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Sonos Amp audio delay pre-purchase questions

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My computer is my main entertainment hub, my large monitor is basically also my TV. I want to get a pair of nice bookshelf speakers and I’m looking at the KEF LS50 Meta’s.

I’ve narrowed my amp choices to the Sonos AMP ($700, 125w), the NAD C700 ($1,600, 80w), or the Denon PMA-150H ($1,000, 70w).

I’d prefer the AMP because not only is it the cheapest, it’s also the most powerful. I’ve done a fair bit of searching prior to posting. I know using an AMP with a computer “is not the intended purpose” but beyond that I’m curious about the delay.

I understand that when GROUPED, the minimum delay is 75ms, which can cause lip sync issues. However, in my use case, I would just be using wired bookshelf speakers, UNGROUPED, with the optical out of the computer to the optical to HDMI converter into the AMP. From this thread, buzz said:

When SONOS players are “Grouped” there is a 75ms latency. The latency is reduced to about 30ms for the TV connected to PLAYBAR/BEAM/ARC/RAY/PLAYBASE/AMP.

My question is to users of the AMP. In this situation, is the latency reduced to 30ms automatically? Does the app still say 75ms is the lowest or does a new 30ms option populate?

Secondary question:

I only have a BEAM at the moment so I’ve never grouped anything with Sonos. I see Sonos is releasing their new Mini Sub soon and it looks interesting. If I purchased one of these and GROUPED it with the bookshelf speakers I understand the latency would raise to 75ms. Can you easily GROUP and UNGROUP, changing the latency automatically? It would be nice to have a sub, GROUP it when listening to music, then ungroup it when in media mode, but that’s only if the minimal latency is automatically adjusted back down when ungrouped. Does anyone know if it would work like this? If not KEF also has a nice small wired sub, but it’s almost triple the price of the Mini Sub.

Thank You.

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Ken_GriffithsAnswer

If the connection to the Amp (room) is either via optical (using the Sonos adapter, sold separately) or an HDMI-ARC connection, you should not see any audio delay in the output to the connected chosen (KEF) passive speakers. If you also ‘bond’ a sub-mini to either that Amp, and/or the Beam, there will be no delay between the chosen master player when outputting audio to the connected sub-mini.

Where you will encounter a delay, is when playing A/V sources from the computer to the Amp/Sub (as an example) and also you decide to ‘group’ that Amp to the Beam (another Sonos room) - that grouped room (Beam) will be slightly out of sync with the Amp by 35-75ms and would likely cause an echo if they were both in the same room - but not noticeable if the Beam is perhaps in another physical room.

There are tools in the Sonos App to ‘buffer’ (delay) the audio on the Amp and ‘possibly’ bring both grouped rooms into sync, but then you may notice some slight lip-sync issues with the video on the monitor/screen. Note this only applies to A/V sources from the connected computer and the delay is only to the grouped room (Beam)… So, if you were to play music audio via the Sonos App, like Spotify, Amazon Music or Sonos Radio etc. (just as examples) the audio will play in perfect sync across all rooms/players (Amp/Sub-Mini and Beam).

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J

John B

Any one tried the https://www.paragonsns.com/products/pro-ject-optical-box-e-phono?variant=31468094390335#tab=overview

To eliminate analogue delay with Sonos?

Hi. Could you explain how you are hoping it would help? What is the use case you are thinking of using it for? This device seems to be aimed at use with a turntable, and I can’t see what problem it would solve in a Sonos context.

There will always be a lag when Sonos speakers are grouped. This isn’t really an ‘analogue delay’, it is necessary to allow perfect sync across Sonos ‘rooms’.

Please clarify.

buzz

Grand Maestro

If SONOS allowed a passthrough direct connection, and a user (somewhere in the site) decided to Group with the direct Room, there would be an interruption in that direct Room while the 75ms is inserted. I’m sure that this would introduce its own sort of ire.

In the SONOS vision, Line-In is simply a network resource regardless of where it plays. In this context the wired device is playing from the network, even in the connected box.

melvimbe

Any one tried the https://www.paragonsns.com/products/pro-ject-optical-box-e-phono?variant=31468094390335#tab=overview

To eliminate analogue delay with Sonos?

You can get an analog to digital convertors for under $20 on Amazon. Phono preamps are cheap as well. That device only makes sense if you just like the name brand/packaging and actually have a need for preamp/convertor/switcher device. Would this eliminate some delay? Probably. However, the box surely has some delay in it, and the amp still has some delay in it with digital sources. It’s not going to be as good as a direct digital source.

And as pointed out, this does nothing for the delay in group rooms, and completely unnecessary if you are syncing to video or trying to use Sonos for DJ/PA purposes.

Danny

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