Can I create a separate group for my rear Play 1s?

Forum|Forum|9 years ago
May 30, 2017
9 replies
657 views

Hey, so new to Sonos. Just bought them "home theater
5.1" bundle. So that's the playbar, sub, and two play 1s for the rears. Everything sounds great and works great...but.

The but: can I break off the two play 1s and take them to a different room to create a stero group and then when done bring them back to the home theater room?

Ex: what I'm trying to do is take the two play 1s as a pair to the back yard for a BBQ let's say and let them play while guests enjoy the music of the playbar inside. Then when I'm done I bring the pair back inside and say click on living room and have the whole thing come back as a complete set. Thanks in advance if you can help!:)

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K

Kumar

No, not if they are working in surround mode. It will take many more steps via the controller to do this.

C

csinghAuthor

Contributor I

Thanks Kumar. Yea I did the many more steps via the app. It was annoying as hell and theres no way the other family members can do that. Is there any work around at all? Just don't connect them via 5.1? Ok so lets say I forgo the 5.1 in favour of just having two groups of speakers in the same room. I can group them together to play off the tv lets say. And then break them up into their individual groups to play TV plus music? That seems like the non 5.1 solution?

Also follow up question for the songs pros out there... what are your thoughts of buying two additional play 5s which I don't have right now for the front left and right to have a true 5.1 surround? Does sonos support this via its tech? Or does it not make sense since its already "5.1" according to them? Thanks in advance!:)

K

Kumar

That seems like the non 5.1 solution?

Or does it not make sense since its already "5.1" according to them?

1. Yes, that is the workaround.
2. Yes, it won't make sense for the exact reasons you have said - there is no support for front speakers other than those bundled into the body of the bar/base.

ratty

Ok so lets say I forgo the 5.1 in favour of just having two groups of speakers in the same room. I can group them together to play off the tv lets say.

Grouped players won't play in sync with the PLAYBAR for TV sound. PLAYBAR (and any SUB/surrounds) operates with lower latency to preserve lip-sync with the picture. Grouped players require additional network buffering.

Grouped players will always be in sync for music sources (i.e. not TV).

K

Kumar

I remember Ryan saying that this sync issue may raise its head - which I read to mean that it is not certain to. Worth a shot, therefore, since all the kit is in place.

ratty

If the grouped players are in another room some way away the time offset may not be too noticeable. In the same room it's all too obvious.

K

Kumar

What if the 1 units left bonded as surrounds, but Full mode is selected whenever they are located to the backyard?

ratty

That could work. One would need to make sure they didn't get accidentally swapped over when reinstated to the home theatre room.

melvimbe

It's not an ideal plan anyway you do it though. If you're in full mode (full stereo, correct) than you would not be able to have a separate source or volume level between the PLAY:1s and the PLAYBAR setup. Maybe do that for a while, but if you like what Sonos give, you plan on adding 2 more PLAY:1s when the budget allows. I would imagine you can sell it to the wife (if there is one) as a new zone for the master bedroom and outdoors when needed.

Danny

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