Currently Plex transcodes all 24bit FLACs to AAC for Sonos, Sonos now supports 24bit FLACs: https://en.community.sonos.com/music-services-and-sources-228994/connect-meridian-and-mqa-6764735/index1.html#post16096007
Ta 
I have a Nvidia Shield and NOTHING plays through it better than 48/16bit which SUCKS
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Not sure why: https://nvidia.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/4410/~/how-do-i-play-high-resolution-audio-on-my-shield-tv%3F
That support article from Nvidia shows it supports higher than that.
It shows that but itās not happening. Best I see is 96Khz/24bit through chromecast via the nvidia shield.
96k and 192k and multichannel FLAC used to work fine on Shield. But itās been broken for months and nobody at Plex seems to want o acknowledge it and, worse, there is tons of misinformation on this forum with people saying it doesnāt support higher than 48k, etc. I can confirm that hi-res FLACI HAS WORKED FOR YEARS, ever since I bought my 2nd gen Shield. And for months itās been broken. So you are not alone. Iām looking for other options at this point.
I canāt even get 96 from Plex anymoreā¦only 48k. PLex for Kodi will play full 192 so it must be the Shield Android TV client?
Emby & Plex are using the same underlying software and seemingly ONLY make the interface so they must have ZERO control into improving this. Also, with their partnership with Tidal I DOUBT theyāll want to open Hi Res Audio for us now.
Iām using MXPlayer for audio and have given up waiting for either company to resolve this. SOMEONE is going to and Iāll move to them immediately.
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Would love to see 24bit support for FLAC on Sonos as well!
Just found out that a lower bit FLAC has direct play, while 24bit is transcoded to AAC:
Hello,
Iām an avid Plex and Sonos user. Iām a PlexPass holder and Iāve encouraged multiple friends who have now joined PlexPass as well, and some also have Sonos. We have large live music libraries and these days, more and more of those files are hi-res audio. There seems to be a limitation with the Plex for Sonos connection where only 16bit / 44.1kHz FLAC files are supported for streaming through the Sonos app.
My music library is constantly growing and Iām adding 24bit / 48kHz and even 24bit / 96kHz FLAC files each day. I want to hear these files without any transcoding, as they were intended to be heard. Everything is fine if I play these files via the Plex app or Plexamp app. Thatās my method for mobile playback.
When Iām home I want to be able to use the Sonos app to more easily control all the Sonos products, and when I use the āPlex for Sonosā media service to access the 24bit FLAC files, they are transcoded. This is degrading the sound quality of my music.
When I play the 24bit FLAC files from the Plex or Plexamp apps and cast them to a Sonos product, everything plays fine with no transcoding, but its clunky having to go back and forth between the two apps.
Iāve been in multiple support meetings with Sonos thinking the issue was with that service, but they say itās Plex and have opened a feature request for Plex to support 24bit FLAC file streaming on Sonos.
PLEASE make this happen. Itās 2024. Nobody is burning CDs and CD quality audio is no longer the standard. Please support hi-res FLAC audio playback across Sonos.
Thank you!
Ryan
Mod Edit: Moved your posts to this thread to avoid duplication. - @FordGuy61
Can we get some support from other Plex users to stream hi-res FLAC audio on Sonos with NO transcoding?
