Playbase - separation of centre, left and right channels
Hi - Fairly recent convert to Sonos ... I have a Playbase and 2 * Sonos Ones as surround speakers. I love the sound for music but finding the separation of sound from the Playbase for movies rather lacking .. ie it doesn't feel as wide a sound as I'm used to from my old 5.1 system ... can I add more Sonos ones as left and right from speakers? or do I need to recalibrate my Playbase .. should it sound wider than I currently find? Hopefully that makes sense!!
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Yes, but unfortunately that is the price to pay for benefit of the Sonos way of eliminating clutter and wiring. And you can't add even Sonos speakers in front as you would like to.
Hi - you can only add pairs Play:1/3/5 as surround speakers in a 5.1 setup,. They can't be added for the front left/right channels.
As for calibration, if you have access to an iOS device, you could try 'TruePlay' tuning the Playbase room.
Link here: https://sonos.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/3555/~/how-to-tune-your-speakers-using-trueplay
As for calibration, if you have access to an iOS device, you could try 'TruePlay' tuning the Playbase room.
Link here: https://sonos.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/3555/~/how-to-tune-your-speakers-using-trueplay
I very much doubt that Trueplay will increase the width of the soundstage.
Thanks for replies .. yeah done true play .. guess that’s the joy of bar speakers rather than individual ones..
I have once speculated here if instead of the playbase incorporating three speakers, Sonos could have offered a better solution with a smaller playbase that just does centre speaker duties + all the TV interfacing and DSP magic to allow the front left/right to be served by a 1 pair. With another 1 pair for rear surrounds if desired. And Sub, also if desired, but the playbase + front 1 pair would be the minimum configuration for TV. It would also allow just the 1 pair playing in stereo paired mode offer better sound than just the playbase for music play.
I wouldn't think there would be too much downside to incorporating the option of two additional front speakers for the 5.1. setup. The L and R front channels already exist, they just need to be duplicated. But I don't know, maybe it's an extra processing or wireless burden.
That said though, I can see where customers would see it as required, and this see the system as too expensive perhaps. Or maybe they would request that L&R front channels be turned often in the playbase/playbar. And then, customers will complain that there needs to be a cheaper center channel option. Why can't I just use a PLAY:3 as a center channel. There would be issues.
Then again, there is always issues. If Sonos allowed front speakers like this, I probably would buy them.
That said though, I can see where customers would see it as required, and this see the system as too expensive perhaps. Or maybe they would request that L&R front channels be turned often in the playbase/playbar. And then, customers will complain that there needs to be a cheaper center channel option. Why can't I just use a PLAY:3 as a center channel. There would be issues.
Then again, there is always issues. If Sonos allowed front speakers like this, I probably would buy them.
Like your thinking Kumar .. I’d buy that!
That said though, I can see where customers would see it as required, and this see the system as too expensive perhaps.
My vision for this is a much smaller than playbase centre speaker, about the size of the 3. Priced such that the total of that + a 1 pair for the front would be the same as that for the base as it is now.
Kumar, add HDMI throughput and DTS decoding on that device, I'd buy two 🙂 Kumar for CEO!
I second the motion to promote Kumar for CEO.
I honestly would prefer just a CONNECT like device, no speaker attached. That way you can you a 1's,3's or 5's as the center channel, sourrounds, and fronts as you desire. It's 'only' job is to decode to incoming signals and send the right channels to the right speakers. With HDMI input of course.
As an added bonus, throw in a B 'zone', so that you can optionally send stereo to second zone at 5.0 Ghz, so there is no delay in audio.
I honestly would prefer just a CONNECT like device, no speaker attached. That way you can you a 1's,3's or 5's as the center channel, sourrounds, and fronts as you desire. It's 'only' job is to decode to incoming signals and send the right channels to the right speakers. With HDMI input of course.
As an added bonus, throw in a B 'zone', so that you can optionally send stereo to second zone at 5.0 Ghz, so there is no delay in audio.
Thanks, gents, but no thanks: I would then have to take all that is being dished out on V8/Alexa/Anything else from Tom, Dick, Harry and their dog with a *^&% eating smile on my face:-((
Seriously though, I have always thought that sacrificing sound stage width as the Sonos solution does for TV is a compromise not worth the benefits and I never took it seriously enough to even consider buying it. Plus, my idea or the tweak to it by you would give better solutions for the problem of sound levels for effect laden movies having to be too high for dialogue to be clearly heard.
Userlevel 7
Just throwing my two cents in on this topic. To Paulbaker 6…it’s unfortunate that the Playbase doesn’t meet you expectations for sound reproduction when watching movies. That said (and this is a personal opinion) I find the Playbar to have better sound than the Playbase. But as I said that’s my personal taste.
As you are only using the Playbase and Sonos One’s for surrounds your lack of separation; as you put it, may be as a result of not having a Sonos Sub in the mix to handle the low-end. Granted the Sonos Sub is $699-USD; but I believe you’d hear a marked difference in movie sound reproduction. Sonos has a 45 day return policy which should be more than enough time to make a comparison. Also, I believe you’ll hear better music reproduction.
In truth…a Sonos setup for Home Theater (PlayBar or Playbase with Sub and Surrounds) will never provide the same sound stage as a high-end 5.1 speaker setup (LF, C, RF, LR, RR and Sub). My Sonos HT setup (as good as it is) doesn’t rival my Definitive Technology Speakers and Sub system that I use for late night movie watching in the basement. For that matter there’s not a Playbar system on the market that will do what my Def Techs do_IMO.
IMO the Sonos HT system was never designed to compete in the same market as a true high-end HT setup. Sonos is a niche product for the dedicated and Tech minded audience that doesn’t want all the wires and cables. They also want the versatility that a high-end HT setup doesn’t provide. That said the Sonos line in general offers top tier products with great sound and flexibly.
I think these types of conversations would not be happening if we took the point of view that the Sonos HT setup is not a replacement for a great sounding separates HT system. Instead it is an alternative that one can enjoy given they have a clear understanding of its capabilities and limitations.
Last words to Paulbaker6…get the sub and audition it…you won’t be disappointed.
OH yea...Kumar for CEO 🆒
As you are only using the Playbase and Sonos One’s for surrounds your lack of separation; as you put it, may be as a result of not having a Sonos Sub in the mix to handle the low-end. Granted the Sonos Sub is $699-USD; but I believe you’d hear a marked difference in movie sound reproduction. Sonos has a 45 day return policy which should be more than enough time to make a comparison. Also, I believe you’ll hear better music reproduction.
In truth…a Sonos setup for Home Theater (PlayBar or Playbase with Sub and Surrounds) will never provide the same sound stage as a high-end 5.1 speaker setup (LF, C, RF, LR, RR and Sub). My Sonos HT setup (as good as it is) doesn’t rival my Definitive Technology Speakers and Sub system that I use for late night movie watching in the basement. For that matter there’s not a Playbar system on the market that will do what my Def Techs do_IMO.
IMO the Sonos HT system was never designed to compete in the same market as a true high-end HT setup. Sonos is a niche product for the dedicated and Tech minded audience that doesn’t want all the wires and cables. They also want the versatility that a high-end HT setup doesn’t provide. That said the Sonos line in general offers top tier products with great sound and flexibly.
I think these types of conversations would not be happening if we took the point of view that the Sonos HT setup is not a replacement for a great sounding separates HT system. Instead it is an alternative that one can enjoy given they have a clear understanding of its capabilities and limitations.
Last words to Paulbaker6…get the sub and audition it…you won’t be disappointed.
OH yea...Kumar for CEO 🆒
I agree about much better audio presence for both via the Sub; the sound stage will not expand in width though. And speaking of bars, I think that ones like the Yamaha YSP range will do more of that than what Sonos does, and they also do a nifty trick of eliminating even the need for surround speakers by using room reflections for both stage width and surround effects with delayed signals to selected drive units in the bar. This works quite well, IF the room is of a kind that cooperates with the tuning and calibration that is a part of set up. And where it works well, it comes closer to dedicated 5.1 than Sonos kit, especially when a Yamaha Sub is also added.
One downside of these is I doubt they can be integrated into Sonos for music via a Connect without having sync delays with other Sonos speakers.
Userlevel 7
..... ones like Yamaha DSP range will do more of that than what Sonos does...... This works quite well, IF the room is of a kind that cooperates with the tuning and calibration that is a part of set up. And where it works well, it comes closer to dedicated 5.1 than Sonos kit, especially when a Yamaha Sub is also added.
Agreed about the Yamaha DSP. But as you said the IF is the deciding factor. A soft room is not going to get those great results as a hard room ( or at least something in between).
Cheers!
Thank you to everyone who has participated in this thread. This is exactly my question for the Playbar. The sound staging is virtually non-existent. It sounds like I just have a center Channel. It should be very easy to do a firmware upgrade to make the Playbar act as a center channel and output the left and right channels to play ones play Threes or play fives. Come on Sonos do a firmware upgrade add this is an option and I'll buy two more speakers from you.
Old thread I know, but it’s a timeless issue. You CAN use additional speakers as front L/R channels. I just picked up a beam, which I promptly exchanged for a playbase. I use two play-3 for surround and two play-1 for front L/R paired. When I watch TV I simply add the front paired channel. What I get is a horrible “echo” sound since the playbase (or even the beam) are not controlling that channel. Long story short, not what I was lookIng for. The issue is obviously not sound quality, rather channel seperation. Most people who listen to my setup are blown away, but my ears unfortunately know better. I would love a firmware update that allowed me to turn off L/R channels on the playbase. Otherwise as far as channel seperation is concerned, even my cheap Sony 5.1 system does a better job. I am seriously considering a wired system. I love Sonos and know exactly who the target audience is. But what of those who are into tech/no clutter, but also “true” surround?
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