Echo Dot and SONOS
I recently purchased an Amazon Echo Dot to go along with my SONOS system which currently consists of a SONOS Play 1 (with Alexa) and a SONOS Connect that I have connected to my vintage home stereo system. I was told by the sales person at BestBuy that the Echo Dot would "work" with my speaker; so I was thrilled to purchase an inexpensive smart home device to add to my system. After setting up my Echo Dot with the respective SONOS and Amazon apps and connecting the aux out of the Echo Dot into a set of good computer speaker with a nice sub and I was ready for action. I began developing the Amazon skills to allow it to send commands to my SONOS units and was able to command my Echo Dot to play songs on my various SONOS units BUT was completely disheartened when I learned that the music that was playing on the SONOS units would not be able to be grouped or synced with the output of the Echo Dot. I've been playing with the idea as to whether adding another (inexpensive) Echo Dot which I would connect to the aux input of the connect as a line input device on the SONOS Connect to see if it would allow for the Echo Dot signal to be played in unison with the all of my devices. In essence like an extended cross platform device group. But before I go out and spend more money on finding an affordable solution to my conundrum I wanted to leave a post here asking whether anyone else in the SONOS community has had success with trying something like this.
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I most likely will add another SONOS PLAY 1 or I'll just wind up wiring the other non-smart systems in directly to the Connect system with a a very affordable RCA DA and be done with it since I have access under my floor in a basement with open rafters in a single floor home. Just getting tired of spending big money on smart speakers to fix a problem easily resolved with old school dumb technology.
It won't work; anything that any Sonos unit handles as a source is sent downstream by that unit after a small delay that isn't there with the computer speakers you are using for the signal they get from the Dot. That is what causes the sync problem when grouping Dots that are connected to a combination of Sonos/Non Sonos units. This delay is to ensure that all Sonos speakers are in perfect sync with all other Sonos units, a Sonos USP.
I haven't added a second Dot yet, but input the output of the single Dot I do have into the SONOS Connect and that does play in perfect sync with the SONOS Play 1. But your saying another Dot won't play in sync with those speakers? Ugh. Have you actually tried this or are you just surmising based on spec data? I'm tempted to try for myself and either keep it if it works or give it to my daughter to use with her sound bar. Hoping SONOS and Amazon resolve their incompatibilities since they've already excited their customers with the two technologies being married with SONOS Play 1. It would be a shame if this turned people off and sent them looking to Google for a totally compatible system including larger integrated stand alone speakers.
I have tried it; it won't work. With the Line In on Sonos units set to uncompressed, there is an echo that irritates. With Line In set to compressed, there is a half second gap that more than just irritates. Of course this matters only if sound from the two speaker sets leaks across the two spaces they occupy.
The reason why the play 1 plays in perfect sync with the Connect is precisely the reason why the computer speakers will play before the Sonos speakers; it is the delay enforced in the Connect that allows it to sync with all other Sonos units.
Try it out; good learning to have for the price of a disposable Dot.
The reason why the play 1 plays in perfect sync with the Connect is precisely the reason why the computer speakers will play before the Sonos speakers; it is the delay enforced in the Connect that allows it to sync with all other Sonos units.
Try it out; good learning to have for the price of a disposable Dot.
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Buy connecting the DOT to the Connect you are adding that as a Line source into the SONOS environment, there will be processes that run to share that within the Sonos echo system and sync the sound to all the speakers selected in your system. This will delay the sounds from the Echo.
If you try an play another Amazon device with the same source it will likely be out of sync. Enough I would think to be irritating. This is not an incompatibility issue it is purely how two different systems work.
Why not buy a Sonos One instead of a second dot? That would solve the issue and provide a vastly superior sound experience to the, frankly, awful dot sound.
As an aside I have one Spot two dots and a show and whne playing from the smae source they are all slightly out of sysnc sometimes. My SOnos Play 1's., 5 and Playbar have always played music in perfect sync.
If you try an play another Amazon device with the same source it will likely be out of sync. Enough I would think to be irritating. This is not an incompatibility issue it is purely how two different systems work.
Why not buy a Sonos One instead of a second dot? That would solve the issue and provide a vastly superior sound experience to the, frankly, awful dot sound.
As an aside I have one Spot two dots and a show and whne playing from the smae source they are all slightly out of sysnc sometimes. My SOnos Play 1's., 5 and Playbar have always played music in perfect sync.
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