FEATURE REQUEST: Speech enhancement and Night Sound for Play 5

  • 3 April 2019
  • 6 replies
  • 423 views

There are many of us who use play 5's exclusively (or other play products) for home theatre setups.
Can you include the Speech enhancement/Night Sound in a software update for everyone else?

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6 replies

That would be incredibly difficult to do, since the PLAY:5 only handles a stereo signal, and Speech Enhancement works by modifying the Center Channel.

On the other hand, I could see potential in Night Sound being applied.

It's a worthy request. I just wouldn't hold my breath.
Given that Play:5s are not designed or intended for use as TV speakers (except as surrounds), the words 'hell', 'chance' and 'snowball' spring to mind.
Given that Play:5s are not designed or intended for use as TV speakers (except as surrounds), the words 'hell', 'chance' and 'snowball' spring to mind.

I appreciate it John, but unless there's a form of sound wave that works only on "speakers designed for TV" a speaker is a speaker, and software based EQing should function the same way as a dedicated analogue equalizer would function on any given driver. We're talking about dynamically applied wave modulation (EQing) delivered via software update.

I don't feel that's an unreasonable request.

I appreciate it John, but unless there's a form of sound wave that works only on "speakers designed for TV" a speaker is a speaker, and software based EQing should function the same way as a dedicated analogue equalizer would function on any given driver.


It's not a matter of sound wave, but whether the speaker buffers the audio for multi room syncing or not. The speakers designed for TV are built to take in input with minimal / no buffering, while the play:5 is not. Yes, some users use the play:5 for TV because the audio/video sync doesn't bother them.

I wouldn't say that there is a downside to enabling something like night mode on it's own, other than it confusing some customers into think the play:5 would work with a TV with no sync issues.
Thank you for the reply – perhaps I should be more specific. I'm not talking about "Live" Tv, I'm talking about file playback. And that delay is totally solvable via software.
Easy enough to advance or retard the visual stream by however many ms until the stream is synced.

Regardless. Even without post sync, it's so minimal it hasn't been a problem.
Thank you for the reply – perhaps I should be more specific. I'm not talking about "Live" Tv, I'm talking about file playback. And that delay is totally solvable via software.
Easy enough to advance or retard the visual stream by however many ms until the stream is synced.

Regardless. Even without post sync, it's so minimal it hasn't been a problem.


I really don't think you understand the processes at work here. No matter if you are playing a file on the TV or watching live TV, the audio to the analog outs is pushed out in real time. Any delay compensation would have to take place on the TV, not in Sonos' software. Also, enhancement on the Playbar et al is accomplished by accentuating the single stream of the center channel and attenuating the others. This single stream center channel has no counterpart in the analog stereo source presented to your Play:5s. Thus, in order to accentuate the voice, it must be analyzed and extracted from the analog signal, something which is not easy to do in real time.

In short, it ain't going to happen.