Does ANY piece of equipment you connect to the line-in RCA’s on Amp require a pre-amp? It doesn’t really seem to be clearly defined anywhere.
Best answer by AjTrek1
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Userlevel 7
Hi
Turntables will require a pre-amp either built in or 3rd party. Devices such as a CD player do not. What device are you planning to connect to the Amp
If you’re interested…Here is a good reference between Phono and Line levels. All Sonos line-ins are looking for line level data.
It’s a music streamer by a company named Eversolo, their model #DMP-A6. I’ve used it successfully with another amp before, no issues whatsoever. I tried to incorporate the Eversolo/Amp combo into an existing Sonos speaker ecosystem I have and couldn’t get it to work.
Why add one streamer upstream of another?
But if you must, wiring its analog out jacks to the Sonos Amp audio in jacks, and setting latter to autoplay should get it to work.
I’m aware that I can stream through the Sonos app as well, but I’m looking to put the Eversolo to use. It is more capable, has a nice color screen, etc.
Exactly - it should work. Maybe it has to with the fact that I was trying to repurpose two Era 300’s that were already set up with an ARC in a surround setup.
Would two Era 100’s be wirelessly compatible with the Amp just as a front stereo pair? If so, I may spring for a pair and set them up in a separate “room” to use them with the Eversolo/Amp that way.
Userlevel 7
+22
Sonos set up as Surrounds ONLY do Surround, no other functions are available.
You can set the audio source for the Surrounds to send them Ambient or the Full R/L channels in music mode, not in TV mode though.
Userlevel 7
I see that
@Kumar ’s suggestion is spot on.- If you still want a dedicated solution for your streamer you can use it’s analog RCA outs to any Sonos speaker (or stereo pair) not used as a surround. Your options are Sonos Five(s), Era 300(s) and Era 100(s). The only caveat is that the Era 300 or Era 100 will require the use of the Sonos branded Line-in adaptor as shown here. Once the music is steamers through the selected spearker(s) they can be “Grouped” to other Sonos speakers in your home for simultaneous enjoyment.
I hope this answers your question regarding Sonos integration with your streamer.
Understood, thank you - I knew the hardwire/adapter route would work, but I was hoping to avoid that if possible.
I did pick up a pair of Era 100’s and was able to get them to work with the Eversolo/Amp combo, but only as surrounds. It sounds OK with music in either full or ambient mode but I realize I have no stereo separation this way. What’s frustrating to me is that nowhere in Sonos’ documentation (at least that I can see) do they tell you which Sonos speakers can be used wirelessly with Amp as a stereo pair and which cannot until you’re already in the middle of the setup… which is too late. As I recall you can only use Move or something similar as a stereo pair wirelessly and I have no interest in that. If I knew all this in advance (and I searched everywhere), it would have avoided a lot of these questions. The lack of documentation on this is very frustrating and shocking to me.
Now i just have to decide if I want to keep this whole setup and use it as is, go the hardwire route, or return both the Amp and Era 100’s.
Userlevel 7
Here’s a small tutorial on the Sonos Amp specific to your use scenario; (with the Eversolo DMP-A6) as there are others for home theater:
- The Amp can power wired 3rd party speakers which will provide left/right channels. The Amp in this case is a stand-alone streamer
- The Amp can use its RCA inputs to accept a pre-amped device (or one using a 3rd party pre-amp in between) to send source audio to the wired speakers. This option is widely used with Turntables; but will work with Eversolo DMP-A6
- The Amp can use its RCA inputs to send source audio Wirelessly from a pre-amped device (or one using a 3rd party pre-amp in between) to any single, stereo pair of matching Sonos speakers or Sonos home theater setup by activating line-in feature in Sonos App and selecting the room to which the Sonos single, stereo pair or Sonos home theater is located
Less expensive (*) options other than purchasing a Sonos Amp specific to your use scenario; are:
- Purchase any single or pair of Sonos matching speakers with line-in capability for a direct connection. Using a stereo pair provides adjustable left/right channels.
- Purchase the Sonos Port (**) and use its RCA inputs to send source audio Wirelessly from a pre-amped device (or one using a 3rd party pre-amp in between) to any single, stereo pair of matching Sonos speakers or Sonos home theater setup by activating line-in feature in Sonos App and selecting the room to which the Sonos single, stereo pair or Sonos home theater is located.
Note: Grouping with other Sonos rooms is possible with any option selected
(*) Less expensive will depend upon which price points (and number of components) are selected
(**) The Port can also be used as a stand-alone streamer to send audio to Sonos speakers wirelessly by activating line-in feature in Sonos App
Not true. I tried that…. I originally set up the Era 100’s as a stereo pair, tried to connect them to the Amp and the app told me to I had to break up the pair and use them as surrounds instead. Wouldn’t let me do it.
Almost seems as if the app thinks I’m using it in a TV setup? Maybe I should do a factory reset on the Amp and then reinstall? Would I have to reset and reinstall the Era 100’s too? And would it matter which order I do them in?
Userlevel 7
+22
Since you aren’t using words for your setup that directly relate to Sonos it is hard to follow what you are doing.
How are you trying to “connect” to the Amp, Bonding as surrounds (one Room) or Grouping (two Rooms) as they are very different things.
As surrounds the inputs to them is disabled. As grouped speakers the inputs are enabled.
Userlevel 7
+17
If you chose to add them as surrounds (called bonding is Sonos speak) the system would indeed advise you to break the stereo set up apart and bond the speakers as surrounds. If you want to group the stereo “room” with the Amp “room” you need to take a look here: https://support.sonos.com/article/group-and-ungroup-rooms
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+22
That shows the Era 100s as Surrounds (LS and RS) in that mode all the other functions are disabled and they are just Surrounds.
If you don’t want them as Surrounds then you have to remove them from the Room. Once removed as Surrounds the other functions will once again be available.
I tried that earlier today, and again just now. Once I remove them as surrounds I lose all audio output through the Eversolo/Amp using line-in. No sound at all. They still show in the “Main Bedroom”, though… should I move them to another room and group the rooms?
Userlevel 7
+22
If you group them with the Amp they will play what it is playing.
Doesn’t matter what room of your house they are in, or the name you assign the Sonos Room, they work the same way in either case.
GOT IT, finally. I re-established the stereo pair of Era 100’s, then ended up with two “Main Bedrooms” listed under “Autoplay Room”… one apparently containing the Amp and one apparently containing the L/R stereo pair of Era 100’s. Under System/Products, they read Main Bedroom and Main Bedroom (L + R), which is self-explanatory, but under Autoplay Room they both just read Main Bedroom. I selected the other “Main Bedroom” than I was using before in Autoplay Room and now it works. I’m tempted to try renaming the rooms somewhere to make things easier in case the settings change and I forget all of this later on, but I’m afraid I might screw something up. Anyway…
Thanks for all of your help!
Userlevel 7
Not true. I tried that…. I originally set up the Era 100’s as a stereo pair, tried to connect them to the Amp and the app told me to I had to break up the pair and use them as surrounds instead. Wouldn’t let me do it.
Ahh ha!! You finally got things to work as I suggested. Good job!!
BTW… changing the name of the room where the stereo pair of Era 300’s is located is simple. Just go to that room and click on name and change it to what ever you like. Not required but you can close the app on your device and restart it to make sure everything is locked in.
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