anybody replaced their Connect with a Port?

Totally agree. Why not just give us an option to disable EQ? If you’re using an amp that has Bass & Treble controls anyway. Little use for them on the Connect/Port.

Thanks Buzz. I actually run my Dac using the coaxial output at the moment anyway. Presumably my current set up would be a more hifi sound than the Sonos Amp? Which is the other option. 

That’s what appears to happen. The limiting gradually increases as the volume setting heads towards 100%.

The behaviour I witnessed -- albeit with single-frequency test tones -- suggested it started to cut in above about 85%. Whether it has the effect of compressing the dynamics lower down the volume scale I can’t confirm objectively, but that seems to be what some people are saying. 

Similar I guess. The fault in certain Connects was that the limiter was being applied in Fixed Volume too. 

@brotherharry In terms of the two Arcam inputs I meant that if you felt the case swung in favour of the Connect when it was plugged into input A and the Port into B, you could put the Port into A and the Connect into B and run the test again. See if you felt the same way. 

The only true test is to capture the digital outputs of the Port and the Connect. Compare them -- literally a file diff -- and also compare with the WAV equivalent of the original file. Recording an analog waveform is rather meaningless. 

@Finbow The idea that the Port’s digital output could be collapsing the soundstage strains comprehension. Are you suggesting some kind of analog crosstalk, between two entirely separate sets of digital data? As I type I have a set of Sennheiser HD650s clamped round my noggin, fed by a small Schiit stack hung off a Port’s digital out. Lack of separation? Er, no way. 

Or was your complaint about the analog output? 

I just replaced my perfectly decent (and working) Gen 1 Connect for a new Port and am really regretting that decision. It should have been plug and play but this was not the case.   The Sonos 2 App couldn’t find any of my devices.   Three different calls with Sonos support (approx 5 hours of my time) and the Sonos 2 App can now find my devices however I can no longer play anything through my wired speakers/stereo system as I could with the Connect.  So frustrating.  I’m very close to adding the Connect back into my system and sending the Port back to Sonos; I may look for a Gen 2 Connect since that will work with the Sonos 2 app, though the Sonos 1 app worked just fine for me.

I used to be a big fan of Sonos and had raved about it to many of my friends who ended up purchasing Sonos themselves.  No more. Really disappointed.  

Arguably is right; if one definition of Hifi behaviour when buying kit is spending a lot more than one can afford, and also ruining the home aesthetic in the opinion of the better half, I qualify; and when I decided to be more sensible after over a decade of this, in 2011 I started using Connect directly wired to the line in jacks of my Quad pre amp with no perceived loss of sound quality or diminution in listening pleasure, with significantly enhanced domestic harmony. 

Now, I am just as fine with what I hear from a source such as Echo Show wired to analog inputs on my Connect/Connect Amps. It really comes down to speakers in use and how well they interact with the room. IMO. And the artwork that accompanies each track as is displayed on the Show adds to the experience in my book, while sound quality remains HiFi.

And all are HiFi. Including the Port here as a HiFi component when its analog outputs are used. It seems that when digital outputs are in use, one needs to know what one is doing, which is a pity that Sonos ought to quickly correct.

The other thing about HiFi is that for every HiFi component that is named as such another can be found that will look down on the former with disdain.

Have you tried using the analog out with Variable volume? According to that article the DSP limiting/compression only applies to the digital out, which in retrospect is logical.

Thanks for the help everyone. Think I’m going to give the Amp try. Just one more question. 
if I decide I want to plug in my Technics turntable at a later date.  Is it possible to plug this into the NAD & then feed the pre-amp of the Nad into the line in on the Sonos Amp?? 

I am not surprised. I ended up giving away my Musical Fidelity Tube DAC to a friend some years ago, because I could not bring myself to sell something to him that did nothing to the SQ. It even had feet with built in lights that changed colours to let you know it was warmed up enough to deliver its designed performance. I also sold my DAC access equipped Marantz SACD player once I moved to Sonos+ripped to local NAS CDs. For that one I collected money, for since it played CDs!

Some years ago, I came across a DAC that was sold at something like USD 40k. Unbelievable.

PS: it was closer to USD 85k...

thankyou ratty !

as i mainly use the desktop app, i had no idea re these extra settings for line out/volume limit levels.

subsequently, my ‘volume limit’ was set to 100%.

so, as per your advise elsewhere in this thread i have dropped this to 80% , and boom, my music sounds so much better than ever before.

clearly this has been the cause for my ongoing distortion issues that i mentioned a few weeks ago.

all these years.

better late than never.

thank you.

Please provide a link to where I said it was not possible. I’ll be waiting . . .

Also, one must be wary using the variable output, for unmatched volume levels can account for “differences” heard between two audio samples as much as actual differences.  Matter of fact, the bias for volume is so subtle (yet strong), it can be shown to be present even when the most listeners cannot distinguish a change in volume (usually between 3-5 dB change). Of course, a properly level matched ABX test will shine far more light on what is at work here, but I’ve yet see one, either in the audio press, or here.

Lol. Just listening to the music and not using it as a test signal? Get a life, man...:-))