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Sonos Arc and Alexa 2022

  • 11 July 2022
  • 7 replies
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This is really annoying. All the topics I check out seem to be marked as “This topic has been closed for further comments.” And most are several years old. In any case, my situation si that I have a Sonos Arc with my TV, and I have a pair of Sonos 1 in the living room, and I have 4-5 Alexa Echo devices aroune the hose. I have created a group called “Everywhere” that I thought inclueded all devices. But I cannot get audio to play on ALL the devices when I say, “Alexa, play [song title] on Everywhere Group.” I get only the Alexa devices or only the Sonos devices. Any suggestions on getting voice command to work on initiating the playback of the same music selection on ALL of the devices simultaneously?

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Best answer by jgatie 13 July 2022, 00:56

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The Alexa ’Everywhere’ Group you are likely referring to is for Amazon devices only - you need a different type of group in the Alexa app for Sonos products, which are commonly referred to as an Alexa ‘Enabled’ Group.

NB: All such groups do not allow Sonos and Amazon Products to Group together for audio playback

Anyhow perhaps see this link to help get you started…

Here too, is a screenshot ‘example’ of an ‘Alexa Enabled Group’ from the Alexa App…

 

Thanks! I will give that a try….

Oh well. I am too dense to get it, or there is no way to get it done.

Is it impossible? I have five Echo devices around the house, a combination of Echo Dot and Echo Show.  I have a tandem of Echo Dot (stereo pair) in the Master Bedroom. I have a pair of Sonos One speakers in the living room, in an Alexa group. I have a Sonos Arc in the family room, acting as the soundbar for a Sony TV. I have tried seemingly all manner of groupings and pairings and speaker selections, but I cannot get audio to play simultaneously on ALL of the devices, using a single “Alexa...” command. Is it, in fact, impossible? Or am I just not getting it? I reviewed info at the Amazon Alexa site and also at the link to the “Sonos Now Playing...” article [https://en.community.sonos.com/announcements%2D228985/sonos%2Dnow%2Dplaying%2Dwith%2Dalexa%2Dgroups%2D6817588]

Can you tell me where I am going wrong?

 

If you are trying to get the Echo and the Sonos devices playing the same thing in sync, it can't be done.  Their sync mechanisms are completely different.

Thanks jgatie, for your quick reply. At least I can know that I am not totally inept! Too bad it is not possible to sync all devices.

 

Thanks jgatie, for your quick reply. At least I can know that I am not totally inept! Too bad it is not possible to sync all devices.

This may not be in perfect sync, but if you have a Sonos device, with either a line-in, or much better still, a Sonos Roam, which has a Bluetooth Receiver, you could perhaps try using your Amazon echo devices in the ‘Everywhere’ Group, with one echo device Bluetooth-paired to the Roam, or if you don’t have a Roam, then a Sonos device with a line-in cabled to the line-out of an echo device instead.

Group the Roam (or the Sonos line-in connected device) to your other Sonos speakers in the Sonos App and then try playing to all, using the Entertainment Centre in the Amazon Alexa App.

That’s one way you ‘might’ be able to get music to play to all - I think the Roams Bluetooth connection might be your best chance of getting things in sync. The line-in wired connection most certainly won’t be in sync, but it will work. However please note it’s not something I’ve ever tested, but my thoughts are saying to me it might possibly work over a Bluetooth link. That said, I’m not too sure it will be a reliable way to play to all, but nothing ventured etc.

Thanks, Ken_Griffiths, for that idea. I think I have a spare Echo with which I can try out your suggestion, for the line-in, wired configuration.