Sonos doesn’t really do “5.1”


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Before you buy any SONOS equipment to achieve a 5.1 setup please consider this: a Denon AVRX2400 AV Amp, Elac CINEMA 5.1 speaker system, all cables professionally installed behind the walls gives you true home cinema with all the surround sound codecs you could ever want with no cables showing for way less than £1000 (see Richer Sound web site for prices). Or spend £1700 on a SONOS setup and get stereo or Dolby Digital only plus you may have to buy a new DVD player to play your UHD DVD’s, a HDMI Switch then deal with lip sync issues etc, etc.

SONOS do speakers, great speakers, but only for music. They are stealing money from people wanting 5.1 for their TV. The system I suggest costs at least £700 less, hides all the wires (what we all want) and sounds much, much better. Go mad, stick a couple of speakers in the ceiling and get real Dolby Atmos for £150 more and still save yourself £550. I have begged SONOS to tell me if they are developing a surround sound product with HDMI and more choice of listening eg DTS, Dolby X etc but they point blank refuse to discuss future products stating they are catering for the “modern listener”. That put me in my place. SONOS remind me of great companies who made world class products like Blackberry, Blockbuster, Compaq and SAAB, just a minute, they all went out of business because they didn’t produce what their customers wanted at a competitive price (no pedants please, I know there were other factors which meant these companies went bust, I am just illustrating a point). Are SONOS going down the same route? Think about it while you are watching your new laser disc.

I would be interested to hear any arguments against my proposed SONOS alternative system.

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I just bought that and it sounded terrible till I:
1. Tru tuned it
2. changed the surrounds to full audio in the app
I had a Marantz 5.1 with Paradigm speakers before and they were amazing, however, after tuning and tweaking the Sonos, it gives great surround, with Netflix- that sounds almost as good
I love my Blu-rays, but more and more people need their audio from Netlfix or some other streaming service these days and the Sonos Beam with two Play 1 surrounds more than adequately provide 5.0 sound with enough bass, and the cost isnt too bad. If you must have more bass or if your room is larger than my 20x15, a subwoofer might be great, but costs a lot more
Try the 5.0 first and hear how it sounds.
So, I don't think Sonos is "stealing" anyones money
Their 5.1 solution works just fine for most people, IMO


Hi,

It’s great that you are happy with your sound, that’s all that matters. If you read my original post however my point is that it does not do 5.1 or 5.0 with most of your DVDs and blu-rays, it just can’t do it. I can’t stream Netflix where I live as the is no fibre broadband also, I like collecting DVD’s. When it works, SONOS speakers are a thing of beauty, sadly it doesn’t work for all the people all of the time. It is meant to be plug in and play not something that requires workarounds etc. Have a great new year and keep enjoying your SONOS kit, as will I but for me unfortunately, only for music.
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I would argue that what constitutes true 5.1 is less limited than you make it out to be. For YOU 5.1 is DTS, ATMOS, DD 5.1/+ and whatever sound codecs are out there, and of course discreet front L R and Center.

But for most people SONOS. Delivers exactly what they want. A 1st class multi room audio system that also doubles as wireless 5.1 surround sound with support for the most used surround codec for tv and streaming services, DD 5.1. If you are an audiophile or movie perfectionist with massive LD or Blue-ray collections you probably won’t settle for 5.1 at all but go for a 7.1 or better system, right? Maybe gold plated thick cables? Thirèn vinyl player and good knows what speakers with analogue receiver.


The SONOS crowd aren’t into all that. They want nice looking and sounding speakers that like Apple used to, just works. Cable free and modern app driven.

The SONOS playbase/bar/beam does have L R and Center albeit not with the spatial separation you’d get with separate front speakers, but it’s still a home theater speaker. Coupled with 2 satellites and Sub it constitutes a true 5.1 system limited to DD 5.1 without the extra bells and whistles of your setup. But for most it’s good enough. Especiallly when invested in the rest of the echo system. I already ripped all my movies to 1080p/4K with DD 5.1 + a Stereo 2.0 track for portable devices so my SONOS setup does exactly what I want.


As a side note Apple will most likely also let you choose DD 5.1 in the future when movies are upgraded to Atmos
Well stated Driver28. Expectations would be severely curtailed if one shopped according to what a product is, instead of what they wished it would be. Regardless of how they are marketed, Sonos' surround sound offerings are not cutting edge, nor are they cinephile worthy. Expecting them to be in the future is setting oneself up for disappointment.
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I would argue that what constitutes true 5.1 is less limited than you make it out to be. For YOU 5.1 is DTS, ATMOS, DD 5.1/+ and whatever sound codecs are out there, and of course discreet front L R and Center.

But for most people SONOS. Delivers exactly what they want. A 1st class multi room audio system that also doubles as wireless 5.1 surround sound with support for the most used surround codec for tv and streaming services, DD 5.1. If you are an audiophile or movie perfectionist with massive LD or Blue-ray collections you probably won’t settle for 5.1 at all but go for a 7.1 or better system, right? Maybe gold plated thick cables? Thirèn vinyl player and good knows what speakers with analogue receiver.


The SONOS crowd aren’t into all that. They want nice looking and sounding speakers that like Apple used to, just works. Cable free and modern app driven.

The SONOS playbase/bar/beam does have L R and Center albeit not with the spatial separation you’d get with separate front speakers, but it’s still a home theater speaker. Coupled with 2 satellites and Sub it constitutes a true 5.1 system limited to DD 5.1 without the extra bells and whistles of your setup. But for most it’s good enough. Especiallly when invested in the rest of the echo system. I already ripped all my movies to 1080p/4K with DD 5.1 + a Stereo 2.0 track for portable devices so my SONOS setup does exactly what I want.


As a side note Apple will most likely also let you choose DD 5.1 in the future when movies are upgraded to Atmos


What I want more than anything is for SONOS to give me the beautiful sounding system that gives me 5.1, proper 5.1 not limited to DD. It is hardly beyond their technical abilities. I hate having a wired system and I don’t have Atomos or 7.1 or any vinyl or any HiFi separates does that mean I have to compromise on my film and TV watching. I have said throughout this thread that if the SONOS system rocks your boat then great and there is no doubt that covers many SONOS users. I have also invested heavily in SONOS for music and I am perfectly happy with it so I am not knocking the brand. They did however promise me 5.1, look at the ads, the still do it, and I maintain they don’t deliver and I think that is a great pity as this would be the Holly Grail of TV for me.

As for Apple changing to DD? They may, but not because of SONOS. Companies like SONOS need to follow Apple’s lead not the other way about.

Have a happy and prosperous New Year whenever it arrives where you are.
In what way are you not getting 5.1 as promised? Dolby Digital 5.1 is 5.1. Sonos plays it. End of story.


What I want more than anything is for SONOS to give me the beautiful sounding system that gives me 5.1, proper 5.1 not limited to DD.


Your instance on redefining what "5.1" means is not helping your cause any. It does not mean that Sonos, or any other vendor, needs to support every commercial codec that operates under 5.1 You actually have a good point underneath that, that Sonos doesn't cover all popular codecs and that it would make a better product and better for consumers if it did. I don't think anyone could really argue against that.


It is hardly beyond their technical abilities.


We don't really know that for sure. Since it's not a matter of meeting consumer needs, it must either be a cost or a technical issue.


I hate having a wired system and I don’t have Atomos or 7.1 or any vinyl or any HiFi separates does that mean I have to compromise on my film and TV watching. I have said throughout this thread that if the SONOS system rocks your boat then great and there is no doubt that covers many SONOS users. I have also invested heavily in SONOS for music and I am perfectly happy with it so I am not knocking the brand. They did however promise me 5.1, look at the ads, the still do it, and I maintain they don’t deliver and I think that is a great pity as this would be the Holly Grail of TV for me.


Again, you'd be better off if you stopped trying to redefine words. Completely unnecessary to your argument. A/V receivers have been supporting every possible codec they could since surround sound first came out, so it's not at all surprising for consumers to assume Sonos would as well. There is a clear gap between what consumers typically watch (including blu-rays) and what Sonos supports. Enough said right there.

Sonos isn't wrong for saying it's 5.1, because it is. I don't blame Sonos for advertising all the things it's not, because negativity in advertising doesn't sell products. I personally don't need DTS, but I do have disappointment in Sonos for not supporting it. And I leave at just that, disappointment. Not the only thing I'm disappointed about, but I still like their products much better than the competition's for my needs.


As for Apple changing to DD? They may, but not because of SONOS. Companies like SONOS need to follow Apple’s lead not the other way about.


Eh, I disagree on this. Sonos is what it is today because they didn't follow someone else's lead. They shouldn't start now. I also think that Apple (and others) has resources to do quite a few things that Sonos cannot (completely unfair, but another topic) and thus they need to make different decisions. And lastly, the idea of tech world where the little guys just follow the giants is not very pleasing to me. I've never really seen it as a good thing when a these giant companies are able the dictate the market by their sheer weight. All that's a matter of opinion though.
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In what way are you not getting 5.1 as promised? Dolby Digital 5.1 is 5.1. Sonos plays it. End of story.

OMG, if you are going to comment please read the thread. I can’t stream Netflix etc as there is no fast broadband in my area. My media is therefore mainly DVD nearly all of which are mostly DTS so I get stereo only. That is why I don’t get 5.1 as promised.

It would also improve the thread if you were a little less supercilious, everybody’s opinion is equally important and as this thread is about users opinions there is no definitive answer. Driver28 is happy with his setup, I required something different so comments such as “end of story” are uncalled for.
In what way are you not getting 5.1 as promised? Dolby Digital 5.1 is 5.1. Sonos plays it. End of story.

OMG, if you are going to comment please read the thread. I can’t stream Netflix etc as there is no fast broadband in my area. My media is therefore mainly DVD nearly all of which are mostly DTS so I get stereo only. That is why I don’t get 5.1 as promised.

It would also improve the thread if you were a little less supercilious, everybody’s opinion is equally important and as this thread is about users opinions there is no definitive answer. Driver28 is happy with his setup, I required something different so comments such as “end of story” are uncalled for.


Who promised you 5.1 in the form of DTS ?

I have read the thread. Maybe you should also, because your notion that "Sonos don’t 'really' do 5.1" was debunked on page 1. Nothing you have said since changes that fact.

And as to "everybody’s opinion is equally important", that would be fine if you were offering opinion. You stated as fact that Sonos promised you 5.1 and you didn't get it. That is not an opinion, and it is most certainly untrue. You were not promised 5.1 in the form of DTS. You were promised DD 5.1, and you got it.

Oh and by the way:

https://www.amazon.com/Samsung-UBD-M7500-ZA-Blu-Ray-Player/dp/B075QSCLRZ/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1546277860&sr=8-3&keywords=samsung+UHD+player

Samsung UBD-M7500/ZA 4K UHD Blu-Ray Player - No HDMI Cable Included

Plays DVD, Blu-Ray, and UHD Blu-Ray. Converts DTS to DD 5.1. Problem solved.

You are welcome!
.
It would also improve the thread if you were a little less supercilious, everybody’s opinion is equally important and as this thread is about users opinions there is no definitive answer.


"DTS" and "5.1" are not the same thing. Nor does "5.1" mean "every codec that involves 6 speaker channels". That's a fact, not an opinion, so there absolutely is a definitive answer.
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What i meant about Apple is that when they start upgrading movies to Atmos DD 5.1 will still be available as fallback, a selectable soundtrack for devices not supportingAtmks much like they still offer 4K movies in 1080p for compatibly. Default soundtrack IS DD 5.1 with stereo fallback now and has been for years in iTunes movies.


What I want more than anything is for SONOS to give me the beautiful sounding system that gives me 5.1, proper 5.1 not limited to DD.


Your instance on redefining what "5.1" means is not helping your cause any. It does not mean that Sonos, or any other vendor, needs to support every commercial codec that operates under 5.1 You actually have a good point underneath that, that Sonos doesn't cover all popular codecs and that it would make a better product and better for consumers if it did. I don't think anyone could really argue against that.


It is hardly beyond their technical abilities.


We don't really know that for sure. Since it's not a matter of meeting consumer needs, it must either be a cost or a technical issue.


I hate having a wired system and I don’t have Atomos or 7.1 or any vinyl or any HiFi separates does that mean I have to compromise on my film and TV watching. I have said throughout this thread that if the SONOS system rocks your boat then great and there is no doubt that covers many SONOS users. I have also invested heavily in SONOS for music and I am perfectly happy with it so I am not knocking the brand. They did however promise me 5.1, look at the ads, the still do it, and I maintain they don’t deliver and I think that is a great pity as this would be the Holly Grail of TV for me.


Again, you'd be better off if you stopped trying to redefine words. Completely unnecessary to your argument. A/V receivers have been supporting every possible codec they could since surround sound first came out, so it's not at all surprising for consumers to assume Sonos would as well. There is a clear gap between what consumers typically watch (including blu-rays) and what Sonos supports. Enough said right there.

Sonos isn't wrong for saying it's 5.1, because it is. I don't blame Sonos for advertising all the things it's not, because negativity in advertising doesn't sell products. I personally don't need DTS, but I do have disappointment in Sonos for not supporting it. And I leave at just that, disappointment. Not the only thing I'm disappointed about, but I still like their products much better than the competition's for my needs.


As for Apple changing to DD? They may, but not because of SONOS. Companies like SONOS need to follow Apple’s lead not the other way about.


Eh, I disagree on this. Sonos is what it is today because they didn't follow someone else's lead. They shouldn't start now. I also think that Apple (and others) has resources to do quite a few things that Sonos cannot (completely unfair, but another topic) and thus they need to make different decisions. And lastly, the idea of tech world where the little guys just follow the giants is not very pleasing to me. I've never really seen it as a good thing when a these giant companies are able the dictate the market by their sheer weight. All that's a matter of opinion though.
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What i meant about Apple is that when they start upgrading movies to Atmos DD 5.1 will still be available as fallback, a selectable soundtrack for devices not supportingAtmks much like they still offer 4K movies in 1080p for compatibly. Default soundtrack IS DD 5.1 with stereo fallback now and has been for years in iTunes movies.


What I want more than anything is for SONOS to give me the beautiful sounding system that gives me 5.1, proper 5.1 not limited to DD.


Your instance on redefining what "5.1" means is not helping your cause any. It does not mean that Sonos, or any other vendor, needs to support every commercial codec that operates under 5.1 You actually have a good point underneath that, that Sonos doesn't cover all popular codecs and that it would make a better product and better for consumers if it did. I don't think anyone could really argue against that.


It is hardly beyond their technical abilities.


We don't really know that for sure. Since it's not a matter of meeting consumer needs, it must either be a cost or a technical issue.


I hate having a wired system and I don’t have Atomos or 7.1 or any vinyl or any HiFi separates does that mean I have to compromise on my film and TV watching. I have said throughout this thread that if the SONOS system rocks your boat then great and there is no doubt that covers many SONOS users. I have also invested heavily in SONOS for music and I am perfectly happy with it so I am not knocking the brand. They did however promise me 5.1, look at the ads, the still do it, and I maintain they don’t deliver and I think that is a great pity as this would be the Holly Grail of TV for me.


Again, you'd be better off if you stopped trying to redefine words. Completely unnecessary to your argument. A/V receivers have been supporting every possible codec they could since surround sound first came out, so it's not at all surprising for consumers to assume Sonos would as well. There is a clear gap between what consumers typically watch (including blu-rays) and what Sonos supports. Enough said right there.

Sonos isn't wrong for saying it's 5.1, because it is. I don't blame Sonos for advertising all the things it's not, because negativity in advertising doesn't sell products. I personally don't need DTS, but I do have disappointment in Sonos for not supporting it. And I leave at just that, disappointment. Not the only thing I'm disappointed about, but I still like their products much better than the competition's for my needs.


As for Apple changing to DD? They may, but not because of SONOS. Companies like SONOS need to follow Apple’s lead not the other way about.


Eh, I disagree on this. Sonos is what it is today because they didn't follow someone else's lead. They shouldn't start now. I also think that Apple (and others) has resources to do quite a few things that Sonos cannot (completely unfair, but another topic) and thus they need to make different decisions. And lastly, the idea of tech world where the little guys just follow the giants is not very pleasing to me. I've never really seen it as a good thing when a these giant companies are able the dictate the market by their sheer weight. All that's a matter of opinion though.


I think you have just completely agreeded with me however you have done it in a slightly more eloquent manner. I stand by SONOS for my music listening but find their AV equipment a disappointment due to its lack of compatibility. That is my fault for not doing the research properly before purchasing the Playbase etc. By the way, the PB is the only speaker I returned, I have no issues with my other SONOS kit. You yourself state that it is a disappointment that DTS is not supported. There are arguments about what 5.1 is and isn’t on these pages. That kind of makes my point; SONOS should have just made it work out of the box for more people. Why should I spend another £200 on a DVD player, which is inferior to my existing machine, to do SONOS’ work for them. I thought less boxes, less cables is what we were after?

Let’s look at the argument another way: Can anyone please tell me why SONOS providing a soundbar/base with a HDMI that has the ability to reproduce DTS is a bad thing? I am not a lone voice on these forums asking for this.
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maybe this changes things for the future "New Sonos Satellite Speaker Pops Up in FCC Filing"
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This is quite a funny thread, that props up every few months and it always follows a familiar theme. I will also say it's quite clear from the author's history that the purpose of this thread and it's title is to get a rise out of the more ardent members on this sub-forum.

Anyhow...

Every few months we seem to have a self-confessed audiophile who despite having a wealth of knowledge about all the latest codecs somehow manages to spend thousands of dollars/pounds on new AV equipment and then gets very disappointed when they set it all up and realise they can't watch their latest Star Wars Blu-Ray out the box (eventhough lack of DTS on Sonos is a well known fact in home audio circles).

I will reiterate what I've said before in that I think Sonos does a solid (if incredibly expensive) job for standard DD 5.1 home cinema and it was clearly an afterthought for them. I'm a bit surprised they haven't managed to get the DTS issue sorted, but most people I know who have Sonos either use it exclusively for streaming, or are fine just having the audio pumped out as Stereo to blast through the Playbar.

If you want to stay in the Sonos eco-system, and are very disappointed about your DTS only Blu-Rays and don't want a "proper" AV wired setup, then there are players that will transcode on the fly and give you a near-similar experience (I assume there is a minor quality drop when the DTS is transacoded into DD5.1).

One last point which I've never been able to work out is, if the Playbar is supposed to simulate a 3.0 speaker setup, why can I not control the individual channels separately, i.e. why can't I increase the centre channel and the dialogue (the Speech Enhancement doesn't work very well in large rooms).

Let’s look at the argument another way: Can anyone please tell me why SONOS providing a soundbar/base with a HDMI that has the ability to reproduce DTS is a bad thing? I am not a lone voice on these forums asking for this.


Here are two reasons. First, the licensing and support costs might significantly raise the price of the products. Obviously, customers don't want that. You could argue that Sonos could be 'less greedy' eat those costs themselves, but without knowing the costs or the current profit margin, it's a mute point. Who are we to say what a fair profit margin is anyway? As well, if you're invested in Sonos, either by stocks or product purchases, it's in your best interest for Sonos to be profitable so that they can continue to support existing products as well as develop new products. Even if you don't have many Sonos products, they clearly are a good competitor in the market, which pushes the whole market forward.

The second would be that standards are most beneficial when there is only one or few standards out there. Limiting standards means customers have to worry less about whether product X works with product Y. It means manufacturers can keep costs lower if they don't need to have products handle a high volume of standards to be compatible with. As an example consider other standards like USB or Bluetooth. If there were multiple standards out there that did the same thing, this would raise the cost of any product using these standards as well as making life more complicated for the consumer. And yes, competing standard would bring innovation, but these 2 standards seem to be improving without the presence of competition.

Admittedly these aren't terribly strong reasons, particularly the last one. They are reasons though. And of course, Sonos is allowed to have their own reasons that don't have to do with customer satisfaction. There are in business for a reason after all.


If you want to stay in the Sonos eco-system, and are very disappointed about your DTS only Blu-Rays and don't want a "proper" AV wired setup, then there are players that will transcode on the fly and give you a near-similar experience (I assume there is a minor quality drop when the DTS is transacoded into DD5.1).


There is also the option of pairing a Connect with an AV receiver that does DTS.
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There is also the option of pairing a Connect with an AV receiver that does DTS.


I mean, sure that is an option, but not particularly realistic or cost-effective IMO.
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I mean, sure that is an option, but not particularly realistic or cost-effective IMO.
I think what’s meant here is just to use a traditional AV amp and speakers for home theatre, with a CONNECT adding Sonos audio to the rig. Which is what I do, and it’s entirely cost effective.
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Hi all
Just to clarify few things here,I have a full Sonos 5.1 setup and I’m very happy with it,indeed Sonos products can only do proper DolbyDigital 5.1 sound at the moment if the source is setup that way,the other option for a UHD DVD to work is to use a DVD player that can transcode the 7.1,Dolby Atmos on the fly, of course you still get only 5.1 from the system,but is proper 5.1 not upscaled,hopefully we’ll get more options in the future but for now if you looking for a dedicated Dolby Atmos/7.1DTS-X system Sonos is not the one for you.Can do great audio with music,multiroom but limited to 5.1 for home cinema.(by the way they just testing some sort of satellite speakers now,hopefully will be something we all waiting)
This is quite a funny thread, that props up every few months and it always follows a familiar theme. I will also say it's quite clear from the author's history that the purpose of this thread and it's title is to get a rise out of the more ardent members on this sub-forum.


Yeah, the OP basically admitted this was a work right here:


Kumar my friend, A title has two main purposes: (1) grab the attention of potential readers and (2) serve as a point of reference. There are many arguments against the content of my posts, which was the whole point, but I think the level of responses and the passion of some of the replies would suggest if nothing else, I nailed the title.
Before you buy any SONOS equipment to achieve a 5.1 setup please consider this: a Denon AVRX2400 AV Amp, Elac CINEMA 5.1 speaker system, all cables professionally installed behind the walls gives you true home cinema with all the surround sound codecs you could ever want with no cables showing for way less than £1000 (see Richer Sound web site for prices). Or spend £1700 on a SONOS setup and get stereo or Dolby Digital only plus you may have to buy a new DVD player to play your UHD DVD’s, a HDMI Switch then deal with lip sync issues etc, etc.

SONOS do speakers, great speakers, but only for music. They are stealing money from people wanting 5.1 for their TV. The system I suggest costs at least £700 less, hides all the wires (what we all want) and sounds much, much better. Go mad, stick a couple of speakers in the ceiling and get real Dolby Atmos for £150 more and still save yourself £550. I have begged SONOS to tell me if they are developing a surround sound product with HDMI and more choice of listening eg DTS, Dolby X etc but they point blank refuse to discuss future products stating they are catering for the “modern listener”. That put me in my place. SONOS remind me of great companies who made world class products like Blackberry, Blockbuster, Compaq and SAAB, just a minute, they all went out of business because they didn’t produce what their customers wanted at a competitive price (no pedants please, I know there were other factors which meant these companies went bust, I am just illustrating a point). Are SONOS going down the same route? Think about it while you are watching your new laser disc.

I would be interested to hear any arguments against my proposed SONOS alternative system.


Found this out the hard way. I went nuts and bought everything Sonos, even a new TV. I bought Sonos strictly because of the 5.1 claim, but found myself scratching my head for weeks trying to get it to work, only to find out that I can't get it. Doesn't even work seamlessly with my PC.

Great sound, but I want my 5.1.
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Great sound, but I want my 5.1.

Well, you can get your 5.1 but it involves jumping through some hoops.

I have read this thread with some interest and thought that I would give my view to the discussion. Do I wish that Sonos would consider adding some additional codecs ? Sure I do. Is it stopping me using my current sonos beam and play:1s for home cinema ? No it isn't - as long as you have the right equipment.

I have had numerous wired set ups in the past and they have been great. Those were in the days when I didn't care about miles of speaker cables etc. When we moved house I had the choice of channelling 40m of speaker cables into walls and pay a small fortune, or go the Sonos way and make my life easy. I think the person who mentioned that he can get speaker cables channels into walls for £200 either lives in a fantasy world or has a very small room. The cost of the wallpaper alone is more than that, never mind the cost of the labour, speaker cables etc. If you want this done properly you have already paid for two thirds of your Sonos system.

Yes, you do have to get creative and use equipment that can convert DTS to DD, and you do not get amazing stereo separation at the front, but it actually isn't that bad all things considering. A lot of it obviously depends on the size and shape of your living room. Although my living room is about 10m long, it is only 3.7m wide. This means that we are only sitting about 2.7 m from the TV and I found that the beam and the play:1s fills this distance with great sound. I will eventually get Playbar 2.0 but for now the beam is great.

I see where Sonos are coming from by targeting the streaming market and not the videophile market. Personally I do use Netflix a lot but I prefer to watch my films on UHD as video quality is so much better. Unfortunately this has restricted me to Samsung UHD players only as they are the only player (except the xbox) that can convert to 5.1DD on the fly. I could point the finger at Sonos here at only supporting limited codecs, but equally at Sony and Panasonic for not offering a down conversion facility in their machines.

Maybe one day Sonos will offer a separate centre speaker and speakers with Atmos support, but until then the current Sonos home theatre offerings do deliver 5.1 sound for my needs (with a bit tinkering and without the cables).
Well, you can get your 5.1 but it involves jumping through some hoops.

MY PC TO SONOS BEAM 5.1 IS WORKING NOW VIA
SOUND BLASTER PRO USB (DOLBY DIGITAL)


After much pain and weeks of trial and error I was was abe to get my 5.0 working (no woofer yet) . I should probably start a thread on what I did to help others. And it was really confusing to see if it worked because there is no proprietary Sonos 5.1 sound test. Since there's no test you can't troubleshoot effectively where the problem is.

I'm getting 5.0 from my PC to my Sonos Beam and surrounds. It wasn't working because of 3 things. *You may be able to get it working if you understand these.

1) Sonos can only translate Dolby Digital 5.1 .... but
2) Your Windows 10 may not output 5.1 out the box. Even if it says 5.1 it may only be doing DTS, not Dolby DIgital
3) Your video card outputs sound through the HDMI. In my case it's Nvidia 1050TI, and Nvidia it doesn't do 5.1. So when I was splitting my HDMI signal to accept the optical chord via Fosom splitter, it didn't matter, even though 5.1 was no lnger greyed out on my PC, I was still getting stereo. There is where I started to go mad.
4) BONUS: The main video tests you try from youtube or somewhere else aren't really Dolby Digital (even if they say they are), they're DTS that's why they don't translate. I also went mad here.

I was only able to tell my 5.0 was working by playing a movie and NOT hearing voices in both the surrounds and front speakers.

This is why it's important for Sonos to create a sound test on the Beam so you can see if it's your Sonos transmitting right, or if it's something else.

HOW I GOT IT TO WORK:
I bought a usb Dolby Digital - Sound Blaster Pro (Pro Studio) and bypassed my videocard's audio. The Beam is hooked to the SB Pro via the optical chord it came with.

*After you install the soundcard you still have to switch your default audio to SPDIF -Out (SB Pro), by default it won't be this.

I did all the annoying trial and error, I think I'll copy this and start a new thread for solutions. But I REALLY do Wish Sonos was PC friendly.
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In my setup I only have the Sonos Beam, and perhaps my Blu-Ray Player or perhaps my TV I bought almost 4 years ago converts 7.1 DTS to 5.1 Dolby Digital, at least when I tested one Blu-Ray that only shows 7.1 DTS in the menu. When I look at my about Sonos it shows Audio in 5.1 Dolby. Perhaps I just got lucky and it seems to just work, though I haven't looked at movies I have bought in the recent past.
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This is quite a funny thread, that props up every few months and it always follows a familiar theme. I will also say it's quite clear from the author's history that the purpose of this thread and it's title is to get a rise out of the more ardent members on this sub-forum.


Yes there is always someone who decides none of us know about receivers or had them in the past and chose Sonos despite it's limitations with full knowledge of what we are and aren't getting. Thanks Captain Obvious.
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That is correct, Sonos provides virtual Front L/R speaker channels. Just like some traditional system provide a phantom center speaker. Many users are ok with the 5.1 data from the source being turned into virtual front L/R sounds.

From my experience, when a Sub is added the virtual front L/R channels are not able to match the Sub's output. The Sub is a great product that fill the low frequency sound needs of a 5.1 setup. The only way to make the system work in a balanced way is to lower the Sub output - so why pay to add the sub in the first place? In my view, unless Sonos provides a way to include dedicated L/R front speakers, their 5.1 solution is entry level and should only be used in a small room. Don't waste your money on a Sub. Just go with virtual front L/R and virtual Sub and you'll save a lot of money and have a more balanced system.
That is correct, Sonos provides virtual Front L/R speaker channels. Just like some traditional system provide a phantom center speaker. Many users are ok with the 5.1 data from the source being turned into virtual front L/R sounds.

From my experience, when a Sub is added the virtual front L/R channels are not able to match the Sub's output. The Sub is a great product that fill the low frequency sound needs of a 5.1 setup. The only way to make the system work in a balanced way is to lower the Sub output - so why pay to add the sub in the first place? In my view, unless Sonos provides a way to include dedicated L/R front speakers, their 5.1 solution is entry level and should only be used in a small room. Don't waste your money on a Sub. Just go with virtual front L/R and virtual Sub and you'll save a lot of money and have a more balanced system.


They are most certainly not "virtual". There are physical speakers that correspond to the left and right in the Playbar/Playbase/Beam. As with the case with every soundbar sold, they are contained within the same enclosure, but there are actual L/R speakers. More research would help you to stop posting inaccurate nonsense like this and other posts.