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Powered receiver into a Sonos connect

  • 11 October 2017
  • 6 replies
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Steve_199
Userlevel 4
Badge +2
My basic question is, can I plug a powered stereo receiver INTO a Sonos Connect, or will the powered signal potentially cause problems or even fry the Connect?

Right now I have a turntable running into a preamp then into my Connect. Then I've got a pair of powered speakers plugged into the Connect's output. The result is that I can play records through my Sonos system and/or through the powered speakers. This works fine but I'm considering upping my game and adding an actual stereo receiver and a pair of passive speakers to replace the powered speakers. The potential problem I see is that I'm moving the power source from the output side of the Connect to the input side of the Connect.

Instead of turntable-> preamp-> Connect -> powered speakers / Sonos speakers

It would be turntable-> preamp-> Powered receiver-> Connect-> Sonos speakers (the new passive speakers running directly off the new receiver)

I'm concerned that running a powered signal into the Connect then out to another powered source (Sonos Play1 speakers) could be a problem. Anyone know is the Sonos Connect can handle this kind of setup?
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Best answer by Lucid AV 11 October 2017, 21:42

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6 replies

jgatie
No, a powered signal into a Connect is not possible, the line-in is line-level only. Is there any reason you want to connect the output on the receiver to the line-in on the connect? Most people use the Connect output as a source into the receiver, not the other way around. Aside from the turntable, most receiver sources like CD and radio are available via the Connect as ripped files and internet radio stations, not to mention countless other music services not available on the receiver, all via the app or (in beta now) Alexa voice control. You could still have the turntable connected to the Line-in source, then run all Sonos sources (including the turntable) through your receiver to the passive speakers, and play the same audio in sync to any other Sonos units in the home.
Lucid AV
Userlevel 5
Badge +3
You can connect from a Line Out on the receiver. Use the REC connection of a Tape Out if the receiver has a tape loop, but that's rare now. If there's a dedicated Line OUt, or a Pre-Out connection, or a Zone 2 connection then they can all be used as well. All of these connections use the same kind of red and white phono/RCA/cinch connections as you have on the Line-In Line-Out of the Sonos Connect.

Whatever you do, don't be tempted to try to hook up the speaker connections on the receiver to the Line-In on the Sonos. You will kill the input of the Sonos.... stone.dead.

Line-In/Line-Out uses at most 1-2 volts and almost no current. The speaker out connections can pump out over 30 volts and over 2 amps of current at full volume in to a load. It wouldn't do your Connect any good at all.
Steve_199
Userlevel 4
Badge +2
Thanks, I was afraid that was the case. What I'm really trying to do is add both the turntable and a Pioneer CD jukebox to the system. I'm going old school and older school. Actually I've already done it. I've got both components going into an RCA switch then into the Connect. That way I can manually switch between the two. It works okay but I wanted to add receiver so I could use it to switch to the CD player from across the room. A bit of a quirky setup but I like experimenting.

I'll just leave it alone before I fry something. Thanks for the answers to my question, I'm glad I diagramed it out before I bought the receiver. Now I've got to find a new use for the Klipsch speakers I just got. At least that's a quality problem.

Edit: Actually, Lucid AV, I looked and the Yamaha R-S202 I was about to buy and it does have a dedicated line in / line out connection for a tape deck or a CD burner. Is that what you were referring to? If so it still might work. And no worries, if I go forward with this and fry something, I'll only have myself to blame.

Legnum Nick
Userlevel 5
Badge +11
Yes, wire the in and out on the Connect to the out and in on the receiver. I have two Connects wired through amps in this way and they both work well.
Steve_199
Userlevel 4
Badge +2
Very cool, I'm back in business.

Thanks.
Steve_199
Userlevel 4
Badge +2
Well, I set it up and it does work, it just doesn’t work the way I wanted it to. There’s just no way to synch the receiver signal with the other Sonos speakers. You can group them, you can play with the advanced settings, compression, etc, but it’s never going to work. Basically it’s an either \ or thing. You can either use the Sonos speakers or the stereo speakers, but not both at the same time. I really want to use the Connect as a source and as a player.

The real solution is a pair of powered speakers connected to the output of the Connect. But not just any powered speakers will do. I needed wired speakers to connect to my Connect and Bluetooth to connect with my projector and other devices. I needed powered, wired or wireless, Bluetooth, great sounding speakers. Not the easiest thing to find. Edifier has a whole lineup of them so that’s what I ended up with.

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