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Arc + Sub + Amp + Sonance rear in-wall speakers - ethernet needed

  • 30 November 2022
  • 7 replies
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I recently installed a Sonos Arc + Sub + Amp → 2x Sonance Architectural in-wall speakers for my rears.

The technicians needed to plug the Arc in the eArc port of my TV, ethernet from the Arc to my Amp, and ethernet from my Amp to my router for setup. They said that this is now necessary for new Amps only, and that older same model Amps could connect wirelessly for this type of setup without ethernet.

It’s not an issue for me now, but could be if I decide to move my router elsewhere, and not run ethernet cabling throughout my house.

My question is: why do new Amps have this ethernet connectivity limitation while older models of the same device do not?

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Best answer by melvimbe 30 November 2022, 20:37

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There’s no need to wire an Amp used as surrounds.  Either they are clueless, or they are squeezing you for the extra cable and labor. 

I recently installed a Sonos Arc + Sub + Amp → 2x Sonance Architectural in-wall speakers for my rears.

The technicians needed to plug the Arc in the eArc port of my TV, ethernet from the Arc to my Amp, and ethernet from my Amp to my router for setup. They said that this is now necessary for new Amps only, and that older same model Amps could connect wirelessly for this type of setup without ethernet.

 

 

Your technicians have this exactly backwards.   The current model of the amp does not need to be wired to the Arc or the router.  It will connect to the Arc via a private wireless 5Ghz connection.  The previous model, the Connect:Amp, did not have a 5Ghz wireless radio in it, and therefore, a wired connection was required.

For background, the Connect:Amp was not originally designed to work in a home theatre setup.  Sonos had their own powered speakers for that role.  Customers requested the feature, so Sonos responded with a firmware update with the wired limitation.

 

 

 

There’s no need to wire an Amp used as surrounds.  Either they are clueless, or they are squeezing you for the extra cable and labor. 

That’s not the case, as the technicians are friends and no money was involved here.

It’s a pretty easy check too -- removing the ethernet renders the surrounds silent.

I’ve been told that it may be because the chip shortage and Sonos using different chips in current release models of the Amps not being able to process 5Ghz connection, but curious if any people who have done this setup recently have had the same experience?

Alternatively, maybe just a defective Amp?

That’s not the case, as the technicians are friends and no money was involved here.

It’s a pretty easy check too -- removing the ethernet renders the surrounds silent.

I’ve been told that it may be because the chip shortage and Sonos using different chips in current release models of the Amps not being able to process 5Ghz connection, but curious if any people who have done this setup recently have had the same experience?

Alternatively, maybe just a defective Amp?

 

I’ll bet you they turned off WiFi on the Amp.  If Sonos were actually selling a model that could not be setup as wireless surrounds, they’d have a huge disclaimer on it.   There’s nothing like that on this page: https://support.sonos.com/en-us/article/surround-sound-guidelines-and-limitations

Note that the radio/Wi-Fi needs to be ‘on’ at both devices. The Arc and the Amp. 

There’s no need to wire an Amp used as surrounds.  Either they are clueless, or they are squeezing you for the extra cable and labor. 

That’s not the case, as the technicians are friends and no money was involved here.

It’s a pretty easy check too -- removing the ethernet renders the surrounds silent.

I’ve been told that it may be because the chip shortage and Sonos using different chips in current release models of the Amps not being able to process 5Ghz connection, but curious if any people who have done this setup recently have had the same experience?

Alternatively, maybe just a defective Amp?

 

Your technician friends are wrong about the capabilities about the current model amp and are also wrong about Sonos selling them without the 5Ghz radio.   I get why they would offer that as possibility, but zero evidence of that, and would certainly hear a lot of complaints.  Without that radio, the amp could not be used for surrounds or connected as front speakers sending audio to surrounds and sub….which is probably the more common case.  It’s very significant functionality.

There’s no need to wire an Amp used as surrounds.  Either they are clueless, or they are squeezing you for the extra cable and labor. 

That’s not the case, as the technicians are friends and no money was involved here.

It’s a pretty easy check too -- removing the ethernet renders the surrounds silent.

I’ve been told that it may be because the chip shortage and Sonos using different chips in current release models of the Amps not being able to process 5Ghz connection, but curious if any people who have done this setup recently have had the same experience?

Alternatively, maybe just a defective Amp?

 

Your technician friends are wrong about the capabilities about the current model amp and are also wrong about Sonos selling them without the 5Ghz radio.   I get why they would offer that as possibility, but zero evidence of that, and would certainly hear a lot of complaints.  Without that radio, the amp could not be used for surrounds or connected as front speakers sending audio to surrounds and sub….which is probably the more common case.  It’s very significant functionality.

Supposedly what I am experiencing is a known issue with Sonos engineers with this type of setup -- not sure if a fix is being contemplated, but I hope so. Which is why I’m curious to hear from anyone with recent installs who are using a recently purchased Amp to power rears with an Arc in a surround setup.

Wifi is on, on both my Arc and Amy, and surrounds won’t work unless both devices are daisychained/hardwired into router.