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Hello! I currently have a 5.1 setup with Playbar, 2x Sonos One and the subwoofer. I also have 2x Sonos One in the dining room, and another Sonos One in the bathroom. In regards to the 5.1 setup I am quite pleased with the audio performance for movies, considering the quite low price and the small size. However, when it comes to music listening experience in the living room, I find the Playbar lacking a lot. It just doesn’t do very well at normal stereo music listening.

So with that said, I was looking into replacing my Playbar with a Sonos Amp and 2 front speakers of my own choice. I have heard the Sonos Amp in a 2.1 setup, and it sounds amazing. At my retailer, I learn that the Sonos Amp does not support running 4.1 as a front amplifier with 2x Sonos One as back speakers. This totally confused me. Why on earth would Sonos not give the Sonos Amp the same software capabilities as the Playbar, Playbase and Beam? It is just a matter of down mixing the center channel into the left and right speakers for a 4.1 setup. This was a huge let down, and I canceled the order on my Sonos Amp.

Is there ANY plans at all from Sonos to update the Amp with 4.1 capabilities?

Your retailer is wrong: this is very much possible and even intended already. I have that set-up actually and it is phenomenal.

Your retailer is wrong: this is very much possible and even intended already. I have that set-up actually and it is phenomenal.

So you have sonos amp with 2 speakers as front, a sub and 2 sonos one as back speakers in a 4.1? I’d like to see proof of that. Even Sonos says it’s not possible.

Yes, I have (well Play 1 as surround to be precise). Just look up the product page for proof. I don’t get it why you don’t seem to believe, this is what the product has been designed to do. Maybe you are confusing Amp with Connect:amp which I believe requires some form of wiring for the surrounds.

So you have sonos amp with 2 speakers as front, a sub and 2 sonos one as back speakers in a 4.1? I’d like to see proof of that. Even Sonos says it’s not possible.

 

Sonos has never said it’s not possible, Sonos is not the retailer (and I could fill a thimble with the amount of knowledge most retailers have about their products, and that thimble would be all price margins).  It is most certainly possible, Sonos even says so in the Amp announcement post:

 

https://en.community.sonos.com/announcements-228985/introducing-sonos-amp-681206

 

Use Sonos Amp to power your installed speakers as a separate Sonos room, or bond it with a pair of Sonos Ones, Play:1s, Play:3s, or Play:5s to become a surround sound setup that you can use with your TV. 

can you use two Sonos amps to make a 4.1 system?

Yes. The ‘front’ Sonos Amp drives the front two speakers and supplies the subwoofer output, the ‘rear’ Sonos Amp is bonded to the ‘front’, and powers the surround speakers only. 

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