Sonos documents no dedicated low-latency setting for the Move or Roam, and its lag guidance covers two paths. Over Bluetooth the delay is set by the phone or player and the radio link: keep the source within 30 feet and away from microwaves, cordless phones, metal and concrete, and on a phone with streaming check the data connection, since a weak link adds buffering. Over WiFi, Sonos's home theater TV Dialog Sync is for soundbars only, and a portable grouped with a soundbar during TV audio uses the group audio delay setting,
which introduces a delay between the soundbar and grouped rooms to prevent stops and skips. A Move in Bluetooth mode cannot group at all. For video, play through the source's own speakers or a wired connection where delay matters, and note that a Roam or Move used as a TV speaker over Bluetooth adds the source's Bluetooth delay. If video and audio drift over time, reconnect the Bluetooth link, reboot the speaker and check for interference. Sonos's TV articles apply to home theater products and are the only lip-sync tools it documents.
Differential
Likely causes of “Sonos portable speakers audio is delayed or out of sync”, and how to tell them apart
- 1
The Bluetooth link is weak
What separates it The audio lags and skips because the Bluetooth link is weak
How to confirm Move the source within 30 feet and reduce interference
- 2
The source adds Bluetooth delay
What separates it The video lags the sound because the source adds Bluetooth delay
How to confirm Use the source's own audio for video, and not Bluetooth, where the lag matters
- 3
A portable grouped with a soundbar
What separates it The TV audio skips because a portable is grouped with a soundbar
How to confirm Adjust the group audio delay, in the Sonos app, and test the TV sound
- 4
Interference
What separates it The lag varies from moment to moment because of wireless interference
How to confirm Move away from microwaves and metal, and check whether the lag stops
- 5
A stale connection
What separates it The audio drifts over time because the connection is stale
How to confirm Reconnect the source, and reboot the speaker, then test again
Before you touch a setting
Record this first — changing settings destroys the evidence
- The product and how it is connected: Bluetooth, WiFi or grouped
- What you watch and how long the lag is
- How far the speaker is from the source
- Whether other rooms or a soundbar are grouped
Try in this order
0 of 6 completedCheck the link
ReversibleCheck the link, and move the source within thirty feet of the speaker, and then test again to see whether it helped.
Reduce interference
ReversibleReduce interference, by moving away from microwaves and metal objects, and then test again to see whether it helped.
Reconnect
ReversibleReconnect, by disconnecting the Bluetooth device and pairing it again, and then test again to see whether it helped.
Adjust group delay
ReversibleAdjust the group delay, if the speaker is grouped with a soundbar, using the group audio delay.
Use a wired source for video
ReversibleUse a wired source for video, and play the sound through a wired connection where lag matters.
Contact Sonos
ReversibleContact Sonos Support if the lag persists after these steps, giving them the model, and then test again to see whether it helped.
Model-specific
What is true of this model and not of its siblings
- Sync tools by model
- Sonos documents TV Dialog Sync and group audio delay for home theater products such as soundbars; the Move 2 and Roam 2 have no such setting.
- Grouping in Bluetooth mode
- A Move in Bluetooth mode cannot group, per Sonos.
- Other models this page answers
- These steps also fit the Roam 2 speaker.
Stop boundary
When this stops being a self-service repair
- !If lag remains on a strong link with no interference, contact Sonos Support
- !If the source is the cause, contact its maker
- !If TV sync matters, use a home theater product with TV Dialog Sync
Evidence ledger
Sources behind this answer
Distance, data and interference checks for Bluetooth playback.
TV Dialog Sync and group audio delay for home theater products.
Grouping is unavailable in Bluetooth mode.
Grouped rooms and volume.
The company and its products.
Exact questions
Common questions
Does Sonos have a low-latency Bluetooth mode?+
Sonos's articles do not document one for the Move or Roam.
Can a Move group in Bluetooth mode?+
No, grouping is unavailable in Bluetooth mode.
Why does audio skip?+
Distance, data or interference on the Bluetooth link.
Does rebooting help?+
Reconnecting and rebooting can clear a stale link.
Is WiFi lower lag?+
Music on WiFi is not a live video path; Sonos does not document a sync setting for portables.
Can I use a Roam as a TV speaker?+
It adds the Bluetooth delay of the source.