Same Room...Different Sonos equipment for two setuup? One Music Only / One Video Only

  • 7 April 2023
  • 7 replies
  • 285 views
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I listen to music probably 80% of the time, compare to 20% watching movies or streaming video, and just trying to figure out the best way to setup my den.  I know this community has better solutions than me so I’m here asking for your thoughts and help.

Current Setup:

ARC + Sub-Mini (for movies)

Sonos Ones Gen 1 (music only)

Sonos Amp (that I haven’t hooked up and had for about 16 months till in the box)

75” Samsung

Gen 3 Sub arrives tomorrow and my ERA 300s next week.  

This setup got delayed and I should have disconnected all the Russound equipment when I bought the ARC and at least used the Sonos Amp to drive 4 speakers. 

Was planning to use the Sonos Amp to drive two Jamo in one wall di-pole speakers (Model SU631K4). Currently the room as no surrond speakers as I starting removing all Russound configured devices, the 7.1 Integra Stero, and all the rack mounted items which are all idle along with the Klipsch speakers in the built in cabinet. The five non-sonos speakers in this room are all idle at this point.

It is my understanding I have to create “rooms” and place Sonos devices in “rooms” basically connecting those Sonos products to one and only one “room”.   I have my ARC paired to my Sub-Mini.  The Sonos Ones (L/R) simply stand alone for music.  Upstairs I have a Sonos Amp driving two Bower and Wilkins 200 Watt floor standing speakers and love the connectivity of the Sonos ecosystem to power these B&W speakers.

 

My thoughts were to set up the system like this:​​​​​​​

​​​​​​​Music:  Era 300s + Sub-Mini 

ERA 300s placed  Left and Right of the ARC on a 11.5 foot wide x 9’ tall bulit in case (that has 22 inches of depth on the left and right sides).  If I put the ERA 300s where the Sono Ones sit now, I would still have roughly 12 inches of depth behind them. 

Video: 

a) ARC + Gen3 Sub + either (Sonos Amp diving the JAMO SU631K4) or

b) ARC + Gen3 Sub + Sono Ones (rear Surrond)

It is my understanding when the Era 300s are placed to the L/R of the ARC, the ERA 300s are simply idle when watching video and I am basically rendering my ERA 300s to music only.

If I go with video option a, I would simply move the Sono Ones to another room in the house and that is my preference. Seem a waste to have those Jamo speakers just sitting idle in the walls as they sound great to my ears.  No they aren’t Sonos in-wall but they shocked me how nice they have worked.

 

​​​​​​​What am I missing or have incorrect?  Appreciate thoughts or suggestions from this community.

7 replies

Corry P
Userlevel 7
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Hi @g4driver 

Welcome to the Sonos Community!

Are your Jamo in-wall speakers already fitted in the wall? If so, then yes, I too would go for Plan A, presuming that the speakers are well located for being surrounds (behind the main listening position). Once you get your Sub Gen 3 working with the Arc, the Sub Mini can be bonded to one One, or to a pair of Ones, or to the 300s, seeing as the Sub will only play along with Arc, once bonded to it.

Otherwise, I would use the Ones as surrounds and keep the Amp/Jamo combo for another room somewhere so as to have bigger speakers working solo.

Whether they are in the same physical room or not, your Era 300s would be configured as being another room than the Arc in the app - much like your Ones are at the moment. I, for example, have a pair of Ones called Living Room, and an Amp connected to my TV in the same physical room, but in the Sonos app, the Amp is named TV - you could name Arc as TV, and name the 300s as Living Room, for example, or have the rooms named Living Room TV and Living Room Music.

My only real concern with your description is where the Era 300s are going - please make sure to not to enclose them at the sides or above.

I hope this helps.

"Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by age eighteen." - Albert Einstein
melvimbe

Not really disagreeing with what Corry stated above, but wanted to add that I would not put Era 300s as a music only Sonos room in the same room as the Arc.   I think there are essentially 3 types of audio with Sonos now.  Stereo music, Atmos music, and TV.  For stereo music, the Era 300s beat the Arc setup, although if you are good with ‘full stereo’ then it’s not too far apart.  For atmos music, the Arc setup is better.  Era 300s is great, but missing audio from the rear.  And obviously, TV audio is only with the Arc.  So I think it makes more sense, if you want to have a music only room beside the Arc room, to go with a stereo only setup.  

I think you’d get more out of what you have by using the Era 300s in a completely different room with the Sonos mini.  Use the Arc with Sub gen 3 and either amp/Sonos Ones.  Then use the amp or Sonos ones in a 3rd room.

Danny
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Thank you Corry P and melvimbe for the kind and informative replies. I seem to have choosen my words poorly in my intital post when I wrote It is my understanding I have to create “rooms” and place Sonos devices in “rooms”

 

@Corry P 

I think you are telling me not to “enclose” the ERA 300s on a bookshelf and understand why. I would only have 12 inches behind the ERA 300s and another 12 inches left and right of each ERA 300.  It sounds like my plan isn’t going to work very well based on your input.  If my plan renders them to sound poorly due to the placement not being optimum I can always physically move them and the sub-mini to different Entry room without any enclosures/restrictions.   Rarely can I afford to stand or sit down and listen to music with the speakers directly in front of me except when I am upstairs using my  Sonos AMP with the B&W floor mounted spreakers.

 

My original plan was to put the following speakers in the same physical room (ARC, Sub, Sub-Mini, Jamo In-Wall, and ERA 300s) and move the Sonos Ones to the front Entry room. The Jamo’s are already in the wall behind listening postiions.  Seems my original plan needs a revision.  😕

Original Plan was to rename the products in the Sonos App to:

Den TV (ARC + Gen3 Sub + Amp)  (driving the JAMO in-wall speakers)

Den Atmos Music (ERA300s + Sub-Mini)

Entry Ones

Perhaps you are suggesting:

Den TV (ARC + Gen3 Sub + Amp)  (driving the JAMO in-wall speakers)

Entry Atmos Music (ERA300s + Sub-Mini) (This room is a separate physical room that is 15’x21’

 

@melvimbe  

I am a bit confused. When you wrote I would not put Era 300s as a music only Sonos room in the same room as the Arc, did you mean  same physical room or within the app?

Are you suggesting to only use the ERA300s in Stero Only Mode bonded to the Sub-Mini and not use the ERA 300 with the Sub-Mini for Atmos Music?  I have a large front room I am calling Entry that I can move either the Sonos Ones or the ERA 300s and Sub-Mini to, where the spreakers would not be restricted by enclosures.

In the Sonos App under Products I have:

Room  (Product)

Den ARC (ARC + Gen 3 Sub)

Den Sonos Ones (One Left + One Right)

Master Bedroom (Beam)

Stringing Room B&W (Amp)

Plan was to do this:

Den TV + Jamo (ARC + Gen 3 Sub + Amp) 

Den Atmos Music (ERA300s + Sub-Mini)

Master Bedroom (Beam)

Stringing B&W (Amp)

Is this what you mean for me to do instead ?

Entry Stero Music (ERA300s + Sub-Mini)

Den TV + Jamo (ARC + Gen 3 Sub + Amp) 

 

The only minor problem with moving the ERA 300s to the Entry Room is that I would have to exchange them for white speakers.  I ordered Black ERA 300s  for the black built in cabinet.  The Entry room is white. 🙄

 

Truly appreciate both of your replies and advice.  My apology for being too verbuse.

 

Corry P
Userlevel 7
Badge +18

Hi @g4driver 

It’s difficult to judge without seeing the space, but in regards to the placement of the 300s, you want to make sure that you don’t block the angled drivers in the units from projecting into the room.

Exploded view of Era 300

As you can see, there are side-angled tweeters and woofers - as long as they have space to work, things should sound good. The same goes for the up-firing tweeter. Whether your intended listening room/position versus the alternative overrides such concerns, or vice versa, only you can say. 12” clearance on each side is certainly better than much less, and how forward on the surface the unit is placed will make a difference as to whether the speaker can project out into the room or not - my advice would be not to put them too far back into the bookshelf.

There are of course speaker stands and wall mounts available on the accessories page - perhaps these could open your options somewhat?

I hope this helps.

"Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by age eighteen." - Albert Einstein
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Thanks @Corry P 

 

The plan was to put the ERA 300 on the front edge of the left and right portions of this built in after removing all the decorative clutter (that I didn’t pick out).  😅  Plan was to put the ERA 300s  on the shelf where the Ones currently sit, but centered above the nickel door pulls. These shelves are 22 inches deep.

 

I will listen to the speakers in the Entry room placing them on a sideboard.  If they sound better there, I can leave them in that room or I can purchase ERA 300 stands and place opposite the black cabinet (near the Jamo in wall speakers). 

 

As you can see in the picture, I could always use those bookshelf Klipsch speakers in stero with the Sonos AMP,  but my goal was to listen to ATMOS music.  Those three Klipsch speakers have been idle for quite awhile.

Corry P
Userlevel 7
Badge +18

Hi @g4driver 

I think above the door pulls would be a good place for them - though it is a little off ideal that the TV sits forward of them. With a bit of TruePlay tuning, I think they’ll settle in there fine.

Although you may end up preferring the sound from the Era 300s, remember that the Arc + Surrounds can also play Atmos music - it’s an option for you for that room, at least.

It remains the case that you should stick with whichever setup you prefer - there aren’t really any right or wrong answers here, and at some point the effort versus gain equation will flip into the “diminishing returns” zone. It sounds like you’re going to have some fun experimenting, anyway.

I have little doubt the Kipsches and Amp would pair well in another room. I use my Amp with an old set of Tannoys from the ‘90s and am “well impressed”, as we say in Scotland.

"Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by age eighteen." - Albert Einstein
melvimbe

@melvimbe  

I am a bit confused. When you wrote I would not put Era 300s as a music only Sonos room in the same room as the Arc, did you mean  same physical room or within the app?

 

 

 

I would not put the Era 300s as a music only Sonos room (app) in the same room (physical) as the Arc (app).  Hopefully that’s clearer.

 

Plan was to do this:

Den TV + Jamo (ARC + Gen 3 Sub + Amp) 

Den Atmos Music (ERA300s + Sub-Mini)

Master Bedroom (Beam)

Stringing B&W (Amp)

 

 

In your Den, I think you will find atmos music sounds better on what you’re calling Den TV + Jamo than on Den Atmos Music. For TV audio, Den TV + Jamo is better.  For stereo music, it’s really close. Sure, Den Atmos Music  gives you better stereo separation, but Den TV + Jamo  gains ground with the bigger sub and using the Jamo speakers for full stereo if you want.

 

 

Is this what you mean for me to do instead ?

Entry Stero Music (ERA300s + Sub-Mini)

Den TV + Jamo (ARC + Gen 3 Sub + Amp) 

 

 

Yes, that would be my plain.  It pretty much is what I’m doing. My setup, only mentioning relevant rooms, is.

Den TV (Arc + Sub + Sonos Ones) => TV and atmos music

Den Music (Fives + Sub) => stereo music

Bedroom (Era 300s + Sub) => atmos music, stereo music

I do have a bit of regret in creating the Den Music Sonos room, since it is not atmos capable, even though it’s better for stereo music.  I really like that the Bedroom  plays all music at the best audio format.

 

 

Danny

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