Skip to main content

Hey! Man, I really could use some help here. I’m struggling to get any output from my Sonos Sub. Here’s the room setup:

Thorens TD160 

Music Hall pa15.3 phono pre-amp (line-in to play:5)

(2) Play:5 gen 1 in stereo with Sonos Sub (one is direct connect to Wi-Fi and acts as the main controller for the rest of the house)


line in source level set at 10


This is at my folks house and it’s just temporary until I move next year sometime, but I cannot for the life of me get much of any bass coming out of the sub when I use line-in from the above set up. I set the “sub audio” to +15 and it’s still hardly working.  When I stream music the sub is knocking and it sounds great.

 

I’ve used the turntable upstairs with a receiver, old speakers and a sub which sounds good and has plenty of bass. So, I don’t think it’s the cartridge although it’s not a great one.

 

I’m pretty new to the turntable game so it definitely could be the pre-amp? But I’m thinking it’s something with my Sonos system.  Anyone have any advice or can point me in the right direction? I’d greatly appreciate it! 

 

If you set the Audio Delay setting to MAX under the Line-In settings, does it make any difference?

Hey @GuitarSuperstar! Thanks for the reply. I’ve read to have it set at MAX, so that’s where it’s currently at. Wasn’t the issue unfortunately. 

A couple of other things to try is setting Audio Compression to Compressed in the Sonos app and trying a different RCA to 3.5mm audio cable. Also be sure that the cable connections are fully inserted.

@GuitarSuperstar unfortunately, neither are the issue. Also, do I want to use compressed setting while not using line-in? Or always I should say?

@GuitarSuperstar unfortunately, neither are the issue. Also, do I want to use compressed setting while not using line-in? Or always I should say?

The Audio Compression setting only affects line-in audio.

Disconnect the Sub from the play 5 units via the app with no other change. Now when the turntable plays, do the 5 units render bass as adequately as they do when streaming from other sources?

You could eliminate the pre-amp from the suspects list.

Hook the turntable to your other system and then the tape-out there to the Play 5 input. If that  doesn’t work either then it isn’t the pre-amp.

With the Play 5 connected there you could test it with other sources too, even if just a good FM station.

Hey @Kumar, disconnected the sub and the bass from the fives seem pretty close to the same with both the turntable and streaming. 

@shredcred : that suggests that the bass issue is not in the turntable to the line in signal path, but in something internal to the Sonos units when the Sub is added to the 5 unit by bonding it. If that is the case, only Sonos support can help and you may need to send them a diagnostic taken at the time the bass is missing.

Try one thing though - what happens when you use the line in on the other 5 unit?

Terms & ConditionsCookie settings