Contributor I

Feature Request: Allow 2x Era 100s as Front Left and Right

19 replies
3392 views

I have installed a Beam (G2) and a mini sub as a surround system on my LG TV.

I would like to extend the width of the front sound stage so I bought 2 Era 100s to use as Front Left and Right. I found that when setup as satellites with the Beam they will only operate as Rear channels.

My room doesn't allow rear channels (physical restraints).

Please allow the two Era 100s to operate as front Left and Right to broaden the Beam.

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Airgetlam

My guess, not knowledge, would be that the Sonos forum moderators monitor all of these threads, and provide suggestions, request, and the like to the Project Manager/development team as a précis, rather than pointing the team members to the thread to read the request itself. At least, that is what I had folks doing when I was running a team. Nothing worse than losing a team member into the black hole that forums are…

Bruce

R

rodtAuthor

Contributor I

To my surprise I found a person on YouTube ‘tearing down’ a beam to do exactly what I was suggesting in my previous request.

He is wanting to expand the sound stage so he is extracting the front and left line out signals from the Beam.

quote

“ it sound really really good after i did line out hack for left and right channel. “

He wouldn’t have to do this if Sonos allowed seperate front and left speakers in their sound bars.

melvimbe

PS. It has just occurred to me that I could get into the Beam and take the internal signals that drive the Beam Front left and Right speakers and bring them out in cables to the Era aux inputs. I really shouldn't need to do this.

This will not work as the aux input will have the same delay you experienced when you attempt to group 2 rooms together. The delay is there to accomodate for sending audio wireless between two rooms(physical rooms). When you bond rear speakers, they are connected over 5 Ghz with much smaller delay.

I get why you see this as a slam dunk for Sonos, but there is also the reality that Sonos would need tuning for this setup in all the various combinations that consumers might want setup. As well, we don’t know that the Beam (or other ssoundbars) are capable of sending audio to two additional devices, or if it would be acceptable to just not have surround speakers as you intend to. Also, I don’t think consumers want to spend $450 on a Beam only to use it as a center channel speaker. It might also make your Beam no longer atmos capable.

I’m not against the idea, and would probably set it up myself. I don’t think it will happen though, and I’d rather Sonos come out with a dedicated center channel speaker to do this, rather than drafting a soundbar into the role.

Danny

AjTrek1

Sonos tear down videos are nice entertainment. This one in IMO is ridiculous.

When one buys a Sonos soundbar one should know what it’s designed to do, it’s limitations and how it works. The Sonos sound bar is no different from any other soundbar on the market with L/C/R channels. They are all contained is a single enclosure.

If the sound stage isn’t to your liking then return the Sonos product and invest in a separates sound system with left, center and right channel boxes.

If Sonos is going to produce a system that has separate Left, Center and Right channel boxes… they will. At present that type of setup via Sonos is not available. If and when Sonos does make such a system I’ll be the first in-line (so to speak) to invest.

In the meantime until Sonos gives us a separates system you people need to stop all the ridiculous alchemy as shown in the video. You can’t make a silk purse from a sows ear.

If you don’t understand the meaning of the last statement…I’ll steal something from Star Trek… “Your inventiveness is futile”

Together Everyone Achieves More = T.E.A.M.

jgatie

With the exception of that Peter guy, Sonos YouTube videos are worse than useless. Full of bad advice and misinformation.

R

rodtAuthor

Contributor I

@rodt

to avoid the delay/echo you mentioned, use the „tv dialogue sync“ option in Beams room options. Set it to about 3 and the delay will be gone.

Thanks for this comment. It worked and I could adjust the delay out. (there are some nice video/audio sync tests on YT). I didn’t leave it setup that way because as you said the mix wasn’t right.

I get why you see this as a slam dunk for Sonos, but there is also the reality that Sonos would need tuning for this setup in all the various combinations that consumers might want setup. As well, we don’t know that the Beam (or other ssoundbars) are capable of sending audio to two additional devices, or if it would be acceptable to just not have surround speakers as you intend to. Also, I don’t think consumers want to spend $450 on a Beam only to use it as a center channel speaker. It might also make your Beam no longer atmos capable.

I’m not against the idea, and would probably set it up myself. I don’t think it will happen though, and I’d rather Sonos come out with a dedicated center channel speaker to do this, rather than drafting a soundbar into the role.

Good points. I understand there maybe side issues from Sonos doing this. But there may also not be. It would be really nice to get a reply directly from Sonos about this.

A dedicated center speaker would be great, I was just hoping that allowing the Beam to do this would be more likely to happen.

If the sound stage isn’t to your liking then return the Sonos product and invest in a separates sound system with left, center and right channel boxes.

I’m not saying that the Sonos Beam it isn’t to my liking, I think it is an excellent as a soundbar solution the the full system. But I’ve just come from a full size 5.1 system.

Just thinking that if I add a couple of Eras to front right and left it would expand the front sound stage and make it even better.

With the exception of that Peter guy, Sonos YouTube videos are worse than useless. Full of bad advice and misinformation.

Could be. I also found Peter Pee to be really helpful though.

N

nik9669a

Senior Virtuoso

Have I understood this correctly?

Hey, look! I’ve got a wireless soundbar which sounds fantastic. The developers spent hours tuning it, matching amp electronics, speakers and enclosure - that’s a part of why the soundbar cost as much as it did.

It’s so good that I’ve ripped it apart, removed some of the speakers from the enclosure, ruining the work the developers had done. I’ve run lengths of wire so I can put the speakers somewhere else - and they are no longer sonically matched with the enclosure they were made for.

So now I have a ruined soundbar with wired speakers attached to it. I call this “progress”.

Or am I missing something?

Schlumpf

Virtuoso

@nik9669a

😅 ymmd 👍🏻

Ralf

R

rodtAuthor

Contributor I

Have I understood this correctly?

Hey, look! I’ve got a wireless soundbar which sounds fantastic. The developers spent hours tuning it, matching amp electronics, speakers and enclosure - that’s a part of why the soundbar cost as much as it did.

It’s so good that I’ve ripped it apart, removed some of the speakers from the enclosure, ruining the work the developers had done. I’ve run lengths of wire so I can put the speakers somewhere else - and they are no longer sonically matched with the enclosure they were made for.

So now I have a ruined soundbar with wired speakers attached to it. I call this “progress”.

Or am I missing something?

If I was suggesting that I remove the Beam front speakers and wire in the Eras your comment would be fair enough, but I’m not. All the above comments about Beam mods are purely to illustrate the ends that some are going to provide separate front speakers. What I’m wanting is for Sonos to allow separate fronts as an option to the surround expansion as they allow separate rears to expand the sound field.

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