how do I connect my own subwoofer?

How are you running a Playbar through a receiver?

Optical Cable.

Seems like that should work but kind of a hack to have and receiver just for that purpose. If your sub accepted optical, and TV had two optical outputs, maybe one could be routed to playbar and one to 3rd party sub?

Did you plan to allow / group third Party Subwoofer to the playbar?

I bought a playbar 2 days ago (not yet arrived) and read about it that i can't connect it to the playbar :(

I don't want to use the sonos sub, but i'm disposed to buy one new Connect:AMP to connect my sub, if this will be possible.

I Think this is only a small software feature to allow third party subwoofer.
i don't want to sent the playbar back :(

Greets
Sascha


Hi Sascha,

Thanks for the clarification, the SUB does go down to 25Hz and does so very well. I'd still recommend testing it out. We have an Idea thread open for adding a third party subwoofer to a Sonos 5.1 setup here. You can add your voice and +1 to show your support for the idea.

Cheers.

The link listed is bad.

Did you plan to allow / group third Party Subwoofer to the playbar?

I bought a playbar 2 days ago (not yet arrived) and read about it that i can't connect it to the playbar :(

I don't want to use the sonos sub, but i'm disposed to buy one new Connect:AMP to connect my sub, if this will be possible.

I Think this is only a small software feature to allow third party subwoofer.
i don't want to sent the playbar back :(

Greets
Sascha


Hi Sascha,

Thanks for the clarification, the SUB does go down to 25Hz and does so very well. I'd still recommend testing it out. We have an Idea thread open for adding a third party subwoofer to a Sonos 5.1 setup here. You can add your voice and +1 to show your support for the idea.

Cheers.

The link listed is bad.

It would be, the ask.sonos site no longer exists. This is quite an old thread, even the first time it was resurrected.

It would be, the ask.sonos site no longer exists. This is quite an old thread, even the first time it was resurrected.

That's correct. I believe the thread it pointed to is here.

How is it that the soundbar can bond with an :amp running third party speakers for the rear satellites, but the same isn't true of the sub? Can you explain why the timing of one is more difficult than the other?

How is it that the soundbar can bond with an :amp running third party speakers for the rear satellites, but the same isn't true of the sub? Can you explain why the timing of one is more difficult than the other?

If you are asking why the Subwoofer out on the Connect:Amp cannot be used to drive an aftermarket sub in a 5.1 setup, it's because the sub out on the Connect is an analog signal derived from the two stereo channels of the Connect:Amp. Since the Connect:Amp only receives the 2 surrounds channels, and it is incapable of receiving any more that that, the only sounds the sub out would be capable of playing is the lower bass in the surround channels, with no way to get the '.1" dedicated sub channel to the aftermarket sub.

No. I apologize for not being more clear.

I think this might clarify: an example setup might be a :soundbar bonded with an :amp driving 3rd party rear surrounds, and also bonded to a :connect driving a 3rd party sub.

to expand:

An earlier reply by Ryan S to the question "why can't a sonos:connect + 3rd party sub be used instead of the sonos sub" was answered with "A third party subwoofer can't be properly setup to sync with the PLAYBAR". The next sentences make it clear that sync means "get the timing right".

My observation is that it IS (or at least was, soon after I received my playbar a while back) possible and supported to use an :amp to drive 3rd party speakers and bond that as the rear sourrounds for the playbar. So that timing can be done correctly.

My question: given that getting the the timing right is demonstrably possible for the rear surrounds, please explain how it is more difficult to get the timing right for a 3rd party sub driven via a sonos:connect? As for signal content, just take the .1 sub channel, send it as mono on L and/or R. (or just send the whole combined 5.1 ->downsampled to mono and let the sub's crossover figure it out).

Note that this has nothing to do with using the sub output from the surround channels, which I understand does not contain low frequencies. The surrounds are only mentioned at all as existence proofs that getting the timing right is possible. (indeed, isn't exact synchronization precisely the value-add of Sonos over competing systems?)

Ok, I get it. If I were to guess, I would say that Sonos wouldn't be prone to dedicate man hours to getting that configuration to work when all it would suffice to do is cannibalize sales of the Sub and be a support nightmare for those who would be complaining about sub levels, etc. Sonos likes to sell hardware, and keep things simple. Even the "Connect:Amp as surrounds" configuration was originally meant for experienced installers, even though others have followed the directions to get it working. Further, it guaranteed a sale of a Connect:Amp which cost more than any of the (then current) Play units used for surround.

Yes, I think your analysis is correct. Thanks for the time!