I have read lots of threads here and on Reddit with naysayers indicating that Sonos does not work well as your home computer speakers and this is simply not true. If you have the budget, there is nothing that even comes close to Sonos for immersive sound for gaming etc.
I have been using Sonos as my go-to surround sound speaker system for my PC for the past 4 years without issue. I have also installed them through various versions of Windows without issues. The installation procedure is as follows:
If you do not have a Sonos system already go to step 2 below. If you do have a system already then you need the app on a tablet, phone or other device that is different from where you are going to install the computer Sonos system.
**Needed - 1 x Playbar or Playbase, sub if required and surround speakers (play 1 or 3) if required. Computer needs a sound card that has an optical output (most do). Make sure you have a random old remote around that has a volume control on it. Need an Ethernet connection for the Playbar/Playbase and a working Wi-Fi network (2.4ghz)**
**Make sure to create a new account with Sonos that is different from your other setups if applicable**
1. You need the Sonos app for your "other" system(s) on another device such as your iPad, phone or other computer so that you do not lose those setups.
2. If not new, factory reset your Sonos gear
3. If installed, delete the Sonos app from your computer
4. Connect Playbar/Playbase to internet and optical output from PC
5. Reinstall the app, launch it and when it asks, select "new system"
6. Name the room something that is not already being used in your home (can be whatever if this is your only Sonos system)
7. Go through the set-up screens and install the bar/base, sub (if required) and surround (if required)
8. Follow the program and set up the sound
9. Play the test pattern and everything should be good so far
10. Trick the app that you are not using a TV by using some old random remote and click on the volume button when requested.
11. Answer the question "saw the volume bar" or "saw nothing"...don't choose the 1st option or you will need to start again
12. Register the speakers when asked.
13. If you get errors registering the speakers, close the program and reopen it. Log in and register the speakers
You now have earth-shaking sound for your games! You can max out the volume on your PC and use the remote that you set up to control the volume or use the Sonos program for that. If you want to use your keyboard keys to control the volume instead, lower the output on your sound card and max out the Sonos program...either works well.
You can now use your computer to watch movies with surround sound, link to music services via the program or simply play games etc with amazing sound! My setup is a Playbar, Sub and 2 x Play 3 for surround.
Hope this helps everyone!!!
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If you don't have Dolby Digital Live support, the sound coming out of optical on PC will be stereo (2ch) PCM. You need DDL to have 5.1 signal output in AC3 format.
P.S. Beam is really good as a computer speaker in this configuration.
Thanks for this! In the settings of the sonos app I can see that the output is stereo. I have the optical plugged in directly to my pc’s motherboard (an older motherboard) so if I would buy the asus xonar U3, plug the optical in that, instal creative soundblaster omni and x-fi surround 5.1 pro I get better sound quality?
I know I can’t get surround sound with the beam alone, but right now I am not using the beam optimally (Don’t get me wrong, the sound is already amazing as is!)? I want to get two sonos one’s as soon as possible but probably not this month.
Would you happen to know if dolby 5.1 is automatically supported when using an ARC hdmi port? I want to buy either a sound card/usb or an hdmi to HDMI-ARC converter (don’t know if this works, need to look into this).
Man setting this up on pc is harder then I expected lol. Would love to get my switch and ps4 (and blu-ray) sounds on the beam as well.
Thanks in advance!
edit: my pc says in the sound setting that dolby is supported, the test triggers all 5 speakers (and bass) in the beam but I will need something like the xonar to also use this as output?
U3, U5, U7, X-Fi, and Omni are all USB sound cards. :)
They have their own drivers you need to install.
Try finding DDL in sound settings, I found a screenshot, look here: https://i.imgur.com/4oijLJG.png . you need to set output to Dolby Digital Live. Then, you get 5.1 output via optical. If you don't have this option, your motherboard does not support it and you need a new soundcard that has this option.
Seems Asus is abandoning their sound card line, so your best bet would be Soundblaster Omni in order to be future-proof. It is the newest one of the bunch, likely to receive driver updates the longest.
https://us.creative.com/p/sound-blaster/sound-blaster-omni-surround-5-1
Regarding HDMI, there are some workarounds, but these require use of modified drivers and disabling some crucial security features of windows for those to work. I don't recommended this personally, but you can try it at your own risk. Normally, sound over HDMI is uncompressed LPCM that can go up to 8 channels, but Sonos cannot use that signal. If you used a soundbar that had HDMI passthrough and supported multi-channel LPCM, or an AV receiver then you wouldn't have any issues getting 5.1 surround sound from HDMI.
edit: for PS4, just use optical out, and set optical to output dolby digital. :)
Thanks a lot! I use nintendo switch in handheld most of the time so that's no problem. And thanks for the tip on the ps4, that works! Would have been best if I had a screen with a ARC-output but unfortunately I don't. Also my pc does not have the DDL 5.1 option so I would need a soundcard.
The workaround seems like a lot of trouble. The thing I was talking about is the following: https://www.bol.com/nl/p/mini-hdmi-arc-adapter-audio-video-splitter-4k-3d-1080p-toslink/9200000077113009/?productId=9200000077113009&language=en this device should make a fictional HDMI-ARC port. If I am correct, would I be able to use ARC from screen, all devices (including PC) which are plugged into the monitor are channeled to the sonos beam?
Last question: is if worth to get the soundcard (to go DDL 5.1) with only the beam so far? (plan to get two sonos one's in the near future!).
Thanks in advance!
Regarding is it worth getting the soundcard... That is VERY subjective. I got my second-hand cheap. Also, try playing PS4 in PCM stereo and Dolby and compare the differences. You have the ability to hear the difference, so that will help you decide. :)
edit: Personally, I don't have rears yet either, but I do have a sub. Dolby content does have a dedicated LFE channel, and it does sound better to me with a dedicated sub. Also, Dolby encoded seems to have better directionality than stereo, but this might be subjective. As I said, try for yourself with PS4, and pay attention to differences. Also, if you have an iPhone, iPod touch or iPad, do TruePlay tuning! Borrow one if you need. Re-tune it again if you move it. It affects the sound quality, especially in home theater (dolby content) use case!
Thanks a lot. You helped me a ton!!!
So if I am correct, to sum it all up, in order to get DDL 5.1 I will need a sound card that supports that. I could get a HDMI-ARC splitter, this will allow me to get pc, nintendo switch and ps4 (everthing plugged into the monitor) to send sound to the Sonos, however it will not be in DDL 5.1 since it cannot be transported through HDMI?
Thanks again!!
EDIT: call my unlucky. Just found out that Sony decided to cut the Optical output on the PS4 Slim models (it is on the PS4 first gen and the PS4 Pro). Guess what model I own 😞.
I'm not exactly sure how HDMI-ARC splitter works, but a non-arc extractor/splitter that I have takes the HDMI input (from source), and puts out whatever sound that is carried via HDMI and outputs it via optical, while forwarding both audio and video via HDMI out to the TV.
My guess for HDMI-ARC you linked to, it gets audio from TV via ARC. So, the hdmi OUT on the extractor is actually also audio in via ARC, and then it will output that sound to optical. But it's a guess, I haven't used that. Plus, the page is in Dutch, and I don't understand a lick of it.
edit: HDMI extractor will not convert any signal to a different one. If you put Dolby Digital in the stream via HDMI, it will output Dolby Digital via optical. If it is 2ch PCM, it will output PCM. If you put in DTS, it will output DTS via optical (but Sonos will not decode that, you'd get silence only).
Xbox and PS4 can output dolby(they have DDL implemented via optical and HDMI) via HDMI, and extractor will just take it and output it via optical.
EDIT: call my unlucky. Just found out that Sony decided to cut the Optical output on the PS4 Slim models (it is on the PS4 first gen and the PS4 Pro). Guess what model I own 😞.
Sorry to hear that... But if you get the HDMI extractor, and connect your beam to it via optical, you should get Dolby Digital...
Does your TV have optical out? Set Playstation to Dolby digital (not dolby digital plus!!!!) output via HDMI, and try setting your TV to output Dolby via optical.
My guess for HDMI-ARC you linked to, it gets audio from TV via ARC. So, the hdmi OUT on the extractor is actually also audio in via ARC, and then it will output that sound to optical. But it's a guess, I haven't used that. Plus, the page is in Dutch, and I don't understand a lick of it
I see, as far as I can tell these converters put HMDI in from TV and then create a HDMI-ARC output, so I could link the sonos bar with the HDMI cable (no optical needed).
EDIT: call my unlucky. Just found out that Sony decided to cut the Optical output on the PS4 Slim models (it is on the PS4 first gen and the PS4 Pro). Guess what model I own 😞.Sorry to hear that... But if you get the HDMI extractor, and connect your beam to it via optical, you should get Dolby Digital...
Does your TV have optical out? Set Playstation to Dolby digital (not dolby digital plus!!!!) output via HDMI, and try setting your TV to output Dolby via optical.
My tv and ps4 both do not have a Optical output, since my ps4 is the slim model and my ''TV'' is actually a really big gaming monitor lol.
p.s. been doing research on sound cards, since that seems to be the best option (since I don't know much about the HDMI-ARC converters) and does it need to be Dolby digital Live 5.1 or is Dolby Digital 5.1 also good enough?
Thanks once again 😉.
p.s. been doing research on sound cards, since that seems to be the best option (since I don't know much about the HDMI-ARC converters) and does it need to be Dolby digital Live 5.1 or is Dolby Digital 5.1 also good enough?
Dolby Digital is a format, Dolby Digital Live is encoder implementation what you need to encode 5.1 system sound to Dolby Digital format in real-time.
Your current optical out can play Dolby Digital from movies for example (try playing Dolby Digital AC3 movie via VLC player(in options you have the ability to bitstream), or any surround sound movie via KODI that has been set to passthrough, and to transcode to dolby. The problem is that is pre-encoded content. DDL is a system that encodes system sounds in REAL TIME to dolby. So, DDL is a MUST for a soundcard. Also, make sure soundcard is compatible with Windows 10. Most DDL soundcards are older models, and might not have W10 drivers, or like some cards they have DDL on windows XP, Windows 7, but not on windows 10. They have the driver, but without ddl for W10. That's why I suggested Soundblaster. They seem to have that covered.
Thanks once again 😉.
You're welcome!
p.s. been doing research on sound cards, since that seems to be the best option (since I don't know much about the HDMI-ARC converters) and does it need to be Dolby digital Live 5.1 or is Dolby Digital 5.1 also good enough?
Your current optical out can play Dolby Digital from movies for example (try playing Dolby Digital AC3 movie via VLC player(in options you have the ability to bitstream), or any surround sound movie via KODI that has been set to passthrough, and to transcode to dolby. The problem is that is pre-encoded content. DDL is a system that encodes system sounds in REAL TIME to dolby. So, DDL is a MUST for a soundcard. Also, make sure soundcard is compatible with Windows 10. Most DDL soundcards are older models, and might not have W10 drivers, or like some cards they have DDL on windows XP, Windows 7, but not on windows 10. They have the driver, but without ddl for W10. That's why I suggested Soundblaster. They seem to have that covered.
Thanks once again 😉.You're welcome!
Alright everthing is clear for me now. Just found out that when using a HDMI-ARC splitter, 99% of the time the sound that is on output can only be played on 2 channel (stereo) so that ain't worth it. Think I will buy the Creative Sound blaster omni since that would be most convenient (through USB).
Unfortunately I can't use my Switch and/or my PS4 on the sonos system for now.
p.s. If my monitor would have had an ARC-out port, would it also have been stereo output or would I have been able to switch my pc and ps4 to DD?
You sir are a live saver, this helped me put off a lot of stress. Almost had regreted buying the beam (since it would not have been compatible for me), but I am glad I can work around it like this. The sonos products are awesome!
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