Hi all,
I am looking to start a home theater system for myself and I'm caught between two options. I am trying to decide if it would be better for me to start a 5.1 setup with a receiver that would run about $500 and speakers that would cost about $400. I know different speaker and AV setups produce different sounds and functionality, but I am just curious how you would compare the sound quality and functionality of 2 Sonos 5s and a bridge to a comparable 5.1 AV Network setup at the price above.
The use of this system is primarily to play music followed by watching TV and Movies.
I have heard various 5.1 systems but have never heard a Sonos speaker. What would be the pros and cons of owning each of these types of systems.
Thanks,
A Sonos newcomer
New Sound System
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matthewjcreech,
First post! Welcome to the forums.
In the end, only you know what sounds best (to you).
Comparing a pair of PLAY:5's and a 5.1 surround system is somewhat like comparing a pickup truck and an automobile. If your primary objective is carrying the family from here to there, a car is the best idea, but if your goal is moving furniture, the pickup is best.
A 5.1 system attempts to immerse the listener in sound from all directions. It is a video event. Other than a few curiosities, music is not being recorded to be played in this fashion. Your music has been recorded to play on a stereo system and a pair of PLAY:5's will do this well.
Depending on your video components, it is usually possible to play the audio portion through a PLAY:5 -- in stereo, not surround.
In your proposed system there is a budget of $400 split between five speakers. Effectively, this is $160 for the two speakers that would mostly be used for music listening. True, the 5.1 system would include a subwoofer, but an $80 subwoofer is not likely to be as effective for music as the PLAY:5's.
First post! Welcome to the forums.
In the end, only you know what sounds best (to you).
Comparing a pair of PLAY:5's and a 5.1 surround system is somewhat like comparing a pickup truck and an automobile. If your primary objective is carrying the family from here to there, a car is the best idea, but if your goal is moving furniture, the pickup is best.
A 5.1 system attempts to immerse the listener in sound from all directions. It is a video event. Other than a few curiosities, music is not being recorded to be played in this fashion. Your music has been recorded to play on a stereo system and a pair of PLAY:5's will do this well.
Depending on your video components, it is usually possible to play the audio portion through a PLAY:5 -- in stereo, not surround.
In your proposed system there is a budget of $400 split between five speakers. Effectively, this is $160 for the two speakers that would mostly be used for music listening. True, the 5.1 system would include a subwoofer, but an $80 subwoofer is not likely to be as effective for music as the PLAY:5's.
There has been in a fairly long argument between users in the Sonos community about this. Right now if you both want a pair of front speakers for music and also connectivity to your TV for 5.1 you will be disappointed. This is because the soundbars can connect to the TV, but they cannot currently work in conjunction with the front speakers. As in, they cannot be grouped and tuned together. The problem compounds itself when you add a Sub since you will need to decide if you want the Sub to pair with the stereo pair or the soundbar, otherwise you need to re-group and re-tune the Sub to each device every time you switch fro TV to music. Finally, in my opinion, the Sub is great, but too powerful for the soundbar alone. You end up with a fairly large investment, a clunky method to switch between listening profiles, and a pair front speakers sitting idle when you are watching TV.
Coincidentally, I just posted how I think Sonos should solve this problem on a separate thread a few minutes ago.
To steal buzz's analogy, we won't need to decide between the car and pickup truck if Sonos adds the necessary functionality.
Good luck with your search!
Coincidentally, I just posted how I think Sonos should solve this problem on a separate thread a few minutes ago.
To steal buzz's analogy, we won't need to decide between the car and pickup truck if Sonos adds the necessary functionality.
Good luck with your search!
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