Please make a sonos multi zone amp!
I really like my sonos equipment. However, my whole house was wired for speakers in every room (ceiling, walls, patio) with the wiring centralized in a wiring closet/built in audio rack. Instead of purchasing a separate zone amp for every room/speaker pair, I would much rather buy one or two multi zone amps from Sonos. Any chance there is a multi zone amp on the horizon? Please, please, please!!!!
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Userlevel 7
+22
If your buying a new Play:5 with input it pretty simple and under $40 to add the dongle for either of these options. We actually are hoping sonos adds chromecast natively. But it's a new standard so too early to tell yet.
So I'll need to buy a Play:5 and a Connect:amp to use Chromecast?
Userlevel 7
+22
Actually either or will work. Both have an input so you can add a chromecast audio $40 dongle to either and you will have full chromecast ability.
Userlevel 7
+22
Once you attach the chromecast dongle to a single Sonos unit all Sonos units will have access to it.
In case it isn't clear, Sonos Play5, Connect, and Connect:AMP all have inputs that you could attach a bluetooth dongle, chrome case, or airport express to.
Sorry, but I was looking at the Connect:Amp page and it doesn't look like there's a USB port to plug in the Chromecast: http://www.sonos.com/en-ca/shop/connectamp
Userlevel 7
+22
The new chromecast audio doesn't use USB. I have one connected currently to my play:5 (which has same 3.5mm input as the connect:amp). https://store.google.com/product/chromecast_audio?utm_source=en-ha-na-us-sem&utm_medium=desktop&utm_content=plas&utm_campaign=Chromecastaudio?gl=us&gclid=Cj0KEQiA4LCyBRCY0N7Oy-mSgNIBEiQAyg39tuoHp10ovS0Qt57jPGWICzDagZuheHKkPA6sIC12NAEaApHx8P8HAQ
The Connect:AMP has Auto-detecting analog (RCA) line-in connections.
The Chromecast video has only an HDMI out.
The Chromecast audio supports RCA, 3.5mm, and optical.
The Chromecast video has only an HDMI out.
The Chromecast audio supports RCA, 3.5mm, and optical.
Man, that's cool! I've got a chromecast video and assumed that was it. That is a pretty sweet setup! I can't wait to get my connect:amp now!
Why is it that Sonos thinks everyone wants tech clutter in every room?
Yea, people accept it if they have no choice, but any new house these days gets built prewired with cat6 and speakers in the ceiling and nearly every "remodel to the studs" project as well.
So why wouldn't Sonia think that is a big enough market for them? Obviously Verizon thinks it's big enough with its FIOS fiber optic system (which is a way bigger investment than Sonos putting together a multi zone amp. If anything they should at least make the amps stackable.
5 years from now most houses will have a tech closet with a rack of stackable tech equipment. Having the equivalent of a 90's style network for sound equipment seems pretty ridiculous these days. Anyone remember when DIRECTV required an individual satalite dish for every concurrent tv wanting to watch a separate channel? They don't do that any more, lol!
If I want to have music in half a dozen rooms/outside do I really want 6 non stacking pieces of equipment (in an earthquake zone) on top of all my other IoT systems.
Everyone's response is that this is what Sonos has done for years. It's pretty obvious that they've been doing it this way for 5 years too long!
Yea, people accept it if they have no choice, but any new house these days gets built prewired with cat6 and speakers in the ceiling and nearly every "remodel to the studs" project as well.
So why wouldn't Sonia think that is a big enough market for them? Obviously Verizon thinks it's big enough with its FIOS fiber optic system (which is a way bigger investment than Sonos putting together a multi zone amp. If anything they should at least make the amps stackable.
5 years from now most houses will have a tech closet with a rack of stackable tech equipment. Having the equivalent of a 90's style network for sound equipment seems pretty ridiculous these days. Anyone remember when DIRECTV required an individual satalite dish for every concurrent tv wanting to watch a separate channel? They don't do that any more, lol!
If I want to have music in half a dozen rooms/outside do I really want 6 non stacking pieces of equipment (in an earthquake zone) on top of all my other IoT systems.
Everyone's response is that this is what Sonos has done for years. It's pretty obvious that they've been doing it this way for 5 years too long!
If I want to have music in half a dozen rooms/outside do I really want 6 non stacking pieces of equipment (in an earthquake zone) on top of all my other IoT systems.
The Sonos response to this question seems to be that for such a situation, the play units are its solution.
For sound quality, they will always trump ceiling speakers. And the only place where current model play units can't work is in shower cubicles or outdoors; third party speakers driven by Connect Amp is the solution for these.
The market for cases where these Sonos solutions are not appropriate may be one that Sonos isn't targeting at this time.
I don't think people really want tech lying all over the house, especially in places like bathrooms.
The equipment attracts dust, meddling kids, water, etc (I.e just waiting for stuff to happen).
People who buy new places or are willing to remodel their house don't want the equipment cluttering every room in their house.
Sonos might think that their typical "customer" is an audiophile who doesn't mind the tech clutter, but what they don't realize is that most of these customers are married to those who are not down with having tech clutter residing outside the "man cave" lol.
And now all that clutter is scattered All. Around. The. House!
The equipment attracts dust, meddling kids, water, etc (I.e just waiting for stuff to happen).
People who buy new places or are willing to remodel their house don't want the equipment cluttering every room in their house.
Sonos might think that their typical "customer" is an audiophile who doesn't mind the tech clutter, but what they don't realize is that most of these customers are married to those who are not down with having tech clutter residing outside the "man cave" lol.
And now all that clutter is scattered All. Around. The. House!
How is a play unit, wired to the mains socket in a room, clutter?
Don't see that at all.... They won't be 'audiophiles' and Sonos kit is generally used to reduce clutter - not create it...
Userlevel 7
+22
In a closet what does six stacked vs all in one really matter. I have seen plenty just on racks too. I guess Sonos market research has told them that a more expensive all in one unit would not generate enough sales to support it. They can probably offer larger discounts to integrators on the mass market connect:amp then a small sales rack unit. It becomes all about qty sold driving down cost and the multi amp would just be a costly niche item.
Installers/integrators have been asking for a rack mount multi-channel Connect:Amp for years, with none coming. By this time I think we can say Sonos has firmly targeted the average consumer, rather than the custom installer. What with the huge sales of Play units and the downplay of units like the Connect and Connect:Amp, I doubt we will see a small sales, niche item like this come to market.
Plus, as Chris says, if it is a half dozen Connect:Amps in a wiring closet, who cares what it looks like? On the oft chance wiring closet aesthetics are your thing, Flexon even makes a special rack mount for them.
Plus, as Chris says, if it is a half dozen Connect:Amps in a wiring closet, who cares what it looks like? On the oft chance wiring closet aesthetics are your thing, Flexon even makes a special rack mount for them.
Don't see that at all.... They won't be 'audiophiles' and Sonos kit is generally used to reduce clutter - not create it...
Don't see that at all.... They won't be 'audiophiles' and Sonos kit is generally used to reduce clutter - not create it...
If you have equipment in every room, how is that not clutter?
Having to have either an amp or speakers in the bathroom on the counter in order to listen to music there for example.
Yes I know you can put in ceiling speakers and run a line to a tech closet where the amp lives, but Sonos isn't really built for that otherwise they'd put together a multi amp unit that would work for a centralized tech closet (which is my point).
So the broken window I'm trying to describe is the need for amps in all the rooms where you want to hear music, or duck taping a half dozen individual amps together in the tech closet. Is that not clear?
It's really more a space issue than aesthetics. In addition to the stack of Sonos amps, there would be space needed for all my network routers, security system equipment, and any future IoT type centralized equipment I'll need.
And it would be good if I could still be able to stick a couple of coats in there as well, lol
Do you have a link for the mount?
Installers/integrators have been asking for a rack mount multi-channel Connect:Amp for years, with none coming. By this time I think we can say Sonos has firmly targeted the average consumer, rather than the custom installer. What with the huge sales of Play units and the downplay of units like the Connect and Connect:Amp, I doubt we will see a small sales, niche item like this come to market.
Plus, as Chris says, if it is a half dozen Connect:Amps in a wiring closet, who cares what it looks like? On the oft chance wiring closet aesthetics are your thing, Flexon even makes a special rack mount for them.
And it would be good if I could still be able to stick a couple of coats in there as well, lol
Do you have a link for the mount?
Plus, as Chris says, if it is a half dozen Connect:Amps in a wiring closet, who cares what it looks like? On the oft chance wiring closet aesthetics are your thing, Flexon even makes a special rack mount for them.
a typical zone2 system would branch to 4 locations (family room, dinning room, master, study/other). There are many products over the years that work for that use case, so why wouldn't Sonos think there is a market for creating a "4 amp" solution for the same idea?
As stated, Sonos is not catering to the rack mount, custom install market. Such low volume, specialty gear is not their aim. It's been asked for by a couple posts here and there over the years, but I'm sure if the demand was there, they'd make it. They haven't, which tells me the investment is not worth the return.
Sonos "has" created a solution for it. You just want it in one box instead of 3, 6, 8, etc. I have seen some excellent looking audio closets done with Connect:Amps. The Comnect:Amp is roughly 8 inches wide and 3-1/2 inches tall. Two of them fit side by side easily on a standard 19" rack shelf or drawer. As has been mentioned, you would eliminate the cost of wifi and multiple power supplies and possibly some cpu. But, ultimately, there isn't probably a huge manufacturing cost savings that could be passed on to the consumer. In the event of an amp failure, your whole house is down while you repair or replace unless it is modular. There are numerous consumer choices for hard wired, built in whole house audio. Sonos can already play in that market but the bigger appeal is for people who move from apartment to apartment or own old architecture homes where retrofitting wire runs is a pain. Don't be elitist. Tens of thousands of new homes are built each year without all of that connectivity. Sure, it may be an option in many but typically a pricey one. And again, there are any number of systems for those scenarios. Sonos is a company. They assess demand and the cost of bringing a product to market. If they see a profitable sector they will likely try to enter it. If they don't, they don't. I don't understand why people complain about a company and their choices in these matters. They're a commercial company. Not the federal government. Buy if you like, don't if you don't. By all means ask for new products and enhancements to existing products. It's good for Sonos to hear. But don't complain about it if they don't build you what you want. Buy from someone who does. If you can find them.
There's nothing elitist about what I'm suggesting. The standard these days is to run cat6 in all new houses instead of just electric. It's just freakin the cost of wire when the sheetrock hasn't been added yet. The electrician uses the same labor to push two wires through the studs in the wall as he does one wire.
I get the whole "if one unit goes down it doesn't take down the whole system" argument, but I think it's overstated here". Yes I'd agree to that principle back in the days of those ancient tv/vcr/dvd combo units where one part would go bad before the other parts, but I'd hope that what I would buy in today's world would be more reliable than the Christmas lights of yesteryear.
They used to use that argument with computers saying that each component needed to be its own card so you could swap it out if it went bad. Now most of those components like sound, video, peripheral interface jacks, ethernet are minified and incorporated in the motherboard itself which itself now can be the size of a credit card. Now no one cares if a part goes bad because they are much more reliable and much cheaper as well.
That's my point here. If Moores Law (better, faster, smaller, cheaper) works for computers, why can't it apply here with sound equipment?
I get the whole "if one unit goes down it doesn't take down the whole system" argument, but I think it's overstated here". Yes I'd agree to that principle back in the days of those ancient tv/vcr/dvd combo units where one part would go bad before the other parts, but I'd hope that what I would buy in today's world would be more reliable than the Christmas lights of yesteryear.
They used to use that argument with computers saying that each component needed to be its own card so you could swap it out if it went bad. Now most of those components like sound, video, peripheral interface jacks, ethernet are minified and incorporated in the motherboard itself which itself now can be the size of a credit card. Now no one cares if a part goes bad because they are much more reliable and much cheaper as well.
That's my point here. If Moores Law (better, faster, smaller, cheaper) works for computers, why can't it apply here with sound equipment?
It is true that most of the more premium builds in the UK now have ceiling speaker based sound system included in the price, but as far as I can see they're just there to add perceived value... I haven't heard one yet that sounds any good, and I don't know of any people who care about music quality finding them acceptable. If you just want background music, they're OK, but stereo imaging/soundstage, realism, dynamics, etc?
Sonos buyers, whilst generally not 'audiophiles', seem to care more about the quality of what they're listening to, so find the use of the small neat Sonos units a quite acceptable compromise. Generally, Sonos kit is considered quite family friendly, compared to the genuine clutter of older style AV/hi-fi kit.
Exactly - Sonos focusses it's efforts on the units with built-in speakers- the Connect and Connect:AMP are purely to support the few who favour legacy approaches. It seems very unlikely that there would be sufficient sales (and profit) for them to go any further than they do at the moment...
I think there are more than a few who use Connect/ZP90 and Connect Amp/ZP120 units considering these were the only Zone players Sonos sold for a long time and are essentially what the company was built on. While it is true that Sonos is no longer pursuing the "prosumer" customer and has shifted focus to big box store distribution and entry level installations they have also stated an intention to embrace connected home integration strategies which kind of sends a mixed signal. If they limit themselves to the "Play" product line going forward I think that will define a ceiling that limits how far they can go in the connected home space. I don't think a connected home strategy requires a multi-zone zone player product but I also don't see it going anywhere with a product line consisting only of powered speakers.
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