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Best Smart Display to use with Sonos

  • December 12, 2022
  • 6 replies
  • 3441 views
W

I would like to get a smart display screen and torn between the Amazon Echo Show 8 (2nd gen) and the Google Nest Hub. I realise neither will integrate fully with my Sonos system (2 x Sonos One and a Play:5) and play music on all devices, but is there anything that might tip the balance either way please? Cheers lots!

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6 replies

G

Which voice assistant do you prefer? Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant? 

"Receive with simplicity everything that happens to you." - Rashi
K
  • Kumar
  • December 13, 2022

Assuming that the Echo Show 8 is not the latest version and has an audio out jack, the simple and elegant solution is to wire that jack to the corresponding one on the Sonos 5 and set the line in to autoplay and included grouped zones. You can then choose the music on the Show and it will play on both Sonos zones. You can even park a Show 5/8 next to the other zone, and group the Show units - you will then have a display in both zones; the one for the One units will not be wired to anything.

You cannot do this with google nest hub because that has no output jack; I do not know how the wireless integration with Sonos works.

You need to disable all the Alexa gimmicks on the Show units and turn do not disturb off, else the album art for what is playing will keep disappearing. And if your Show units do not have the audio out jack, get a cheap Dot, wire it the 5, and have it grouped with the Show unit/s.

PS: It does not matter if you do not use Alexa. for anything else - you need it for just the set up. You can then choose the music to play on the Spotify app on the phone and cast it to the Show units, that then takes the phone out of the music play loop except for use as a controller.

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  • Wynter
  • Author
  • Contributor I
  • December 17, 2022

Which voice assistant do you prefer? Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant? 

I’ve been using Alexa on the Sonos, but not really that fussed I don’t think?

W
  • Wynter
  • Author
  • Contributor I
  • December 18, 2022

Assuming that the Echo Show 8 is not the latest version and has an audio out jack, the simple and elegant solution is to wire that jack to the corresponding one on the Sonos 5 and set the line in to autoplay and included grouped zones. You can then choose the music on the Show and it will play on both Sonos zones. You can even park a Show 5/8 next to the other zone, and group the Show units - you will then have a display in both zones; the one for the One units will not be wired to anything.

You cannot do this with google nest hub because that has no output jack; I do not know how the wireless integration with Sonos works.

You need to disable all the Alexa gimmicks on the Show units and turn do not disturb off, else the album art for what is playing will keep disappearing. And if your Show units do not have the audio out jack, get a cheap Dot, wire it the 5, and have it grouped with the Show unit/s.

PS: It does not matter if you do not use Alexa. for anything else - you need it for just the set up. You can then choose the music to play on the Spotify app on the phone and cast it to the Show units, that then takes the phone out of the music play loop except for use as a controller.

Thanks for the reply Kumar, thats pretty helpful, however I’m going for Echo 8 (2nd gen) in spite of the fact it’s not got the aux out because it’s to go on kitchen worktop and Sonos 5 is just too big to put anywhere near!

K
  • Kumar
  • December 18, 2022

You could still have the 5 also play what the Echo 8 is playing by wiring a small Echo Dot to the 5 but the music will not be in perfect sync; the 5 will play later than the 8 to an extent that it will sound like an echo, if you will pardon the pun. 

Worth a try if you have a Dot lying around unused.

W
  • Wynter
  • Author
  • Contributor I
  • December 18, 2022

Ooooooh, that might be worth a go! Thanks again 😊

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