Sonos connect to expert pro

[Woodman]

I have been using spark which works well from my Mac to my expert pro. I have also been using an Aeries Mini for upnp and Apple Music from my iPad, but despite having totally changed my Wi-Fi hardware have constant connection issues. Aurialecs support is awful, they simply keep repeating your question back to you and after 18 months I have had enough. My expert pro  has had the core upgrade so I hope that firmware will deliver upnp and Bluetooth/ AirPlay eventually. In the meantime anyone use a sonos connect as a simple alternative?

[David A]

You have a Mac setup as do I. Are you using an Apple Airport wifi router of some sort? I had wifi problems streaming to my 130 Pro with an Airport Extreme and couldn't ever get wifi to work for more than a few minutes so I ended up adding a second Airport Extreme, putting it next to my 130 Pro, and connecting the two by ethernet. Eventually I followed advice on the Roon site and replaced the Airport wifi network with a Netgear Orbi setup. I'm still using an ethernet connection from an Orbi satellite to the 130 Pro but I have tested wifi and it worked which it never really did for me with the Airport Extreme network.

I think that Apple's Airport devices don't work well for streaming, no idea why since they worked fine for data with my iPad, but if you're using an Airport network you may want to consider changing it to something newer than that, especially now that Apple has discontinued making wifi hardware. If you are using an Airport device and you don't want to change your network, try getting another Airport Extreme or an Airport Express while you can, place it near your amp and connect the two by ethernet.

I haven't any Sonos gear so I haven't tried a Sonos Connect.

[Woodman]

Hi, I did use a time capsule as primary Wi-Fi, but because of the issues switched to google Wi-Fi which has been faultless my issue that keeps repeating is with the Aeros mini which keep saying it’s in use with someone else although it was working fine minutes before. Spark is seamless from Mac using google Wi-Fi.

[baddog]

I have an Auralic Mini and have used it with a local hard drive installed and attached to my Devialet via analog inputs on the Devialet. The Auralic Aries Mini is connected to my 5GHZ WIFI network.

This worked previously with an Apple Airport Extreme and currently with an ASUS RT-1900 router. The WIFI airwaves around me are not heavily congested and I always try to set a channel not being used by my neighbors.

Tell us more about the "in use with someone else" error as that would appear to be the culprit.

[wikeeboy]

Yes i have a W4S/Cullen modded Sonos Connect. I can't speak more highly of it. I run coax out into my mutec mc3+usb, which then outputs aes to the d1000.

It just works! Never had any issues at all. So easy and simple.

The sonos interface is foolproof. It combines everything i need. NAS, Tidal, Spotify, soundcloud, radio, mixcloud...

[Woodman]

I have an Auralic Mini and have used it with a local hard drive installed and attached to my Devialet via analog inputs on the Devialet. The Auralic Aries Mini is connected to my 5GHZ WIFI network.

This worked previously with an Apple Airport Extreme and currently with an ASUS RT-1900 router. The WIFI airwaves around me are not heavily congested and I always try to set a channel not being used by my neighbors.

Tell us more about the "in use with someone else" error as that would appear to be the culprit.

The issue is simple in that trying to airplay from an iOS device produces the ‘device already in use’ error. If I then open the lightening app and switch Bluetooth and airplay off then on again, hey presto it connects and works. It’s just a pain to do it each time. Auralic have been useless and just don’t answer the question. Ultimately they just make me switch it off and on again or do a hard reset. That works for a short while then the issue reappears. Other airplay devices such as NAim muso work fine, it’s just the Aries that  has problems.

[baddog]

@Woodman Ok I see you are using your system is a very different manner than myself. I don't use Airplay, only Roon AIR. Or when I use my Auralic Aries Mini, I use their lightning application to control playback of the music stored on the local HD I installed in the Auralic. I use the analog outputs from the Auralic into the Devialet.

Sorry, I cannot help more, that does sound very frustrating. I assume your local dealer is not able to get some better attention and support from the Auralic team?

[Damon]

This might be a topic that I know something about, as I also use a modded Sonos Connect. Nordost Coax to the Devialet. My take on it is that it is as good as a Auralic Aries mini, or a basic Naim streamer. For what its worth, the modded version is notably better than the stock version, and the addition of a Nordost Purple Flare power cord also made a worthwhile difference. Yes, it is noticeable. Not radical, but I felt it was worthy enough that I bought two of them.

I didn't know you could use Spark on a Pro amp.... I thought it was only for Phantoms? I'm assuming the iPhone Devialet app is not Spark.

The Sonos interface is not perfect, but it is very stable, and gives access to a wide variety of streaming sources- very valuable.

Any particular questions about how this works?

[brianm]

Hello,
Happy New Year all. I use the new Sonos port to stream spotify into my expert pro. I see that the new Sonos Port has a 12v trigger output. Does anyone know if I can use this so that my Sonos wakes up my Devialet?
Thanks!

[Damon]

Hi @brianm
Welcome and thanks for searching for a relevant thread; it always helps to to keep info organized. I don't know much about the way trigger ins or outs work, but isn't the Sonos 'on' all the time, even if not streaming a source? My assumption is that it would need to go from off or sleep to on in order for it to send a signal to another component. Just a thought.

Slightly off topic, did you have a Connect before? Otherwise what is your impression of the Port? Any comparisons to the Connect?