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Hey guys, 

Current Sonos setup - 

Arc & Sub Mini. Thinking to get Era 100s by 11/27 (great deal going on) 

Do you think surrounds add a lot of value? 

I would have loved to buy Era 300 for Dolby atmos but I feel they are super overkill and having middle drivers disabled when in surrounds, not worth it. 

Oh yes, an average apartment/condo living room. 

Thank you Sonos gang!

Yes..get surrounds. You’ll love it. I have the Ones and had the Era 300’s which didn’t impress me so I returned them and put the Ones back.


Yes..get surrounds. You’ll love it. I have the Ones and had the Era 300’s which didn’t impress me so I returned them and put the Ones back.

Shall I get Ones or Era 100? 
 

I am assuming Era 100 both drivers work when in surround? 

Only you can decide which ones. Easy to return either if you buy at a local store. I haven’t heard the 100’s. 


The Symfonisk speakers make great cheap surrounds too.


Why would any speakers in a soundbar not be used when adding rear speakers? All speakers in your soundbar will keep working when adding rears. The Arc, if I remember correctly, does FL-Center-FR and upfiring speakers, so 3.2 of the 5.1.2. The other two are the surrounds the Arc isn’t tasked with and does not do when no surrounds are added.


Yes..get surrounds. You’ll love it. I have the Ones and had the Era 300’s which didn’t impress me so I returned them and put the Ones back.

Shall I get Ones or Era 100? 
 

I am assuming Era 100 both drivers work when in surround? 


The Symfonisk speakers make great cheap surrounds too.

Would they really add clarity and quality when compared to era 100s? 


The Symfonisk speakers make great cheap surrounds too.

Would they really add clarity and quality when compared to era 100s? 

Probably not but at a 1/3rd the price they still add to the surround experience.  I don’t have an arc or beam 2 and find not a lot comes via the rear surrounds on Dolby 5.1 or 2 to make a set of era 100 worth the investment for us.  For most of our viewing the Rears surrounds do very little.  If you watch a lot of surround films your mileage may differ.


When era 100s are connected as surrounds do all drivers on Soundbar fire? What happens to side firing ones? 

Does Arc + Sub & Rears work as 5.1.2? Assuming Arc does 5 channels (front)?


Yes, i just got the one sl’s and they DO make the set up complete. I have the beam2, sub mini, 2 sl’s in a room size 4.5m x 3.5m and i cant have it on any louder than 30 on the app as it will be to loud on the surrounding  flats/neighbours. You hear better affects through the rears, ie. bullet zip, rain etc. Im glad i saved the money buying the one sl’s over the slightly more powerful era 100’s as they are perfect for my room size, if you have a room a fair bit bigger go for the era 100’s.


I have the One SL as a surrounds in an apartment and even those I feel are over kill. They never reach the speakers full potential unless you're forcing the surround volume up in settings.

 

If you can find a pair of used ONE SLs on Kijiji or FB market, get them.

 

Otherwise it would be perfectly fine just going to Ikea and using their Symphonisk speakers as rear surrounds.