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sonos amp with yamaha sub and a pair of play 3's


Can I use my sonos amp with a yamaha sub and a pair of play 3's? I don't seem to hear the sub? Does it disconnect the sub when using the play 3's?

15 replies

No. Or at least, I don’t think so. The Amp requires, I believe, a pair of speakers before the line level subwoofer output is activated. The PLAY:3s would be set up as a second ‘room’ in the Sonos software, and have no impact on the subwoofer in any way. 

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I thought as much though some of the online topics seemed confusing. I did try it with no luck. Looks like the only option is the Sonos wireless sub.

Or replace the PLAY:3s with a passive set of speakers connected to the Amp, which should then send a line level output through the sub output port. That’s assuming the Yamaha accepts a line level input. 

 

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Yeah and setup an isolated analogue type arrangement just for my record player and amp. I do find the whole line input integration very unintuitive.

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Would the sub work if I connected the play 3s to the amp using ethernet cable?

It’s not an ideal setup because the PLAY:3’s would not have the benefit of the AMP’s subwoofer crossover, but you could connect the turntable or CD player to AMP, then Group the PLAY:3’s with AMP. There is a second, very subtle, potential issue that some listeners will experience, most will not.

All members of a Group are time aligned. This time alignment has always been a unique, patented SONOS feature. As music is sent out over the network to a bunch of speakers, there will be momentary stalls in the network traffic potentially causing some speakers to fall behind. You may be aware of the 75ms latency between SONOS Line-In and output from the players. This latency gives each player some time to adjust for varying network delays. If you are very sensitive and paying close attention, it will seem like the musical “image” will shift slightly while an adjustment is underway, Like I said, some listeners will notice this adjustment, others will not. If you don’t notice, don’t feel like you are in a disadvantaged bin, in my opinion you are in the fortunate bin. Unfortunately, I’m in the unfortunate bin. This is an occasional, well done adjustment that does not gross me out. In real terms the sonic consequence of the adjustment is similar to you slowly moving a speaker location a couple feet.

No, I wouldn’t think so. There isn’t really any setup that would ‘work’, beyond what I suggested above. There just aren’t any Sonos devices designed just to work with a subwoofer. 

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Or just buy another Sonos sub lol

Heh. Yea, I should have said to ‘push’ a third party Sub at the same time as using Sonos speakers. 

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Fyi I just tried Buzz's suggestion of grouping but still nothing. It seems as there are no speakers physically wired and connected to the amp it disables the sub and just plays through the play 3’s. So either a Sonos wireless sub or another pair of wired speakers.

Yes! You can!

I don’t have an AMP handy to test this. Perhaps another AMP user could temporarily disconnect the speakers  and check to see if the SUB output continues.

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Does anyone have step by step instructions as I cant figure it out!? I have a record player and sub physically connected to amp. Plus a pair of 3’s wireless called Office. So I select Office and Line In (amp) as the source. If I change the sub or speaker volume etc on the amp through the app it does nothing (I assume this is only relevant if you have speakers wired to the amp). All volume is controlled through the Office settings for the 3’s. Nothing comes out of the sub.

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According to copilot it is possible so will try again !

 

Sure, here’s a step-by-step guide to set up your Sonos Amp with a turntable, a wired non-Sonos subwoofer, and Play:3 speakers:

Step 1: Connect the Turntable to the Sonos Amp

  1. Check for a built-in preamp: If your turntable has a built-in preamp, you can connect it directly to the Sonos Amp. If not, you’ll need an external phono preamp.
  2. Connect the turntable: Use an RCA cable to connect the turntable (or preamp) to the line-in ports on the back of the Sonos Amp1.

Step 2: Connect the Wired Non-Sonos Subwoofer

  1. Locate the subwoofer output: Find the subwoofer output on the Sonos Amp, labeled “SUB”.
  2. Connect the subwoofer: Use an RCA cable to connect the subwoofer to the Sonos Amp2.
  3. Adjust subwoofer settings: In the Sonos app, go to Settings > System > [Your Sonos Amp] > Subwoofer. Adjust the subwoofer settings, including the crossover frequency and output level2.

Step 3: Set Up the Play:3 Speakers

  1. Power on the Play:3 speakers: Plug in your Play:3 speakers and power them on.
  2. Add Play:3 to the Sonos system: Open the Sonos app on your mobile device. Go to Settings > System > Add Product and follow the instructions to add your Play:3 speakers to the system.

Step 4: Configure the Sonos Amp

  1. Open the Sonos app: Ensure your mobile device is connected to the same Wi-Fi network as your Sonos Amp.
  2. Add the Sonos Amp: In the Sonos app, go to Settings > System > Add Product and follow the instructions to add the Sonos Amp.
  3. Name the room: During setup, you’ll be prompted to name the room where the Sonos Amp is located.

Step 5: Adjust Settings

  1. Line-In Settings: In the Sonos app, go to Settings > System > [Your Sonos Amp] > Line-In. Adjust the settings for the turntable, including autoplay and volume3.
  2. Subwoofer Settings: In the Sonos app, go to Settings > System > [Your Sonos Amp] > Subwoofer. Adjust the subwoofer settings to your preference2.

Step 6: Group the Devices

  1. Group the Play:3 speakers: In the Sonos app, go to the Rooms tab. Select the room with the Sonos Amp and group it with the Play:3 speakers.

Step 7: Enjoy Your Setup

  1. Play music: Use the Sonos app to play music from your turntable or any other source. The sound will be distributed through the Sonos Amp, subwoofer, and Play:3 speakers.

 

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FY I followed the steps above and the sub works!!

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