Question

Trueplay Bass Distortion on Play:1



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161 replies

Ratty,

DSP's and their Analog to Digital conversion processes are a bit above my knowledge. I just find it strange that I can't replicate the sound I heard.. Perhaps the swapping over of the speakers and retuning them both again using Trueplay might have been the solution... I really can't say anything other than the bass issue I heard seems to have sorted itself, well for now at least.

I should add that the sound I heard was that bad though, when I originally heard it I really thought my speaker was damaged in some way. Like a tear in the cone almost ,or like it had partly come away from the frame or something wrong with its spider.

I immediately reduced the sound and set the EQ back to default... So there was definitely something not operating correctly internally.

Ken Griffiths
Worst thing happened, my nabour bougth a new sound system whit som mutch base going over to my appartment. I strongly believed that she has gotten a hugh subwofer system with a really extreme base, and hade parties 24/7. But to my supprice she got a new sound system, two tiny sono1. And she does not even play loud at all, but the base is as strong in my appartment as in here.

Ifthe speakers would behave as here old system, then they would make thevibrations in the air, and not via physical vibrations. This behaviure should also make the music experience quite lousy for here, when the base can not be claire. The distortion is horibel.

Offcourse I would love my naibour to be able to play music, but this is so loud som my baby child cannot sleep... So what can I do? Do anyone have any guide how to configure this system so they would work decent? Is there any specific vibration pads recomended for these speakers? Or am I forced to build a floating wall, because of to sono one's playing in "speaking level"?

All help is really appricated!
Thanks,
Chris
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Ask your neighbour to turn the music down. I think it is really as simple as that.
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Hi all,

Just here to report im getting the same thing. I own a Play 5 which is absolutely fine, but I've now replaced the Play 1, 3 times and every one of them has the problem. I also purchased them from 2 separate place to make sure: Currys and Amazon. The sound quality is also pretty poor for a £150 speaker, and I've heard cheaper bluetooth speakers which sound better.

My sources have been Spotify and TuneIn radio and I can hear the problem on different music, but always on the bass beat. Sometimes it sounds a bit like when a speaker is blown, others its a bit like a double beat/reverb, but overall it makes things sound terrible.

The problem is far more obvious with TruePlay turned on. But I honestly don't know why Sonos aren't seeing an influx of returns as all 3 replacements have this problem, while my Play 5 is not affected.
I've got two Play:1s, neither show this issue. I haven't Trueplay's them though, I don't own an apple product.
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Could it be a compression issue? I remember something like that part way on Dear Prudence by the Beatles with Spotify, however when I was using the deezer elite version on the same track the issue was not there.
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Not having regular access to iDevices I've only recently been able to Trueplay a bunch of speakers: one Play:5 (mk1) and five Play:1s (two stereo paired). I've yet to experience this bass distortion issue but will be listening out for it...

Otherwise, I'm impressed with the improvements brought by Trueplay, with the most obvious effect seeming to be the removal of mid-range 'woodenness'. Most of the rooms housing the speakers have no shortage of reflective surfaces as if often the norm nowadays and perhaps are tricky environments for audio kit. Trueplay appears to have helped and the resultant audio reminds me a little of listening to monitors in a studio. I didn't used to be very impressed with my mk1 Play:5's sound quality but in its current setting it seems to have benefited hugely from Trueplay and it now sounds wonderful. Very happy with the result!
Could it be a compression issue?
Not directly, but lossy encode/decode could exacerbate the problem since peak levels can increase as a result.
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It's difficult to put it into words how it sounds, but I also cant get past the fact for £160 the Play 1 really isn't that great quality, it's not even stereo.

Trueplay basically seems almost to have access to an equaliser (in the background) where it adjusts the sound range to make things sound better. In general increases bass frequencies a little and ups the treble to an overall better sound. When you turn Trueplay off theres a big difference, and the sound quality is even worse.

It should also be noted I've tuned the speakers in different rooms and areas to make sure it's not picking something else up.

I wonder if something has changed in the hardware on the recent manufactured models to cause this. I wish there was a way I could let you guys have a listen as all 3 sound awful.
The Play:1 delivers far better sound quality than any BT speaker. You have a defective unit, or are not accustomed to accurate speakers.

http://stereos.about.com/od/Wireless/ss/Sonos-Play1-Measurements.htm
The hardware isn't defective. I've experienced this intermittent behaviour with multiple PLAY:1s when Trueplay was active. (See earlier posts.)

@philljp: Trueplay is not just EQ, it's digital room correction. Oh, and PLAY:1 is a mono speaker, capable of being bonded in stereo pairs.
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The Play:1 delivers far better sound quality than any BT speaker. You have a defective unit, or are not accustomed to accurate speakers.

http://stereos.about.com/od/Wireless/ss/Sonos-Play1-Measurements.htm


Wrong, I have had plenty of speakers in the past, and have Monitor Audio floor standers in the living room. Plus all 3 speakers cant be faulty as such, there's something else going on here, but I'm not sure what. There's a problem that's for sure, but I cant put my finger on where, or explain how thousands of other Play 1 owners aren't getting the same issue.

Also, as I say I love the Play 5.
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The hardware isn't defective. I've experienced this intermittent behaviour with multiple PLAY:1s when Trueplay was active. (See earlier posts.)

@philljp: Trueplay is not just EQ, it's digital room correction. Oh, and PLAY:1 is a mono speaker, capable of being bonded in stereo pairs.


Yes, it does appear that the hardware isn't faulty as such, but something strange is going on. I have also noticed it with TruePlay off, but its barely noticeable, but can be heard.

I'm also aware the Play 1 can be paired, which would then cost you £320, and 2 units to cater for. (But that's a different discussion again). There are better sounding speakers for less money, but its a real shame as i wanted it to all link together seamlessly with the Sonos app. My other option is to get a Play 3.

But mainly, just adding my findings to this discussion as others are getting the same problem, hope this helps some way to finding the root cause.
explain how thousands of other Play 1 owners aren't getting the same issue.
Read back through the thread. Certain combinations of content and Trueplay compensation profile appear to be the trigger. Since everyone's room is different it could well be that it only affects a small proportion of installation situations.
Hmmmm. I'd sure like to know of any self-powered, fully self-contained wifi speakers that measure better and cost less than the Play:1s.
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The Play:1 delivers far better sound quality than any BT speaker. You have a defective unit, or are not accustomed to accurate speakers.

http://stereos.about.com/od/Wireless/ss/Sonos-Play1-Measurements.htm



I've just been listening to a Trueplay'd stereo pair of Play:1s attached to Flexon floor stands, positioned up close to a wall in a fairly large room, playing "The Flow" by Melanie De Biasio [ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=niORGSImsbI ] streaming from Google Play Music. A long time ago I used to listen to a bunch of audiophile stuff, and I can only marvel at how the above Sonos setup can sound so ridiculously good for the very little it cost me.

I realise this is of no help whatsoever for those experiencing problems, so sorry for that, but there you go - some deserved positive feedback from me for a change!
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Hmmmm. I'd sure like to know of any self-powered, fully self-contained wifi speakers that measure better and cost less than the Play:1s.

Self Powered? by the mains electric you mean? Self Contained? Look at any wireless speaker on the market. But we're getting off topic now.
You took it off topic by claiming that cheap BT speakers sound better than Play:1s. I'm challenging that assertion. I am calling BS.
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explain how thousands of other Play 1 owners aren't getting the same issue.
Read back through the thread. Certain combinations of content and Trueplay compensation profile appear to be the trigger. Since everyone's room is different it could well be that it only affects a small proportion of installation situations.


It's possible in some cases, but it does happen without Trueplay too. I've never experienced anything like this, I'm listening to some tracks now and I'm getting like extra pops, and beats every now and then its very odd! Drives me up the wall, it's going back! lol
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You took it off topic by claiming that cheap BT speakers sound better than Play:1s. I'm challengin that assertion. I am calling BS.

Cheaper Bluetooth speakers do sound better to me, that's just an opinion which I'm entitled to make 🙂 I'll demo some others in the shops though and see what's about, may even go with a Play 3.
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The Play:1 delivers far better sound quality than any BT speaker. You have a defective unit, or are not accustomed to accurate speakers.

http://stereos.about.com/od/Wireless/ss/Sonos-Play1-Measurements.htm



I've just been listening to a Trueplay'd stereo pair of Play:1s attached to Flexon floor stands, positioned up close to a wall in a fairly large room, playing "The Flow" by Melanie De Biasio [ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=niORGSImsbI ] streaming from Google Play Music. A long time ago I used to listen to a bunch of audiophile stuff, and I can only marvel at how the above Sonos setup can sound so ridiculously good for the very little it cost me.

I realise this is of no help whatsoever for those experiencing problems, so sorry for that, but there you go - some deserved positive feedback from me for a change!


Cheers RDog, I setup both Play 1's in stereo pair and compared back and forth to the Play 5, and the Play 5 was a lot better. It has a warmer sound and you get to hear a lot more of the instruments clearer in the tracks. Overall they were really disappointing to me (issues aside), particularly more with any music that contains a beat. Appreciate the input though, speakers can be a subjective thing anyway 🙂
Speakers ARE subjective things, but your experience with the 1 units is very clearly an outlier that only defective units can explain. How one person can end up with three of these is a puzzle though.
I've heard cheaper bluetooth speakers which sound better.

Having just come away from extensive comparison of these because I had to buy one for travel, I find this hard to believe - the one I bought just last week is excellent for the application, but doesn't come close to my 1 units. Which ones specifically have you found to be so? - I might want to check them out even now!
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I've heard cheaper bluetooth speakers which sound better.

Having just come away from extensive comparison of these because I had to buy one for travel, I find this hard to believe - the one I bought just last week is excellent for the application, but doesn't come close to my 1 units. Which ones specifically have you found to be so? - I might want to check them out even now!


I cant remember all of them, but they were in Currys in the UK. Ones such as SONY SRSXB2B and JBL Charge, both are stereo as well. I think the mono aspect of the Play 1 really bothers me also.
I did not look at the Sony, but the JBL Charge doesn't come within touching distance of the 1; even the Extreme that is a bigger more expensive speaker than the Charge, doesn't. IMO, obviously. Indeed one well known tester of bluetooth speakers uses the play 1 as his reference standard for his tests.

And they are all of them effectively mono, unless the listener is no more than a few feet away from them. Once further away, the speakers become point sources. Which is why JBL offer stereo pairing as an option if one needs that and is willing to buy two units.