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How can I troubleshoot audio latency issues when using Sonos speakers with my gaming PC?

  • 25 September 2023
  • 3 replies
  • 1045 views

Hey everyone,

I hope you're all having a great day. I'm reaching out to the community because I've been facing some frustrating audio latency issues when using my Sonos speakers with my gaming PC, and I could really use some guidance to resolve this problem.

Here's a bit of background: I recently decided to upgrade my gaming setup with some Sonos speakers to enjoy a more immersive audio experience while gaming. However, I've noticed that there's a noticeable delay between the audio coming from my PC and the sound coming from the Sonos speakers. This latency issue is making it difficult to fully immerse myself in the gaming experience, especially in fast-paced games.

I've tried a few things to troubleshoot the issue, such as:

  1. Checking Audio Drivers: I made sure that all my audio drivers on my PC are up to date, including the drivers for the Sonos speakers themselves.

  2. Changing Audio Settings: I've experimented with different audio settings in both Windows and my games, but the delay persists.

  3. Restarting Everything: I've tried the old "turn it off and on again" trick, restarting my PC, speakers, and router, but that didn't help either.

Despite my efforts, the audio latency remains. I know Sonos is renowned for its audio quality, and I'd love to take full advantage of it in my gaming setup. So, I'm turning to the experienced members of this community for help.

Has anyone else encountered and successfully resolved a similar audio latency issue with their Sonos speakers and gaming PC? If so, I'd greatly appreciate any advice, tips, or solutions you can share. Your expertise could make a world of difference in improving my gaming experience.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this, and I look forward to your suggestions and insights!

 

Mod Edit: Removed hyperlink as this is likely AI/Spam, however keeping the post as the information and replies are still useful

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Best answer by 106rallye 25 September 2023, 07:53

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3 replies

Userlevel 7
Badge +17

Unfortunately you do not mention the important pieces of information in your post: how did you connect the Sonos devices to your Pc and what Sonos devices do you use?

To elaborate: any Sonos device connected via an analogue connection will have a latency of 75ms that is needed for synching with other devices - even if you have no other devices. This latency cannot be corrected.

In my opinion SONOS is not appropriate for gaming audio or public address systems (such as a sound system for a band). This is by design, not some sort of oversight.  SONOS is designed to play synchronized music in multiple rooms using a general purpose computer network as the transmission backbone. Since there are minor, variable delays due to computer network congestion, SONOS inserts a 75ms latency into the transmissions. This latency allows the SONOS system some time to react to the  variable congestion without disrupting the music. Delaying a music track recorded decades ago for an additional 75ms is not significant. Skewing audio associated with video or dropping a few milliseconds of audio is significant. Delaying a webpage or email by a few milliseconds due to network congestion (inside or outside the home) is not significant.

Yes, there are schemes that can deal with mountains of video data in large venues, such as bars and stadiums, but these are not inexpensive plug and play systems that can be setup by untrained home users.

Userlevel 7
Badge +22

I saw something mentioned about using an Arc with a sound card that had an HDMI eARC output, no card was mentioned that I recall.

An optical connection from the sound card to Arc might also work with minimal latency.

You might get a surround group working using the above options but adding other “Sonos Rooms” is without doubt going to give you the delay.