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Answered

Any way to play on this group of speakers without Sonos app? (that isn't with manual activating)

  • 29 March 2022
  • 8 replies
  • 1798 views

Wish:

  • I plan to get a setup with 2 Sonos Five’s (stereo setup) and 1 Sub (Gen 3)
  • I want to set it up as a single “unit” playing music, never individually on their own
  • I want to be able to play from an old turntable connected to one of the Five speakers (3.5mm)
  • I want to be able to play using Google Cast or AirPlay from apps on phone or browser on MacBooks, without (always) the need to play things via Sonos app

Questions:

  • If I connect a turntable to a single Sonos Five speaker, can I make it also play the music to the other Five speaker and the Sub, without having to manually activate them every time?
  • If I group the speakers together, can I play to that group using Google Cast or AirPlay(2) without the need of the Sonos app (again, without having to manually enable each speaker to sync with the initial speaker)?

If it requires these speakers to always be played as one or even requires an additional piece of hardware, I’d be okay with that. Just if it’s possible at all, outside the Sonos app.

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8 replies

Mr. T
Userlevel 7

After you stereo pair the Fives together and bond the Sub during setup, the three devices are then treated as one “room” and will always play together, no matter how you initiate the music to be played.

melvimbe

Sonos does not support chromecast, but it does support airplay.  You can also cast from Spotify, Amazon, and a few others directly.  Sonos does have a mac app for control, but there is no browser based on control app. 

You can connect your turntable, and configure it so that turntable is automatically played when audio is connected.  And of course, airplay and other casting will play without using the Sonos app.  You will find that you need the Sonos app for volume control at times, as well as switching between sources at times.  Sonos app is also needed for trueplay tuning and any firmware updates.

Danny
W

After you stereo pair the Fives together and bond the Sub during setup, the three devices are then treated as one “room” and will always play together, no matter how you initiate the music to be played.

Thank you! That was the bit I couldn’t find a solid yes on while searching online. It made sense to me that you would be able to send music to a group (room) of speakers once they are grouped, but everywhere I read “to play on more than one speaker without the Sonos app, send music to one speaker and then activate any other speakers with their hardware buttons”.

W

Sonos does not support chromecast, but it does support airplay.  You can also cast from Spotify, Amazon, and a few others directly.  Sonos does have a mac app for control, but there is no browser based on control app. 

You can connect your turntable, and configure it so that turntable is automatically played when audio is connected.  And of course, airplay and other casting will play without using the Sonos app.  You will find that you need the Sonos app for volume control at times, as well as switching between sources at times.  Sonos app is also needed for trueplay tuning and any firmware updates.

Thanks for all the additional details, much appreciated.

I am totally fine with using the Sonos app to set things up and occasionally switch sources, just wasn’t a fan of the idea I’d have to access all the music/video services through their app for a multi-speaker setup. I design software myself and I am well aware of the upsides and downsides of trying to unite many services within a single app :) Good to know this is totally doable.

I guess I could also control the volume on the speaker itself when playing from the record player?

Mr. T
Userlevel 7

…but everywhere I read “to play on more than one speaker without the Sonos app, send music to one speaker and then activate any other speakers with their hardware buttons”.

That would only apply to separate “rooms” so if you had the Fives in two different locations, rather than a stereo pair.

 

I guess I could also control the volume on the speaker itself when playing from the record player?

Yes, the volume controls on each speaker will work, unless you disable the Five’s touch controls in the app.

 

W

Thanks for the clarifications, @Mr. T! 🙏

lewisc
Userlevel 4
Badge +9

I guess I could also control the volume on the speaker itself when playing from the record player?

If you did want an extra method of physical volume control over the Five’s touch buttons, you could get a TRÅDFRI gateway paired with a SYMFONISK Sound remote (both from Ikea).

 

 

Authorised Sonos Installer
Corry P
Userlevel 7
Badge +18

After you stereo pair the Fives together and bond the Sub during setup, the three devices are then treated as one “room” and will always play together, no matter how you initiate the music to be played.

Sonos does not support chromecast, but it does support airplay.  You can also cast from Spotify, Amazon, and a few others directly.  Sonos does have a mac app for control, but there is no browser based on control app. 

You can connect your turntable, and configure it so that turntable is automatically played when audio is connected.  And of course, airplay and other casting will play without using the Sonos app.  You will find that you need the Sonos app for volume control at times, as well as switching between sources at times.  Sonos app is also needed for trueplay tuning and any firmware updates.

 

"Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by age eighteen." - Albert Einstein
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