Surround speakers OR Stereo pair

  • 29 November 2022
  • 4 replies
  • 497 views
K

Surround speakers OR Stereo Pair option in S2 App?

My current set up is an Sonos Arc plus 2 x Sonos SL one’s in my lounge.

Will Sonos ever create an option in their S2 App that would allow you to switch the same pair of Sonos speakers between a surround set up OR a stereo pair with one button press ?

Music sounds much better when I set the SL ones a stereo pair when compared to set as surrounds ( with the surround option set to “Full” and an increase in the music volume in the surround set up menu ).

I don’t really want to buy another pair of Sonos speakers! I have seen quite a few other threads looking for this same option. Is this perhaps a marketing ploy by Sonos to generate more sales over end user functionality?

Many thanks.

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4 replies

Airgetlam

I would imagine that the Sales team at Sonos would be against that. Nor do I know how challenging that switch would be in software, but as I understand the way it works, surround speakers are considered ‘children’ of the sound bar, and have a very specific communication method on a completely different Wi-Fi signal, where as standard speakers are considered peers to every other ‘room’ speaker, and have a mesh style connection, with information moving both in and out to each and every speaker, either using your Wi-Fi, SonosNet, or a wired LAN connection.

’Fixing’ that would likely require a complete rewrite of the way Sonos works, from the bottom up. 

Bruce
K

Thank you for the reply. I understand what you are saying. It is a pity, being that Sonas are all about quality of sound integrated in your home. 

J

Thank you for the reply. I understand what you are saying. It is a pity, being that Sonas are all about quality of sound integrated in your home. 

Only your reluctance to buy enough speakers for the job is limiting that in your case.  As @Airgetlam has said, this is not just a case of ungrouping them.  The speakers connect to the system in totally different ways in the two use cases.  Even if Sonos were to add a toggle option, it would save a few clicks but would not reduce the configuration time.  And then there is Trueplay…

The genuine user gain from this would actually be very small, it might well involve a lot of programming and regression testing, and the end result would probably be an adverse effect on Sonos’ bottom line.  Good luck to the product development manager trying to argue for that to be prioritised over other possible uses of finite development resource.

melvimbe

I don’t really want to buy another pair of Sonos speakers! I have seen quite a few other threads looking for this same option. Is this perhaps a marketing ploy by Sonos to generate more sales over end user functionality?

Many thanks.

 

There are technical reasons for it, but as you’re pointing out, if Sonos did implement a feature, it would prompt you to buy less speakers, not more.  There is also the message such a feature would send to potential customers. “Our soundbars don’t sound good for music”.

 

Sonos is rumored to be working on their next gen speakers, the Optimo series, which would  essentially  be new Ones and Fives that are atmos capable. That sounds like it could eliminate the problem by having separate wireless front speakers that sound good for movies and music.  You get the better sound you want, Sonos sells more speakers, everybody wins?

Danny
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