I asked Chatgpt the following question and received its answer. I would love to hear your responses/critique/agreement with the conclusion please:
Question asked: “Here is the list of my equipment: I have 3 Sonos ports connected to speakers by speaker cable. The ports are all connected to my home network by ethernet cable. I also own 2 Sonos Era 300s, 1 Sonos Arc Soundbar and 1 Sonos Generation 3 subwoofer all working together as a single home theater system. The Sonos Arc Soundbar is connected with an ethernet cable to my home network and the Subwoofer and Era 300s are connected by wifi. The Arc soundbar, subwoofer and era 300s are listed as my home theater setup through the Sonos 2 App. My music source is from an Apple Subscription with the highest resolution enabled. I also listen to the home theater setup and apple music directly through the Apple Music app and the Sonos S2 app with my Sonos Ace headphones which are not connected by any cable. Can you please try to determine what is the highest audio resolution I can listen to through both the Sonos S2 app and the Apple Music app on my iPhone.”
Response from Chatgpt: “
Highest Audio Resolution You Can Achieve
Through the Sonos S2 App
• Sonos Port: Supports up to 24-bit/48kHz for FLAC, ALAC, and WAV.
• Sonos Arc & Home Theater Setup: Supports up to Dolby Atmos (lossy, via Dolby Digital Plus) when connected via HDMI eARC.
• Sonos Era 300s: Supports Dolby Atmos spatial audio when playing compatible tracks.
• Sonos Ace Headphones: Sonos hasn’t fully disclosed resolution specs, but they primarily support lossy audio codecs (e.g., AAC over Bluetooth).
Through the Apple Music App (on iPhone)
• Apple Music Lossless (ALAC):
• Standard lossless: Up to 24-bit/48kHz
• Hi-Res lossless: Up to 24-bit/192kHz (requires external DAC)
• Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos: Available when playing on compatible Sonos devices (e.g., Era 300s, Arc).
Limiting Factors
1. Sonos Ecosystem Limitations
• The Sonos Port and Sonos Arc max out at 24-bit/48kHz.
• Sonos does not support hi-res lossless beyond this (e.g., 24-bit/96kHz or 192kHz).
• Spatial audio is only supported on the Era 300s & Arc for Dolby Atmos tracks.
2. Apple Music on iPhone & Sonos
• Sonos S2 app supports up to 24-bit/48kHz lossless (but no hi-res beyond that).
• AirPlay 2 (if used) downgrades audio to 16-bit/44.1kHz (CD quality).
• Bluetooth (Sonos Ace) uses AAC, which is lossy and not true lossless.
Final Answer
• Sonos S2 App (Playing from Apple Music Lossless): Max 24-bit/48kHz
• Apple Music App on iPhone (AirPlay 2 to Sonos): Max 16-bit/44.1kHz
• Apple Music App on iPhone (Bluetooth to Sonos Ace): Lossy AAC (not lossless)
• Spatial Audio (Dolby Atmos) on Sonos Arc & Era 300s: Yes (via Apple Music)”
If you want true hi-res audio (24-bit/96kHz or higher), you’d need an external DAC, which Sonos does not currently support.”
Does this seem accurate to you guys please? Thanks
