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We have Sonos One with Alexa in kitchen and playbar in lounge.

We can control playbar through Alexa in kitchen, but of course that’s not very convenient.

I don’t want to install an Alexa device in the lounge just to control playbar, which I’m sure is one solution. 

But what other options are there to control playbar with Alexa? Eg to play a Spotify track on playbar with voice control.

We don’t have any other kit with Alexa built-in other than Sonos One.

You can use your phone as an Alexa device by enabling Alexa in the Amazon Alexa app.

But the best way is to add an Echo device in your lounge. The Echo Flex is one of the least expensive options. I’m sure it will be on sale, as well as all the other Echo devices, on Prime Day:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07MLY3JKV

You can use your phone as an Alexa device by enabling Alexa in the Amazon Alexa app.

But the best way is to add an Echo device in your lounge. The Echo Flex is one of the least expensive options. I’m sure it will be on sale, as well as all the other Echo devices, on Prime Day:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07MLY3JKV

Thanks.  I might consider Echo Flex if it’s special offer on Prime Day.

Our sockets are low down though - so would voice control work well with Flex plugged in at floor level?

Echo devices have great microphones so your low sockets should be fine as long as there is nothing blocking the microphone from hearing your voice.

Echo devices have great microphones so your low sockets should be fine as long as there is nothing blocking the microphone from hearing your voice.

Thanks - just checking as I skimmed a review online and it reckoned the mics might not work well unless the Flex was higher up. But not sure if that’s from real world testing or just an expectation.  It’s not essential to have voice control but I’ll think about it!

Echo devices have great microphones so your low sockets should be fine as long as there is nothing blocking the microphone from hearing your voice.

Thanks - just checking as I skimmed a review online and it reckoned the mics might not work well unless the Flex was higher up. But not sure if that’s from real world testing or just an expectation.  It’s not essential to have voice control but I’ll think about it!

I ended up getting an Echo Flex and have it set to play music by default on the Playbar in lounge.

However:

  1. If I want to hear the news, can I get Flex to play this through Playbar rather than the tinny Flex speaker? Playing music through Sonos works fine (and defaults to the right speaker now I set up a group).
  2. If I use the Announcements feature, can announcements play through Playbar rather than Echo Flex?  Announcements work on Sonos One (which of course has Alexa).
  3. Not so much a question but a comment. When I speak to Flex which is next to me, why does Sonos One in the kitchen hear me and beep?  If I’m in the kitchen or close to the kitchen, the Sonos One is less reliable at hearing commands! It’s like the mic hears better from a distance.

Thank you for any help.  Still not sure why Alexa found 2 thermostats - we only have one! Deleted the rogue one now!

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