Line in problem - sound cutting out intermittently

I've seen this question a few times, but cannot find a solution and would like my system checked out. I have a Connect, SUB, and three PLAY:5's. The system is set up to have 3 groups, and I run them connected to one another 90% of the time. I have no issues with the services or other inputs, however, my TV and streaming inputs are a hit-or-miss thing. When I last moved, I upgraded my internet signal and speed to be at 100mbps and I have connected the CONNECT with ethernet directly to the modem/router, so that shouldn't be an issue. I have line in coming from either the TV or from the cable box. In both cases, every once in a while, I get a garbled/cutting out of the sound. It recovers, but it is extremely annoying. I have to keep it on Automatic to have a decent watching experience, as if i change compression, the lip sync is terrible. I sent some diagnostics to the support team and have usage data on, so im hoping you can see that information and make an assessment. my last diagnosis send was confirmation number 4663215. I've tried using wireless with the connect, using different AV wires, plugging into PLAY:5s directly and bypassing the CONNECT, changing wireless channels (although if there's a trick to this specifically based on my new wireless system, and even using a separate receiver! ( please check the wireless signals? out) and multiple input sources. In my old place, I gave up on it. I thought I had it hooked up in a way to be able to enjoy it, and it works most of the time, but now has begun clipping and dropping all the time and I have to turn it off until I get it fixed because it is so frustrating. Please let me know if there's something im missing or if I need to sell the CONNECT and get a playbar, or whatever the best solution would be. I just want to be able to watch cable or ROKU without the sound dropping. Love these products, but this one problem is a big bear.

Page 1 / 3

Hi Jeff,

It looks like there are quite a few wireless signals in the area. These may be causing interference with the Sonos wireless network and may explain the audio cut outs. Please try changing your Sonos system's wireless channel to 11. Here's how to change the Sonos wireless channel.

Please let us know if that does not help.

I'm experiencing very similar problems and I have tried changing my sonos channel, my router channel, compressed vs uncompressed vs automatic, the use of a bridge vs no bridge. I have zero issues with streaming services so why would wireless signals in the area cut out line-in only audio and not streaming services that are also transmitting from speaker to speaker via WIFI. I've been building my system for 2 years now and have been patient that this issue would be resolved with an update but sadly it still exists. I would really appreciate a solution.

Hi Gelb

I have the same problem. only using line in to the play5 on my pc and after a couple of min it stops until I tell it to play again and again...

Any solution!!!

Hi founride,

Please send in a diagnostic report from your system. Then, reply with the confirmation number and I'll take a look.

Exactly, very good point. I have the same problem - wireless services working and the line-in works intermittently, i.e. every 10 min the sound switches between the speakers, breaks and finally recovers after 2 min but it's really annoying.

I will set it all up again from scratch because I know at the start I had no issues during the first few days, nothing has changed in my setup at all so really puzzled.

I had a problem playing with music cutting out intermittently from the line-in. I am running a gigabit network, so I would have thought that all my cabled devices would have had plenty of bandwidth, but that was not the case. I tried changing the SonosNet channel, but that made no noticeable improvement. Compression greatly helped with the issue, but then the music lagged behind the original source connected to the input. After a fantastic call with Brae at Sonos we determined that my Netgear GS108T managed switch disables BPDU Flooding by default. We enabled that and the issue completely went away. I'm not sure how many of you out there have managed switches, but I hope this helps someone since I would have never figured this out without help from Sonos tech support.

I seem to have the same problem. I have one Play 5 connected to the TV (plug-in) and paired this with a second Play 5. I have tried all the above suggestions but it does not solve the problem. The sound cuts out and there is no clear pattern. I cannot see the reason for this problem, since the line-in option is used and the trafic in the wifi-network should not interfere.

Would be very happy if this is possible to solve.

Hey I've been tackling this for a few evenings now. I narrowed down the problem to sonos connect, the solution with compressed output doesn't work because of the synchronisation.

I found that restarting the Sonos Connect from time to time helps, I also restarted my router.

Other than that I will also contact sonos support or return the device.

I would definitely recommend giving us a call, we'll be able to help you resolve this.

I have the same problem. It helped a lot when I changed line in level to 10. Settings > room settings > pick your connect amp > line in > pick 10. Hope this helps cause it is super annoying to watch a movie like this.

My Diagnostics Number during the problem did happen: 7720634

thank you for your help

Thanks very much, Stuart. I've restarted the system (unplugged everything) and restarted the router, but I will be sure to wait for a reply before I reset the whole system - thanks!

A channel change can often help, if there was lots of traffic on the previous one. I'm a little surprised it made a big improvement in your case but if it works, then great! Regarding the PLAYBAR; really it's just an optical connection into it. The only way to get it working with that TV would be to use some kind of converter such as HDMI to optical or RCA to optical. These are not officially supported but have often worked for many customers.

I´m having the exact same problem !

Line in cuts out randomly. No problems ever with streaming services.

It sounds like this must be something with the software. Sonos - You need to check up on this.

Extremely annoying !

Hey Jonas,

The line-in connection requires one of the highest about of streaming bandwidth and tends to have some of the lowest allowance for errors. Generally speaking, if you have line-in cutouts it network related or environmental, something that can usually be fixed if you'd like a hand.

If you're not playing a source of audio on the line-in that requires syncing with video, you can go to Settings > Room Settings and set the line-in level to level 4 Airplay for your connection. That connection has an increased buffer to allow for degraded connections.

I'd be happy to take a look at a diagnostic for you as well. You can follow the directions here to submit a diagnostic from your Sonos system and reply back with your confirmation number after having some trouble with the line-in. It's best to grab one within 10 minutes.

This is happening to me too. New CONNECT. New BOOST. I've tried channels 11, 6, and 1. I've changed the level to 10. I've done factory resets and turned everything off and on. The record player is going into the CONNECT and stuttering so bad it's unlistenable. Kind of feels like spending $450 on the CONNECT and BOOST is just a waste if they aren't going to work. Any other ideas on how to solve this issue?

I have the same problem. In my case, all of my Sonos are wired.

I connect my phone to the Line-In jack on Sonos:5. Start playing music on the phone.

The Sonos:5 sounds fine.

The Sonos:3 will play 2 seconds of music, then skip one second, then play two seconds, then skip one, ...

It'll drive you crazy :@

I can imagine, that would drive me crazy. Sounds like there might be some wireless interference cause some headache. Submit a diagnostic report, reply with the confirmation code it gives at the end and we can take a look. Here's how.

Thanks Tom. Appreciate the help.

Thanks Tom. I changed the to channel 6 from 11 which seemed to help or is that not connected to this issue?

I appreciate this is not an ideal set up but I guess it is good to hear that the wifi interference is minimal. I could connect the two front speakers by Ethernet to the switch box but not the sub and rears because they are too far away.

I was chatting to Emily in the sales chat re the sound bar, which I thought may complete the system, but my Sony TV is 6 years old with no optical output. Can I connect the sound bar any other way? Thanks again

hey kdr2566, welcome to the community. What you're doing there is something the speakers were not really designed to do. You've got a first-gen PLAY:5 trying to broadcast a completely uncompressed analog audio stream to four other players over wireless. This is pushing the limits of what that player can do, and what 2.4GHz technology is capable of. This is why our home theater setups all use 5GHz to communicate. We can try to clear up some of the interference you have there, but to be honest it's not far off perfect already and any improvement will be incremental. You could enable some audio compression in the advanced settings of the app, but this will add more lip sync delay. If your TV has any settings which might allow you to compensate for this, then that will be the easiest fix. Otherwise, you might have to connect them all up with Ethernet cable which will be a basically perfect connection.

The audio has been dropping out from my system and is getting worse. I have 4 x play 5s and a Sub played via a Boost set up which is hard wired into an Apple Express (wired extension of my router). I am running 70-80 mbps now and was running on 6 Mbps but the dropping out is worse since the broadband speed has improved! I thought that would fix the issue as I thought it was due to buffering. It has been dropping out on Sky too. I use my set up to watch TV with the TV headphone socket wired a Sonos speaker (Line in). The sound dropping does not seem to be an issue with listening to music from the phone or streaming but just via the TV. I have had issues of latent sound ie not in time with the video/lips moving.

I have sent a diagnostic - 7419496. I hope this helps.

The Sonos boost, Apple Express, Apple TV are by the TV and 2x front Play 5s. From reading some posts I fear it may be interference. I don't know how to change the fibre settings but I am Level 2 AV on line in source and channel 11 Sonos net channel (should this be channel 6?). I appreciate any help or suggestions to rectify this matter and improve the sound.

Best regards

K

No, haha! Using the word "cut" was simply to elaborate the point that the only change to the previous setup was injecting a CONNECT device into the middle of what used to be a continuous connection. I am now using the cables provided with the CONNECT (3.5mm to RCA and RCA to RCA) to make the connection path.

Being Mother's Day weekend, I am going out of town and will not be able to test the device immediately but I will plan to give the device another endurance test Monday and post diagnostics then. Thanks you for continuing to look into this issue.

dakotalazenby,

Thank you for the topology diagram. We'll definitely want to take a look at the diagnostic first but would like to clarify something on the cable. You said it used to be one continuous cable that was 'cut', did you physically cut it and splice new connections to the ends?

@Keith N thanks for the prompt reply! I will send a diagnostic report as soon as I have a chance to sit down and play PS4 again. My simple tests when I inboxed the device didn't yield the cutting out problems. Only after some extended use (more than 15 minutes continuous) did it start to cut out every 10 to 15 minutes for the duration of (on average) one minute.

Until then, I am not sure what I can test. As I stated in my (albeit lengthy) post above, when I take the line from the TV headphone jack and splice it directly to the line into the receiver, the sound quality and signal is fine (same as it has been for months of lengthy use when it was one continuous cable. The ONLY difference in the setup now as opposed to before is that (effectively) I cut the cable in two and inserted the CONNECT into the middle of the cable from TV to receiver. See photo attached. This being the case, I have no reason to believe that audio from PS4 to TV or TV to the Line In port is at fault, since I can jumper out the CONNECT and get the (primary) desired result.

Well, here's another diagnostic... just in case the old one I posted has expired by now. Same issue, same device, now well outside my return period.

It's a good thing the other speakers work so well, because this Sonos connect issue is really getting under my skin.

Diagnostic: 7900208

@dakotalazenby - Welcome to the Community! Sorry you're having trouble with the CONNECT. It sounds like submitting a diagnostic report would be great, especially while we are passing PS4 audio through the TV.

I'd also check the audio from the headphone jack on the back of the TV while passing PS4 audio through the TV as well. We want to check the full signal flow at every possible break point.

Thanks in advance.

Sign up

Login to the community

Scanning file for viruses.

This file cannot be downloaded