AppleTV to Multiple Sonos

6 replies
1283 views

Can someone help me figure out how to do this well?

I often host streaming parties where we use an app on the AppleTV to watch live concerts. I have a very good audio setup in my main viewing room that plays the TV audio via HDMI from the AppleTV to my receiver.

I would like to be able to also stream this audio to my Sonos units throughout the house. I did this successfully once by running a 1/8" cable from the headphone out of my TV to the input of the Sonos Connect. For some reason that worked once and then I could never repeat the setup.

The AppleTV has optical out and HDMI out (currently to my home theater). I have a receiver with every input imaginable, a Connect and a Connect:AMP. I'm willing to do some rewiring of my normal setup for these events, but I do need to make sure I still have audio coming out of the home theater speakers.

Ideas? Thanks!

Apple TV

This topic has been closed for further comments. You can use the search bar to find a similar topic, or create a new one by clicking Create Topic at the top of the page.

chicks

Playbar or Playbase. Can group with all your other Sonos speakers.

Or, a DAC from optical output to Connect RCA inputs.

J

Jezmund-BerzerkerAuthor

Contributor I

Thanks for the reply. If I'm using a playbar or playbase wouldn't that require bypassing the audio system I already have in the room? Or would I go out from the receiver to the playbar and treat it like a zone 2?

Regarding the other option - do you know if the AppleTV will transmit audio out from HDMI and optical at the same time? I can't find that anywhere online.

melvimbe

If your headphone jack solution worked before, there is no reason why it shouldn't work again. In order to play audio using the input for the Connect, you to have to specify line in (with zone name) as the source for your music. This will happen automatically if you configure your connect zone to auto play line in sources. Perhaps that is what happened in your original case, but the auto play setting is now turned off? Regardless, you can try the following steps..

1 - connect the tv to the Connect like you did before. (or your reciever output to the Connect)
2 - from the Sonos app, select line in as the source for your Connect zone
3 - Group the Connect zone with the other zones you want the audio to play in.

That's not to say Chicks isn't correct. Paybar/playbase are built for tv audio, while other sonos products are not...basically. But if you have something that fits your needs, nothing wrong with that.

Out of curiosity, how are you currently using your Connect? Is it a source for your receiver?

Danny

J

Jezmund-BerzerkerAuthor

Contributor I

My Connect was in my office, attached to an old HT receiver so that I could use the Sonos app on my desktop to listen to music through good speakers while I worked. I just replaced that setup with a Connect:AMP so I can use the same floor standing speakers and sub without having the giant receiver.

The Connect was temporarily unused while I figured out if it could help me solve the problem in the original post.

I do remember one "issue" I ran into when trying to fix this problem before: if the audio source to my receiver is digital it will only allow digital output from that source. That's why (since the AppleTV comes in to the receiver through HDMI) I can't simply output the audio to the Connect and have it work. I do think the DAC suggestion above is the next thing I should try but I wish I was more certain about whether or not the AppleTV would output from HDMI and optical simultaneously.

chicks

https://www.apple.com/shop/question/answers/readonly/tag/appletv/is-the-audio-active-on-both-the-optical-and-hdmi-at-the-same-time/QD4YHDUPTYK4YYFD4

This says it will. No idea if that’s accurate.

J

Jezmund-BerzerkerAuthor

Contributor I

Super helpful, thank you. DAC is on the way from Amazon so I'll be able to test this out on Friday.

Sign up

Login to the community