Can I hook TV to Connect Amp?

Jay Suckey,

While you could extend the TV's analog output to the CONNECT:AMP's Line-In, you will not be able to control the Volume with the TV's remote unless the TV's analog audio output tracks the TV's volume control.

While extending the Line-In connection will probably work, there could also be some issues created by the power wiring in your house.

Note that some TV's do not pass digital audio input (HDMI) through to their analog audio outputs.

Finally, there will be a slight delay between input to Line-In and output from the speakers connected to the CONNECT:AMP. This is usually not a significant issue.

Thanks for the info buzz! I was going to run Cat5e and run the RCA over Cat5e and then back out to RCA to connect into Sonos. Is there a remote or anything I could do to control the sound without getting up and going to the ipad?

Volume control on Sonos unit itself, using your phone or other controller, or a Logitech Harmony Ultra remote only options I know to adjust volume.

Jay Suckey wrote:

I was going to run Cat5e and run the RCA over Cat5e and then back out to RCA to connect into Sonos. Is there a remote or anything I could do to control the sound without getting up and going to the ipad?

Make sure that you use an official fixture for this (often called a "BALUN") at each end of the run. Simply stuffing a raw audio signal over a CAT-5e with some crude adapters usually does not work out.

You could use a phone for volume control. Also, some of the latest HARMONY remotes can control SONOS volume. (I have not used this feature and I don't care for the HARMONY's, but they are a favorite of the D.I.Y. community)

Hello - I have a similar situation but would like to set it up slightly different. Would the following work?? During construction we have hard wired speakers and TVs to a central closet for the full house. I have a main area that is wired for 4 ceiling speakers, the room also has a TV hard wired to the central closet VIA HDMI. I would like to buy a CONNECT AMP, place it in the central closet and power the 4 ceiling speakers (sounds like a no brainier on this one) for music. I would also like to push TV audio out to the same speakers. The TV itself is hard wired into the central closet via HDMI (from Google Fiber TV Box GFHD200 to Samsung HD TV).... QUESTION - could I keep the TV connected this way (HDMI) but ALSO use the Analog AV OUT on the Google GFHD200 and connect to the Red / White Analog Audio IN to push the sound out to the ceiling speakers? THANK YOU!!!

Hey Jay Suckey,

While the CONNECT:AMP can be used with TV there may be certain challenges as buzz and Chris have already mentioned. As the CONNECT:AMP was designed to be used with music there can and may be a slight delay between the video and voice; however, many other Sonos users have implemented a CONNECT:AMP with a TV and haven't had any problems. Using Cat5e with adaptors or even the Balun could add to the processing of data and therefore may cause some delays as well. buzz and Chris have both offered great solutions for volume control.

joshkropf - The first thing you will want to make sure of is if the four speakers are all rated at 8 Ohms as mismatching between 4, 6, and 8 Ohms may damage the CONNECT:AMP and speakers. We have a guide that outlines all of this here. Using the Analog AV Out on the Google GFHD200 to the analog in of the CONNECT:AMP should be fine, but, as mentioned above, there could be a slight delay between the audio and video.

Hello! Thank you so much for the info... Question - how does one tell how a speaker is rated in Ohms? I have not bought the speakers yet. I am considering these from Polk Audio (Link below). I can not find the rating listed for Ohms nor on the manufacturing site. Thanks for any added help!

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00006BMQT/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=1ONM09A76JUCC&coliid=I1BVY0BLP9A7DN&psc=1

The specifications in the user manual for those Polks state they are "compatible with 8 Ohm amplifiers". So their impedance is 8 Ohms.

I also found the same information as jgatie via Best Buy's website under product features.

Thank you all!

Andy B wrote:

Hey Jay Suckey,

joshkropf - The first thing you will want to make sure of is if the four speakers are all rated at 8 Ohms as mismatching between 4, 6, and 8 Ohms may damage the CONNECT:AMP and speakers. We have a guide that outlines all of this here. Using the Analog AV Out on the Google GFHD200 to the analog in of the CONNECT:AMP should be fine, but, as mentioned above, there could be a slight delay between the audio and video.

UPDATE and One More Question: I installed the speakers and SONOS Connect, it was absolutely much easier than expected.... everything from the Polk's ease of install into the ceiling to setting up the SONOS CONNECT AMP! The company who wired my home during construction had left hard speaker rings in the ceiling that were for other speakers, so had to rip them out and cut slightly larger holes.. had it not been for that, really could have been streaming music in a matter of an hour or so! I am just a novice home owner 🙂

Okay Question now on TV Audio... Here is what I have tried but what I am getting out is just a "clicking audio noise" when switching over to the SONOS Line In. I connected - FROM Google Fiber's GFHD200 Digital Optical Audio Out (S/PDIF) into this Digital to Analog Converter- https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01H4XC3DC/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 - Then from this converter I ran my Red and White's into the SONOS audio INs.

It makes a clicking noise, that I assume is some level on audio input but it's not getting converted maybe? Any ideas?

THANKS!

UPDATE: Google Fiber provided me a AV Breakout cable in which I was able to take from the AV Out directly to the SONOS CONNECT AMP using only the Red / Whites... and WA LAAAA!!!!!! Audio input successful and even better NO DELAY in the audio to the picture! Note that I also was able to keep the TV connected via HDMI! Thanks all for all the help on here, love being a new SONOS user!

joshkropf wrote:

UPDATE: Google Fiber provided me a AV Breakout cable in which I was able to take from the AV Out directly to the SONOS CONNECT AMP using only the Red / Whites... and WA LAAAA!!!!!! Audio input successful and even better NO DELAY in the audio to the picture! Note that I also was able to keep the TV connected via HDMI! Thanks all for all the help on here, love being a new SONOS user!

Great to hear there is no delay. Do you get a fair bit of volume from the 4 inceiling speakers powered by the 1 Connect Amp? Party loudness music??

Hi trying to do somethin similar, im using a hdmi matrix to send sky etc to different tvs, im placing a sonos connect amp in 2 of the rooms with tvs, can i connect a cable from my tvs directly into the back of each sonos connect amp, so i can play tv-sound through the ceiling speakers, also if i connect these cables does it mean i have to listen to the audio through the speakers at all times and no sound will come from the tv?

Also in 1 of the rooms im installing a playbar connected to tv, can i play this sound from the playbar to the other sonos connect amps in different areas?

thanks

Hey betts87 - I'm no expert but here is the answers that I know based on my recent experience setting up my environment as described in this thread.

- Yes you can connect directly from your TV into the Sonos Connect AMP - believe your TV would need a "headphone jack" audio out.. and you would use the cable that has the male headphone connector and the Red and White audio cables on the other end .. a standard "Y" Cable. I believe there could be a delay in the audio as some have mentioned online. I personally connected from the cable tv box audio out and do not have any audio delays.

- in my set up and can get tv audio out of either and/or both the Sonos speakers.. for every day use, so far I still use the TV speakers.. for Sports and other times I just turn on the Sonos TV audio for the beter experience. With both on, the ceiling speakers basically dominate the sound.

Sorry I cannot personally answer the last one about playbar audio, but someone here should be able to.. I would think in theory you could group the Playbar and the Connect AMP together and play the same audio... but someone smarter than I needs to confirm.

GOOD LUCK!