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DFNewbie
Trending Lyricist I
Jan 24, 2021 9:42 PM UTC
Answered

Sonos Amps in different location than TV's

I have 4 Sonos amps in a central location for 4 different rooms (zones). I have ceiling speakers (2 each) for each zone/room. How can I connect my TVs to these amps? Do I need to run a long HDMI-ARC cable for each TV to the amp or is there another option? Please help. I am clueless and reading available information online is confusing.  Someone suggests getting an HDMI extension and a receiver and run a cat 5 cable. I have cat 8 ethernet cable. I did not know you can run audio through this cable line.

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Airgetlam
AirgetlamAnswer
Jan 25, 2021 12:27 AM UTC

Your setup is not ideal, I would recommend doing similar to what you did with the Beam, and put a Sonos sound bar with each TV, and then put the Sonos Amp in each room, powering the ceiling speakers. Much better than messing with long run HDMI and baluns, and you can then connect each Amp to its soundbar with a normal 5Ghz connection.

Bruce
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GuitarSuperstar
Lead Maestro
Jan 25, 2021 3:19 AM UTC

Hi Airgetlam, I read that this cannot be done. Please see this thread here:

 

 

The person in that thread was trying to connect four in-ceiling speakers to the Amp with the Beam. You cannot connect four with a Beam but you can connect two as rear surrounds.

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    DFNewbieAuthor
    Trending Lyricist I
    Jan 25, 2021 3:21 AM UTC

    Unfortunately,  my ceiling speakers are installed as FL and FR. I would only get a stereo sound and not surround sound as the thread suggested. 

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    GuitarSuperstar
    Lead Maestro
    Jan 25, 2021 3:44 AM UTC

    Can you move each Amp into the room (or closer to the room) and connect the TV to the Amp with an HDMI cable?

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    Airgetlam
    Airgetlam
    Jan 25, 2021 4:11 AM UTC

    While I am certainly not a fan of ceiling speakers for front speakers in any sense, you could just move the Amp driving them from that closet that is far away to directly near/under the TV. And use a second Amp or a matched pair of Sonos speakers as surrounds, and just drop this whole ‘central location’ for the devices connected to the TVs. 

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    Bruce
    DFNewbieAuthor
    Trending Lyricist I
    Jan 25, 2021 7:37 AM UTC

    All my ceiling speakers' wires are routed in the central area. If it is that easy for me to relocate these amps to their individual room, I would have done so already to save me with all the headaches.  I asked my so-called expert installers to place the two ceiling speakers in the rear. They decided on their own to place them in the front and told me that is the best location for ceilingspeakers. Go figure. This is another reason why I hesitate to hire another home theater expert .

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    DFNewbieAuthor
    Trending Lyricist I
    Jan 25, 2021 7:41 AM UTC

    While I am certainly not a fan of ceiling speakers for front speakers in any sense, you could just move the Amp driving them from that closet that is far away to directly near/under the TV. And use a second Amp or a matched pair of Sonos speakers as surrounds, and just drop this whole ‘central location’ for the devices connected to the TVs. 

    If this could be done, I do not think I would need another amp since one Sonos amp can hold 4 speakers, is it not?

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    Airgetlam
    Airgetlam
    Jan 25, 2021 7:49 AM UTC

    Only if you plan on having all four speakers play the same thing. You can not have a single Sonos Amp act as a driver for ‘front’ A/V speakers at the same time as surround speakers. And you’d need to be careful about impedance matching the speakers to the Sonos Amp. 

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    Bruce
    DFNewbieAuthor
    Trending Lyricist I
    Feb 14, 2021 7:32 AM UTC

    Here is a solution and it works like a charm. I purchased an HDMI ARC extension for each of TV/zone. 

    On the TV end: A short TV HDMI cable connects TV HDMI ARC to the HDMI receiver unit. 

    One long (50-75 ft.) ethernet (Cat5/6/7)  cable connects the HDMI receiver unit's port to the HDMI transmitter unit's port. 

    Other Sonos Amp's end:  A short HDMI cable connects to HDMI transmitter unit.

    Amp is also connected to my patio in-ceiling speakers.

     

    TV remote controls sound volume. 

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      GuitarSuperstar
      Lead Maestro
      Feb 14, 2021 10:52 PM UTC

      @DFNewbie Glad you got it working. May I ask what HDMI extender you are using?

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      DFNewbieAuthor
      Trending Lyricist I
      Feb 16, 2021 6:38 PM UTC

      I am using AV Access HDMI 2.0 ARC Extender (HDBaesT), 4K@60Hz 4:4:4 HDR10 3D 18Gbps Over CAT5e/6/7 Cable, HDCP2.2, S/PDIF Audio, CEC, PoC & Dual IR, RS232, Audio Return Channel, Atmos & DTS:X, Work at Home.https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B07HH1212W/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_fabc_2JFMS8V8GXE7ANW3328G?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

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