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Contributor II
May 8, 2020
Question

Controlling In Ceiling and Wall Speakers with Alexa

  • May 8, 2020
  • 15 replies
  • 2335 views

Hi,

I have a large Kitchen / Diner / Sitting Room.

In the sitting room area I’m thinking about getting in wall and in ceiling speakers to 2 amps for a 5.1 (plus sub and phantom centre) for movies.

I would also like to use them for stereo music and control them using Alexa. I have 2 Sonos One above the kitchen cabinets grouped.
 

Could I control the in wall and ceiling speakers by simply telling Alexa in the Sonos One. “Alexa, play radio in sitting room” or would they have to be part of the same group? The 2 x Sonos One are in the ‘Kitchen Group’ and the 5.1 would be in the ‘Sitting Room’ group.

thanks

Adam 

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    15 replies

    May 8, 2020

    Making Sonos speakers (or Amps) preferred speakers in Alexa groups makes them the default if you don't specify the 'room'. But you can control all your Sonos rooms by telling Alexa where you want the music played.

    So in your example,  provided 'sitting room' is a Sonos room that will work. 

    jgatie
    May 8, 2020

    You could put a Dot in the sitting room,and make the sitting room the default for the Dot.

    AdamYAuthor
    Contributor II
    May 8, 2020

    You could put a Dot in the sitting room,and make the sitting room the default for the Dot.

    I presume based upon your reply a wireless Sonos device with built in Alexa on the same WiFI network won’t control the speakers set to the AMPs?

    AdamYAuthor
    Contributor II
    May 8, 2020

    Making Sonos speakers (or Amps) preferred speakers in Alexa groups makes them the default if you don't specify the 'room'. But you can control all your Sonos rooms by telling Alexa where you want the music played.

    So in your example,  provided 'sitting room' is a Sonos room that will work. 

    Thanks John.

    apologies I’m a Sonos novice.

    would one of my Sonos Ones with Alexa built in have to be in the same ‘Sonos room’?

    jgatie
    May 8, 2020

    I presume based upon your reply a wireless Sonos device with built in Alexa on the same WiFI network won’t control the speakers set to the AMPs?

     

    Sure it will.  You would just have to specify the room.  Say you have the Dot set up with the Amp 4.1 “Sitting Room” room as the preferred speaker.   You can then say to the Dot “Alexa, Play smooth jazz” and smooth jazz plays in the Sitting Room on the Amp 4.0 speakers.  You then go into the Kitchen and tell the Ones “Alexa, play rockabilly in the Sitting Room”, and rockabilly plays in the Sitting Room, replacing the smooth jazz.  

    AdamYAuthor
    Contributor II
    May 8, 2020

    I presume based upon your reply a wireless Sonos device with built in Alexa on the same WiFI network won’t control the speakers set to the AMPs?

     

    Sure it will.  You would just have to specify the room.  Say you have the Dot set up with the Amp 4.1 “Sitting Room” room as the preferred speaker.   You can then say to the Dot “Alexa, Play smooth jazz” and smooth jazz plays in the Sitting Room on the Amp 4.0 speakers.  You then go into the Kitchen and tell the Ones “Alexa, play rockabilly in the Sitting Room”, and rockabilly plays in the Sitting Room, replacing the smooth jazz.  

    Thanks so much for the swift reply.

    How does this affect multi-room music on the Sonos app? 
     

    thanks again 

    May 8, 2020

    Making Sonos speakers (or Amps) preferred speakers in Alexa groups makes them the default if you don't specify the 'room'. But you can control all your Sonos rooms by telling Alexa where you want the music played.

    So in your example,  provided 'sitting room' is a Sonos room that will work. 

    Thanks John.

    apologies I’m a Sonos novice.

    would one of my Sonos Ones with Alexa built in have to be in the same ‘Sonos room’?

    One of your Sonos Ones would BE a Sonos room. 'Room ' is just a label in Sonos for a speaker or allowable combination of speakers,  such as a stereo pair. You can use Alexa to control all the rooms in your Sonos system. It doesn't matter if Alexa hears you through a built in Alexa or an Amazon Echo device. 

    AdamYAuthor
    Contributor II
    May 8, 2020

    Making Sonos speakers (or Amps) preferred speakers in Alexa groups makes them the default if you don't specify the 'room'. But you can control all your Sonos rooms by telling Alexa where you want the music played.

    So in your example,  provided 'sitting room' is a Sonos room that will work. 

    Thanks John.

    apologies I’m a Sonos novice.

    would one of my Sonos Ones with Alexa built in have to be in the same ‘Sonos room’?

    One of your Sonos Ones would BE a Sonos room. 'Room ' is just a label in Sonos for a speaker or allowable combination of speakers,  such as a stereo pair. You can use Alexa to control all the rooms in your Sonos system. It doesn't matter if Alexa hears you through a built in Alexa or an Amazon Echo device. 

    Final question than (thanks for help).

     

    if I have 2 x AMPs how do I assign an Amazon Dot to both for Stereo? Do I have to pick one and the other piggy backs onto it, is it hardwired or wireless? 
     

    thanks 

    May 8, 2020

    Regarding multiroom... if you ask Alexa to play in the Sitting Room, and Sitting Room is already grouped with Kitchen, then the music plays in both.

    You can also use Alexa groups to group your Sonos speakers, by specifying more than one 'preferred speaker' in an Alexa group.

    For example, in my (physical) living room I have two Sonos 'rooms', a Playbar and a stereo pair of Play:5s, both rooms being 'preferred speakers'. And I have an Echo Dot. The Dot controls an Alexa group which includes the Playbar and P:5s. If I say 'Alexa, play X', without specifying a room, the two Sonos rooms will group and play the music in sync.

    May 8, 2020

    Making Sonos speakers (or Amps) preferred speakers in Alexa groups makes them the default if you don't specify the 'room'. But you can control all your Sonos rooms by telling Alexa where you want the music played.

    So in your example,  provided 'sitting room' is a Sonos room that will work. 

    Thanks John.

    apologies I’m a Sonos novice.

    would one of my Sonos Ones with Alexa built in have to be in the same ‘Sonos room’?

    One of your Sonos Ones would BE a Sonos room. 'Room ' is just a label in Sonos for a speaker or allowable combination of speakers,  such as a stereo pair. You can use Alexa to control all the rooms in your Sonos system. It doesn't matter if Alexa hears you through a built in Alexa or an Amazon Echo device. 

    Final question than (thanks for help).

     

    if I have 2 x AMPs how do I assign an Amazon Dot to both for Stereo? Do I have to pick one and the other piggy backs onto it, is it hardwired or wireless? 
     

    thanks 

    You only need one Amp for stereo, so not sure what your question means here.