Question

Pairing PLAYBAR and CONNECT AMP

  • 16 November 2016
  • 12 replies
  • 1763 views

I am looking to upgrade my system by add the PLAYBAR. I currently have the connect amp which is connected to some book shelf speakers. To cut down on space and clutter I want to pair the connect amp to the PLAYBAR. This is so that I can play records through the PLAYBAR.

Can I pair both device wirelessly?

Is there a better way to pair these together than what I am thinking? I can not move the CONNECT AMP to the PLAYBAR, there is no shelf for the AMP.

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12 replies

Userlevel 7
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The amp can be used as input source and send wirelessly to the playbar. Only thing you can't do wireless is if you wanted the amp to power the bookshelf speakers as surround sound speakers for the aybar (that requires the amo be wired to router or playbar)
Hi.

It depends what you mean by "pair". For music purposes you could GROUP the PB and the CA so that they played in sync. However for TV sound you would have a lag/echo. If you are saying you want to play vinyl through the line in on the C:A then this is certainly possible, either through the C:A speakers alone, the Playbar alone, or both together.

You could also bond the C:A to act as surround speakers for the Playbar, but to do this, you have to cable the C:A to the Playbar by Ethernet, or cable both devices to your router. In this case the line-in on the C:A is disabled.

So it sounds to me, if I understand your requirements correctly, that grouping the two components will achieve your aims.
Hey John

Thanks for the input. Yeah so what i want to do is just use the CA for my vinyl player. I just wasn't sure if I needed to have the CA and PB hooked up with a direct cable apposed to just have them paired.

For TV sound, I would just hook the bar up as a direct connection to the TV. And then toggle back and forth when I want to use the record player or other sound devices.
Badge +1
Hello ja_3282. Chris and John B are absolutely correct. If you want to play records on your PLAYBAR, connect the turntable to the Line In connection on your CONNECT:AMP and you can then play that audio source on your CONNECT:AMP, PLAYBAR, or both by grouping them together. Let us know if you have any other questions.
Awesome thanks everyone. Just placed my order for the PLAYBAR
Userlevel 7
Badge +22
As far as I know you don't even have to group together. You can play turnatable audio on the playbar with the connect:amp speakers silent even.
So John B wrote: "You could also bond the C:A to act as surround speakers for the Playbar, but to do this, you have to cable the C:A to the Playbar by Ethernet, or cable both devices to your router. In this case the line-in on the C:A is disabled". If you were to do this, would there be a lag or echo with the C:A and P:B if the audio source for both was the optical input of the P:B? If so, could you instead hardwire two C:A systems together over Ethernet to avoid the lag/ echo? Thank you
No, there would not be a delay because the Playbar/Playbase wouldn't be dealing with an analog input, nor would they be processing the data to send out across a 2.4Ghz band. But any other operation that isn't a surround sound (and required to be direct connect with the Connect) would require that delay. To my knowledge, other than a surround sound situation with Surround speakers, there's no way of getting around the delay on any speaker. It is inherent in the entire base of what Sonos is built on, i.e. whole home sound. The non-delay on the Surround speakers and SUB is an odd situation not in line with all of the other things that Sonos does.
In fact, think of it the other way. It doesn't make any difference what input is being used, analog or optical digital. It matters where the sound is going, something that isn't exposed to you. Either, in the case of 5.1, it's being carried automatically on the 5Ghz band (or wired, if you're using a Connect: Amp for rear speakers), or if it's not the surround information, it's being processed to go across the 2.4 Ghz band, and incurs the delay so that Sonos can have all speakers playing in sync. They don't provide any method to cancel the processing inherent in preparing the data for all speakers.
Thank you Bruce. So just to recap, as long as the C:A or Sonos Connect (using a third party amplifier wired to additional speakers) is configured to be " surround sound speakers" there shouldn't be a delay between the P:B and the C:A or rather P:B and Sonos Connect system? I'm trying to use my Sonos Connect speaker system throughout my house, which has an amp already, to be used as "surround speakers" in a P:B home theater. Thank you again.
Thank you Bruce. So just to recap, as long as the C:A or Sonos Connect (using a third party amplifier wired to additional speakers) is configured to be " surround sound speakers" there shouldn't be a delay between the P:B and the C:A or rather P:B and Sonos Connect system? I'm trying to use my Sonos Connect speaker system throughout my house, which has an amp already, to be used as "surround speakers" in a P:B home theater. Thank you again.

The Sonos Connect cannot be bonded as surround speakers. Only the Connect:Amp can, and there has to be a wired Ethernet connection between the Playbar/Playbase and the Connect:Amp.
As jgatie says, it must be a Connect: Amp, not a Connect. IMHO, it really was a hack that Sonos developed for all the people who couldn't get past already installed wall mount surrounds. I wouldn't want to do this unless I absolutely had to.