Echo Link and Sonos Playbar

  • 3 December 2020
  • 11 replies
  • 409 views
mcquillian
Badge +2

I think I have found the solution that I am looking for, but wanted to run this by others. 

I know from reading that there seems to be various ways to use the Echo Link (no amp version)

 My proposed use is rather simple. I want to take the optical output of the Echo Link and run it unit the optical in of my Sonos Playbar. This will allow me to drive music through the rest of the house that is composed of Echo product, and my living room Sonos system at the same time. 
 

Any reason why this should not work?

 

 Thank you for your time. 

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11 replies

Rowena B.
Userlevel 5
Badge +16

Hi @mcquillian, thank you for reaching out to the Sonos community and for letting us know about your concern. Let me help you with this.

The Sonos soundbars like the Playbar can be connected to a TV for the home theater set up. Connecting the supplied optical audio cable from the digital audio out (optical) port of the TV to the audio input on the Playbar. The Playbar will need to be set up using the Sonos app before it can play TV audio. Connecting the Echo link to the Sonos Playbar via optical cable will not work and the Sonos app won’t detect 3rd party devices to be setup. The Echo link was designed to work with Amazon devices. 

Hope this helps. We can wait for suggestions and feedback from our Sonos community members, they might provide their own opinion and inputs on this. 

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mcquillian
Badge +2

I have to disagree with you. 
 

I have an optical switcher pre the the Sonos Soundbar. Why?


Because the PlayStation 4 that feeds into my Tv Screen will not decide the audio from the HDMI input in an acceptable format that the Sonos will accept as 5.1. 

The switch bypasses my TV, and directly feeds the PS4 audio directly to the playbar. 

I have another input left on the optical switch. Why would it not behave the same way if I were to connect the Link?

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Rowena B.
Userlevel 5
Badge +16

Hi @mcquillian, thank you for your response and for sharing this with us. Using 3rd party devices like optical switcher may or may not work with Sonos. Getting audio depends on the physical source device playing the content and the format or output must be set to one of our supported home theater audio formats. The source format should be the same format as the TV. If your TV only supports 5.1 Dolby digital (depend on the TV model) you may need to change your PS4 format to 2.0. 

We don’t limit you from using 3rd party devices or exploring what you prefer if it’s working with your system, however, it’s not recommended. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out.

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mcquillian
Badge +2

Just to update those who are curios, the Echo Link works perfectly for this application. 

Thought I would let you know before they delete this post.

 

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mcquillian
Badge +2

Funny . . . Sonos goes from “will not work,” to “may work,” to probably no response or deletion of this thread all together . . . 
 

Before you do that Sonos, realize the amount of money I have invested in your product. $1,000 of dollars. So, is this the way I should typically expect Sonos to support my loyalty to your company?
 

 

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Smilja

@mcquillian, Care to tell us what you are talking about?

»And the world is like an apple whirling silently in space, Like the circles that you find in the windmills of your mind.« (›Windmills Of Your Mind‹ [1967]. Music by Michel Legrand ; English lyrics written by Alan & Marilyn Bergman)
mcquillian
Badge +2

Can you mot read the thread above?  Seems pretty clear. 

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D

Thank you for letting us know a viable workaround the the fact that Sonos does not yet support the Alexa MRM feature. I doubt I am going to spend the money on an Echo Link, but knowing that this is a possibility will make me more likely to consider buying a Beam in the future.

mcquillian
Badge +2

I don’t understanding your problem.
 

My system seems to do exactly what you are asking. All you have to do is switch an optical switcher (pre the Sonos playbar,) and I am in complete control. 
 

Yes, one manual adaption, and I can get it to do what I want . . . With martini in hand . . . 

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AjTrek1
Userlevel 7

@mcquillian

Great to know that you have found a way to integrate the Echo Link with a Playbar. Not to belittle your discovery but optical switching has always been a versatile option with many products including Sonos. Therefore not a surprise that you were able to incorporate the Echo Link with your Sonos. 

It stands to reason that once the optical signal was fed to the Echo Link it could send the that signal to other Echo devices as well as your Playbar. The question becomes can you group other Sonos to the Playbar when used in the manner you achieved. If possible is there a delay between the Playbar and other grouped Sonos speakers?

I seriously doubt Sonos even considered deleting your post. It doesn’t affect the sell of their products as a whole home music system. Even more so as the Playbar is discontinued and Sonos home theater with the Arc and Beam have moved to HDMI as the preferred connection (as other main stream soundbar manufacturers).

Optical-in IMO is just a carry-over on the Arc and Beam to accommodate older TV’s. I suspect that the next generation of the Arc and Beam will do away with optical connections as is the trend of future TV’s much in the same manner as the omission of Analog RCA output and Component input.

Regarding @Rowena B. comments...Sonos does not officially support the Echo Link therefore her answers were spot on. Just because a 3rd party product is proven to work with and/or integrate successfully with Sonos will not make it per Sonos marketing a supported product. If it works great...if not...lesson learned.

IMO it appears your post was intended more as a “gotcha” toward Sonos rather than insightful information for the community. My apologies if that was not your intent. 

Cheers!

Together Everyone Achieves More = T.E.A.M.
mcquillian
Badge +2

“The question becomes can you group other Sonos to the Playbar when used in the manner you achieved?”

YES  

 

“ If possible is there a delay between the Playbar and other grouped Sonos speakers?”

 

NO

 

“Regarding @Rowena B. comments...Sonos does not officially support the Echo Link therefore her answers were spot on.”

Incorrect - she stated it would not work.

 

 

“IMO it appears your post was intended more as a “gotcha” toward Sonos rather than insightful information for the community.”

NO - my intent was to provide truthful, verified information. What SONOS stated was simply incorrect.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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