The Cinema Hub uses WiSA technology to communicate with compatible speakers. WiSA transmits uncompressed, low-latency audio over the 5.2–5.8GHz spectrum — the same range commonly used by Wi-Fi routers, mesh systems, and extenders.
While this spectrum ensures high audio quality and fast transmission, it also makes WiSA vulnerable to radio frequency (RF) interference. When nearby Wi-Fi networks operate in the same band, connection issues, audio dropouts, or unstable channel assignments may occur.
20MHz Wi-Fi channels → small slices, leave space for WiSA.
40MHz channels → still manageable, WiSA usually unaffected.
80MHz channels → take up half the band, leaving WiSA only narrow sections to operate.
160MHz channels → essentially consume the entire 5GHz band, making WiSA unstable or unusable.
Shared Frequency Band
WiSA operates exclusively within U-NII-1 and U-NII-3 bands (5.2–5.8GHz).
Home Wi-Fi routers, especially dual-band and mesh systems, use the same band for 5GHz networking.
Channel Bandwidth Usage
Modern routers often default to 80MHz channel bandwidth.
At 80MHz, a router occupies nearly half of the available 5GHz spectrum, leaving limited room for WiSA transmissions.
This leads to overlapping signals and higher packet loss.
Device Proximity
Placing a Wi-Fi extender, mesh unit, or router close to the Cinema Hub floods the RF environment with high-powered signals.
The closer the device, the greater the interference, regardless of Wi-Fi channel.
Dynamic Channel Switching (DFS)
Some routers automatically switch Wi-Fi channels to avoid radar or congestion.
When channels hop dynamically, WiSA stability may be disrupted mid-session.
Speakers connect but do not provide location feedback tones.
Assigned channels revert back to Front.
Audio intermittently drops out or buffers during playback.
Pairing succeeds, but channel changes fail in both App and OSD.
System responsiveness feels slower than normal.
Do not place Wi-Fi routers, mesh nodes, or extenders within 1–2 metres of the Cinema Hub.
If the Hub is in a cupboard, avoid putting Wi-Fi hardware in the same enclosure.
Log into your router’s settings and reduce channel bandwidth:
Preferred: 20MHz or 40MHz
Avoid: 80MHz (or higher)
Narrower channels reduce overlap and leave more space for WiSA.
If possible, configure your Wi-Fi to prioritise the 2.4GHz band for general devices (phones, tablets, IoT).
Reserve 5GHz usage for bandwidth-heavy devices (streaming boxes, gaming) but ensure the Hub isn’t sharing space with extenders.
Some routers automatically assign DFS channels (5.25–5.35GHz and 5.47–5.725GHz).
WiSA performance may be unstable on overlapping DFS frequencies.
If your router allows, set Wi-Fi to use non-DFS channels (e.g., Channel 36–48 or 149–161).
As a diagnostic step, temporarily power off Wi-Fi extenders or mesh nodes.
Observe if WiSA performance stabilises.
This helps confirm whether interference is the root cause.
In one installation:
A Wi-Fi extender using PoE was positioned next to the Cinema Hub.
Symptoms: Channels reverted to Front, no feedback tones, sluggish performance.
After disconnecting and relocating the extender:
Speakers gave feedback tones on pairing.
Channels reassigned successfully to Centre and Rear.
Audio output from SKY Box played without issue.
Overall responsiveness improved significantly.
WiSA offers reliable, high-fidelity wireless audio when the RF environment is clean. However, its dependence on the 5.2–5.8GHz band means Wi-Fi coexistence is the most common cause of connection instability.
By:
Reducing Wi-Fi channel bandwidth,
Avoiding proximity between routers/extenders and the Cinema Hub, and
Reserving clean spectrum for WiSA,
you significantly improve system reliability and reduce the likelihood of future channel assignment issues.