system sounds and games (you will only get surround sound from a game if that game or the computer’s sound device will encode the sound into Dolby Digital) - like Dolby Digital or PCM stereo and at a later date you could also use your existing Sonos One and an additional Sonos One SL as surrounds for the Sonos Beam. A Sonos Sub could also be added for full 5.1 sound 

"Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by age eighteen." - Albert Einstein
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Hi Cory.

 

Thanks for the responses. The game audio is disappointing since I was able to do all those things via bluetooth. So the Mac OS only passes the system sounds though bluetooth not AirPlay?

The main question I have now is why can’t the Sonos be selected as the default audio device? Every day we use the projector (it’s our main TV) we have to select it. Sometimes several times a day.

Corry P
Userlevel 7
Badge +18

Hi @Bermannyc 

Just as with what is outputted from an Apple device to various destinations, default speaker selection would be something that only Apple could address, as only Apple devices/software broadcast AirPlay and AirPlay is their propriety technology. This is basically why we recommend direct connections (HDMI or optical) for non-audio-only sources, as we can then guarantee your experience.

Apple will be much more likely to address these issues with increased customer demand, so I recommend you get in touch with their technical support, or visit their forums.

"Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by age eighteen." - Albert Einstein
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D*** you Apple!

 

 

*Moderator Note: Modified in accordance with the community guidelines.*

Smilja

The main question I have now is why can’t the Sonos be selected as the default audio device?

 

Only HomePods can be selected as the default audio device.

»And the world is like an apple whirling silently in space, Like the circles that you find in the windmills of your mind.« (›Windmills Of Your Mind‹ [1967]. Music by Michel Legrand ; English lyrics written by Alan & Marilyn Bergman)
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Right of course Apple makes only their devices available for that. Makes sense.

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