You can, but the analog line in imparts a 75ms buffering lag, which will throw off lip sync.

Hi.  You could, but it would only play in stereo and there would be an audio lag of at least 75ms, which is enough to cause lip synch issues, which may or may not bother you.

Thanks for this, I did not know about the lag.

Would it make any difference if I extracted the audio (from an Amazon fire stick 4K max) via a cheap neoteck hdmi audio extractor (I’ve got one of these and it’s a pretty good product) and then went from the neoteck into the optical port of the sonos connect instead? Would that sort out the delay?

The optical is an output, not an input.  

This isn’t the way to go for Sonos audio with a projector, IMO.  In fact, Sonos HT products are really designed for TVs, but can be made to work with projectors.

Generally it is better to split the audio from the video and send the audio straight to the Beam rather than through the projector.  The best solution for this is one of the newish ‘HDMI-ARC/eARC splitters’ that have recently appeared.  It does mean a longish cable somewhere.  \this is in the nature of a system in which the picture is produced a long way from where the audio has to come from.

Forget the Connect.  It isn’t intended for AV applications.

Thanks for this. Not really sure what to do. The cinema system I have inherited has extremely inaccessible wiring. (The existing cable goes up the chimney breast and inside the ceiling recess.)

John B - what I don’t quite get is why the new HDMI splitters, like the arcana fury for example, which split the signal into audio and video, work any better than just a normal (and much cheaper) 4K splitter? Can you not just send a normal HDMI (including video) signal to the sonos?

Because Sonos works using an HDMI ARC signal, not an HDMI signal. This implies some sort of electronics that creates the ARC signal, which is normally part of the display (TV set). The ARC signal is not generated by sources devices, they send only standard HDMI signals.
 

What is ‘special’ about devices like the HD Fury device, and likely why they’re not a inexpensive as a regular switch, is that they contain those electronics that take the standard HDMI signal, and create an ARC (or eARC) signal that can then be sent to Sonos. 

Oh i seeeeee. I didn’t realise this.

so: if I have an AVR with an ARC output (a denon avr x-3300w) could I split this output with a normal 1 in 2 out hdmi splitter like the one in the link below, and then send one to the sonos beam Gen 1, the other to the projector?

or would the sonos friendly arc signal be lost by virtue of being sent through the splitter?

Portta HDMI Splitter 4k 1 in 2 out 2 Way HDMI V2.0 Splitter 1x2 Amplifier Distributor Supports 4K@60Hz HDCP 1.4/2.2 Ultra HD Full 3D HDR For PS4 PRO/Xbox One/Roku/Fire TV https://amzn.eu/d/f9x6aR5

Most splitters either discard and/or ignore the ARC signal on the pins/parts of the cables that carry it. You may want to confirm with Portta about that particular device, I have no familiarity with that brand. 

Hello again.

i am really grateful for your help. My setup is quite odd. What I want is to be able to use my projector with *either* my AVR and surround 5.1 system OR a sonos beam (basically depending on whether my daughter is asleep upstairs. The ceiling mounted speakers are under her bed). But I’d also like to be able to send just the audio to my AVR, not the picture, because my AVR is old and can’t handle 4K but the projector can.

so I am thinking this might meet my needs (if it works)?

4K inputs in (fire stick Apple TV etc via an hdmi switch), one out to the sonos beam, one to the projector and one to the AVR?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/165729343818?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=LzGm_WwRQc6&sssrc=2349624&ssuid=cU3FWsloSea&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

Hi, did you get this working ok? I have just purchased an Epson Tw7000 and use a Beam with 2 Sonos Ones for audio. I have a Firestick 4k and I have used a splitter to send 5.1 audio to the Sonos via a long hdmi cable, I used the spdif converter. This works great for audio, but the video is only SDR. I think my splitter may not be up to the job even though it is rated 4k, so wondering if you have had more success with yours? 

Hi,

So in the end I bought this and it’s excellent. (I did not pay £116 for it, and there are identical devices to this you can buy on ebay etc imported from china for cheaper.)

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0B4PPH211/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

It sends the picture to the projector, the HDMI arc signal to the sonos beam, and another audio only out to my very old Denon AVR-2807 out.

It has been absolutely perfect for me, especially because my AVR cannot pass through 4K picture, but now the picture goes straight to the projector and only the audio to the AVR. Couldn’t believe such a product existed.