Hello Community,



I have a question on the new Sonos Amp. I have three sets of B&W speakers; 2 in-ceiling (CCM80) and 1 outdoor (WM6). They're all rated to handle up to 130W at 8ohms. They're connected to a single home run with each having their own Niles volume control (VCS100K) in their respective rooms. I would like just to have one amp since I have impedance matching volume controls for each speaker already in place. Here are my three scenarios:



Scenario 1. If I run three 8ohm speakers on one channel with a 2x multiplier for the VCs, the total impedance is 5.3. I calculated the power output for 5.3ohms to be 188W. Assuming that calculation is correct, that's 63W/channel. That's really not too bad, but I'm looking to get more out of this amp since it's rated at 125W at 8ohms. This is the most likely and safest scenario.



Scenario 2. If I adjust the Sonos Amp max volume to be around 80-90%, do I need to set the VC switch multiplier to 2x for each VC or will it be okay with it set to 1x? I know the total impedance would be 2.7ohms (which is dangerous), but thought if I reduced the max volume it might be okay. Any thoughts? Is there a formula for a max volume that would produce a safe impedance (hopefully 4ohms) that could be used with a 1x multiplier for all three VCs?



Scenario 3. Can I have the outside speakers (where I would like the most power) set to 1x for that VC, with the two inside VCs set to 2x, to achieve a total impedance of 4ohms? That way I'll have 125W/channel outside and still have 63W/channel inside (if my calculations are correct). Is there any danger not having all of the VCs set to the same multiplier?



Thank you everyone for your input. I'm excited to set-up the amp and enjoy great music throughout my house.

CB