One SUB for Two Rooms
The application might be specific to the sub / playbar combination. I *only* use the playbar when watching movies / tv and never as a general music room source. I would like to be able to use the sub with my Play:5 stereo pair in the same room which I use *only* as a music source and never when I'm watching TV with the playbar. Right now switching has enough of a effort barrier that I don't like switching the sub using the current protocol.
Agreed its an ask I have had as well for quite a long time the easiest way if you are doing it all the time has a minor cost to it. You find an old sonos amp on ebay, can usually be had for about 100. Pair that sub with that amp then you can simply group that amp (which is just the sub) with any other zone. That is the easiest way i have found to easily switch the sub from zone to zone to zone at will.
The application might be specific to the sub / playbar combination. I *only* use the playbar when watching movies / tv and never as a general music room source. I would like to be able to use the sub with my Play:5 stereo pair in the same room which I use *only* as a music source and never when I'm watching TV with the playbar. Right now switching has enough of a effort barrier that I don't like switching the sub using the current protocol.
That's a very clever idea Thomas! If I understand you correctly then the SUB+AMP is it's own virtual room and then I could pair this with any other room(s).
Unfortunately I'm not sure I can find a deal as good as you have found on a used Sonos AMP. I'm in Canada and searching around a bit it would probably cost at least $350 or more.
Downsides? I guess if you have to sorry about the phase and or level changes this could be a problem. Fortunately I find that I don't have to change a thing when I switch my sub between my Play:5s and Playbar.
Hmm. I wonder if I just use a Play:1 and have it muted? or will that also mute the associated SUB? Or maybe I can modify it in a reversible way so that it is silent.
Best,
Will
The application might be specific to the sub / playbar combination. I *only* use the playbar when watching movies / tv and never as a general music room source. I would like to be able to use the sub with my Play:5 stereo pair in the same room which I use *only* as a music source and never when I'm watching TV with the playbar. Right now switching has enough of a effort barrier that I don't like switching the sub using the current protocol.
SUB will mute along with PLAY:1. There is no way to defeat this -- unless you place PLAY:1 inside of a soundproof enclosure (or in the garage).
The application might be specific to the sub / playbar combination. I *only* use the playbar when watching movies / tv and never as a general music room source. I would like to be able to use the sub with my Play:5 stereo pair in the same room which I use *only* as a music source and never when I'm watching TV with the playbar. Right now switching has enough of a effort barrier that I don't like switching the sub using the current protocol.
willryu drop me a note at ifican@gmail.com when you get a moment.
I was just thinking that the solution might even be simpler, why not let the user set the cut off frequency in the sound settings manually?
Lets say I have 4 one's across my main level (two areas, but fysicly one room) and add a sub.
Te sub is added pair-1 where for the frequency cut-off is automatically set, and for pair-2, which will always be grouped with pair-1, I set the cut off manually....
Maybe, but I don't know the marketing data to support or disprove that theory.
Aso it would be nice to bond a sub to more than one player/pair I gues, so for example 4 one's can benefit from the frequency cut off and then added clarity the sub offers..
I'd personally like to see Sonos add 4 Sonos Ones/Sonos One SLs as a new room configuration. That way you can add a single sub if you wish and properly Trueplay tune the setup. I don't know the dev work required to get this correct though, nor have any idea of the volume of customers who would want such a setup. I said I'd like to see it, but I honestly wouldn't use it. All my large rooms have TVs and thus have an HT setup instead.
Aso it would be nice to bond a sub to more than one player/pair I gues, so for example 4 one's can benefit from the frequency cut off and then added clarity the sub offers..I'd personally like to see Sonos add 4 Sonos Ones/Sonos One SLs as a new room configuration. That way you can add a single sub if you wish and properly Trueplay tune the setup. I don't know the dev work required to get this correct though, nor have any idea of the volume of customers who would want such a setup. I said I'd like to see it, but I honestly wouldn't use it. All my large rooms have TVs and thus have an HT setup instead.
That is basically what I was saying, pairing 4 one's together and then adding a sub...
What happens if two different people in each room start playing different music?
Please Sonos, can't you make a way I can set my new SUB to play in both zones so I can have it for both use?
As you know, the SUB setup process does take a little time because you have to pick a few options so the crossover frequency of the SUB gets set right. So there would be the need to save multiple configuration profiles in the SUB along with a few other things too.
Anyway, I'll make sure to pass on your feedback and requests to the team. Again, thanks for sharing!
Thank you for the response. So you say you can bond the sub with multiple rooms in the house. What does that mean? I have Zone 1 running a connect amp and zone 2 running a connect amp. they are almost always playing the same source. However, there are times when Zone 2 may be on and Zone 1 is not. Will the sub power EITHER Zone 1 OR Zone 2?
As you know, the SUB setup process does take a little time because you have to pick a few options so the crossover frequency of the SUB gets set right. So there would be the need to save multiple configuration profiles in the SUB along with a few other things too.
Anyway, I'll make sure to pass on your feedback and requests to the team. Again, thanks for sharing!
Great! hope too see this in the Beta soon!
+22
As you know, the SUB setup process does take a little time because you have to pick a few options so the crossover frequency of the SUB gets set right. So there would be the need to save multiple configuration profiles in the SUB along with a few other things too.
Anyway, I'll make sure to pass on your feedback and requests to the team. Again, thanks for sharing!
Thank you for the response. So you say you can bond the sub with multiple rooms in the house. What does that mean? I have Zone 1 running a connect amp and zone 2 running a connect amp. they are almost always playing the same source. However, there are times when Zone 2 may be on and Zone 1 is not. Will the sub power EITHER Zone 1 OR Zone 2?
A Sub is BONDED to a Play unit, or a Stereo pair of Play units or a Playbar.
They are the ONLY configurations possible.
So if the Sub is bonded to your Living Room pair of Play1s and you then want to listen to your Play 3 in the next room with THAT SUB you have to un-bond it from Living Room and then Bond it with the other room
I'm blown away this isn't a feature....seems so obvious that I don't see how it was released without the ability to bind to two rooms. Sonos needs to find new talent testing and designing their products. Or is it that Sonos just wants more money!?
Unwarranted indignation. IMHO if Sonos added such complexity to cater for the tiny minority who (a) insist on running two Sonos 'rooms' in one physical room and (b) refuse to group them to enable the SUB to support both when needed, then they would need their business heads examined.
Sonos,
This is incredibly frustrating there is no resolution to this yet. I too would like a 2.1 system for music and 5.1 for tv. The beam ruins the sound quality of the play 5. We don’t have space for 2 subs. This restriction completely goes against the appeal of your “system”. I want to buy another play 5 and many more one’s but am now hesitating on all of it and thinking of returning. There are a lot of people here that have a lot of money invested in your products and you seem to be ignoring us all without a good reason. If things don’t improve, I can’t recommend this product to friends even though I really want to be able to. When can we expect a resolution?
Well said Jack.
+22
Sonos listen to requests by customers and prioritise them against other requests and other planned developments. As it is impossible to do everything, some requests are not going to be actioned and some people will be disappointed. Unfortunately for you, this request has clearly not made it to the top of the priority list yet. Maybe it never will. Why should Sonos favour your pet wish over others’? ‘Resolution’ implies a fault. There is no fault
+22
Hi Everyone
This thread is 6 years old 
. I doubt seriously that Sonos is going to attempt a sub design that works for two rooms simultaneously or as a Smart sub.
For the sake of argument lets assume that such a design became reality. Thinking this through the sub would have to be portable to go between rooms unless; you want to physically lug it around. Heaven forbid one of the rooms is up or down stairs.
Let’s take this further...the sub is assigned to the HT setup. Someone wants to listen music in another room. The sub is moved. Later in the day the HT is fired up and after a few minutes you realize the sub is missing. What’s the solution assuming the other party is still listening to music 
OK...you might say the HT setup and dedicated stereo pair are in the same room. Therefore the listener could switch the sub between HT and stereo pair and it would be Smart enough to align itself with the correct source. That scenario IMO would be a limited exception and not worth the dollars in R&D to develop the capability and continue to sell the sub at the current price point. Producing two separate subs is not cost-effective either.
However, lets assume that such a Smart sub could be produced for pennies on the dollar. Sonos is in the business to earn revenue’s and I doubt it would give such technology away for free (i.e. same price point as the current sub.) That is just bad business.
However, I do get it. Sometimes the voice of the customer can be a powerful force. In reality such things don’t happen unless there is a compelling reason to so. I guess one can always wish/hope 
Cheers!
OK...you might say the HT setup and dedicated stereo pair are in the same room. Therefore the listener could switch the sub between HT and stereo pair and it would be Smart enough to align itself with the correct source. That scenario IMO would be a limited exception and not worth the dollars in R&D to develop the capability and continue to sell the sub at the current price point. Producing two separate subs is not cost-effective either.
For this scenario, I am sure 99% of the people really don’t want two Sonos rooms in the same physical room ideally. This is just a work around for the fact that Sonos doesn’t have a single wireless, separated stereo, home theatre solution available ( not counting the Amp as wireless here). If Sonos had an HT setup where you could use two play:5s as front speakers, with a phantom or real center, I think the need for dual subs in the same room would go away almost completely.
The other requirement, to be able to physically move a single sub between rooms, has more to do with the cost of the sub than anything else. If the cost was cut in half, for example, I image most of those who ask for this feature would be fine with 2 separate subs.
Maybe I speak for myself, but I’d rather see the above two changes that see Sonos allow a single sub to be used in 2 Sonos rooms.
This thread is 3 years old. It's just on page 2. That doesn't exactly count as overwhelming support.
and should be added.
Why? What makes a feature of interest to a tiny minority more important than, say, Spotify direct streaming? I don't think you quite grasp how finite resources are allocated, based on coherently justified business plans.
It doesn't appear this would be an overly complex programming issue.
To make that statement with any confidence you'd need to be (a) an engineer with experience of a professional product delivery environment and (b) a Sonos employee with inside knowledge of the software. I've lost track of the number of times we've heard the assertion that some feature or other was 'just a few lines of code'...
Maybe I’m getting old and just set in my ways.
Anywho I’ve been involved as a consumer in audio and video equipment for well over 40 years since leaving undergrad college. I only mention “college” to let everyone know that I’ve been buying the equipment myself in my own place of residence for that long of a time.
I just don't understand why it’s expected that Sonos do more than a traditional wired setup. There are wired systems costing $30K and up with zone speakers that don’t share a sub between rooms.
As I said earlier...even if the technology exists...to do what is being suggested in this thread I doubt Sonos would do it unless the price point were adjusted. Probably making it beyond the reach of many (including yours truly).
More so than a dual purpose sub I’d like to see Sonos adopt DTS and Dolby Atmos codecs in their soundbars. IMO that would be less cost prohibitive.However, then again licensing fees may be the reason.
Lack of the aforementioned is the main reason Sonos HT is no longer in my main media room. B4 anyone asks...yes...I’ve invested in a high-end 4K player with Dolby Atmos decoding (as well as Apple TV) and a 4K TV to enjoy the experience. I can attest first hand that the listening experience between DD5.1 and Dolby Atmos is night and day. BTW my Dolby Atmos speaker system is wireless..so no loss there.
However, I digress...I just don’t see Sonos granting this wish especially after 6 years. Just as Sonos refuses to bring DTS and Dolby Atmos to their sound bars; for whatever reason. I’m sure there is an equally justifiable reason not to indulge a dual purpose sub. 
Cheers!
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