Q Acoustics Support

Q Active - Q. Why does the audio on my Q Active system drop out, and how can I fix this?

Answer:

All Q Active systems use a high-resolution audio wireless link between the hub and the speakers. In order to maintain the 24bit 96KHz wireless link, the hub and speakers use a 22MHz wide band on the following three possible frequencies:

5.736 GHz        CH149
5.762 GHz        CH155
5.814 GHz        CH161

The hub and speakers will automatically select the best channel based on other interference and data traffic in this band, and so up to three Q Active systems can be used in proximity, each one selecting a separate frequency, so they do not interfere with each other.

In some countries, such as the USA, Canada, Russia, and China, 5GHz Wi-Fi is licenced to use the same frequencies as Q Active, in addition to the lower frequencies in the 5GHz band (as illustrated in the attached diagram). Many other countries such as the UK and most of Europe do not allow Wi-Fi to use these frequencies, and are only certified up to channel 140 (5.700 GHz).

It is possible that a Wi-Fi system in the USA for example, could be configured to use the same frequencies as Q Active, which could cause audio dropouts or distortions in the sound. We have found that some products will use these frequencies by default and will not automatically move to lower channels in order to avoid Q Active.

If you are experiencing these issues, then we recommend the following possible actions in order of most reliable fix:

1.    If it is possible, configure your 5GHz Wi-Fi system to use Channels 36-64
2.    Switch off your 5GHz Wi-Fi and only use 2.4GHz Wi-Fi
3.    Use a wired Ethernet cable to connect Q Active to the internet
4.    Use the Q Active App to select use of 2.4GHz Wi-Fi only

If the problem persists, and you have a Wi-Fi system that has no option to change channel or switch off 5GHz Wi-Fi, then we recommend purchasing a Wi-Fi system that includes these settings.