My experience in setting up my Sonos Playbase

I thought I’d post here my experience in setting up my Sonos Playbase.

In addition to the Sonos Playbase I have two Play 1s, as L&R surrounds and the Sub - these are all in the Sitting Room. I also have a Connect in my Home Office to which is connected a Pair of M-Audio Studio Monitors. The Connect is connected to a Netgear Orbi Router (RBR50).

My iTunes Library of 22,000 plus AIFF files - which is on an external Hard drive connected to my iMac - is linked to Sonos and can be called up to play through the iPhone app. I had to reload just about every cover image so that they show up on the Sonos Players. My iMac is connected by Wi-Fi to the Netgear Orbi Router (RBR50).

Here though I want to talk about how I got the setup to work for watching TV and Movies.

I have my Panasonic TX-P46GT30B TV on a Sanus WSTV1 Stand which in turn sits on a Unit inside of which there is only space for the Pioneer BDP-LX71 Blu-ray player a Mains Extension with 8 sockets and a USB Hard Drive for recording direct off the TV. Because the bars on the Sanus WSTV1 Stand are horizontal - and I had to use spacers to fit it - I was able to add a shelf to the top bar upon which sits an amazon Fire TV Box and a Humax DTR-T2100. Also on this bar - attached with zip-ties - are a NETGEAR GS105UK 5-Port Gigabit Unmanaged Ethernet Switch and a Portta N3AM42T SPDIF Switch. A Sony Playstation 3 stands vertically behind the TV.

Connected to the NETGEAR GS105UK are the Panasonic TX-P46GT30B TV, amazon Fire TV Box and the Humax DTR-T2100, - the other ports are not used at this time. The NETGEAR GS105UK is in turn connected to the Ethernet Port on the Sonos Playbase and all the connected devices, successfully, utilise SONOSNet for connectivity.

All the devices are connected to the TV by HDMI but the TV only puts out Stereo through SPDIF. So, the Panasonic TX-P46GT30B TV, amazon Fire TV Box, Humax DTR-T2100 and Pioneer BDP-LX71 Blu-ray player are all connected by SPDIF to the Portta N3AM42T SPDIF Switch which is in turn connected to the SPDIF Port on the Sonos Playbase. Now I can get Dolby Digital 5.1 - where/when available from everything except the TV (which can’t) and the Sony Playstation 3. I could use the Playstation for watching movies and I’d get DTS Blu-rays converted to DD5.1 through it and it does work well - I’ve tried it - but the fan is way too noisy - ok when playing games but not for Movies.

For the time being I am giving up on DTS conversion. To be clear, I am not bothered that I’m not getting DTS - I knew this going in. It’d be nice to convert what DTS Blu-rays I do have to DD5.1, and I can - with the Sony Playstation 3, but I’ll likely not bother - besides I’d have to put the PS3 is a different room it’s so noisy. I don’t have a lot of Blu-rays anyway but I do have loads of DVDs. Going forward if a Blu-ray has DD5.1 then I’ll maybe buy it, if DTS only then I’ll get the DVD. The Pioneer BDP-LX71 Blu-ray player does a fine job of upscaling DVDs but unfortunately it does not convert DTS to DD5.1. It does though convert DTS to Stereo with embedded Dolby Pro-Logic. Watching a DTS Blu-ray with audio sent to the Sonos Playbase this way - instead of a native DD5.1 track - sounds as if the rear channel is mono instead of L&R. I’ve decided I can live with this for what few DTS Blu-rays I have.

To round this setup off I added a Logitech Harmony Ultimate Remote Control and Hub - an amazing piece of kit - which controls everything seamlessly even switching the Portta N3AM42T SPDIF Switch to the correct channel for the device in use - and I can even do most things by voice using Alexa through an amazon Echo Dot. The TV’s audio is ignored in favour of Sonos - across the board.

All the gubbins that is behind the TV. including another Mains Extension Bar, for the most part cannot be seen - unless you look over the top of the TV.

I have had Surround Sound in the Sitting room since the mid 90s - starting with Pro-Logic all the way to full 7.1 powered, over the years, by Amps from Sony, Denon, Onkyo and driving speakers from Arcam, B&W, Mordaunt-Short, amongst others. However, plans to decorate and to lay new carpets, did prompt a change and a desire for a “cleaner look”. One without cables going everywhere - as they were - and no Hi-Fi stack sitting in one corner and floor standing speakers and a sub in others plus surrounds doted around - enter Sonos.

I sure did get that cleaner look.

In a lot of ways I reckon the DD5.1 that I’m getting from the Sonos setup sounds the best I’ve ever had. It did take a few months, some tweaks and a fair bit of research to get this all working together as it now is and I’m really delighted with the result.

And, as for listening to music in the Sitting Room or the Office - or both together - all I can say, and often do, is wow!!

I hope that many folk find this useful.

A Serious Researcher