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Line in audio skips

  • 10 April 2021
  • 8 replies
  • 176 views
G
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I'm experiencing audio skips (2-5 second drop-outs) using line in through my Five. It seems to be worse when multiple rooms are playing. I've read through quite a bit of threads here and have some ideas of what the issue could be. I can post a diagnostic later, but I won't be able to do that until tomorrow. Until then, I'd just like to get an idea of what the most likely culprits are given my situation.

My setup:

Room 1: 1x Five (downstairs)

Room 2: 2x Ones in stereo with Sub linked (downstairs)

Room 3: 1x One (upstairs)

Room 4: 1x One (upstairs)

Router is a reliable $250 Nighthawk and I have reliable gigabit internet. House is 3000 sq ft, but my Sonos products are in pretty good range of the router. 

The Sonos devices are all currently using my router's wireless network. My router is upstairs. The two downstairs rooms seem to be more reliable (I still get the problem though, but less frequently), but the reliability gets even worse when I start playing the upstairs and downstairs rooms together. I mostly use Rooms 1 + 2 (downstairs) together because this is where we spend the most time. Unfortunately, my router and modem is upstairs and moving them is not an option.

Potential solutions:

-Change line audio delay settings to 2000ms (currently at 75ms)

-Change line in audio to from uncompressed to automatic 

-Change wireless channel

-Assign static IPs to each Sonos device

-Wire a boost to my router and switch to Sonosnet (not sure how much more reliable this would be given that my router is upstairs and my main listening rooms are downstairs). 

Wireless interference could also be possible, but the only weird devices close my speakers are a TV and PS4 that's asleep. Am I missing anything and any idea of where I should start first? Some of these solutions require more work than others, so I'm really trying to see what the most likely issues are (I'll try everything of course if I need to).

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Best answer by buzz 10 April 2021, 05:06

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8 replies

buzz

Most likely this is a network issue. The diagnostics will log this. SonosNet may be more reliable. You could experiment by wiring one or more players to your network. BOOST is simply a player with the audio removed in order to reduce costs. Best placement for BOOST is about midway between a good area and a problem area or as the only wired player if you don’t want to run any wires to the player locations. Since you have some single players (not stereo paired), you can try different locations for a potential BOOST by moving a player. I’m not suggesting that you need a BOOST, only that you can easily experiment before purchasing a BOOST. BOOST can be wired or wireless, but at least one SONOS unit must be wired before BOOST will function.

Note that the first player in a Group is the Group’s “Coordinator”. All data traffic for the Group passes through the Coordinator. The left speaker in a stereo pair is Coordinator for the pair. Sometimes building a Group in a different order is helpful. For example unit ‘A’ might be sitting in a high interference or weak signal area, while unit ‘B’ is in a great location. Unit ‘B’ would be the better choice for Coordinator.

K

 

Potential solutions:

-Change line audio delay settings to 2000ms (currently at 75ms)

-Change line in audio to from uncompressed to automatic 

 

I would first try these - except change from uncompressed to compressed, not to auto.

G
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@buzz good to know about the group coordinator role. That is news to me. Regarding Boost position, do you think there will be performance issues if I wire it upstairs but my main listening group is downstairs? The rooms are directly below/above each other, but I'm not sure how well the signal will travel through the floor. 

 

 

Potential solutions:

-Change line audio delay settings to 2000ms (currently at 75ms)

-Change line in audio to from uncompressed to automatic 

 

I would first try these - except change from uncompressed to compressed, not to auto.

These were my thoughts too. Is there any noticeable quality drop with the compressed line in? I've read that it uses SBC codec, which seems to be bluetooth quality. I'm using line in to primarily play 320 mp3.

 

K

 

 

These were my thoughts too. Is there any noticeable quality drop with the compressed line in? I've read that it uses SBC codec, which seems to be bluetooth quality. I'm using line in to primarily play 320 mp3.

 

I have not heard any difference. I also don't know anyone that has, in a controlled blind test. Claims that it does not sound as good are plenty, but these are subjective opinions, probably driven by the usual human biases.

buzz

gimmesub,

Only you know what sounds “best”.

Try the compression and decide for yourself if there are any sonic disadvantages. For someone who insists on HiRes, compression is a nonstarter. Your MP3 files are already compressed. 

We don’t yet know if you have a signal strength or interference issue. The diagnostic will clearly show this.

Successful transmission through a floor depends on the floor. Any wall or floor will attenuate the signal. Lower signal levels will result in slower links. At some point the link is too slow. Cement or marble is opaque. You can easily experiment by wiring one or more speakers and moving your single speakers around. If the floor is too dense, a player near an open stairway may help send the signal to the next floor. If you find a location that helps the other floor, this is where a BOOST should be placed.

In very difficult situations multiple BOOST’s can help. For example, BOOST’s at the head and foot of the stairs. Up to 32 units are supported -- BOOST counts as a unit.

G
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Just reporting back on how things went if anyone is curious. I didn’t get very far with the troubleshooting. All I had to do was change the audio delay to 2000ms (left the audio uncompressed) and I haven’t had any skips or dropouts for the last 5 days. Didn’t need to adjust anything on the network.

I am still debating whether or not to return my boost. The performance has been flawless but I do like the audio of cleaning up the network and having things streamlined with SonosNet.

Smilja

I’d keep the Boost. What if it turns out that the performance in WiFi mode isn’t as flawlessly as you had expected it to be?

»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)
K

Just reporting back on how things went if anyone is curious. I didn’t get very far with the troubleshooting. All I had to do was change the audio delay to 2000ms (left the audio uncompressed) and I haven’t had any skips or dropouts for the last 5 days. Didn’t need to adjust anything on the network.

 

@gimmesub : is the system performance in grouped mode using line in as source permanently addressed via this solution?

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