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connecting turntable to Arc via optical

  • 11 July 2021
  • 8 replies
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I’m putting in an Arc to go with my new TV setup. It’s my first bit of Sonos kit. I plan to expand to other speakers for that room and others in the house later. 
 

The location also lends itself well to putting my record player there and I would like to connect it to the Arc. Most suggestions I see for this involve buying some other Sonos component—the Play5, Amp, Port, etc. The thing is, I don’t want to add a set of non-Sonos speakers, or a Sonos speaker in that location. A Play5 doesn’t make sense so close to the Arc. It also seems if you go the non-speaker route, you’d have to get a preamp unless your record player already has one. 

In my reading, it seems that it would be possible to hook up the turntable up via optical (going to use HDMI for the TV). I know that the audiophiles will collectively gasp going analog to digital, but that’s what works for me now. Someday, I’ll have a dedicated room/setup for vinyl, but not now. 
 

Turntables with optical out are both rare and expensive. Trying to kill two birds with a less expensive stone, is there any reason I couldn’t use a preamp like the Pro-Ject E Phono which has phono in but also has optical out? 
 

That seems like the optimal solution for my issue, but I can’t seem to find anyone who’s done it. 
 

thoughts? 

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Best answer by GuitarSuperstar 11 July 2021, 22:38

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8 replies

Here’s the preamp in question: 

 

https://www.project-audio.com/en/product/optical-box-e-phono/

Userlevel 7

If you get a Port to connect your turntable, you don’t need to add any Sonos or non-Sonos speakers in that location.

If you get a Port to connect your turntable, you don’t need to add any Sonos or non-Sonos speakers in that location.

Thanks, I know that, but that seems to be one of the main benefits garnered from it. I would way rather spend $149 on the project and buy a nicer turntable than spend $449 on the port.

Asked another way, can I have two devices simultaneously connected to the Arc through different inputs (eARC for the TV and optical for the turntable)?

Asked another way, can I have two devices simultaneously connected to the Arc through different inputs (eARC for the TV and optical for the turntable)?

Just so there is no misunderstanding on your part, the Sonos Arc only has an HDMI-ARC port - there is no optical port on the speaker. It has just the one input, although the HDMI cable will connect to an optical port on a TV if it’s used with the ‘Optical to HDMI’ adapter.

I mention that just in case you (perhaps mistakenly) thought it had two separate inputs - HDMI & Optical. 

Asked another way, can I have two devices simultaneously connected to the Arc through different inputs (eARC for the TV and optical for the turntable)?

Just so there is no misunderstanding on your part, the Sonos Arc only has an HDMI-ARC port - there is no optical port on the speaker. It has just the one input, although the HDMI cable will connect to an optical port on a TV if it’s used with the ‘Optical to HDMI’ adapter.

I mention that just in case you (perhaps mistakenly) thought it had two separate inputs - HDMI & Optical. 

 

Huh. I thought based on this, it would have an optical in. That sucks. Looks like I’m resigned to a port/amp/play5. 

 

 

The Sonos Arc has just the one HDMI-ARC audio connection - there’s no optical port. It just comes with this adapter (see attached) to connect the device to the TV’s optical port if no HDMI-ARC port is available on the TV.

 

The Sonos Arc has just the one HDMI-ARC audio connection - there’s no optical port. It just comes with this adapter (see attached) to connect the device to the TV’s optical port if no HDMI-ARC port is available on the TV.

 

Thanks! Better to know this now before I started making holes in walls tomorrow.