Currently I have an ARC and two Gen 3 Subs and a pair of ERA 300 for the rear channel. I was looking at adding a pair of Sonos 5 speakers to the from channels of the surround system for more immersive ATMOS experience. Is this something that will be possible in the future or and configuration that is possible currently that I am not aware of?
Adding a Pair of Sonos 5's to the front sides in my surround system
It is not possible currently, and Sonos has not announced any plans for it to be possible in the future.
The Arc alone already includes the center, front left, and front right channels so adding an extra pair of front channel speakers is not supported by Sonos. You can group more speakers to your Arc setup, but you will likely experience a slight audio delay from the grouped speakers when playing TV audio. Streaming music will be in sync though.
Also, in addition to the delay, any “front” grouped speakers (even Atmos capable ERA 300s) will be playing all channels; front L/R, center, surround L/R, and Atmos height L/R out of their front drivers only as a stereo downmix, destroying the front soundstage, and ruining any surround or Atmos effects. In short, don’t do it. More speakers doesn’t mean better sound.
Yes, I contacted Sonos about this almost 10 years ago. Would be great if we had more flexibility in selecting speakers for various channels in a home theater setup.
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