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Turntable plugged into Line-In on SONOS Amp + SONOS In-Ceiling Speakers WITHOUT DELAY / DIGITAL FEATURES

  • July 23, 2020
  • 10 replies
  • 1287 views
B

Is it possible to get a pure/flat signal straight from my turntable into my in-ceiling speakers without ANY digital features and EQ?  I’m trying to mimic a typical turntable->powered speakers configuration but with my SONOS equipment.

Details:

  • Audio-Technica at-lp120xusb turntable using onboard pre-amp / output set to line
  • SONOS Amp connected via analog RCA cables
  • SONOS In-Ceiling Speakers connected via analog speaker wire

Again, my goal is no digital features.  No streaming, no buffering/delays, no multi-room, etc.

Thanks!

Best answer by Airgetlam

I concur with Kumar, furthermore, there is no way to skip the digital conversion of any input to a Sonos system. Any analog input would be subject to digital conversion so that it can be sent to any other Sonos speaker across Ethernet, be it wifi or cabled. There is no direct pass through of an analog signal. 

There is no way to turn off those features you don’t want. As Kumar suggests, you’d be better off with a non Sonos amplifier. 

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10 replies

Paul A
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  • Paul A
  • Retired Sonos Staff
  • July 23, 2020

Hi @briandberman.

Welcome to the Sonos community and thanks for reaching out with a detailed description of what set up you have.

I would like to confirm that using RCA cables from the turntable to a pre-amp to amplify the Sound connected to the Sonos Amp via RCA cable then from the Sonos Amp connected to third party architectural speakers via speaker wires is a digital output signal converted from an analog input on the Sonos amp coming directly from the turntable going to your architectural speakers. I would also like to share with you this guide about audio compression within the Sonos app to have a better understanding on possible audio delays.

Please let me know if you still have further questions or concerns. We are always here to help.

Thanks,

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K
  • Kumar
  • July 24, 2020

 

I would like to confirm that using RCA cables from the turn table to a pre-amp to amplify the Sound connected to the Sonos Amp via RCA cable then from the Sonos Amp connected to third party architectural speakers via speaker wires is an analog signal transfer directly from the turn table going to your architectural speakers.

I do not think this is correct, unless with Sonos Amp, Sonos has changed the architecture philosophy in a major and unreported manner. No Sonos kit does signal pass through as the quoted claims; as soon as any Sonos line in jack gets a signal it is first digitised via a analog to digital conversion.

Airgetlam
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K
  • Kumar
  • July 24, 2020

 

Again, my goal is no digital features.  No streaming, no buffering/delays, no multi-room, etc.

Thanks!

If you do not need multiroom, why not just a regular stereo amp?

And, if Sonos Amp is to be used, why do the ADC/DAC steps matter? They don't change the  heard sound.

Airgetlam
  • Airgetlam
  • Answer
  • July 24, 2020

I concur with Kumar, furthermore, there is no way to skip the digital conversion of any input to a Sonos system. Any analog input would be subject to digital conversion so that it can be sent to any other Sonos speaker across Ethernet, be it wifi or cabled. There is no direct pass through of an analog signal. 

There is no way to turn off those features you don’t want. As Kumar suggests, you’d be better off with a non Sonos amplifier. 

Bruce
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jgatie
  • jgatie
  • July 24, 2020

Hi @briandberman.

Welcome to the Sonos community and thanks for reaching out with a detailed description of what set up you have.

I would like to confirm that using RCA cables from the turn table to a pre-amp to amplify the Sound connected to the Sonos Amp via RCA cable then from the Sonos Amp connected to third party architectural speakers via speaker wires is an analog signal transfer directly from the turn table going to your architectural speakers. I would also like to share with you this guide about audio compression with in the Sonos app to better understand analog transfer rate when you plan on grouping the Sonos Amp with other Sonos wireless speakers while listening to the audio from the turntable.

Please let me know if you still have further questions or concerns. We are always here to help.

Thanks,

 

What you “confirm” is 100% incorrect.  All Line-In signals are digitized and buffered before playing, even when you are only playing to the device with the Line-In. 

Good grief, you are hired to do one thing, and you can’t even get that right?  My advice, when confronted something that is not in your scripts, let the users handle it.  

ratty
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N
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  • nik9669a
  • Senior Virtuoso
  • July 24, 2020


Please let me know if you still have further questions or concerns. We are always here to help.

Thanks,


Paul, will you please confirm whether you are right or wrong with your answer above?

 

Like several others, I think you’re wrong, and if so you should set the record straight. (No pun intended re turntable and record 😜!)

ratty
  • ratty
  • July 24, 2020

Line-In is digitised on input. Volume/EQ is in the digital domain. 

Paul A
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  • Paul A
  • Retired Sonos Staff
  • July 25, 2020

Hi @ALL,

Thanks for the feedback and corrections. 
I would like to apologize with the incorrect information posted. Necessary corrections have been made. The Sonos Amp does convert audio line-in signal to digital signal due to the Sonos amp having a built-in Class D digital amplifier that takes an incoming analog signal and converts it into a digital representation. Please see the Sonos Amp product manual for more information. 

Thanks,

 

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B
K
  • Kumar
  • July 25, 2020

The Sonos Amp does convert audio line-in signal to digital signal due to the Sonos amp having a built-in Class D digital amplifier that takes an incoming analog signal and converts it into a digital representation. Please see the Sonos Amp product manual for more information. 

 

 

Perhaps I am being pedantic but this Sonos feature has nought to do with Class D architecture being employed. And I am not sure where this matter is referred to in the product manual. 

But yes, it is good to know that nothing has changed in Sonos Amp with respect to this way of dealing with signals at the line in jacks.

ratty
  • ratty
  • July 25, 2020

Class D is in fact analog amplification based on switching, hence the high efficiency. 

(It’s possible to feed a digital signal directly as input, but overall performance can suffer.)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Class-D_amplifier

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