Connect Sub to Multiple Groups?


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In my living room I currently have a stereo pair of Play5 for music. I'd like to add a Beam just for the TV. I'm also considering adding a sub. Is there any way to have the sub work with both the Play5s and the Beam depending on which is active? I'm assuming the answer is no, but I thought it would be worth asking.

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Technically, those aren’t Sonos turntables, they’re made by another company. 

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???

While that is perfectly true, that is not an argument. the two things have absolutely nothing to do with each other.

I'll stick with it: the ability to share a Sub for two functions (stereo or soundbar) in one room (including TruePlay) would be an absolutely desirable function. Furthermore: the implementation of this function should be feasible with acceptable effort, because the automatic switching of the source when an analog signal is applied to a Play5:2 works also quite well.

 

I'll stick with it: the ability to share a Sub for two functions (stereo or soundbar) in one room (including TruePlay) would be an absolutely desirable function. Furthermore: the implementation of this function should be feasible with acceptable effort

The first part quoted is a truism, but none outside of Sonos development can have a valid opinion as to the second, related to the “acceptable effort” claim.

@melvimbe: the arguments are valid, except for the following two:

- A soundbar can never reproduce music as neutral as a balanced and neutral stereo pair (throwing effects around is something different ...)

 

 

I don’t think anyone is arguing against that.  What I’m saying is that it stands to reason that Sonos might not want to advertise that their $800 soundbar isn’t good enough for music...and you spend another $500 on a pair of Fives.  It’s about marketing rather than the technical reality.  Those that know and care can get the additional Fives, as you and other’s have done.

 

- It's strange that SONOS offers turntables (of course with analog output, suitable for Play5: 2), but neither Beam nor Arc have an analog input (BTW: SONOS even offers bundles consisting of turntable and Play5:2)

 

I don’t see why that’s strange.  It’s a multiroom audio system where the different devices have different feature sets. The Beam/Arc are also not portable, or have audio outputs.  The Five doesn’t have HDMI-ARC/eARC input and no battery.  Neither can power passive speakers like the Amp. If you want to play your turntable through a Beam or Arc, you can do that just by grouping a Five or Port room with your Beam/Arc room.

Plus one on this. Disappointing this isn’t available. I have an outdoor system that is adequate 90% of the time, I’d like to be able to grab the sub and take it outside when the need arises.

Plus one on this. Disappointing this isn’t available. I have an outdoor system that is adequate 90% of the time, I’d like to be able to grab the sub and take it outside when the need arises.

Same here…. i have two Beams one fixed in a bedroom, the other one I move it in/out to the backyard. I would like to move the sub from one place to the other in a convenient way.

If you had a conventional, wired system where you had a 5.1 home theatre system with sub, and an additional pair of hifi speakers, the same situation would exist. The sub would be wired to one environment or the other - either the home theatre setup or the hifi One. To connect to the other speaker set you’d have to re-wire it.

Not quite, @nik9669a. In that arrangement, I’d have a physical switch to determine the source of sound to the sub. What we’re asking for here is a virtual switch in the Sonos app, to toggle between the sub being paired with the sound bar or the Play 5s.

Not quite, @nik9669a. In that arrangement, I’d have a physical switch to determine the source of sound to the sub. What we’re asking for here is a virtual switch in the Sonos app, to toggle between the sub being paired with the sound bar or the Play 5s.

Forgive me for interjecting here, but Isn’t that what happens in the Sonos App anyway? If I goto my HT room settings and hit ‘Remove Sub’ it invites me to move it to another room. I select the ‘other’ room and it moves the Sub in seconds (or at least as quick as getting up out the chair to flick a switch to move it).

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But that will lose you your Trueplay settings every time?

But that will lose you your Trueplay settings every time?

Not everyone has the ability to TruePlay their setup in a room and I don’t actually mind that issue if I’m just shifting a sub for a day or more - it only takes a few minutes to restore the TruePlay settings, but ‘yes’ it would be nice if a TruePlay profile could be saved and quickly restored. It’s not a deal breaker for me and it’s cheaper than perhaps purchasing another Sub, particularly if it’s something that’s only done occasionally and of course it makes no difference to  anyone who is not using/unable to use, TruePlay.

Another pile on or add to the wish list for this feature. Pretty please!

I have a large common area upstairs with 2 Play 5s (stereo mode, w/TruePlay) and a sub--sounds great, really fills up the space; in 2 adjacent common area rooms I have a One in the office and a One in the master.  

Also in the common I have flay screen, new Beam and want the same (co-located) sub to pickup base tones while streaming TV/movies etc.  

Downstairs in the movie area, I have the Arc, 2x One SLs (rears) and a sub. This standalone and fully integrated setup (w/TruePlay) sounds absolutely fantastic in all formats/activities etc.… streaming HD TV, DVD/B-Ray movies and all genres of music...especially w/ HD radio. 

Sounds like this feature hasn’t been implemented after 3 years and many users requesting it, correct? 
Add me to the list anyways! 🤞🏼

Sounds like this feature hasn’t been implemented after 3 years and many users requesting it, correct? 
Add me to the list anyways! 🤞🏼

Perhaps just add the new Sub-Mini to the setup instead🤔?

Put me on the list please. This is surely a common requirement especially given most modern living rooms are open plan and making the sharing of a sub component between speaker groups in that room is pretty fundamental.

Put me on the list please. This is surely a common requirement especially given most modern living rooms are open plan and making the sharing of a sub component between speaker groups in that room is pretty fundamental.

It’s just as easy to group the Sonos players in such a combined room and play to all, with one player/room having the sub bonded to it.

I’m interested in this functionality as well. Has there been any update on feasibility from Sonos?

What about the new Sub Mini, does it have it?

Sonos doesn’t lay out future plans, if they even exist, so no updates on feasibility from Sonos.

No, the new Sub Mini does not have this functionality, either. 

Speaking personally, I wouldn’t expect anyone at Sonos to be excited about implementing this, it would certainly cost them some undefined number of sales. 

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Put me on the list please. This is surely a common requirement especially given most modern living rooms are open plan and making the sharing of a sub component between speaker groups in that room is pretty fundamental.

It’s just as easy to group the Sonos players in such a combined room and play to all, with one player/room having the sub bonded to it.

that is certainly possible, but all in all too complex and you lose TruePlay

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Sonos doesn’t lay out future plans, if they even exist, so no updates on feasibility from Sonos.

No, the new Sub Mini does not have this functionality, either. 

Speaking personally, I wouldn’t expect anyone at Sonos to be excited about implementing this, it would certainly cost them some undefined number of sales. 

I have a completely different point of view. I don't buy a Beam or other playbar as long as that's not possible. I'd rather buy a different manufacturer's system before putting a second sub in the living room (one for two Fives and another for home theater)

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I decided that being able to use my sub gen2 both connected to my stereo pair fives and also my beam (which is in same physical room to my fives) was never going to happen. So I purchased a sub mini for the beam and another sub mini for my ray. Costly solution but happy with the results across the board.

Ross.

But that will lose you your Trueplay settings every time?

Not everyone has the ability to TruePlay their setup in a room and I don’t actually mind that issue if I’m just shifting a sub for a day or more - it only takes a few minutes to restore the TruePlay settings, but ‘yes’ it would be nice if a TruePlay profile could be saved and quickly restored. It’s not a deal breaker for me and it’s cheaper than perhaps purchasing another Sub, particularly if it’s something that’s only done occasionally and of course it makes no difference to  anyone who is not using/unable to use, TruePlay.

I’m a little queasy with respect to attempting to reuse a Trueplay profile. Depending on the room dimensions and SUB location, SUB’s effectiveness could change noticeably if SUB was not returned  exactly to its Trueplay spot.

But that will lose you your Trueplay settings every time?

Not everyone has the ability to TruePlay their setup in a room and I don’t actually mind that issue if I’m just shifting a sub for a day or more - it only takes a few minutes to restore the TruePlay settings, but ‘yes’ it would be nice if a TruePlay profile could be saved and quickly restored. It’s not a deal breaker for me and it’s cheaper than perhaps purchasing another Sub, particularly if it’s something that’s only done occasionally and of course it makes no difference to  anyone who is not using/unable to use, TruePlay.

I’m a little queasy with respect to attempting to reuse a Trueplay profile. Depending on the room dimensions and SUB location, SUB’s effectiveness could change noticeably if SUB was not returned  exactly to its Trueplay spot.

I’m not quite so fussy, as in my ‘real world’ there are often doors that maybe left open/closed/part-open in a room, or curtains that can be open/drawn depending on the time of day and cushion/flowers that are moved about etc. and our chairs which maybe set upright, or reclined.

That said, I would put the Sub back and try to align it with indents in the carpet or marks on the flooring, so I would be happy to use a saved TP profile - and in some rooms I might Trueplay tune the room more than once aswell, to get a sound I prefer. In some cases I will even leave Trueplay disabled, if I think the sound seems better without it.

So I would like TP profiles that could be saved and perhaps cater for room curtains/doors being open or closed etc

Sonos doesn’t lay out future plans, if they even exist, so no updates on feasibility from Sonos.

No, the new Sub Mini does not have this functionality, either. 

Speaking personally, I wouldn’t expect anyone at Sonos to be excited about implementing this, it would certainly cost them some undefined number of sales. 

I have a completely different point of view. I don't buy a Beam or other playbar as long as that's not possible. I'd rather buy a different manufacturer's system before putting a second sub in the living room (one for two Fives and another for home theater)

 

What manufacturer allows you to use a single wireless sub with two different sound systems? Or are you saying you’d rather have 2 systems from 2 manufacturers rather than 2 systems from 2 different manufacturers.

 

I agree that Sonos is very unlikely to ever do this (as I’m sure I said before in this thread).  There seem to be two use cases.  The first is for people who want to move the sub to different rooms regularly. 

The second is for people who want 2 Sonos rooms in the same physical room.  One Sonos room is for music, and the second for TV, with the sub bonded between them. Lots of reasons why this won’t happen.  

  • It’s development costs that doesn’t result in increased sales.
  • It’s not the right solution technically.  It would make more sense to allow customers to set thiis setup as one room, with different speakers playing for music or for home theatre (though still not the best idea)
  • It’s not a very good sales pitch.  “Or soundbars aren’t good for music, so we made it so you guy 2 more speakers that are good for music!”.  While other manufacturers continue to say they soundbars play music well.
  • The rumor is that Sonos is working on speakers that are like Five with Atmos upfringing channels.  Assuming this is true and works with home theatre, that would be the solution you want, not a hybrid work around solution.  So Sonos would be working on a solution, just not the solution you think you want.
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Sonos doesn’t lay out future plans, if they even exist, so no updates on feasibility from Sonos.

No, the new Sub Mini does not have this functionality, either. 

Speaking personally, I wouldn’t expect anyone at Sonos to be excited about implementing this, it would certainly cost them some undefined number of sales. 

I have a completely different point of view. I don't buy a Beam or other playbar as long as that's not possible. I'd rather buy a different manufacturer's system before putting a second sub in the living room (one for two Fives and another for home theater)

 

What manufacturer allows you to use a single wireless sub with two different sound systems? Or are you saying you’d rather have 2 systems from 2 manufacturers rather than 2 systems from 2 different manufacturers.

 

I agree that Sonos is very unlikely to ever do this (as I’m sure I said before in this thread).  There seem to be two use cases.  The first is for people who want to move the sub to different rooms regularly. 

The second is for people who want 2 Sonos rooms in the same physical room.  One Sonos room is for music, and the second for TV, with the sub bonded between them. Lots of reasons why this won’t happen.  

  • It’s development costs that doesn’t result in increased sales.
  • It’s not the right solution technically.  It would make more sense to allow customers to set thiis setup as one room, with different speakers playing for music or for home theatre (though still not the best idea)
  • It’s not a very good sales pitch.  “Or soundbars aren’t good for music, so we made it so you guy 2 more speakers that are good for music!”.  While other manufacturers continue to say they soundbars play music well.
  • The rumor is that Sonos is working on speakers that are like Five with Atmos upfringing channels.  Assuming this is true and works with home theatre, that would be the solution you want, not a hybrid work around solution.  So Sonos would be working on a solution, just not the solution you think you want.

Well, compared to the cost of a Sonos Sub, you get a complete system from another manufacturer for less money. But to be honest, that wouldn't be a nice solution either. I am a fan of intelligent, integrated solutions and not to forget: many systems - a lot of power consumption.

A system based on two Five-New would be the right approach. But I can already see it coming: the thing is announced and when it is there, the analog input for the turntables that Sonos also sells is missing. Never mind, but you can then fall back on another component ...

Well, compared to the cost of a Sonos Sub, you get a complete system from another manufacturer for less money.

This implies that SUB provides no benefit relative to cheaper competition.

In my experience with some cheaper cousins, they don’t emit as much bass energy as SUB. With SUB you may notice some loose items inside the walls. I had to subdue some window rattles. I had not yet discovered while using another subwoofer that was larger (and more expensive, in current dollars) than two SUB’s strapped together.