Dual Playbase

  • 30 October 2023
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BOL74
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Hello everyone👋

 

As i really enjoy my Playbase i start thinking of getting another one and add it to the same Panasonic-tv. I will use a Toslink/spidif-splitter for connection. Have someone done this in the past and what was the outcome?

Is it so i might be able to hook up dual sub for each Playbase? 
Then my next question will be: Do i add surrounds to the secound Playbase and witch one. My choice is the Ikea Symfonisk frame-speaker cause of limited space.

Is this something i should STOP thinking bout,or….

The other reason for adding another Playbase…..my TV-furniture is kinda low and by adding a secound Playbase i will get the TV up a bit.

Bad sound kill good music
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24 replies

Airgetlam

Unless you can find a powered optical splitter, I’d have a lot of doubts that the Sonos will work at what is effectively 50% of the optical power…but I’ll admit I’ve never tested that. 
 

If I needed to raise the TV a bit (and I have, a couple of TVs), I would be looking at IKEA Lack shelves to do so, or anything similar. No need to spend that much money to raise the TV. 

Bruce
BOL74
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#Airgetlam

Thanx for reply. I did not know if there’s gonna be an issue with the spidif-part of this connection. I’m not into spidif-tec but i assume it uses infrared to transmit info. So if i split the spidif-cable i need like an spidif-light amplifier?

 

To raise my TV i could go buy “bed-legs” from Jysk(Norwegian Ikea-style shop) cause Ikea is a loooooong way away from me(10-12hrs drive). 
I don’t mind experementing a bit with Sonos😉

And my TV is kinda old and soon to be replaced. So i might need a bigger TV-table as well.


A couple of weeks ago i purcase a used Arc locally. I was invited inside the sellers house when we talked Sonos. It was here he mentioned that the Playbase was popular to be stacked up on eachother. But i never asked bout the connections.

Bad sound kill good music
Airgetlam

Like I said, I’ve never tried it, but I’d be fairly concerned about splitting a light signal in half. I have no idea what ‘level’ is expected by Sonos. If I were trying such a thing, a powered splitter would be fairly important to my testing. More expensive, I’d bet, if indeed such a thing exists…I’ve never actually looked for such a device.

I’ve been around this forum for years. I don’t think I’ve ever heard about stacked Sonos devices under a TV set. Certainly some discussion about raising the level of the TV over various soundbars from Sonos, but none of them that I can recall ever suggested two Sonos devices stacked. 

There is no requirement that you have to pick up anything by driving, there are plenty of stores that have an online presence, and will shop to your door. In fact, I’m pretty sure IKEA does, although I’ve never tried it. 

Bruce
Airgetlam

Frankly, for a while, I used hockey pucks underneath one TV’s feet, just to raise it enough to get over the PLAYBAR, until a friend did some really nice wooden squares to replace them. On my other TV, I used four IKEA Lack 12 inch shelves, two on either side, and a four foot Lack shelf that sat on top, with the TV sitting on that. The Sonos connector was neatly hidden between to two ‘sides’, underneath the wide shelf that supported the TV.

Bruce
BOL74
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#Airgetlam

 

Well i can only speak for myself,and i’m new here so i’m learning. 
Just to deal with Ikea-stores here in Norway it is first of all very expencive to get things by mail or transport-company…and you might wait for 14-20 days from your order has been recived,untill you have your products. To be quite honest…i hear people(here in the north of Norway) purcase a whole kitchen….hire a van/sealed trailer to drive those 600km to Haparanda,Sweden to get their Ikea-stuff….

 

Bad sound kill good music
buzz

Sonically, I don’t recommend dual PLAYBASE because there will be some acoustic cancellations. Hockey pucks, blocks of wood, or even a few teacups could give you the spacing.

BOL74
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#buzz

 

Well,i just picked up the Arc a few weeks ago and that is where i heard bout stacking up Playbase’es…no idea if i mess up the sound or even can get sound out of both at the same time.

As for my TV-hight….well i’m ok with is as is. But it is too low. But i’m thinking of another route to choose: The LG 55” Qned(or whathever it’s name is) i purcased the same day as the Arc….well,i have it upstairs in my Home-Cinema area.. But i regret i did not go for a 65”…..so i might get myself a new 65” and put 55” downstairs. Then i can’t use the “too low” TV-furniture….i need a wider one for a 55”…..and then i can get a taller one.

I’m interested to find out if a dual Playbase can be set up as i imagine….i can even go with dual Ray’s cause my TV-placement got a curtain/wall&window on one side and the Fireplace(Jøtul 163) on the other side….and there need to be a passage/walkpath between the Fireplace and TV. The bigger TV/furniture the smaller passage/walkpath i get.

But then again with a big TV i should get another Arc. 

Bad sound kill good music
buzz

I don’t recommend attempting to use dual soundbars. 

106rallye
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I wouldn’t either. Just adding more speakers does not equal better sound. What is it you miss in your current set up?

BOL74
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#106rallye

The thing i miss or not happy with….or intention with dual Playbase.

It’s a hard question to explain. Let me try. In my area upstairs there is a real challange to get the Sub’s to preform as i wish cause of the room lay-out. I was hoping to solve this by adding more Sub’s. The Arc with surrounds only support dual setup. If i need more,i have the sync-issue. And a Sonos Amp is not an alternative. So i’m willing to ditch the Arc for dual Playbase just to get more Sub’s….Dolby Atmos is not the priority then…

Bad sound kill good music
N
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#106rallye

The thing i miss or not happy with….or intention with dual Playbase.

It’s a hard question to explain. Let me try. In my area upstairs there is a real challange to get the Sub’s to preform as i wish cause of the room lay-out. I was hoping to solve this by adding more Sub’s. The Arc with surrounds only support dual setup. If i need more,i have the sync-issue. And a Sonos Amp is not an alternative. So i’m willing to ditch the Arc for dual Playbase just to get more Sub’s….Dolby Atmos is not the priority then…


Even allowing for the Sub speaker in the Playbase, I can’t believe 2 Playbase’s would give more bass than a dual-Sub setup. Even with just one Sub, my Playbase +Sub setup gives far more bass than the Playbase on its own. 
Location of the Sub can make a big difference: try putting them in different places in the room. 

BOL74
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#nik6996a
 

I allready got dual Sub in my Arc-system….i’m not happy with that.

So my plan is Two Playbase with dual Sub each…a total of four Sub’s….

Bad sound kill good music
Mr. T
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A couple of weeks ago i purcase a used Arc locally. I was invited inside the sellers house when we talked Sonos. It was here he mentioned that the Playbase was popular to be stacked up on eachother. But i never asked bout the connections.

What the seller likely meant was stacking the TV on the Playbase, not Playbases stacked on each other.

BOL74
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#Mr.T

 

The person sold me the Arc told me that some friends of him had two Playbase on top of eachother and one single TV on top. I did not ask how they connected those soundbars togeter or they used Airplay2…. 
This setup i just wonder if it’s possible.

Bad sound kill good music
N
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#Mr.T

 

The person sold me the Arc told me that some friends of him had two Playbase on top of eachother and one single TV on top. I did not ask how they connected those soundbars togeter or they used Airplay2…. 
This setup i just wonder if it’s possible.


“i just wonder if it’s possible.”   It’s not something I’ve ever heard of. Even if possible, I still question the benefit and the sound fidelity. 
 

Will you be watching the tv from upstairs, or just listening to the audio? Another option to consider would be to have another “room” set up - maybe a second Playbase with Sub, or a stereo pair of speakers, and group the tv to this room. Although there will be a slight delay in the sound, it may not be noticeable. There will be a small zone where you hear both rooms simultaneously and it will sound a bit odd, but a small move either way and one room or the other will be dominant. I often group my kitchen to tv room, so I can still hear tv audio out there. 
 

BOL74
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#nik6996a

 

I give you a rundown here.

Livingroom downstairs(level floor). Here it’s a open kitchen/livingroom with basicly my TV and wood-stove splitting kitchen from the livingroom. Here i got:

Playbase

Ikea BS as surround

No sub yet

Panasonic Plastma 42” from 2010 ish

 

Livingroom upstairs(Home cinema-room)

Arc

Era 100’s as surround

Dual Gen3

LG Qnid something 55” 2022

 

Bedroom upstairs:

Beam Gen2

Era 100’s as surround

Ikea BS as Stereo-pair

no sub yet

Panasonic Plastma 42” from 2010 ish

HDFury Arcana

 

All are connected to a Apple TV 2022(3xApple TV)

 

Problem is i’m not happy with sub-performance probobly cause of my room shape. That’s why i thinking of use Playbase x2 and Gen3 x4+Era100 x4 as surround….in replacement for the Arc-system.

Bad sound kill good music
Mr. T
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Problem is i’m not happy with sub-performance probobly cause of my room shape. That’s why i thinking of use Playbase x2 and Gen3 x4+Era100 x4 as surround….in replacement for the Arc-system.

The Era 100s cannot be used as surrounds with the Playbase

Surround sound guidelines and limitations

BOL74
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#Mr.T

…..then it will be 4xIkea BS then.

I thought it was the Era 300 that had some restrictions to connectivity…anyway i am on the look for a pair of Era 300 to replace the Era 100’s in the Arc-system as well but not a priority at the moment.

Bad sound kill good music
buzz

When you add SUB to PLAYBASE, all of the bass is removed from PLAYBASE and sent to SUB.

BOL74
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#buzz

Yes of course. The lower freq is transfere to the sub(s)

My alternatives for adding more sub(s) to the Arc is:

Stereopair a set of whatever sonos AND dual Gen3(one can be a Gen2) and group it with the Arc…but then i got this sync-issue.

Alternative two:

Skip the Arc and use dual Playbase each Playbase have dual Gen3 and surrounds.one or two pairs. But i need to get proper split spidif signal from TV to both Playbase’es.

I’m just wonder if this could be done.

 

PS: the only placement for the Gen3’s i have not try is place them under my sofa…cause Sonos Gen2 was last sub that came with those cloth-pad with thick fabric to stick in their side so they won’t scratch when beeing shuffed under the coatch…..(yeah,a little poke to your Sonos-employee’s)

Bad sound kill good music
buzz

Splitting SPDIF is not a big deal. Splitting HDMI-ARC is a problem, however you could use the HDMI-ARC optical adapter, then split its SPDIF. This would work fine for you since you are not attempting ATMOS. Likewise, you could split a TV’s SPDIF output and use multiple SPDIF to HDMI-ARC adapters for multiple soundbars.

Subwoofer and listener placement in the room are critical for aggressive bass. Adding more subwoofers, all at unfortunate locations, may not accomplish much. That said, the critical locations are sharply defined and there are a limited number in the room. If you are using multiple subwoofers, maybe some of them will not be at the unfortunate locations.

buzz

Let’s explore the physics of your rooms. You’ll need a handful of Post-it’s and a magic marker.

Play a thumping bass track and walk the room, close to the walls. As you walk you’ll notice locations where the thump is accentuated. Mark these locations with a Post-it. You’ll also notice a few locations where the bass is doubly accented. Mark this Post-it with !!. When you step back to survey the room, you’ll notice that the Post-it’s are more or less symmetrically distributed around the room. These locations are known as “peaks”. About midway between two peaks is a “null” where bass will be minimal. For maximum bass you want to place subwoofers and listeners on !! peaks. As you become familiar with discovering peaks and nulls, you’ll be able to discover smaller peaks and nulls in three dimensions throughout your room.

These peaks and nulls are sharply defined. In my college apartment I discovered a monster peak and placed a chair at the peak. This was a favorite spot for male listeners because bass seemed to explode from inside your body. If I moved the chair a few inches the peak was gone.

BOL74
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#buzz

The Home Cinema-room is very hard to explain…i wish i could show you/someone by a pic or video. 
I have been trying a lot of stuff including all sort of Trueplay-tuning(mic close,mic far away from speakers/sub/soundbar) and no Trueplay-tuning.

Yes i have some spots in certain areas that have more bass than other places. Out of that observation i have placed the sub on both ends of my sofa,one close to a corner. The other sub do not have a corner and i think that one play out of fase and some volume lower than the one in the corner….i’m not 100%sure.

Bad sound kill good music
N
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That’s enough for me: I’m out. 

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