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Answered

Living Room Setup Issues

  • April 7, 2025
  • 5 replies
  • 143 views
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Excuse my ignorance as I’m a complete newbie to Sonos!! I have recently purchased the following components for my living room system:

  • Arc Ultra
  • 2 x Era 300
  • Sub 4

I currently have the Arc Ultra in the centre, with both Era 300s beside it as my living room isn’t really set up to have rear speakers (photo below for reference).

When setting up in the Sonos app, it doesn’t seem to let me add the Era 300s to the same “room” as the Arc Ultra unless I add the Era 300s as surround speakers. I currently have the Arc Ultra in “Living Room”, and the Era 300s (as a stereo pair) with the Sub 4 in “Living Room 2”.

This is proving problematic because as a default, when I use my TV remote to adjust the volume it only controls the Arc Ultra, and I then have to use the app to adjust the volume of the Era 300s.

What is the best way to set up my system? Should I be setting up the Era 300s as surround speakers and finding a suitable position for them, or is there a way to have them in their current position but within the same “room” on the app as the Arc Ultra?

 

Best answer by jgatie

Quite honestly, if you have no room for rear speakers, I would return the Era 300s.  They aren’t going to do anything for the sound placed in front, they are going to make it a mess, with sounds coming from the front that are meant to come from behind you.  Either that, or find a proper placement behind and/or to the sides of the main listening area.

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5 replies

106rallye
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  • 106rallye
  • April 7, 2025

The Arc Ultra is a soundbar (FL-Center-FR) so cannot be used as a center. Sonos (rightly so in my opinion) does not allow to set it up as such, which is why you cannot ad the Era 300’s as FL and FR.

If you group the Era’s with the Arc they will lag behind some 75ms when watching TV, so this will not work either. And, as said, there’s no need for them because the Arc Ultra already does do FR, center en FL.

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    • nik9669a
    • Senior Virtuoso
    • April 7, 2025

    You’ll need them added as rear surrounds to have them in sync with the Arc. Separate them as a stereo pair, then go to Lounge and Add Surrounds. 
     

    Or, use them as they are and play music through them and movies through the Arc. Or, if you’re satisfied with the Arc for music duties, put the Eras in a different room. 

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      • Nazmoo
      • Author
      • Contributor I
      • April 7, 2025

      Thanks for the help!

      I’m going to set up the Era 300s as surrounds 😊

       

        jgatie
        • jgatie
        • Answer
        • April 7, 2025

        Quite honestly, if you have no room for rear speakers, I would return the Era 300s.  They aren’t going to do anything for the sound placed in front, they are going to make it a mess, with sounds coming from the front that are meant to come from behind you.  Either that, or find a proper placement behind and/or to the sides of the main listening area.

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          • Nazmoo
          • Author
          • Contributor I
          • April 11, 2025

          UPDATE: I bought speaker stands for the Era 300s and added them as rear surrounds to the "Living Room" system... It's all sounding awesome now! Thanks everyone for your help 🤗

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