Does your audio cut out at random? Is it all your speakers at the same time? Then you might have some issues with 5GHz RF interference, or potentially another issue.
When RF interference from 5GHz routers or networks is suspected, we recommend rebooting both in a specific order to have each unit find a frequency range that is non-disruptive to each other.
Some of the problems you may be experiencing are random dropouts of all speakers and will notice the light on the SoundSend blinking red. Once the speakers play audio again, the light should turn solid white. Sometimes it is sporadic other times it could be consistent. Significant RF interference could also make your speakers sound like they are popping.
Other issues that can cause audio dropouts or anomalies:
- Inadequate or inconsistent power supply to the SoundSend(Using the USB power supply provided is HIGHLY recommended).
- Transmitter to speaker signal shielding. (ie Transmitter placed inside a closed cabinet, wall, or ceiling)
- Bad HDMI cables/connections. (HDMI 1.4 with Fast Ethernet cable is the required minimum)
- If your troubleshooting shows your 5 GHz router/modem may not be the issue we recommend upgrading your HDMI cable to an HDMI 2.1 48GB/s ACTIVE cable.
- Signal sample changes from the audio source. (ie Streaming service jumps back and forth from 48KHz to 96KHz sample rates.)
**NOTE: The best test to see if you have any WiFi interference is to completely shut down your entire WiFi network briefly and use a non-network video source such as a computer, game console, USB drive, or Blu-ray player.
Other steps you can take:
- Ensure your Router/Modem or any WiFi Access point is at least 10 feet away(or as far away as possible) from the transmitter or speaker.
- Do not place the transmitter on the same horizontal plane or height as your Router/Modem or WiFi Access point.
- Power down the Router and SoundSend.
- Wait for 5 seconds and plug SoundSend back into power.
- Wait for another 10 seconds for SoundSend to find its home on the 5 GHz band.
- Test SoundSend with a Blu-Ray Player, or non-wireless network source with ALL WiFi sources powered off to rule out TV/Transmitter/Receiver(aka speakers) issues.
- Once SoundSend is playing something, plug the router back in so it can find a channel that does not interfere with SoundSend. After you do, you can note if there is any change or interruptions.
Additionally, it would be beneficial to us with troubleshooting, in the case you need to send us information, to use an RF spectrum analyzer such as NetStat (FREE-WiFi Networks Only), or another RF analyzer like Wi-Spy(much more expensive) that can cover all Non-WiFi as well as WiFi networks. We would be interested in seeing the traffic in the 5GHz spectrum, much like this screenshot:
If this does not fix your issue, please contact us with as much information as possible, including:
- SoundSend MCU version
- Your general location (US, Canada, Germany, etc.)
- Speaker Make/Model(s) #
- TV Make/Model #
- Router + Access point(s) Make/Model(s)#
- List of all connected HDMI devices to the TV
- A movie illustrating when the activity of the SoundSend and the dropouts occur is always helpful.
We hope this guide helps solve your issues and you can continue having an enjoyable audio experience.