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What does Sonos Connect 'do' to a recording?

I have Sonos speakers around the house outside of my listening room where my primary system is. My wife really enjoys it and for casual listening I'm happy with it too. I stream via Amazon Music, normal resolution.

I stream Amazon Music into my main system through an older Apple TV module which I understands is not an optimal way in regard to sound quality. It also cuts out for half a second from time to time with some regularity. Sonos never cuts out.


I have a Sonos Connect that I could run into the pre-amp of my main system, possibly with Amazon's hi-res option.


The question is, does the Sonos Connect 'do' anything to the files transmitted through it to the pre-amp? (As you can tell I have very poor understanding of the various components of steaming.) In other words, would it be more or less desirable than the Apple TV as a streaming device? Is there anything about Sonos Connect that would make paying extra for Amazon's hi-res option not worthwhile? It is my understanding that the new Sonos app, S2, will handle hi-res files now and that the Connect is compatible with S2.

Any insight into this would be much appreciated.

George
n80
crn3371
224 posts
 
The Connect is just a bridge device to allow your hifi equipment to partake of the SONOS ecosystem. It will either process the digital signal with its internal DAC and output analog out via RCA, or it can output the raw digital signal to an external DAC. I’m of the belief that not all DACs sound the same, so you could notice a slight difference in sound quality depending which DAC you use.
jjss49's avatar
Ag insider logo xs@2x
jjss49
6,612 posts
 
youtube

john darko primer on streamed audio - 3 parts

watch it - all 3
dinosore
107 posts
 
I have a Sonos Connect in one of my systems, where I use it merely as a streamer and output the signal to a Meridian Director DAC.  The limitation you will find is that the Connect cannot resolve beyond 16/44.1k - higher res files will not play at all.  However, I stream Tidal and Qobuz (CD level) and it sounds as good, if not better, than my Meridian CD player.  I've not spent much time listening through the Connect's internal DAC, so I cannot comment on that.

That said, if you are already using the Sonos environment, give it a try.  You can always add an external DAC down the road, but I wouldn't invest too much.  You'll still be limited to CD level sound, and the Connect's life span may be limited since Sonos will no longer update it.
n80 OP
2,116 posts
 
Thanks guys. Good info. I will watch the videos about streaming.

I have an ’external’ DAC in the form of an Oppo blu-ray player that I use as a CD player. It has optical-in that plays directly through its DAC as if it were a stand-alone DAC.

So if I run optical-out from the Connect into the Oppo’s optical-in it will use the Oppo’s DAC and not the Connect’s?

As far as support for the Connect this is a Gen2 and it is functioning fine with the new Sonos S2 app. I know that the Gen1 is not supported and will not function with S2. S2 is supposed to support hi-res files but I’m not sure how high that means. Regardless, I’m perfectly happy with CD level res.
djones51
4,947 posts
 
Yes it will use the Oppo DAC connected with optical. Easy rule of thumb, if you go analog left, right out you're using the internal DAC if you use digital out, coax, optical, AES3 you're not using the internal DAC. 
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