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Arc + Sub Gen 3 + In Ceiling Speakers. Need Advice with configuration and setup

  • 29 December 2023
  • 6 replies
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J

Hello! this is a two part question

(1) I am looking to install an Arc + Sub Gen 3 + In Ceiling Speakers (+ amp), but I am uncertain how many in ceiling speakers would be sufficient for my living room. The room size is 24”x13” (322 sqft or 30 sqm). Would you suggest 2 or 4 speakers for this size room? 

(2) I spoke to someone on the phone at Sonos and they said that given this set up, the in ceiling speakers could not be used as “true surrounds”. He said they will produce sound but cant be set as dedicated surrounds and would only play the normal left and right as the tv would. However, everything i have read online suggests that he might be incorrect. Can anyone confirm if there is an option to set the in ceiling speakers as dedicated surrounds in the Arc + Sub Gen 3 + In Ceiling speaker set up?

 

Thank you for your help!

Joe

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Best answer by Ken_Griffiths 29 December 2023, 01:45

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6 replies

G
Userlevel 7

You can only add two surround speakers to a Sonos home theater setup. If you use the Amp as surrounds with the Arc, the two speakers wired to the Amp will play the correct left and right surround audio. 
 

You could wire four speakers to the Amp, but you would get the same left surround audio playing out of two speakers and the same right surround audio playing out of the other two speakers.

"Receive with simplicity everything that happens to you." - Rashi
Ken_Griffiths

Ignoring the room size, just for one moment… if you intend to ‘bond’ the Amp/Ceiling Speakers to the Sonos Arc & Sub as a Home Theatre setup, then when watching either a DD 5.1, or an Atmos TV Movie, the Amp in that configuration, is set to play the rear left/right Home Theatre channel audio only - It will not play any front channel audio.

Also, when playing either stereo, or Atmos, music audio, then by default the Amp/Speakers play just ‘Ambient’ audio for ‘stereo music’, involving the main Arc soundbar, …or the Amp/Speakers are used for rear/side channel audio for Atmos music… So, with those things in mind, you should really stick to just two speakers only, set to the left and right, above or behind, your usual main seated/listening position in the room.

If you play the same ‘rear’ channel audio through 4 ceiling speakers, you will be doubling their rear-channel output and muddying the audio intended for a surround sound, or Atmos audio, Home Theatre setup, particularly if any of those speakers are located out in front of the usual main seated/listening position in the room

I personally would not do this, if the main purpose is to use the bonded setup with 2 or 4 speakers as a TV Home Theatre if any of the speakers are to be position in front of the main listening position. At best I would suggest 2 speakers only set either above, or behind, the main seated/listening position.

Even then, I’m personally not a fan of using any ceiling speakers at all for use with a Sonos Home Theatre setup in a room.

You may want to perhaps consider using two Sonos speakers instead, like Era 100s or 300’s for the Home Theatre setup and then using just two in-ceiling speakers for the Amp, just for (background) music audio only — or if you have not yet purchased the Amp/(ceiling) Speakers maybe even forget about those altogether.

Stanley_4
Userlevel 7
Badge +22

Maybe the Sonos in-wall speakers would be a possibility if there is no place for a regular speaker?

The Era 300s are going to give far the best sound and Atmos support, the Era 100s would be pretty good, the in-wall not bad and the ceiling ones my last choice.

 

In-wall $650 https://www.sonos.com/en-us/shop/wall-speaker-pair?sonos=native

Era 300 $850 https://www.sonos.com/en-us/shop/immersive-music-set-era-300-pair

Era 100 $470 https://www.sonos.com/en-us/shop/two-room-set-era-100

buzz

A contrarian configuration if you want to use the ceiling speakers for surround: Add a Volume control for each pair of ceiling speakers. When you want surround, mute the extra pair of ceiling speakers and use only the rear most pair. When playing music both pairs can be used.

Stanley_4
Userlevel 7
Badge +22

A speaker selector switch at the Amp would also work to disable the too far to the front speakers. Might be cheaper than the volume control.

Still would be my last choice for TV but if you also want background music too it makes more sense.

buzz

If being cheap is the goal, a single switch, costing a few bucks at most, is all that is needed to mute the unwanted pair when watching TV. Volume controls allow setting the most appropriate level in each area.

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