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MUFC_DOWNUNDER
Trending Lyricist I
May 26, 2020
Question

Sonos Amp + third party passives

  • May 26, 2020
  • 17 replies
  • 835 views

Hello, 

Sonos rookie here.

In my new house installation I’m getting a Sonos Amp with a pair of passive third party ceiling speakers rated for 120W which are planned to be fitted in the back corners of the TV room about 2 feet from the corner. So will use the HDMI ARC for the TV obviously and will also have a Sonos wireless sub.

However my question is if I was go get a pair of Sonos ones and place them either side of the TV, would the resulting sound at least give “some” resemblance to a 5.1 setup inspite of the fact that that the rears are in the ceiling and the centre is simulated from the Amp?

I’m not an audiophile by any means but am just after a sound setup better than just the TV....

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    17 replies

    John B
    May 26, 2020

    Hi. I am not clear whether you are using the Amp for the front speakers or the rear speakers? If for the rears then what are you using for the front speakers?

    MUFC_DOWNUNDERAuthor
    Trending Lyricist I
    May 26, 2020

    The Amp will be wired to the rears in the ceiling which I wish to use as surrounds, then I want to use a couple of Ones wirelessly as LF and RF

    Make sense?

     

     

    John B
    May 26, 2020

    No I am afraid not. That would not work at all for surround sound. Your options for the front are another Amp and speakers, a Beam or (soon) an Arc.

      MUFC_DOWNUNDERAuthor
      Trending Lyricist I
      May 26, 2020

      From a practical POV, how is the beam (or arc) different to the amp + 2x ones at the front?

      Ignoring the centre channel differences....

      jgatie
      jgatie
      May 26, 2020

      From a practical POV, how is the beam (or arc) different to the amp + 2x ones at the front?

      Ignoring the centre channel differences....

       

      The Beam/Arc has the necessary HDMI-ARC input to connect to the TV, the 2 x Ones do not.  You cannot use the HDMI-ARC input on the mp when it is used as surrounds.

        MUFC_DOWNUNDERAuthor
        Trending Lyricist I
        May 26, 2020

        So you saying the wireless Ones won’t receive the ARC from the TV if the Amp is powering the rears?

        It was my understanding that it was the subwoofer port capability that is disabled when the Amp is used as surrounds.

        Could then I use instead of the Ones, some other wired passives at the front given the amps connectivity?

        John B
        May 26, 2020

        You would need a second Sonos Amp to drive passive front speakers and to provide the phantom centre.

        There has to be a Sonos HT compatible device at the front, which manages the whole surround sound process and distributes sound to all the channels.

        Then there are the usual options for the rears, one option being an Amp and two wired passive speakers. 

          John B
          May 26, 2020

          Also note that the subwoofer port is for a third party subwoofer. With any of the achievable setups I have described you can use a Sonos Sub.

            MUFC_DOWNUNDERAuthor
            Trending Lyricist I
            May 26, 2020

            Ok, if I just had the Amp + wired passives using ARC from the TV, would I still be getting a considerably better sound than from just the TV until I get a beam/arc and fronts?

            John B
            May 26, 2020

            But your wired speakers would be behind you if you were using the planned ceiling speakers, and there would be no sound from the direction of the TV. It would be terrible.

            You don't need 'fronts'. The Beam or Arc does the three front channels. If you want to get greatly improved TV sound, start with an Arc.

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