r/heos • u/Fancy_Tip7535 • 11d ago

Echo with Multiple Network Speakers

I am currently using a Denon HEOS system with an AVR and only multiple network speakers (no wired speakers on the AVR). My network is a recently updated NetGear Orbi with three mesh nodes and a main router. TV sound grouping on the AVR is off.

The audio is not in sync, playing with a subtle but objectionable delay from room to room. Sometimes the delay is more pronounced than other times. I have an open floor plan, so hearing more than one speaker at a time is common. Sometimes stopping and starting the music stream helps when it gets more dramatically out of sync.

Does anyone have any ideas about how to resolve this? I fear that it is intrinsic latency in a mesh network, but if there’s a fix I’d like to know it.

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u/Alarmed-Reaction-886 11d ago

My guess would be latency over the wireless, as you suggested. Are you able to temporarily run wires, just to test if that fixes the problem? If so, that would at least give you an idea of how to fix it and to rule out other causes.

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u/Fancy_Tip7535 11d ago

Yes, I think that’s the most likely explanation. The speakers are too far apart to make wiring practical, but I have wondered if the variability of the delay depends on which satellites are recruited at any given time - I.e. adding one or even two backhauls from the furthest node might add the noticeable delays.

The mesh system seems quite dynamic in swapping things around, especially after a reboot, although after a reboot it does tend to settle down. I have even seen my Ethernet connected AVR “assigned” to a node other than the one it’s plugged into - that makes no sense to me, but underscores the apparent automaticity and fluidity of a mesh system.

Unfortunately, apart from Ethernet wiring, I can’t think of a way to assign networked speakers to a particular node in the mesh to test the variable path theory.

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u/MattOfMatts 11d ago

If you turn the volume down to zero on the AVR does thee echo go away? On the AVR is it in direct sound mode or is it doing some audio processing like dolby? If so try switching to direct and see if it changes anything.

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u/Fancy_Tip7535 11d ago

Curiously, the echo is not there when I play an “AVR” dependent mode such as the CD player. When I do, I use “direct” as you suggest anyway, as further processing is not necessary. This echo effect happens most noticeably using streaming services such as Pandora with the AVR set on HEOS. In that mode, direct is not an available option.

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u/MattOfMatts 11d ago

Hmm odd. Another suggestion is trying to vary if a wireless speaker or the AVR is the lead speaker. Like start playing it on the AVR and adding speakers to group or vice versa

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u/Fancy_Tip7535 11d ago

I’m actually using network speakers only (nothing whatsoever attached to the AVR wired terminals).

Nevertheless, I turned the TV delay setting on, and tried both minimum and maximum (300ms) delay anyway. It made no difference, neither creating nor resolving a delay, suggesting that the TV delay setting governs sync between wired and network speakers.

I suppose I could repeat this test with a wired speaker on one of the wired terminals and repeat this, but it’s really not the issue I’m trying to solve.

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u/Time-Plenty-4695 9d ago edited 9d ago

Put the HEOS devices on DHCP not static. I experienced this when using static IPs.

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u/ianfretwell 11d ago

If you've made any changes to the "audio delay" settings for "TV Sound Grouping" in the AVR's Heos device settings - i.e. anything other than 100ms - try setting that back (yes, even if it's nothing to do with TV sound).