No L/R analog outs on receiver...what's the best option from AVR to Connect?

Did you link the right receiver? That has a pre-out section. The RCA jacks labeled “front” should be what you need.

Oh, ok. Well I'm confused cause the specs say "Analog L&R Out- No." If I use the preamp out, I'd need the Connect: Amp, though, right? I want to use the Marantz's amp, which I'm sure is better than the Connect: Amp's..

Ok, I’m not sure what you’re trying to do. The Connect’s purpose is to take the Sonos output and play it through a normal hifi and/or to take the audio from an analog source like a CD player, a turntable, etc and share it with other Sonos devices in other zones. These connections are for unamplified analog signals. The amplifier in the Marantz receiver is only for the regular, passive, speakers attached to the receiver, probably in the same room.

What are you using the Marantz for, and what is it you want the Connect to do? Is this your first Sonos device, or do you have multiple zones (rooms)?

The amp part is for driving speakers. So no you would just need the pre-out going to Connect. The Sonos Play speakers have amps built in to them that would feed from the connect.

The connect:Amp is for when you want wired speakers hooked to it (unamplified).

The amp part is for driving speakers. So no you would just need the pre-out going to Connect. The Sonos Play speakers have amps built in to them that would feed from the connect.

The connect:Amp is for when you want wired speakers hooked to it (unamplified).

So if I wanted to, for example, play Youtube via the Apple TV from my JBL speakers wired to the Marantz, as well as output it to the Sonos' around the the house, this would work fine as the setup? Have the Marantz set to the Apple TV, and then that sound would automatically feed through the pre-out to the Connect and play when Sonos speakers were enabled?

I'm imagining being able to play Youtube via the Apple TV, or output video played on netflix so you can still hear dialogue in another room.

Sonos chat is telling me the following:

"Me: im still kind of uncertain as to why using a receiver to the connect is much different from a switch with multiple sources to the Connect? Isn't the receiver that switch, essentially?

Sonos:Yes, as I said it may be possible, though not recommended. Most receivers would either play to the speakers they have attached or an output, not both. As that is not really something we can rely on, the input is designed to be used with a single audio source and then connect to your receiver so you can stream music to the existing receiver and use that audio source as well."

So it's possible the Marantz wont output to both the preamp out AND to the JBL speakers wired in?

Should go to pre-amp and speakers - one thing that most receivers won't do though is convert audio from digital input to analog. So if you had for example and AppleTV hooked via HDMI to the receiver. Only some receivers will convert that digital input into the analog outs.

My pioneer receiver in living room won't convert digital down to the analog outputs. So example my DVD player I have hooked up via HDMI cable (sending digital audio to TV). But I also connected to R/L RCA cable from DVD player to the receiver Analog inputs as well (so I have the DVD player hooked up analog connection as well). So that way if I'm watching DVD player - my receiver will output to the Connect via analog even though I'm watching the digital connection.

Hope that makes sense.

Should go to pre-amp and speakers - one thing that most receivers won't do though is convert audio from digital input to analog. So if you had for example and AppleTV hooked via HDMI to the receiver. Only some receivers will convert that digital input into the analog outs.

My pioneer receiver in living room won't convert digital down to the analog outputs. So example my DVD player I have hooked up via HDMI cable (sending digital audio to TV). But I also connected to R/L RCA cable from DVD player to the receiver Analog inputs as well (so I have the DVD player hooked up analog connection as well). So that way if I'm watching DVD player - my receiver will output to the Connect via analog even though I'm watching the digital connection.

Hope that makes sense.

Ah, I see. I don’t think this will work, then, as most of my devices are connected via HDMI (or even if I used optical that still wouldn’t pass to analog). So I guess the best option here is get the Connect and then when Airplay 2 comes hope that I can play YouTube via my iPhone or MacBook out to the Connect > Marantz and JBL speakers as well as the Sonos speakers around my house.

You could put something like this between the HDMI out of the receiver and the TV

https://www.amazon.com/ViewHD-Extractor-Optical-Toslink-Converter/dp/B00KBHX072

This would extract a stereo signal to output to the Connect of whatever was being fed to TV.