Using Beam as center channel with Connect supplying left and right channels

hashtag - please Sonos!

I would expect it would have to wait for Connect V2 (which I would assume we will see by early next year at the latest since they need to refresh all of their non-Airplay2 compatible units).

Big question to me is - will there be a Play:3 v2 (as it has always been the ugly stepchild of the Play series).

That just leaves Connect and Playbar V2 versions required for release. I think they are both going to be BEASTS!

JMO...Sonos could produce the Beam just as is to negate a separate assembly and just upgrade the firmware/software of the current Beam and add a switch to designate use as a dedicated Center Channel or L/C/R. In that manner the Beam becomes a versatile unit for future expansion if the person doesn't want to payout an addition cost of two Play 1's as L/R speakers (for example) at the initial purchase. I could also see Sonos One's or Play 5's being used as well (possibly the Play 3 if still around). So what about it Sonos? :8

Cheers!

I haven't listened to the beam yet, but expect it would pair well with Play1s in the front. If you went to Play 5 mains, it would need to pair with something more in line with the current playbar to have similar sound qualities. The problem with the playbar is that it doesn't have all forward firing speakers, so switching it to center channel mode would turn off the R/L channels completely. It would be a better option to have the processing built into a connect unit allowing you to pair with any center you want. Then you could consider a Play 3/5 for a point source center until Sonos releases something more aesthetically pleasing to mount under the TV. Something the size of the playbar with 4 forward firing mid woofers, and 2 tweeters would be awesome. I have always hated mini system center speakers because they sound shallow and tinny like a TV speaker. A larger center speaker will reproduce the +80hz and booms, crashes, deep vocals, etc. The playbar already does this fairly well, it just needs a bit more separation and oomph in a large room. Maybe the beam is decent here too, but it is quite a bit smaller so I would worry about it running out of gas on the louder stuff.

I haven't listened to the beam yet, but expect it would pair well with Play1s in the front. If you went to Play 5 mains, it would need to pair with something more in line with the current playbar to have similar sound qualities. The problem with the playbar is that it doesn't have all forward firing speakers, so switching it to center channel mode would turn off the R/L channels completely. It would be a better option to have the processing built into a connect unit allowing you to pair with any center you want. Then you could consider a Play 3/5 for a point source center until Sonos releases something more aesthetically pleasing to mount under the TV. Something the size of the playbar with 4 forward firing mid woofers, and 2 tweeters would be awesome. I have always hated mini system center speakers because they sound shallow and tinny like a TV speaker. A larger center speaker will reproduce the +80hz and booms, crashes, deep vocals, etc. The playbar already does this fairly well, it just needs a bit more separation and oomph in a large room. Maybe the beam is decent here too, but it is quite a bit smaller so I would worry about it running out of gas on the louder stuff.

I hear you..brad7348. However, I wouldn't be too concerned about a Play 5 x 2 over powering the Beam as a Center Channel because in a standard L/C/R (separates) setup the Center channel carries most of the audio to anchor it to the screen. The L/R speakers are given less to basically translate movement to either side. Granted they (L/R) have more oomph than rears but not to the point where I think they would blank out a Beam as center. Also, I'd hope that True Play tuning would even everything out. Just speculation based upon my listening experience, as I'm not a speaker design engineer. :8

Cheers!

I don't think I like the idea of the Beam as a center channel only speaker. As I understand, some of it's speakers are angled outwards, as opposed to straight ahead, in order to get better stereo separation feel. I'd assume you'd really need to turn those speakers off if you wanted center only, and I don't know that would be a good fit for center channel in a larger room.

I'd actually prefer if they came out with a play:3 v2 that can double as a center channel. If the design it in a similar form factor to the Beam, just not as wide, then it would look good underneath a TV, or even on a bookshelf. It could also do well underneath a kitchen cabinet, as seems to be a popular use for the Beam. If this were the choice for a center channel though, I don't think Sonos would build in the 'HT brains' into the device, as it would mean this new speaker is too costly for any other use than a center channel. I'd guess pushing the cost fro $250 to $350 or more.

Overall though, the big concern I see is the size of the market. I look at it this way. Of all the TV owners in the world, how many of them even want external speakers. Then out the remaining pool, how many of them would just prefer a soundbar or separated stereo fronts. Then from that pool, how many are going to want a Sonos option instead of the many available wired options? It seems quite possible that the pool is pretty small, and the fact that Sonos has never done anything in this area tends to support that conclusion.

Maybe there is enough market. Maybe Sonos can use speakers that have more use than in a HT setting, and maybe the Beam, or a Connect V2 can have the right functionality built in at a reasonable extra cost. But Sonos still has support costs for the setup, still has to do al the testing and tuning to make sure the setup works well, and so on.

And If I'm perfectly honest, as much as like the setup, I don't know that I can justify the extra cost in speakers for a true 5.1 setup, not sure I can do the electrical wiring and such to get it to look right in my living room, and not sure that the increased sound quality is going to be worth all that effort.

Hi gfardon, did you buy Sonos beam and hooked it up as you originally considered?
If yes, how does it work?