Use Sonos Amp to drive ceiling speakers as surrounds without a sound bar?

Forum|Forum|4 years ago
January 5, 2022
14 replies
6707 views

I am setting up a new 15ft x 20ft family room from scratch in my remodeled home. I have already run wiring for two ceiling speakers in the right and left rear of the room. My intent is to use those two ceiling speakers as surrounds for the TV, and as music emitters when the TV is not in use.

My hope had been to buy a single Sonos Amp, hook it up to the ceiling speakers, and use the HDMI eARC port on the TV (a new LG C1) to drive the surround signal to the ceiling speakers. I had envisioned only needing the Amp for the surrounds, and just using the TV’s built-in speaker(s?) as the front audio, without springing for a soundbar. (They seem expensive and I’ve never really appreciated soundbars for TV. Not an audiophile. But I would like to have surround sound for movies.)

Is this setup possible? Or do I have to have a Beam(gen2) or Arc in order to use the Amp to drive surrounds? (I’m using an Apple TV 4k, latest, for content, if that matters.)

Looking around online, it seems like in order to add surrounds I have to already have a Beam (gen2) or an ARC, and that if I just plugged the HDMI eARC into the amp directly I could only do front stereo. But I’m wondering if there is a way to make the rear speakers work as surrounds without having to also buy a soundbar. Could I do it using Airplay from the Apple TV 4k maybe?

Thanks in advance!

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Best answer by GuitarSuperstar

You need a Sonos home theater product like an Arc, Beam (Gen 2), or another Amp connected to your TV in order to use the Amp/in-ceiling speakers as surrounds.

Since you have a pretty good size room, an LG C1, and are using an Apple TV 4K, I suggest getting the Sonos Arc. But keep in mind that music will play out of the Arc AND in-ceiling speakers with this setup. You cannot just play audio out of the in-ceiling speakers unless you unbond the Amp from the Arc first and the Amp is acting as its own room/zone.

Show previous replies

106rallye

Most Connect:amps are Gen1, and so will only run on S1 software, with which the Beam (Gen2) nor the Arc is compatible. If you go this route you need a Gen2 Connect:amp.

D

davidagalvanAuthor

Contributor I

Just bought a Gen 2 connect:amp off eBay for $327. ($370 including tax and shipping.). Thanks for the guidance!

Now just need to find a low cost Beam Gen 2. Looks like Best Buy has some open box for under $400.

D

davidagalvanAuthor

Contributor I

Reading up on Dolby Atmos, it looks like using ceiling speakers as surrounds is “not recommended” since surrounds are meant to be at ear level. Won’t stop me from trying it out of course.

But since I do have a couple other Play 1’s lying around, I might try making those the surrounds and using the ceiling speakers (connected to the Gen 2 connect:amp) as true left and right ceiling speakers in a “5.0.2” Atmos setup. (With a Beam Gen 2 as the front “3”.)

buzz

Grand Maestro

Atmos decoding must be done by a master unit, in this case BEAM or ARC. Unfortunately, BEAM and ARC do not provide an output that could drive external height channel passive speakers. You could use an AMP to drive passive surround speakers, but not height speakers.

I don’t recommend attempting to Group a set of AMP driven speakers while watching TV because there will be a nagging latency in these speakers. Group will work OK while playing music.

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