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Beam + Amp + 3rd Party Sub (no surrounds)

  • 23 November 2021
  • 9 replies
  • 423 views

I currently have a Sonos Beam (Gen 2). I have also ordered a Sonos Amp so that I can connect my turntable to the Sonos system. My hope was that I could connect a 3rd party subwoofer to the Sonos Amp and integrate it into the Sonos system for music AND the home theatre system (just the Beam).

Some sleuthing has revealed that my idea might not work. See this LINK (Sonos Q&A).

Can anyone here chime in to advise whether this works or not? Simply put, I want my setup to be:

  1. TV connected to Beam via eARC

  2. Amp connected to Turntable, bookshelf speakers (which flank the Beam) and 3rd Party SVS SB-1000 Subwoofer -

  3. Subwoofer to work with both the music and the TV (Beam)

  4. Three Sonos Ones spread throughout the house for music (and listening to the turntable)

If this doesn't work, I'm probably going to cancel my order for the Amp and order a Connect instead because my bookshelf speakers are powered.

Thanks in advance.

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Best answer by jgatie 23 November 2021, 19:43

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9 replies

The only way to combine an Amp with a Beam for TV is to use the Amp to power passive surround speakers.  You cannot use the Amp for front Left/Right and the Beam as a center because the Beam, like all soundbars, already contains the Left, Right and Center speakers.  As to a turntable, the line-in is disabled in the Amp (and any version of the Five) when used as surrounds.

The only way to combine an Amp with a Beam for TV is to use the Amp to power passive surround speakers.  You cannot use the Amp for front Left/Right and the Beam as a center because the Beam, like all soundbars, already contains the Left, Right and Center speakers.  As to a turntable, the line-in is disabled in the Amp (and any version of the Five) when used as surrounds.

Does the Beam work with a Sub (Sonos or 3rd party)?

Does the Beam work with a Sub (Sonos or 3rd party)?

 

Only Sonos. 

Badge +1

Why do you need the Beam? Keep the Amp !

I believe the following works:

  1. TV connected to Amp via ARC

  2. Amp connected to Turntable, bookshelf speakers (which flank the TV) and 3rd Party SVS SB-1000 Subwoofer -

  3. Subwoofer to work with both the music and the TV (Amp)

  4. Three Sonos Ones spread throughout the house for music (and listening to the turntable)

The sound separation from the bookshelf speakers will likely be better than from the Beam anyway.

In this set-up you also have the option to add some Ones as surrounds controlled by the Amp for HT purposes.

My situation is very similar to emdee.  I was snookered into buying the sonos amp so I could connect my wired speakers (Bose 301 later gen) and Polk SW10 and enjoy a full sound adding to my Beam.  Now I discover that I can’t do surround with the Beam and subwoofer. I understand that from the above thread.  I also appreciate jgf3’s frank and candid answer.  So to get my system to work I should disregard my Beam, and play my wired speakers and SW through the amp? 

But why spend $700 on a Sonos amp if a $200-400 AV amp would have done the same job?

Userlevel 4
Badge +4

 

If this doesn't work, I'm probably going to cancel my order for the Amp and order a Connect instead because my bookshelf speakers are powered.

But if you have powered speakers I don’t think you can connect them at all to Amp….

A sufficiently skilled electronics DIY geek could drive powered speakers from an AMP, but I don’t think that the details should be discussed here.

PORT would be better idea, however, PORT cannot be used in a surround system and PORT does not support subwoofers, but 3rd party active speakers might support a subwoofer.

Userlevel 4
Badge +3

But why spend $700 on a Sonos amp if a $200-400 AV amp would have done the same job?


Can you recommend a good $200-$400 AV amp that offers wireless surrounds and subwoofer, streams directly from every major music service as well as my own digital library, and plays in perfect sync with the other audio setups throughout my home?

 

My situation is very similar to emdee.  I was snookered into buying the sonos amp so I could connect my wired speakers (Bose 301 later gen) and Polk SW10 and enjoy a full sound adding to my Beam.  Now I discover that I can’t do surround with the Beam and subwoofer. I understand that from the above thread.  I also appreciate jgf3’s frank and candid answer.  So to get my system to work I should disregard my Beam, and play my wired speakers and SW through the amp? 

But why spend $700 on a Sonos amp if a $200-400 AV amp would have done the same job?

Because it wouldn’t be able to function at all as rear speakers to a Sonos Beam.  And if what you want is a trad AV system with wired speakers, fine, but it’s hardly ‘doing the same job’.

Edit: I initially missed @early rejecter ‘s post, which made the point better than I did.