Show currently playing music on Echo Show

Unfortunately, that is how it is. The solution if you have Sonos kit with line in jacks is to wire the Show to them and then any music you play on the Show will be heard through Sonos, with album art on the Show.

This works well on the cheaper Show 5, not as well on the Show 8. 

Hi @Kumar 

thanks for the hint, but what’s the sense of a wireless speaker/control setup, if I need wires to get some basic information?? 

I think the best bet is to replace the Echo Show 8 with an (used) iPad...There it works fine.

Wires by themselves aren’t bad if they can be conveniently used - and you use them for getting power anyway.

Advantages of Echo over iPad is the availability of voice control when needed, and one that has all the latest features in it, unlike that offered by Sonos. And of course, it is the only way to get it for places where Sonos has not taken the effort to make it available. It can’t be carried around like an iPad can be, but you knew that when you bought the Echo.

And Echo Show 5 works better than 8, even though it is cheaper. With the 8, artwork keeps disappearing after some time I have found whereas I can set up the 5 such that it is always displayed.

But Echo does need at least one speaker to have line in jacks.

Hi @Kumar 

yes - I use power-cords, but the speakers are nowhere near the Echo → that’s why I chose wireless speakers after all.

I just tried Echo vs. iPad: iPad works as fine and it shows much better information (btw. voice-control over Siri works too). However, voice-control works better on the Echo Show 8, but via the iPad I can stream anything to the Sonos-system and it shows what’s currently playing… as well as it shows that information on my other iOS-devices as well… so I can skip/ffwd/etc… from any device and all other devices show the changes.

Another advantage is - as you already noted - I just can carry the iPad with me.

Unfortunately I can’t compare to Echo Show 5, because I only have the 8.

And honestly, I don’t want so sacrifice my wireless (digital) setup with some analog line-in jacks…

So I think I’ll stick with iPad/iPhone - it’s not perfect, but the overall experience is far better. (This is really unfortunate, because I could have imagined the Echo as a cool desktop ‘hub’… but if even basic functionality is not working properly, I’d rather not think about something more sophisticated )

To each his own. But then why bother with an iPad, the usual phone can serve just as well. My experience is elevated via the Show 5 to an extent that I hardly use the Sonos control app these days. Google would work too, but their devices don’t have a line out.

For others reading this, note that there is no audible loss of signal quality to my ears via the line in jacks - this digital all the way thing is a theoretical benefit only.

I only use the Sonos.app to change settings on the Sonos System. Playing music, podcasts, or whatever is done via the iPad/iPhone or Siri.

And why not use my phone? 

• Because I don’t want everybody to carry my phone through the house
• because if I leave, I want everybody else to still be able to control the music 😊 
• the iPad display is simply bigger/nicer
• Controlling music is just one aspect - the iPad is also used to see who’s at the door (and open the door), as well as controlling lights, heating, etc…

And while you’re right, the difference from analog line-out vs. digital is not really hearable, the line-out potentially has some additional noise, if there’s an incoming call on some phones...

To the first, everyone with a phone that has access to the home WiFi can host the Sonos controller.

To the second, it does not make sense to use line out from a phone being used as a phone. The line out is for only where there is no other way for the two units to communicate fully with each other.

The problem with Echo for you is that between Sonos and Amazon they have not done the work needed for the Alexa integration to display what is being played via Sonos, on the Echo Show. Hence, the line in approach. Unfortunately for you, it is not convenient.

This sounds perfect for my needs. But, from what I can tell, the Move does not have a Line In jack. Can anyone confirm? If so, is there any other options to have Show 5 and Move in the same room, with the Move to play audio but using the Alexa and Screen on the Show 5?

@elee532 Set your Move to Bluetooth and connect your Echo Show to the Move via Bluetooth.

The Move does NOT have a line in port.

Hadn't really considered this. Worried it might be more complicated and/or less reliable though. Would the Show and the Move just always stay connected, or would I need to set the Move to some type of Bluetooth mode manually when I want to use the Alexa vs. playing to the Move normally with the Sonos app?