Use Sonos Play 5 As Centre Channel - Existing Home Theatre Setup

  • 11 July 2018
  • 4 replies
  • 1092 views

Hi there, I’m wondering if there’s a way to use my Sonos Play 5 to my existing 5.1 surround system. My receiver is a pioneer vsx 530. I’d like to use the Sonos play as my center channel. Is this possible???? Thanks!!!!

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4 replies

Ugh. Potentially, but it would be an ugly setup. You could connect an unpowered line out that carries just the center channel and plug it in to the line in on the PLAY:5. It would be extremely unsatisfactory to adjust the volume on that, though. Every time you adjusted the volume on the Pioneer, you'd also have to adjust the volume on the PLAY:5. And no, there's no good way of taking the center speaker out for a standard speaker, and connect that to the line in, you'd likely blow out the electronics on the PLAY:5 as soon as you adjusted the volume. It's designed to take an unamplified input, not an amplified one.
Thanks so much for the detailed response. Yeah, looks like it may not be worth it. How about just using the subwoofer? Is using a non Sonos sub possible?
So, I'm confused...again :)

Using what subwoofer? The Sonos SUB? That requires that it is bonded to another Sonos speaker, like the PLAY:5, or PLAY:1, etc. Can't be used by itself, there's no way to send the signal to it other than a Sonos speaker.

I would think a non-Sonos sub would connect directly to your AV receiver, and wouldn't be involved in any way with any Sonos device.
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Using the Play 5 as a center channel via the 3.5 mm input would be a pain as was said since your receiver doesn't seem to have preamp level volume controlled outputs.

It does have a sub output so any powered sub with an analog input should work, not the Sonos Sub though.

https://www.crutchfield.com/Product/CompareTo.aspx?g=10420&cc=01&compareItems=01|130VSX530

You might look into a Sonos Connect to get your Sonos system connected to the other gear you have.