Question

Playing records

  • 19 January 2018
  • 16 replies
  • 869 views

Are there any plans to introduce a line in facility so i can play my many records.
I understand that there are "line in" options on play 3 and 5 but spending the best part of another £400 having already spent a few quid seems excessive.

I see BOSE already offer this for a reasonable price...around 50 quid.

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16 replies

If there are wireless compatible turntables then id love to know about them..🆒
I have playbar and sub soon to have a pair of play 1's.

Apologies for answering my own posts but didnt put enough info in my original one...:$:$:$
Unfortunately, Sonos tends to keep future release plans close to their chest, so you won't likely get an answer that you like from an official source from Sonos.

But to be honest, with their stated emphasis on streaming sources, I'd be very surprised if they were to include a line in on any less expensive device. I could certainly be wrong on this, but we just won't know until they release such a device. And they tend to announce new devices only weeks before releasing them, probably as a move to get maximum press coverage just around release time.
Oops. One minor correction to your post. The analog line-in hardware is the PLAY:5 and the CONNECT (and CONNECT:AMP), not the PLAY:3. There's also the optical / digital line in on the PLAYBAR and PLAYBASE.
Hi.
Thanks for the reply..
I use the optical in on my playbar for my tv.
Does this mean there are optical ins for vinyl players?.

Im all confused.
Thanks bruce...i will continue to look at my vinyls for the forseable future..:D
No, I just didn't want to leave out any line-ins. The digital line in on the PLAYBAR and PLAYBASE are normally used for data from a TV set, but optical is a one way transmission, so there's no way for the device to know what is sending the signal. So it would be possible to connect a turntable through a pre-amp device that has an optical output to the PLAYBAR/PLAYBASE. It's just not as designed And probably a tad expensive. But possible :)

The analog inputs on the PLAY:5 and CONNECT are much more suited for this use case.

Didn't mean to confuse you. Sometimes too much data is too much 🙂
It is possible that your turntable has a built in pre-amp. Do you know? If you have a line level analog output from the turntable you could convert it to optical with a suitable converter (Flexson make one). You then have two optical cables (TV and turntable) so just need a digital optical switch to select the one you want
Hi john..

I dont have a tutntable yet. Its just an idea i am toying with as my collection is currently gathering dust.

Bruce...back to your earlier point about sonos being digit/streaming...have they not heard tjat vinyl is making a comeback.
As has been stated, if you want vinyl on Sonos you can have it! But it isn't what Sonos is fundamentally about.
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You can pick up a used Zone Player 80 / 90 or newer Connect on ebay somewhere in the low $200 range or try the auctions and see if you can get lucky lower.
I also read an article saying that many today that buy vinyl, never play it even once and some that buy it don't even have a turntable! I agree vinyl is making a comeback though, but the growth looks rapid only because the base is so small.
I found the use of vinyl to be taxing after some time and that was even before I grew accustomed to the convenience of Sonos over a CD player. The charm of the ritual associated with it wore off quickly, I did not have a legacy record collection, so the decision to sell and move on was a no brainer.

Something to think about before laying out money...
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But if you do have a legacy record collection and like the feel, look and sound of vinyl, then Sonos and the Connect make it a far more enjoyable experience than it ever was because you can have the sound playing in all your locations.

For the collector, then simple streaming of music can be a convenient if rather sterile pass time. It suits when I want to have music playing whilst working but for me, proper listening is about vinyl and CD collection and ownership.
As a partial answer to the OP question, see my thread: https://en.community.sonos.com/wireless-speakers-228992/the-case-for-making-line-in-a-standard-feature-6800582
This kind of use of the play 1 makes for a seventh use case that I have missed in the six that I have listed for why it makes sense to both customers and Sonos to have the line in feature available on the play 1 units.
At this time, playing vinyl via Sonos involves the additional expense of a Connect if one does not have Connect/Connect Amp/Play 5 units with their line in jacks available for this purpose.
Userlevel 3
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The line in facility across the range would make Sonos a more attractive proposition for new investors, whether it is for playing vinyl, CD, a connected radio or iPod. At present one does have to bite the price bullet to achieve a fully integrated system.
I don't regret my investment for one minute.