External DAC with Connect

... I would be interested to know if you find any difference between the analog and digital outputs of the Connect into the DAC equipped model, if you ever get around to comparing.

Okay, will post in a couple of months.

I have had SONOS for more than 4 years, but have never been that happy with the sound quality. I hooked up a Cambridge Audio DAC magic, which made a small improvement.

Next I had a Audiolab 8200 CDQ, which was significantly better than the DAC magic, but still the SONOS sound quality was not as good as CD

With the T+A DAC 8, I cannot reliably tell the difference between playing from a CD and playing a FLAC file stored on a NAS and playing through the ZP-80 with a Toslink connection to the T+A DAC 8.

Rhapsody sounds very nice indeed, but still a little noticeably inferior to CD. The DAC 8 really helps to improve the sound of Rhapsody. I still find the SQ of Rhapsody better than Spotify

ZP-80 and Audiolab 8200 CDQ >> T+A DAC 8 >> Hypex Ncore 400 >> B&W 805 Diamond

Lots of GIK acoustic panels !

I have the PSB T2 speakers. They are really really nice. AS mentioned earlier, improving speakers is far and away the best way to improve sound quality.

What I hear when I run it through the oppo 105 (rarely) is some more stage, and a bit more base. Compared to speaker changes, though, the difference is marginal.

What I hear when I run it through the oppo 105 (rarely) is some more stage, and a bit more base. Compared to speaker changes, though, the difference is marginal.

This is also a well established outcome of even a very slight increase in sound levels. The only way you can be sure that is not the case is by doing an ABX test with instrument based sound level matching, when this marginal difference may well disappear.

Hi all,

Please excuse me hijacking the thread a little. But I am about to jump into SONOS ownership.

I am getting a Play 5, ConnectAMP and Connect. my question is regarding the Connect. I will be adding this to my Living Room AV Setup which is an ONKYO 805 Amplifier and an aged but loved pair of Castle Avon floor standing speakers. My question is that for music use only will adding a DAC (Arcam RDac or Cambridge Audio) be something worth considering or am I limited by the amp?

If you are adding the dac, I assume that you will continue to go to the onkyo?

If so, personally, I'd try the optical out on the connect, and see how it does on its own. If you like the sound coming out of that setup now... it's the best place to start. You know what it already sounds like, and will help you see....

If you have the ability to audition the dac later on, you'll know whether its something you need to get or not.

Correct the Onkyo will still be the amp.

It was how I was thinking...so thanks for the reassurance 🙂

Just hooked up my Connect last night and did some very casual A-B'ing with my Simaudio CDP (Simaudio front-end/amplification, Dynaudio speakers). Couldn't really hear a huge difference between the two. Then again, my ears have aged and my current room acoustics are not ideal. Great little product.

Wow.
With all due respect- some pretty questionable audio advice in the thread.

Short answer- all elements in the chain have an impact. Your system is only as good as your weak link.

A better DAC than what is in the Sonos most certainly will make a significant difference if you have a moderately resolving system (Preamp/amp/speakers).

Even consumer oriented non-audiophile sites like CNET acknowledge the relative mediocrity of the Sonos DAC and recommend an external DAC for better systems.

You can only put so much technology into a $350 box.
The jitter alone as measured by expert sites (Empirical Audio) makes it an average appliance for audiophiles.

That said - it is great for casual listening for most all.

As for the comments that any amp will do and put your money into speakers is absurd.
If you have an average source, and an average preamp and an average amp- your speakers (no matter how good) will never get the music to begin with.

Use your head folks- you get what you pay for and it all matters.

Use your head folks- you get what you pay for and it all matters.

Behold, the audio industry's target customer.

Empirical makes a living convincing gullible people like you to spend ridiculous amounts of money for nothing, so their opinion of anything is immediately suspect.

In this, we've asked users like you to provide independent, double-blind tests to confirm the superiority of these alleged high-end (or higher end, anyway) units. Nobody ever produces such evidence. I know why that is. Deep down inside, you do too.

You want to spend tons of cash on audio equipment? Go ahead. Some of us will continue to point out that the emperor has no clothes, no matter how questionable you think that may be.