Hi @gnmilne, thank you for reaching out to us, and welcome to the Sonos community. I appreciate you for bringing this concern to us. Let me help you with this.

For a single Play:5 speaker we recommend positioning the speaker horizontally, enabling stereo sound over a wide sound stage. (A single Play:5 speaker positioned in vertical mode is a mono speaker—there is no stereo separation.)

You can put your speaker just about anywhere. For maximum performance, we have a few guidelines:

• The Play:5 is a substantial and powerful speaker and should be placed on a flat surface that is robust and durable enough to properly support it. Make sure the Play:5’s rubber feet sit completely on the flat surface.
• Allow at least a 2" perimeter all around the Play:5 including its power cord.
• Place the Play:5 across the room from where you’ll be listening (at or close to your ear height for best results).
• The Play:5 is humidity resistant so you can use it in the bathroom; however, it is not water-resistant so don’t position it near water or leave it outside during a rainstorm.
• Pair two Sonos speakers in the same room for a wider, stereo experience. One speaker serves as the left channel and one serves as the right channel.
  • Note: The Sonos speakers in a stereo pair must be the same type.
• Pair two Play:5s for left-right stereo sound, or use two Play:5s as rear surrounds for your home theater.
• Line-In - Connect an external source like a phono preamp (your turntable may have a built-in phone preamp), or another audio device. You may refer to this article on how to use line-In on Sonos.

​We can wait for suggestions and feedback from our Sonos community users if they have a similar room size as yours, and you may also contact our Sales specialists through phone or email where you can send the floor plan for further assistance. Please click this link for your reference on contacting them. We're here to answer any further questions you have. You're always welcome here in the Community.