Question

Connecting headphones to Connect Amp


I have a Sonos Connect Amp to which I would like to connect headphones. As you know, the Amp does not have have a headphone jack nor does it have output jacks to connect a dedicated headphone amp. I tried coming off of the sub out port but that appears be be dedicated to sub. Only heard low end bass in my headphones. I could get a Sonos Play 5 which has headphone jack but this option seems unnecessary as I already have speakers in the room. I could get a Sonos Connect because it has output jacks but this also seems like overkill because I would have 2 zones in one room. Neither of these options are my first choice. Am I missing an option? Thank you

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12 replies

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Hello Fred,

The CONNECT:AMP only has options for audio inputs and the subwoofer out, both of which would not help you utilize your headphones with the system. As you mentioned, if you wanted to use headphones with a Sonos system you would want to consider the PLAY:5 and/or the CONNECT, both of which have audio outputs.

We do currently have an open feature request where clients have voiced support for Sonos Headphones- the thread can be found here. If you think this is something you'd like to see as well, I'd recommend that you add your vote and follow the thread. This will update you on the status of this idea as well as let our developers know that there are more people who'd like to see this implemented. 
yes!!! I think you should make this happen.  
I too would love headphones. Just moved from a private home to a condo community and want to try not disturbing the neighbors. Have 2 Play 3s, Playbar, Sub, and Connect Amp/speakers, and find it astonishing that with all of this equipment and investment, that there is no good way to listen privately!
Come on Sonos! For a system that I think of as being well executed and sophisticated, surely you can address this shortcoming.
I have one Connect Amp which I love. Would definitely buy another for upstairs but only if it had a headphone jack.
Please help me to understand this need, because at the moment I genuinely don't get it. I don't often listen to music on headphones at home, but when I do, I have a nifty trick. I plug my headphones into my smartphone, just like I do when I'm out and about. I have Google Play Music for my music library and just about anything else I care to listen to. I have internet radio. If I needed it I could listen to the music stored on the phone (64GB micro SD card).

What killer advantage would there be in plugging into a Sonos component rather than a phone? Given that the headphone socket was dropped from the Play:5 gen 2, I suspect Sonos have struggled to come up with an answer to that question too.
I can't speak for others although I'm sure they have their reasons. For me, my wife's prefers I use headphones at 11pm on a Saturday night when she wants to sleep & I want to crank music. My AKG headphones don't exactly fit in my iPhone nor would the quality of the music resemble anything I would care to listen to.
CONNECT:AMP is no more suited for driving headphones than any other regular power amplifier. Although the impedance may be a decent match, the headphones' power requirement is low enough that you could end up with insufficient granularity in the volume control. Basically, the setting could be very near the bottom of the scale for an acceptable listening level. And at that point you may find that the noise floor intrudes.

I'd suggest you consider a CONNECT (or ZP90/80 off eBay) for this situation, feeding a headphone amp of your choosing. There are combined DAC/amps for headphones which sound pretty decent. I have a couple of these hung off ZP80s for private listening via Sennheisers.
My AKG headphones don't exactly fit in my iPhone nor would the quality of the music resemble anything I would care to listen to.Well, lossless music streamed through my phone to my AKG headphones sounds pretty good to me. But as I say, I'm not a frequent headphone user so maybe what's good enough for me wouldn't be good enough for more frequent users.
I have a portable headphone amp connected to my ZP90. It's an effective and relatively inexpensive approach. Once the warranty is over my ZP will undergo some surgery and will receive an integrated headphone amp board. I'll send the plans to Sonos for free so that they can start the production ;-)

@John, how can i stream my (non DLNA) music library from my phone? How to get a decent sound level on my high impedance head phones from an average mobile? And how do I connect a 6.35mm jack to my mobile without one of these lousy adaptors? Same questions if the phone is an iphone7.
Whoops, wrong thread.
I would like to listen to my vinyl using headphones once in a while without having to buy a receiver - is there any product that Sonos sells that I can use headphones on?
I would like to listen to my vinyl using headphones once in a while without having to buy a receiver - is there any product that Sonos sells that I can use headphones on?

You could bypass Sonos altogether, and plug your phono preamp into a headphone amp, like this one: http://www.schiit.com/products/fulla-2

Or, the output of a Sonos Connect into the Schiit headphone amp to play any Sonos audio through headphones.