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Answered

Adding Sonos Amp to connect Turntable to Arc and outdoor speaker setup

  • 9 March 2023
  • 5 replies
  • 241 views

I am currently doing a family room addition.  I own a Sonos Arc and sub.

Here is what I want to do in order of priority.

  1. Use Sonos Arc + Sub + 2 Era 300s for my HT setup.
  1. Be able to connect my turntable to this setup.
  1. Use two sets of wired outdoor speakers.  One on the back of the house and one on the front.
  1. I will occasionally be using a TV on the back and would like the outdoor speaks to play audio from the TV.

Is this possible?

I am currently doing a family room addition.  I own a Sonos Arc and sub.

Here is what I want to do in order of priority.

  1. Use Sonos Arc + Sub + 2 Era 300s for my HT setup.

 

No problem here.

 

  1. Be able to connect my turntable to this setup.

 

 

You won’t be able to do this.  With Era 300s setup for surround duty, the USB input and bluetooth features are turned off.  You will need to have a 2nd Sonos room setup that’s connected to your turntable, and then  you can group the audio with your HT room.

 

  1. Use two sets of wired outdoor speakers.  One on the back of the house and one on the front.

 

 

Yes, you can do this.  You can get 2 amps, one for the front.  Or you can get one amp for both sets of speakers. With one amp though, the speakers will always play the same source at the same volume.  Or you can get a separate speaker switch, but that complicates control.

FYI, you can use the amp as the 2nd room for your turntable too.

 

  1. I will occasionally be using a TV on the back and would like the outdoor speaks to play audio from the TV.

Is this possible?

 

Yes.  The amp has an HDMI-ARC port to connect to your TV.

Thanks!  So I can’t connect the amp to the Arc for Turntable playback?

I would love to hear my turntable through the HT setup.  Other than that, the amp is solely to provide music as a second source from my HT setup.

 

Thanks!  So I can’t connect the amp to the Arc for Turntable playback?

I would love to hear my turntable through the HT setup.  Other than that, the amp is solely to provide music as a second source from my HT setup.

 

Think of it this way.  A Sonos system is made up of rooms.  A Room is made up of one or more speakers bonded together.   Speakers in a room (bonded) always play the same audio and volume.  You can group different rooms together temporarily to play the same audio at different volumes.

So your existing Arc and sub are one room.  When you add the 300s for surrounds, they will be bonded to the Arc and you’ll still have one room.  When you add an amp (connected to outdoor TV and turntable) for the backyard speakers, you’ll be creating a 2nd room.  You’ll be able to group these two room together to play the same audio.  That could be a streaming music, inside TV, outside TV, turntable, etc.  If you add an amp for the front yard speakers, you now have a 3rd room.

Note, for the aux input on an amp to connect the turntable, you technically don’t have to group the amp with your HT room.  The aux input (turntable) would appear as a source for you to play in your HT room or any other room.  It’s important to understand how the grouping all works though.

So I don’t have to group the amp with the Arc to play the turntable on the Arc?  If that is the case, this should all work just fine.  I can run the same music for the front and back and if I’m watching TV, I guess I can just let it play on the front, unless there is a way to mute the speakers.

Am I understanding correctly?

So I don’t have to group the amp with the Arc to play the turntable on the Arc?  If that is the case, this should all work just fine.  I can run the same music for the front and back and if I’m watching TV, I guess I can just let it play on the front, unless there is a way to mute the speakers.

Am I understanding correctly?

 

That sounds correct, yes.

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