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Sonos Amp as 5.1 surround sound

  • 28 October 2022
  • 3 replies
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I have 2 Sonos Amps, can I use one of the amps for a 5.1 surround sound with built in in wall speakers and sub woofer. Or do I need to get a receiver and connect my Sonos Amps to it. I’m moving into a new house that has built in surround speakers 5.1, speakers for outdoor patio and speakers in main bedroom. I currently have 2 Sonos amps and 4 SL ones. How can I connect them all together?

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Best answer by Airgetlam 28 October 2022, 19:56

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Technically, you can use two Sonos Amps for a 4.1 system, but the “center” speaker is an interpolated one, created by a mix of the front left and front right speakers. Also the bonded “rear” Sonos Amp gets the subwoofer output turned off. 

Sonos has no devices other than their sound bars for feeding a “center channel”. 

In your current case, what I’d probably do is use one of the Sonos Amps for each of the two “home theater” rooms, and then bond a pair of the Sonos One SLs to each one as surrounds. You’re not going to be powering that center speaker, but the subwoofer output in each Sonos Amp will be active.  This way, you’ll have two good home theater setups, with surrounds, and should be happy. 

However, in that setup, in each room you’re not going to be using three of the built in speakers. The ones not in use would be the center speaker, and the surrounds. 

Sonos just doesn’t have a solution to drive a true 5.1 system of other speakers. 

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You can use two Amps for 5.1 surround, though the Amp does not use a center speaker, it computes a “phantom center”. You’d bond both Amps into one “room” in Sonos. The Amp that serves the front speakers can also drive a non-Sonos subwoofer. 

Thank you.