Home Theater Rear Speakers losing sync - while playing music.
Answered
Greetings-
Just setup a home theater group using a Soundbar+ , Pulse Sub+ and 2 - Pulse Flex 2i for the rear channels.
The rear channels are on occasion getting out of sync with the soundbar, lagging behind a half to a full second.
The soundbar is using wired ethernet (cat-6), the sub is using the "bluesound" home theater group wireless, and shows a signal of -65db and is 8 feet away from the sound bar.
The 2 Flex 2I's are wireless 15 feet away from the sound bar, and show -63db for the right rear and the left rear shows -70db for wifi signal using the home theater group wifi. (far weaker signal than when the flex 2is were connected to my ASUS Wifi6 router/wireless (-49db).
Music will play in sync for a while (using both Radio Paradise MQA, and Deeper HIFI), but over time loses sync and does not recover unless the entire group is powered down and then back on again, or by switching sources (i think!).
The non theater group speakers also seem to wander off sync from time to time and can only be recovered / resynch by removing from the group and readding them.
Also look for MDNS settings in my ASUS WiFi 6 router and there is no applicable setting for MDNS (not sure that is even germain to this issue).
The wireless seems pretty reliable for most computer tasks, like web, mail and even streaming video, but the multi-speaker audio seems to have a bit of a challenge.
Also of note there is a fair amount of wifi saturation in the neighborhood, but I am often check and adjusting wifi channels on my gear to keep from getting stepped on by the neighbors wifi signals.
Wonder what are my next steps for trouble shooting...
Any help or advice is much appreciated.
BryonB
Also having issues with sync and music play when adding other wireless speakers like the Pulse M's in the guest room and garage.
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Official comment
Hy Byron
As always in these cases, we recommend contacting our Support Crew by selecting Settings, Send Support Request in the App so we may review log files and provide more 1:1 troubleshooting.
Thanks
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Some more observations:
Seems like the music plan + sync with the Home Theater Group has to do with the Virtualizer, flip the Virtualizer on while playing music, stuff gets echo-y and sounds out of sync in the Group. Flip it off, things sound better and more in sync.
Not sure the Virtualizer makes sense for music or there might be other settings that impact how it behaves (IDK).
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Tony-
Today I entered support request #423431.
I continued to test and diagnose the issue eliminating variables before I submitted a request with the logs.
I noticed that the home theater group was seemingly out of sync depending on what music was being played and that seemed to coincide with surround up mixer and virtualizer options. So I turned off both surround up mix and virtualizer for the "Music" preset for the group. The sync issues for the theater group went away since the rear speakers are out of the mix.
BUT...
The other players when grouped to the Home Theater Group (with surround up mix and virtualizer options set to Off) come out of sync with HTG. This for me is the larger issue.
I understand when using the surround and up mix/virtualizer will add in some delay and echo as a part of surround up mix, and this can be mitigated by turning of the UP mix and virtualizer for playing music.
But for me the other players coming out of sync with the HTG is way more annoying (especially for my wife :( ) and the area I would like assistance diagnosing.
I Look forward to hearing from you regarding the request #423431.0 -
Hey Bryon,
This issue has been going on for a LONG time
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Rob-
Yes it has been going on a long time.
There is a related thread here where I was able to help Support diagnose and identify the source of the sync issue. Long story short is the secondary wifi chip in the SoundBar+ appears to be the source of the lack of sync for players that are connected to the sound bar via the private SoundBar wifi.
If the players are hardwired to the soundbar via wired ethernet connections all the players stay in sync and perform as advertised.
For now I have added WiFi to Ethernet Adapters to the HTG players which make the players a part of my house wifi and not on the flakey SoundBar+ wifi. All the players play in sync. :)
At some point in the future a firmware fix will address the issue, so I can get rid of the WiFI to Ethernet Adapters.
-bryon
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Hi Bryon, I stumbled upon your post while researching my issues with the Bluesound synch, both in stereo as well as in home theatre mode.
I have the exact same issue: great connectivity from the rear Pulse Flex 2i speakers to my router, then a significant drop in signal quality when they are connected to the SoundBar+ internal wifi chip. This leads to out-of-synch issues as well as complete dropouts from the Pulse Flex speakers.
Can you please explain to me how you "fixed" the issue with the Wifi to Ethernet adapters?
Thanks much in advance, kind regards
Claus
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Hi Claus
I was able to isolate the issue to the internal wifi chip / network in the SoundBar+.
It seems that any speaker that connects to the SoundBar+ via the internal WiFi chip will eventually lose sync with the rest of the echo system. I have experience out of sync with the Flex2i’s and the subwoofer.
I proved it by hardwiring all the speakers that connect to the SoundBar+. If all the speakers SubWoofer, and Flex2i’s in my system are hardwired via ethernet the system performs wonderfully, as advertised. The speakers stay in sync and almost never get out of sync.
That proved the theory that the sync issue is related to the internal wifi.I then tried a different approach with the Flex2i’s and purchased two
BrosTrend AC1200 WiFi to Ethernet Adapters (Amazon Link Here).
These devices are intended to connect non-wifi equipped devices to a wifi network, where you connect the device (speaker in this case) with its ethernet port to the BrosTrend adapters ethernet port. The BrosTrend adapter is then connected via wifi to my very stable WiFi network using 5Ghz.
This configuration makes the Flex2i’s use their ethernet ports and avoids their genetic predisposition to search for the SoundBar+ internal wifi. The BrosTrend completes the connection with a solid wifi connection to the Bluesound ecosystem.
The BrosTrend connected speakers have worked flawlessly since I installed them. While this setup requires a bit more gear it was a reasonably inexpensive fix for a malfunctioning internal wifi system on Sound+ soundbar.
While I would much rather have the clean esthetic of wireless surround speakers, the BrosTrend adapters can be hidden behind a cabinet or end table which is more desirable to having ethernet cables across the living room floor.
Bluesound tech support was able to duplicate the internal wifi chip issue with syncing and mentioned the possibility it will be patched / fixed in the future. So far that has not occurred, but I do look forward to each firmware release with hopes that this systemic issue is resolved for everyone who is experiencing sync issues. The Bluesound gear is really fantastic sounds great and the eco system is excellent, it’s a pity that the advanced feature of “private wifi” is tarnishing what is really excellent gear.
I hope this helpful in your quest to solve you sync problems.-bryon
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Wow. Thank you so much, Bryon, for taking the time for such an extensive answer. It’s much appreciated. I have the system installed in my holiday home. I will be there in February. So glad that there seems to be a solution, even if it comes with the caveat of nit having a “clean” set up.
What I find a bit frustrating is that the Bluesound support team must know about this issue and they still make you go through all the shenanigans of sending them all the protocols of the speakers. They should just admit that they have an issue with the internal chip of the Soundbar and that there will eventually be a fix. But I guess that’s not in their playbook. Apart from that, I agree, the hardware is nice, sounds good and looks clean.
Again, thank you. I’ll post my experience here once I’ve set up the system with the WiFi to ethernet adapters.
Claus0 -
Claus - Thanks and good luck!
While I spent almost 2 months troubleshooting the sync issue, I did learn a great deal. My background is in IT and networking, and I had a good deal of experience with a Bose sound bar and wifi speakers which (surprise) also had sync issues from time to time.
After my experience I think most consumers wrongly believe that their wifi system is well tuned and correctly configured. In my journey I found several issues with my wifi configuration settings that inflamed the sync issues. These included interference from neighboring wifi systems, advanced config settings on my router (something called fairness mode) that when set to be "fair" would be catalyst for sync issues.
Bluesound was eventually able to duplicate the sync issues related to the internal wifi. But yes, still no fix yet.0 -
Thank you both for sharing your experience.
I have also been struggling with this problem for a very long time - exactly since bluesound released the Bluos 4 upgrade. I also have a soundbar, subwoofer and 2 rear Flex - home theater group. Up until the 4 upgrade it was without any dropouts (for music via Tidal, Spotify, movies are fine). I was able to partially solve this by switching to cables as well. Unfortunately for one of the 4 speakers, I can't use the ethernet cable because it has a non-functioning port (it's SUB+) and it's the only one that needs to be connected to wifi. This still causes me to have dropouts.
This is a major issue and it's sad that Bluesound support has let this go unnoticed for so long. The main reason I got this system was to listen to music. But all this stuff is so frustrating and bad, that I prefer not to play it anymore. Is there any way available to solve this without cables? Thank for any help..
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I suppose your Sub+ is right beneath your Soundbar so one would expect the wifi connection between sub and soundbar to be perfect. However it seems that either the wifi chip and/or cpu/ram in the Soundbar is so weak that it just can't cope. Don't expect this to be fixed with a software update because Bluesound would have done it already.
And since this thread is marked as "answered", it will get the silent treatment from Support.
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This is interesting. Well, annoying, of course, but interesting nevertheless. Now, I am not an expert, but from what I read, there is conflicting information:
1.: I was of the same opinion as you, Bodi, that it would most certainly be a hardware issue, and that they will not be able to fix it with a software update.
2.: Jiri writes that he has not had issue up until the 4 upgrade. This would mean that it actually is a software issue.
I am in contact with Bluesound support and I will flag this conversation to them and pose this question directly to them.
@Jiri: I am not sure I understood correctly, but if the issue is what I think it is can you not connect the Sub with an audio cable to your soundbar? A simple RCA cable will suffice to connect the Sub to the Soundbar:
PremiumCord Cinch Kabel 5m, 1x Cinch RCA Stecker auf 1x Cinch RCA Stecker, Audio Video Verbindungskabel, Farbe schwarz, 5 m: Amazon.de: Elektronik & Foto
They come in all lengths and qualities, the one I linked above is 5 meters. I have connected my Sub to the Soundbar+ with an RCA cable, and it works well.Claus
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Yes, sub+ is right beneath my soundbar. But this was working! When there was Bluos version 3, it was ok.. Probably will have to repair that ethernet port on sub+ and connect it by cable. That seems like the only way. But it´s funny and sad when you realize this is not a cheap set of speakers.
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@Claus,
thank you for the answer.
I tried connecting the soundbar with an RCA cable, but the signal from the subwoofer was too strong. It played very loud, even though I turned volume down in the Bluos app and tried other settings before pairing it with the system.
The subwoofer sound is ideal if connected via ethernet cable or Wifi. But the Wifi has dropouts. Yes, before upgrading to version 4 the audio was 100%
A network provider will be along shortly and may be able to see what could be improved.
I may have to send a sub+ to fix the ethernet port to be able to connect the cable.
I'll see.
In any case, I'll let you know. If there is any new information regarding repair, improvement, I will be glad for it.
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@Jiri
Hello, fellow Bluesound user here. I have the same home theatre setup as you and also experience occasional Wi-Fi dropouts—even though all my players are hardwired to my mesh router.
I experimented with an RCA audio cable between the Sub+ and the Soundbar+, but unfortunately, it didn’t help. The subwoofer was absurdly loud—so much so that the adjacent door started to vibrate.
I’ve been hoping for a fix from Bluesound for years now.
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@bryon
I had a permanent issue while watching movies and the fix theatre group with the 2 back speakers. (Pulse M). They were connected using the internal wireless network of bluesound. I followed your tip and bought 2 BrosTrend Ethernet to WiFi (which are actually Chinese tenda devices) so that all speakers are directly connected on my home WiFi even in a fix group. The sound quality is now much better and the speakers stay in sync. Great workaround so thanks for that. Now that you actually have to do this for a system of this price range in 2025 is a pitty. For me this is the first and last time I will by this brand.1 -
@ B E -
Thanks for the feedback, I continue to have good luck with the BrosTrend/Tenda devices. I now have these devices (one for each of the 2 - flex2i) + the sub woofer. Watching TV / Movies with the FTG works very nicely everything stays in sync 100%Also music works good in the FTG set of speakers with the ethernet adapters in place.
I have had occasional loss of sync when using a Group ALL and playing music with the other 3 wireless speakers (qty 7) in my house.
These loss of sync + group all occurrences are rare, but they do occur. I have not spent any time or energy to troubleshoot these rare incidents. My sense is that putting those other speakers on wired or "brosTrend" wired circuits would likely fix the sync issue.
When this does occur with the sync + group it is rectified with a simple ungrouping the group all and then reestablishing the group all. Lightly annoying yet manageable.
I do agree that the prolonged lack of support for the internal wifi issue is frustrating and off brand for a high end audio product. Although not out of the norm for consumer electronics in this day and age. For example my fancy and spending Samsung TV (bought in 2019) has an hdmi ARC issue that has never been addressed, the last software update for that TV occurred in October of 2020. :(
It seems consumer electronics firms with limited resources, priority and focus is often on the next, newer product offering and older products that are 'mostly' working are not often repaired, unless it is a security or liability issue. That seems to be the state of affairs for the consumer electronics industry.0 -
In my case my two rears (2i) completely went mute in the home theatre group when watching Netflix movies. I'm not sure if this issue is what you were experiencing with your out of sync issues? There is a new software update for the Soundbar plus since last week which I should give a try... Or maybe revert to the tenda wifi gadget ..
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@Konrad - From my experience that does not sound like a sync issue. I have had some odd issues with the HTG, where it disappears or the rear speakers revert themselves out of the group. There was also a few instances where my wife broke the group by hitting the wrong buttons...
From my experience if I rebuilt the HTG life returned to being good. It is pretty simple to recreate the group.
Also with my setup sometimes hdmi arc does not always provision correctly at startup of the TV and the sound bar does not play along with the TV which creates some odd audio issues. This is not a sync issue per se, and is resolved with a full power cycle of the TV and Sound Bar.
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has anyone tested to see if the rear speakers still disappear in a HT group on latest update?
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Hi James
Please see this Help Centre Article regarding Spatial Audio Settings in BluOS 4.10.x; https://support1.bluesound.com/hc/en-us/articles/31636413686295
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@tony - Thanks for the help centre article re: Spatial Audio Settings in BluOS 4.10.x I noticed this new option in the interface but did not fully understand when to use the setting or when to disable it. I will give it a go and see how it performs.
-bryon
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Hi Tony, I did test disabling spatial audio but that stopped a dolby atmos signal being transmitted which seems counter intuitive.
Interestingly I did notice it made the soundbar behave like the old one with centre soeaker audio boost etc added to options after disabling.
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