When Sonos introduced the new Sonos One back in October, the company confirmed it would add AirPlay 2 support to Sonos speakers later in 2018.

At the time, Sonos did not specify which of its devices would support the new protocol, but Sonos has offered some clarification in the form of a new blog post that includes AirPlay 2 details.

sonos one
According to Sonos, native AirPlay 2 support will be available on the Playbase, the newest version of the Play:5, and the Sonos One.

Older Sonos speakers will not support AirPlay 2 on their own due to processor limitations, but they can be paired with the Playbase, the Play:5, or the Sonos One to enable AirPlay 2 functionality. A Sonos Play:1 grouped with a Sonos One, for example, will support AirPlay 2.

The computing platforms and software architecture in some of the older Sonos players like Play:3 and Play:1 simply don’t have the horsepower to support AirPlay 2. The original Play:1, for example, has about 1/16th the processing power of its modern equivalent, the Sonos One. But by taking advantage of newer Sonos hardware, we’re able to make AirPlay 2 funtionality available throughout the house on speakers old and new.

Apple thus far has not released AirPlay 2, despite the fact that it was first introduced as a feature of iOS 11 back in June of 2017. AirPlay 2 functionality was initially included in iOS 11.3 and tvOS 11.3 betas, but it was pulled ahead of the release of those updates.

AirPlay 2 functionality is now included in iOS 11.4 and tvOS 11.4, but it is not yet clear if the features will be included in the final version of the software.

Tags: AirPlay, Sonos
Related Forum: iOS 11

Top Rated Comments

FX120 Avatar
64 months ago
Not entirely not for those of us that wish to keep their existing Play:1's and NOT have to spend more for a 'AI connected' device just to get AirPlay 2 support. Ive already paid $400CAN for a limited edition super all black Play:1 (gril and everything, not the silver+black).

I'll be selling mine next week and will use headphones until something better comes along.

HomePod - lowered prices?
B&O M5 - support AirPlay 2?

EDIT: B&O Beoplay M5 will support AirPlay 2 ... proper communication from the get go unlike Sonos. Plus better sound quality, no snooping! Just the way I like it!
Official: https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0ahUKEwjhh8WszdbaAhUGEawKHcdsB3QQFggnMAA&url=https://www.bang-olufsen.com/~/mediaV3/Files/press-releases/bang-olufsen/airplay-2/bang-olufsen-airplay-2.pdf&usg=AOvVaw0WLSv1sp1LQ_ODpaf-TQTC ('https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0ahUKEwjhh8WszdbaAhUGEawKHcdsB3QQFggnMAA&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bang-olufsen.com%2F~%2FmediaV3%2FFiles%2Fpress-releases%2Fbang-olufsen%2Fairplay-2%2Fbang-olufsen-airplay-2.pdf&usg=AOvVaw0WLSv1sp1LQ_ODpaf-TQTC')
Why would you expect a 5 year old device to get Airplay 2 support in the first place?

Sell it and just get a One, it will look and sound the same and if you don't want to use the voice assistant stuff just turn off the mic. If you have a limited edition Play:1 I'm sure you can sell it for more than what a new One will cost.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mangos86 Avatar
64 months ago
What????? That's the final straw. I'm moving to Bluesound.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
csurfr Avatar
64 months ago
Why would you expect a 5 year old device to get Airplay 2 support in the first place?
Because AirPlay 2 is software based, not hardware. The only reason Sonos is going this route is to attempt to sell new devices. Unfortunately they are taking a chance of alienating all of their existing customers.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
vipergts2207 Avatar
64 months ago
Why would you expect a 5 year old device to get Airplay 2 support in the first place?

Sell it and just get a One, it will look and sound the same and if you don't want to use the voice assistant stuff just turn off the mic. If you have a limited edition Play:1 I'm sure you can sell it for more than what a new One will cost.
To be fair, it's looking like the AirPort Express, a 6-year-old device may get AP2 support. Though, @hank moody did bring up a good point. Why the need for AP2 if you only have one speaker?
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
bluespark Avatar
64 months ago
Guess I kind of figured the Playbar was going to be covered. I'll have to scratch that from the buying list but I do like the Play 5 2nd Gen. That's still in the hunt.

Most of the audio vendors should be able to update their apps with MusicKit so that I can stream my AM encrypted music. It's all coming together.
Ah, got it, thanks. I haven’t heard of MusicKit, but it sounds like what I had in mind. Hope we’ll see some widespread adoption soon.

Play 5 is great but definitely try Bluesound if you aren’t locked into Sonos already. For audio quality, it delivers.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
vipergts2207 Avatar
64 months ago
Nope.
Wow, Sonos sucks.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone 15 Pro Buttons CAD Leak

iPhone 15 Pro Leak Reveals Unified Volume Button and Mute Button

Monday March 20, 2023 8:33 am PDT by
As previously rumored, the next-generation iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max will feature a unified volume button and a mute button, according to leaked CAD images shared in a video on the Chinese version of TikTok and posted to Twitter by ShrimpApplePro. Instead of separate buttons for volume up and volume down, the iPhone 15 Pro models are expected to have a single elongated button for...
iOS 16

iOS 16.4 for iPhone Nearing Launch With These 5 New Features

Monday March 20, 2023 11:50 am PDT by
Apple says iOS 16.4 is coming in the spring, which began this week. In his Sunday newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said the update should be released "in the next three weeks or so," meaning a public release is likely in late March or early April. iOS 16.4 remains in beta testing and introduces a handful of new features and changes for the iPhone. Below, we have recapped five new features ...
original iphone auction

Factory-Sealed Original iPhone Sells for $55,000 at Auction

Friday March 17, 2023 1:08 pm PDT by
A first-generation iPhone still sealed inside its box sold for $54,904 at auction, which is more than $54,000 over the original $599 price tag of the device when it was released in 2007. The original iPhone was put up for sale by RR Auction on behalf of a former Apple employee who purchased it back when it first came out. Back in February, an original, sealed iPhone sold for over $63,000,...
voice isolation

iOS 16.4 Adds Voice Isolation for Cellular Phone Calls

Tuesday March 21, 2023 11:01 am PDT by
The iOS 16.4 update that is set to be released to the public in the near future includes voice isolation for cellular calls, according to notes that Apple shared today. Apple says that Voice Isolation will prioritize your voice and block out the ambient noise around you, making for clearer phone calls where you can better hear the person you're chatting with and vice versa. Voice...
iPhone 12 Pro vs iPhone 15 Pro Feature

iPhone 12 Pro vs. 15 Pro: New Features to Expect if You've Waited to Upgrade

Friday March 17, 2023 10:29 am PDT by
While year-over-year iPhone upgrades are not always groundbreaking, new features can begin to stack up over multiple generations. For example, the iPhone 15 Pro will be a notable upgrade for those who still have a three-year-old iPhone 12 Pro. If you are still using an iPhone 12 Pro and are considering upgrading to the iPhone 15 Pro when it launches later this year, we have put together a...
top stories 18mar2023

Top Stories: iPhone 15 Pro Pricing, New iOS 16.4 Beta, Siri vs. ChatGPT, and More

Saturday March 18, 2023 6:00 am PDT by
Apple's high-end iPhone models have started at $999 in the U.S. since they first launched back in 2017 with the iPhone X, but could this finally be the year that starting price sees an increase? This week also saw some more rumors about Apple's upcoming headset and the company's explorations in the booming AI industry as well as the release of a new round of beta updates, so read on for all...
smart monitor m8 samsung

Deals: Samsung's iMac-Like Smart Monitor M8 Drops to Lowest Price of Year So Far With $250 Discount

Monday March 20, 2023 8:27 am PDT by
Samsung today kicked off a special "Discover Samsung" event, which will be a week-long savings event focusing on Samsung monitors, smartphones, TVs, appliances, and more. While some deals will stick around the entire week (through March 26), others will refresh every day. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Samsung. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small...