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Best answer by kdowling

I've ignored the option, there is past discussion on just what activating the present, but unused by Sonos, option does.

Only thing stuck in my memory is the statement from Sonos, they tried it and didn't like the results.

I have a Beam (gen 2), Sub (gen 3) and Era 100s as surrounds. I added One SLs as fronts using SonoSequencr and it sounds fantastic. If it doesn’t work out or you don’t like the result, you can remove the fronts using the Sonos app. 

Below is CEO Tom Conrad from the “January Open Office Hours” on reddit:

I’m genuinely enthusiastic about this space. The idea that people want to build more expressive, more powerful front soundstages tells me there’s still a lot of creative energy around the Sonos system, and I love that people are experimenting enough to build third-party solutions when we haven’t shipped something ourselves yet.

That said, there are real technical challenges here that are easy to underestimate from the outside. Once you move beyond the classic soundbar plus surrounds model, you’re dealing with tight latency budgets, radio competition, phase alignment, room acoustics, and a wide range of physical layouts. Getting that right across millions of homes, with different speakers, rooms, and networks, -- and then tied into my focus on reliability -- is non-trivial. We won’t ship something in this category unless it’s predictable, stable, and meaningfully better than what people can already cobble together.

What I can commit to is continued innovation in exactly this direction. We are actively working on richer, more flexible home theater configurations. I won’t pre-announce specific features or timelines, but I do want to be clear that this isn’t being ignored, and it isn’t blocked by marketing (or any other) dogma. When we do it, it needs to feel like a Sonos solution, not a science experiment.

19 replies

Mr. T
Mr. T
March 7, 2026

Yes. It’s not officially supported but can be done using the iOS app Sonosequencr.

nik9669a
Senior Virtuoso
March 7, 2026

They will need to be grouped with the Arc, and will therefore by playing out of sync. Some find this a distraction but others say it’s acceptable. 

Mr. T
Mr. T
March 7, 2026

They will need to be grouped with the Arc, and will therefore by playing out of sync. Some find this a distraction but others say it’s acceptable. 

Not if you add them as front surrounds.

nik9669a
Senior Virtuoso
March 7, 2026

They will need to be grouped with the Arc, and will therefore by playing out of sync. Some find this a distraction but others say it’s acceptable. 

Not if you add them as front surrounds.



 

Fair enough: the question asked was “Can I add a second pair of error (sic) 100 placed left and right of the arc. For additional sound”?

 

What additional sound will the Eras be playing? How does that work, without playing out of sync? Or, if they play the surround effects, doesn’t it confuse the 3D soundstage?

Stanley_4
Stanley_4
Grand Maestro
March 7, 2026

I've ignored the option, there is past discussion on just what activating the present, but unused by Sonos, option does.

Only thing stuck in my memory is the statement from Sonos, they tried it and didn't like the results.

jgatie
jgatie
March 7, 2026

 

Fair enough: the question asked was “Can I add a second pair of error (sic) 100 placed left and right of the arc. For additional sound”?

 

What additional sound will the Eras be playing? How does that work, without playing out of sync? Or, if they play the surround effects, doesn’t it confuse the 3D soundstage?

 

They play as true left and right front channels.  However, Sonos doesn't support this remnant of a past beta because it can suffer from dropouts due to the close proximity to the main soundbar radios, and Trueplay tuning can be difficult. 

    kdowling
    kdowlingAnswer
    March 7, 2026

    I've ignored the option, there is past discussion on just what activating the present, but unused by Sonos, option does.

    Only thing stuck in my memory is the statement from Sonos, they tried it and didn't like the results.

    I have a Beam (gen 2), Sub (gen 3) and Era 100s as surrounds. I added One SLs as fronts using SonoSequencr and it sounds fantastic. If it doesn’t work out or you don’t like the result, you can remove the fronts using the Sonos app. 

    Below is CEO Tom Conrad from the “January Open Office Hours” on reddit:

    I’m genuinely enthusiastic about this space. The idea that people want to build more expressive, more powerful front soundstages tells me there’s still a lot of creative energy around the Sonos system, and I love that people are experimenting enough to build third-party solutions when we haven’t shipped something ourselves yet.

    That said, there are real technical challenges here that are easy to underestimate from the outside. Once you move beyond the classic soundbar plus surrounds model, you’re dealing with tight latency budgets, radio competition, phase alignment, room acoustics, and a wide range of physical layouts. Getting that right across millions of homes, with different speakers, rooms, and networks, -- and then tied into my focus on reliability -- is non-trivial. We won’t ship something in this category unless it’s predictable, stable, and meaningfully better than what people can already cobble together.

    What I can commit to is continued innovation in exactly this direction. We are actively working on richer, more flexible home theater configurations. I won’t pre-announce specific features or timelines, but I do want to be clear that this isn’t being ignored, and it isn’t blocked by marketing (or any other) dogma. When we do it, it needs to feel like a Sonos solution, not a science experiment.

      Dg7559
      Trending Lyricist I
      March 7, 2026

      I have been tempted in to this front speaker setup, however the ceo mentioned  a cobbled together solution with this 3rd party sequencing ios app, and ezplainedtrying to get a stable 100% baked in solution is harder than it seems. 

      As you are all tweakers on here(not breaking bad) reference, but like to push the boat out with trying things out:) is it worth investing in this sequencer and is it a pain to work with?

      I have no clue about it, plus don't own an iphone,& borrow one when I run trueplay. 

      I can order front speakers today, but I guess what I'm looking for, is reassurance from power users what the deal is; plus ease of setting up front speakers, or is it worth waiting for the vendor to sort a solution out. 

      Thanks

       

      jgatie
      jgatie
      March 7, 2026

      I have been tempted in to this front speaker setup, however the ceo mentioned  a cobbled together solution with this 3rd party sequencing ios app, and ezplainedtrying to get a stable 100% baked in solution is harder than it seems. 

      As you are all tweakers on here(not breaking bad) reference, but like to push the boat out with trying things out:) is it worth investing in this sequencer and is it a pain to work with?

      I have no clue about it, plus don't own an iphone,& borrow one when I run trueplay. 

      I can order front speakers today, but I guess what I'm looking for, is reassurance from power users what the deal is; plus ease of setting up front speakers, or is it worth waiting for the vendor to sort a solution out. 

      Thanks

       

       

      Just my personal opinion, but I think you'll find most of the regulars don't bother with this.   The posters that claim to do it appear to delight in criticizing Sonos for almost everything; including not offering this option, no matter what the issues may be.  Either way, you probably aren't going to get a clear answer to your question unless you try it yourself.

        kdowling
        kdowling
        March 7, 2026

        I have been tempted in to this front speaker setup, however the ceo mentioned  a cobbled together solution with this 3rd party sequencing ios app, and ezplainedtrying to get a stable 100% baked in solution is harder than it seems. 

        As you are all tweakers on here(not breaking bad) reference, but like to push the boat out with trying things out:) is it worth investing in this sequencer and is it a pain to work with?

        I have no clue about it, plus don't own an iphone,& borrow one when I run trueplay. 

        I can order front speakers today, but I guess what I'm looking for, is reassurance from power users what the deal is; plus ease of setting up front speakers, or is it worth waiting for the vendor to sort a solution out. 

        Thanks

         

         

        The SonoSequencr app is like $2.99. It does much more than just add fronts and includes a subscription model if you want it. Doesn’t require a subscription for just this. I haven’t opened the app since I added the front speakers. It’s not needed once set up.

        My personal opinion is that it’s worth it. But you’d have to decide that for yourself. You can read all about it and peoples questions and experiences on the developer’s subreddit. He’s active there and answers questions.

        https://www.reddit.com/r/SonoSequencr

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