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Sonos -want to be- fan
Contributor I
June 14, 2018
Answered

Playbar or Beam? Airplay 2?

To start, my current SONOS kit consists of 2 Sonos Ones, and a Sonos Connect. Our ecosystem consists entirely of Apple products, so Airplay 2 would be desirable.

My ideal goal is to use the Sonos Ones as rears in a surround setting without the sub (for now). I may add a woofer in the future. We live in a medium sized condo...

I was offered a Sonos Playbar from a friend for the same price as the Beam will cost. (400$). So a great price, and its in perfect shape, as he bought a playbase. My budget is restricted to this 400$ range, and will NOT be purchasing a subwoofer in the short term.

Given my desire for Airplay 2, would my only way to get it AND surround is to add a third Sonos One and group it? In this case would you recommend the beam?
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    melvimbe
    melvimbeAnswer
    June 14, 2018
    In your scenario, I would recommend the beam instead of the playbar. Using the playbar w/sonos one as rears won't give you airplay compatibility. I'd also think the beam will be the right size for an apartment living room, not to mention that's the beam is the more current model, has built in voice control, and has hdmi arc compatibility. Even in the event that you want to eventually move to a larger home where the playbar is more compatible, the beam is a better option I'd say. You can replace the beam with a playbar at a later date (maybe even an updated playbar version, no one knows) and move the beam to a secondary room or sell it, since Sonos products tend to retain value pretty well.
    Danny
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    1 reply

    melvimbe
    melvimbeAnswer
    June 14, 2018
    In your scenario, I would recommend the beam instead of the playbar. Using the playbar w/sonos one as rears won't give you airplay compatibility. I'd also think the beam will be the right size for an apartment living room, not to mention that's the beam is the more current model, has built in voice control, and has hdmi arc compatibility. Even in the event that you want to eventually move to a larger home where the playbar is more compatible, the beam is a better option I'd say. You can replace the beam with a playbar at a later date (maybe even an updated playbar version, no one knows) and move the beam to a secondary room or sell it, since Sonos products tend to retain value pretty well.
    Danny
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