Ideally I’d like to get something like an Onlyo device that will work well with Sonos.
Current Requirements:
I have an old HD TV, but it still works fine and has a great picture so the receiver needa to be able to connect and oresent the image to a Pioneer KRP-600m.
Sonos Connect
Apple TV 4k
Playstation 3
Freeview Tuner
In the future I may upgrade to a 4k TV, once 85” OLEDs or similar at the high end drop a little in price.i will eventually add a 4k disk player and additional speakers for full Atmos support.
Initially I plan a simpler 5.1 - ideally with wireless surrounds and/or sub. But I’m prepared to go wired if there are not compatible reliable and quality option.
I’ll add a Sonos connect to enable the integration with the rest of the sonos zones.
Room is about 6m by 4m, so in terms of speakers, something comparable to a 3x play 5 (L/R/C) and 2x Play 1 reasrs and Sub would do. As this was the target I was hoping for from an ‘new’ playbar type device.
Not sure if Onkyo also plan to support Airplay 2, but this would be a nice to have and not a necessity. I can always use the ATV as a route to that, or use a grouped Sonos One from a nearby room.
I’ll move the current ‘Lounge’ HT system into other rooms. Thinking adding the Playbar to a spare room purely for music, spread the play 1s around as ‘boost’ helpers and pair the Sub with the pair of Play 5s in the studio/hobby room.
I don’t need ‘absolute high end audiophile’ quality. As the lounge whilst treated to reduce noise leackage to neighbours is not going to be optimised much further other than putting some acoustic ‘pictures’ on some of the bare walls. So speaker wise ‘as good as Sonos’ will suffice.
It is basically the ability to have better audio stream, a better Front apeaker array (I found the playbar - bit thin sounding hence hoping for the ability to use 5s as L/Rs) that are the key drivers. As well as simplifying inout switching and allowing hdmi as the Kuro media box does not pass DD5.1 over optical out, but the remainder of the sonos 5.1 was great! Especially the Sub!
I don’t want to rip the ceiling to do full Atmos yet, i’ll wait until the room needs to be resecorated in a coiple of years.
Any advice greatly appreciated. I’ll focus on this endevour now rather than keep bitching about why sonos did not answe my prayers
