Beam + play 1's wow!

Hey guys after purchasing two play 5s and setting them as surrounds with playbar and sub. And set to full for music I am more than happy. However after researching some more I believe that when any speakers are bonded with playbar/playbase/beam then you do not get true stereo separation from your rear speakers. The playbar/playbase/beam gives the speakers a dedicated left and right channel. Is this correct?

Hey guys after purchasing two play 5s and setting them as surrounds with playbar and sub. And set to full for music I am more than happy. However after researching some more I believe that when any speakers are bonded with playbar/playbase/beam then you do not get true stereo separation from your rear speakers. The playbar/playbase/beam gives the speakers a dedicated left and right channel. Is this correct?
For music playing you get full stereo out of the rear surrounds when you set them to 'Full" .. goto the playbar/playbase/beam 'room settings' in the Sonos App and select 'Advanced Audio/Surround Settings and switch ‘Music Playback' from 'Ambient' to 'Full'.

Hi ken. According to Sonos when I asked the question they stated that you will not get true stereo sound from speakers set as rears on a 5.1 set up. Even with them set to full on music playback. To most people there will be no difference in sound but in a 5.1 setup the playbar/base/beam give the rears a dedicated left and right channel. If you unpair everything and just pair play 5s with sub you can tell the difference all be it a small one but definitely a difference

Hi ken. According to Sonos when I asked the question they stated that you will not get true stereo sound from speakers set as rears on a 5.1 set up. Even with them set to full on music playback. To most people there will be no difference in sound but in a 5.1 setup the playbar/base/beam give the rears a dedicated left and right channel. If you unpair everything and just pair play 5s with sub you can tell the difference all be it a small one but definitely a differenceI assume that’s because of the centre channel in the mix and the fact the two front channels are also lacking in separation, I’m not really an audiophile, so I doubt I would be able to tell, other than the overall separation of the sound. I have 4 (2 x stereo pairs) Sonos speakers in my lounge, two in front and two either side of the sofa and the separation is really apparent, whereas I have a Beam and two Play:1’s in the dining room 5.0 setup, but with no Sub and I’m quite happy to sit in either room and listen to the music from either setup.

I am waiting for the next gen PlayBar and will probably then alter my lounge to a 5.1 setup too, as it’s both great for TV and music without having to change their configuration. I guess it’s each to there own with these things.

My kitchen is 'L' shaped, for example, so I’ve opted for three speakers in there that are simply 'grouped' as that setup sounded better that having a separated stereo pair in the mix.

I recently replaced a 5.1 system with a Beam and was a bit underwhelmed. I added two play 1 speakers and the difference is amazing. Both with music and tv, i feel like i am in an envelope of sound. Great clarity at all volume levels. I wish there was a cheaper alternative for a sub. That would be a nice addition

The sub for $699 is pretty high when the Beam is $399. I'm sure Sonos is aware of this. There are rumors of a new sub under development but who knows.
I just got a Beam and am going to go ahead and get a couple Sonos Ones. According to What Hi Fi's review says get two 1's or Ones before the sub.
I don't care about music quality with Sonos, I use a stereo set of HomePods for that.
I would absolutely buy if Sonos has a smaller Sub to pair with the Beam, hope the rumours are true 🙂 Anyone has a Beam in a 5.1 setup and kindly let me know how is it overall? I have Beam connected to Play 3s as surrounds and love the audio but bit hesitant to add the Sub as my living area is not massive and it is bit pricey in Australia 999$.

Hi ken. According to Sonos when I asked the question they stated that you will not get true stereo sound from speakers set as rears on a 5.1 set up. Even with them set to full on music playback. To most people there will be no difference in sound but in a 5.1 setup the playbar/base/beam give the rears a dedicated left and right channel. If you unpair everything and just pair play 5s with sub you can tell the difference all be it a small one but definitely a differenceI assume that’s because of the centre channel in the mix and the fact the two front channels are also lacking in separation, I’m not really an audiophile, so I doubt I would be able to tell, other than the overall separation of the sound. I have 4 (2 x stereo pairs) Sonos speakers in my lounge, two in front and two either side of the sofa and the separation is really apparent, whereas I have a Beam and two Play:1’s in the dining room 5.0 setup, but with no Sub and I’m quite happy to sit in either room and listen to the music from either setup.

I am waiting for the next gen PlayBar and will probably then alter my lounge to a 5.1 setup too, as it’s both great for TV and music without having to change their configuration. I guess it’s each to there own with these things.

My kitchen is 'L' shaped, for example, so I’ve opted for three speakers in there that are simply 'grouped' as that setup sounded better that having a separated stereo pair in the mix.
Hi Ken, interested to know how you have set 4 speakers in the lounge? Two sonos one as surrounds and rest for music? Cheers