Summary
A three-page technical note from Listen Technologies on the delay of its ListenWiFi system to listeners' phones and how to reduce it.
Key findings
- Gives the latency of its system to phones as 170-214 ms on Apple devices and 252-463 ms on Android devices, and says Apple devices typically perform better.
- Attributes most of the delay to the access point's transmission and to the phone's processing and playback, and says latency varies greatly with the phone's make and model, older models being slower.
- Names interference from nearby access points on similar channels, and encryption (a password on the access point), as factors that add delay. It advises choosing a clear channel with a Wi-Fi analyzer, placing the access point in the same room with a line of sight to listeners and at least 10 ft from other access points, and leaving it without a password.
- Written for TV audio: it notes that a TV's input lag (sometimes over 100 ms) and where the audio is taken from affect how well sound and picture line up, and that the server can delay audio by up to 3,000 ms when it runs ahead of the picture.
Limits
The maker's own figures, without a method: the note does not say which phones or how many were tested, the network load, what the delay was measured between, or whether listening was wired or Bluetooth. It describes the 2017 system (PL-900 server and PL-301 access point), so later Listen systems may differ, and it addresses TV viewing rather than live speech in the room.
Read the original
www.listentech.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/LTN0012_Wifi-Latency-Tech-Note_042717.pdf
Cited in
- Auracast, hearing loop, infrared, RF or Wi-Fi: which suits which room?Disputed
- How much delay does Wi-Fi streaming add, and when does it matter?Not reliable yet
- What does Wi-Fi streaming need from the venue's network and from listeners' phones?Partly answered
Cite this source
Listen Technologies. Understanding & Minimizing Wi-Fi Latency (Listen Tech-Note LTN0012). 27 April 2017. https://www.listentech.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/LTN0012_Wifi-Latency-Tech-Note_042717.pdf (accessed 9 October 2026).
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