One SUB for Two Rooms


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Customer suggested adding the ability to bond a SUB with 2 different Sonos devices.

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113 replies

Userlevel 7
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Always has to be in one zone but of course when both zones combined doesn't matter.
Signed up to ask just this question, so adding my name in for support. I'm not a Sonos owner at this time, but I'm interested in the playbar/sub combo. Being able to connect the same sub with a Connect: Amp and speakers in the same space, with a separate sound setting profile, would be absolutely huge in justifying the cost of investing in a Sonos system for me personally.
Real bummer that it is not possible to use the sub with listen to stereo and after that with the TV & playbar. All in the same room
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Real bummer that it is not possible to use the sub with listen to stereo and after that with the TV & playbar. All in the same room

Add your Stereo Plays to the Player as surrounds, then bond the Sub to get a 5.1 set-up. Then change the music setting in that room to "Full"
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I agree. An easier way to transfer is probably what we are looking for.

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.


Hello Thomas.

Personally I'm not asking for simultaneous use. I'm asking for an easier way to switch between a stereo Play:5 pair and the Playbar which are both in the same physical room, but are separated into two different virtual rooms (LR:Music and LR:TV)

I listen to music in the morning and then watch TV at night almost everyday. This requires me to switch the sub *every day* from the virtual Play:5(s) room and the virtual Playbar room. This just becomes tedious enough for me that I stopped doing it after awhile.

I realize that there are some clumsy UI or design issues to figure out but it would be nice to have the SUB associate with 2 virtual rooms. And automatically switch between them when they are played separated (LR:MUSIC vs LR:TV). When asked to play both, then the SUB could default to playing with just one room (e.g. LR:Music).

 
I have the exact same situation. Really hoping for a solution from Sonos.
I wouldn't expect one soon, unfortunately. This kind of request is quite old, and so far, they've not acted on it. Plus it would probably impact their sales of the SUB.
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I agree. An easier way to transfer is probably what we are looking for.

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.


Hello Thomas.

Personally I'm not asking for simultaneous use. I'm asking for an easier way to switch between a stereo Play:5 pair and the Playbar which are both in the same physical room, but are separated into two different virtual rooms (LR:Music and LR:TV)

I listen to music in the morning and then watch TV at night almost everyday. This requires me to switch the sub *every day* from the virtual Play:5(s) room and the virtual Playbar room. This just becomes tedious enough for me that I stopped doing it after awhile.

I realize that there are some clumsy UI or design issues to figure out but it would be nice to have the SUB associate with 2 virtual rooms. And automatically switch between them when they are played separated (LR:MUSIC vs LR:TV). When asked to play both, then the SUB could default to playing with just one room (e.g. LR:Music).

 


THIS. Sonos, when will this be implemented?
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I wouldn't expect one soon, unfortunately. This kind of request is quite old, and so far, they've not acted on it. Plus it would probably impact their sales of the SUB.

That's silly. The correct application of this feature would be in a open floor plan where no one in their right mind would purchase two $700 subs to enable a TV and HT zone. And moving a SUB across rooms is no different than moving a speaker (which is one of the selling points of the system to begin with). They would not be cannibalizing any sales whatsoever.
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Real bummer that it is not possible to use the sub with listen to stereo and after that with the TV & playbar. All in the same room

Add your Stereo Plays to the Player as surrounds, then bond the Sub to get a 5.1 set-up. Then change the music setting in that room to "Full"


Not even remotely the same. Surrounds = back of room. Frontstage = front of room. Plus, surrounds both from a practical and acoustic standpoint should be the 'weaker' drivers, so pairing Play:5's with a Playbar would not be wise. And it would ruin the soundstage.
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And moving a SUB across rooms is no different than moving a speaker (which is one of the selling points of the system to begin with).

Well, I have a couple thoughts on that. I've never seen someone moving their sub around, or for that matter, any speaker the size of one. That brings up the other point, the sub weighs in at almost 40lbs. That part is most definitely different than a 4lb Play 1.

I do wish there was more flexibility in grouping though, and the Sub is the most practical device in my theories.
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Just getting my oar in if you wish.....
Same as the rest. I would like to be able to share my SUB amongst my “same room” speakers.
(3surprised that it is another there)
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I can't believe I found this thread, coming to it with the same issue, and finding Sonos has yet to reply.

You mean to tell me that a Sonos sub cannot share two Play speakers and a separate Playbase/Playbar in the same room?!!!

That's totally inane!

And Sonos refuses to address this issue?

Has anyone figured out an easy fix for this? Instructions please.
I have a similar setup with two rooms that are next to each other but only have sub in the TV room, when I am listening to music, I select both the TV room and the Music room and voila the sub plays music as does the playbar which has no negative impact from my perspective. When we are watching TV I turn Sonos off and still have the sub for very nice sound on TV watching setup. Since we don't have the music and TV on at that same time ever, works for us.
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I am glad that works for you. That is the easiest solution.

However, it's disturbing that Sonos can't figure out how allow the sub to work more freely through their software client. The optimal fix would be to have a simple checkbox that activates the sub with any room selected. I am not sure why Sonos tech have not been more active in pursuing something their customers have been asking for.
NJRonbo - Agree completely, seems like it should not be that difficult to do. I certainly would not buy two subs if our rooms were further apart. Cheers.
C'mon, Sonos. How about it? Lots of demand here. I think you'd sell more Subs...

I also have a 5.1 setup (with Play:1s as the surrounds) plus a pair of Play:5s in one big room. Would be wonderful to share the sub between them depending on what I was doing.

Thanks.
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Something tells me that this is something Sonos just can't do. This idea has been pushed for a long time. Sonos won't even respond to it. When it gets down to that, it's basically a software issue that the company can't figure out. That's my best guess.
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Only getting into Sonos world, got 5 and 3x1s... was thinking about getting SUB, but if this is not possible, then I will probably pass ... was hoping to switch SUB easily from set to set. damn.... disappoint a bit 😞
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Anything new???
+ 1 for this feature.

But I'm afraid Sonos is only busy with new cooperations regarding voice control and so on 😞 No more significant improvements of the good old hardware.
Well, I imagine sales and marketing wouldn't be very happy with a change lke that, it would probably drop sales of the SUB by 30%, as a guess.

But I'm honestly confused by your statement around "significant improvements of the good old hardware". All of which got the ability to play voice controlled music, and every software update that Sonos has released is applied to all their hardware, with the only exception that I'm aware of at this point being the CR100.
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But I'm honestly confused by your statement around "significant improvements of the good old hardware". All of which got the ability to play voice controlled music, and every software update that Sonos has released is applied to all their hardware, with the only exception that I'm aware of at this point being the CR100.

Well, maybe I choosed the wrong words, what I mean is, that there are a few wishes that circulate in the forums that are more or less ignored by Sonos. As you also mentioned - it's a lot about voice control at the moment.
Ah, gotcha. Yea, I think that the marketing/sales group has a lot of input into what the development team works on. At the end of the day, Sonos lives on making hardware sales, there's no income stream from the software support, so the emphasis would naturally be on what would attract new users.
+1 here.
This sub is FANTASTIC! But us open floor plan/concept folks really need to be able to pair it with other "rooms"/ speakers.
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I’d also like the same sub to eighter play 2.1 music content or 5.1 theater content. I think the solution would be for a front stereo pair of speakers (Play 5, 3, 1, or Ones) to be bonded to the home theater setup, and the allow for a “2.1 music mode” where just the front stereo speakers and Sub play (with the option of music playing out of the other speakers as well). I wouldn’t mind if the bonded front speakers did nothing while in home theater mode, but it would be a bonus if they did. Having a 2.1 and 5.1 setup in the same physical room that shares one Sub is what matters to me. Please?!
I wouldn't expect one soon, unfortunately. This kind of request is quite old, and so far, they've not acted on it. Plus it would probably impact their sales of the SUB.