Speakers out of sync when using iTunes

[Jason from malm]

I found 2 pioneer xw sma speakers for half price and decided to give them a try for the home system instead of the expensive Sonos system.
My sound bar that I use for my tv is also connected to my Apple TV via hdmi. The issue that I having is that my speakers are put of sync when I use the multiple speaker function on iTunes. The pioneers are perfectly in sync, but the soundbar that is connected to the Apple TV is delayed. Not much but enough to create an echo. I've tried connecting the optical cable instead but it was worse. Is it time for an airplay receiver??

 

[waw74]

does the soundbar have an HDMI out, and it the TV connected to that?
It might be related to the auto-lip sync feature that some HDMI devices have, look for a setting or unplug the HDMI cable between the soundbar and the TV.

or another test would be to directly connect the aTV to your TV, and see if the sound is still delayed.

 

[Jason from malm]

Still didn't help. Is there some kind of setting in iTunes or appletv that might help? There must be others with this issue.

 

[JamesPDX]

does the soundbar have an HDMI out, and it the TV connected to that?
It might be related to the auto-lip sync feature that some HDMI devices have, look for a setting or unplug the HDMI cable between the soundbar and the TV.

or another test would be to directly connect the aTV to your TV, and see if the sound is still delayed.

Did you run the setup? http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/PUSA/Home/Wireless-Speakers

All audio outputs should be sending their signals to amps/speakers from the same audio device, otherwise you're dealing with "latency" from two or more pieces of hardware (the mac, the TV, the aTV, etc.) Any powered speakers or devices that are getting audio signals via wifi or bluetooth are going to be delayed. I would have expected the Soundbar to be "earlier" if it has a wired connection.

Are your movies in sync and it's only your music that's out? That would a delay compensation scheme that's encoded into the movie's stream.

 

[waw74]

All audio outputs should be sending their signals to amps/speakers from the same audio device, otherwise you're dealing with "latency" from two or more pieces of hardware (the mac, the TV, the aTV, etc.) Any powered speakers or devices that are getting audio signals via wifi or bluetooth are going to be delayed.

airplay has synchronization built in.

i send to 4 locations from my laptop/mini with no problems. i mostly use airfoil so i can send from Pandora and Rdio. but iTunes works the same way, if not a little better.
everything comes out in sync around the house

sources
laptop - wireless
mac mini - wired

outputs
B&W a7 - wired
denon 1912 AVR - wired
express with speakers - wireless
iHome IW2 - wireless

 

[JamesPDX]

It's the Latency

airplay has synchronization built in.

i send to 4 locations from my laptop/mini with no problems. i mostly use airfoil so i can send from Pandora and Rdio. but iTunes works the same way, if not a little better.
everything comes out in sync around the house

sources
laptop - wireless
mac mini - wired

outputs
B&W a7 - wired
denon 1912 AVR - wired
express with speakers - wireless
iHome IW2 - wireless

Wait, are you using these speakers all over the house, or is this your surround setup? If you're in one room with speakers in front of you and you have another set running in a different room, then they're going to be out of sync by about 1ms per foot. If you have a surround setup, read on:

So Airplay is "on" and not compensating per-device? Hmm. Then it's a latency problem. Are the separate wireless pairs in sync with each other? You're going to have to use a utility for this (I thought it was in the AirPlay Setup Menu) and there's probably one that came with your speakers. You may have to decide which output device is going to be your time reference. -I'd use the Denon and plug everything into it (including ethernet) and calibrate that stuff. That ARC function is very cool. http://www.cnet.com/products/denon-avr-1912-av-network-receiver-7-1-channel/specs/

 

[waw74]

I'd use the Denon and plug everything into it (including ethernet) and calibrate that stuff.

I'm not the original poster that had the problem, and i'm well aware of how my stuff works thanks.

--------
each of those is an airplay receiver, they are all over the house, 2 are at opposite ends of the same long skinny room (the living room / kitchen). 1 in the bedroom, 1 in the bathroom.
i have other speakers connected to the denon for the 7.1

airplay can't be used for a surround setup, it's only a stereo signal. there really are no settings, outside of volume and audio adjustments (bass, treble, etc...)
sync is handled automatically. no settings in an "airplay setup menu". no picking a "time reference"
(airplay video handles 5.1 audio, but airplay audio does not)

Sonos which is similar, supports surround let's you configure the speakers as to which channel they are.

 

[MagnusVonMagnum]

I've discovered at a family member's house that their AppleTV 4K and Gen 3 AppleTVs in family/living rooms on opposite sides of the house sync fine together, but if you try to sync the computer (which is in the same room as the Apple TV 4K) to either one, they're out of sync (computer is ahead). Likewise, she has an Airport Express connected to a Bose Radio in the dining room (in-between the living and family rooms and next to the living room) that syncs fine with the Mac in the family room, but it's out of sync with either AppleTV. Clearly, distance has nothing to do with it as two of these devices are in the same room as each other (Mac and AppleTV 4K) and the Bose/Airpot Express and living room Apple TV are about the same distance from the Mac. It appears the newer AppleTVs (and/or the receiver hardware) are creating a delay iTunes can't account for yet are in perfect sync with each other. Meanwhile, the more direct Mac speakers and straight Airport Express interface are in sync with each other. It kind of ruins the whole house effect....

At my own house, I had perfect sync with iTunes using 1st Gen AppleTVs with a receiver in one room and a pre-amp/amp high-end setup in another room and two Airport Express units in two bedrooms and an AppleTV Gen 2 in an exercise room. ALL of them were in perfect sync. I could walk around the house and everything worked great (muting/turning up/down the volume from the Mac would let you compare as well). So, I don't know why the Gen3/4k units are having issues. I just got a 4K unit the other day at my own house (haven't hooked it up yet) and I have a Gen 3 unit that I just never tested it with since I never assumed there would be an issue and I don't use whole house (party) mode that often anyway, so I'll test it again there and see if it has the same issue or it's the receiver setups here (one is a Yamaha receiver and the other uses an intelligent 5.1 soundbar, although the ATV 4K is run through the TV first due to the receiver not passing the full 4K 60fps + HDR through on the 4-year old receiver. The additional processing might have something to do with it.