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Hi

I have a playbase in my living room connected to my TV via the arc hdmi. I also have a set of wired surround sound speakers fixed to the walls. I would like to use these in my setup in the most efficient way possible. 

I don't want to replace the playbase, or have to buy a new amp to add and just use for surround sound. But i would look at buying a new single unit that could do both the tv and surround sound.  

So I guess my question is, what is the best way I could use these speakers?

I've looked into optical audio splitters to send the tv output to move the speakers and the playbase but that didn't seem to work. I then tried and old zp 120 and added that as a surround system, but it wasn't great as it had to be setup as another room that you then have to group to play the same audio. 

Does anyone have any suggestions or things i could try?

Cheers 

 

Hi @sitchey.

Thank you for reaching out to Sonos Community.

With Sonos home theater setup you cannot do both tv and surround sound in one component. 

What type of component does the wired surround sound speakers use?

Please submit a diagnostic report for me to see what are the speakers you have besides the playbase.

If you need help with any other information, please be sure to let us know.



 

Hi Mark

The are standard speaker wired speakers. Nothing too expensive but they work well and keen on using them rather than wireless ones etc. I can connect them to rca plugs.  

If the ZP120 is no different from a Connect:amp (I’m not sure of this) surround should have worked: https://support.sonos.com/s/article/2237?language=en_US

Your Playbar should still be on S1 software.

I waa able to add the zp120 as a surround sound addon to the playbase in the app. It found it ok, however no sound came from the speakers. 

I then had to set the zp120 as its own room and it did work. But as I said its not great as you have to then group them each time you want surround sound

the reason in trying to avoid a new connect amp is i feel its an expensive solution to just add surround sound. If I was buying a new unit like this it would make better sense adding it to a new room to get the value from it

If you experience no sound from the rear speakers one (or more) of three things could be wrong:

  • the ZP120 does not work as expected (time to call Sonos);
  • the settings on your TV are not giving the system DD 5.1 (take a look at your TV settings and at System-about my system in the Sonos app);
  • your expectations ar too high - surround sound is just that, birds chirping, applause from an audience, helicopters flying over, explosions while driving away, those kind of things. Only music (from the system, not from the TV) can be set to “Full”.

If you experience no sound from the rear speakers one (or more) of three things could be wrong:

  • the ZP120 does not work as expected (time to call Sonos);
  • the settings on your TV are not giving the system DD 5.1 (take a look at your TV settings and at System-about my system in the Sonos app);
  • your expectations ar too high - surround sound is just that, birds chirping, applause from an audience, helicopters flying over, explosions while driving away, those kind of things. Only music (from the system, not from the TV) can be set to “Full”.

 

I now the ZP 120 is working well as it is fine by itself and works with all the 4 surround speakers. But when it's connected to the playbase there is no sound. So could be tv settings, but not sure why the TV needs to push as its sending all the sound to the playbase and the zp is connected to the playbase. 

I know im not expecting too much, just 4 surround speakers working. Not be a rock concert 🎶

Not that it has anything to do with your question, but four surround speakers connected to one ZP120? Wouldn’t that give a strange effect even if it should work?

To your question: the TV needs to send DD 5.1 to the Playbase. If it is only sending stereo the surround speakers (normally two) would not do anything - the Playbase takes care of stereo.

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