What model receiver? Do you expect to add more SONOS units in the future?
@Janbur,
Whilst you can use the Amazon Cube and Sonos Move 2 as ‘controlling’ devices for an Alexa ‘enabled’ group, you can’t have the music/audio play on the different branded products at the same time (at least not using the Sonos Skill) - and not least, because there isn’t anything to keep the playing devices, from the two different manufactures, in ‘audio-sync’.
My thoughts are to perhaps simply try a Bluetooth ‘pairing’ between the Cube and the Move 2 and see if that might work for you, but it might depend on how far away your pool area is from your Cube.
One clear option, but ‘perhaps’ not viable in your case, would be to attach a Sonos Home Theatre setup to a TV in your Home and link the Cube to the TV’s HDMi input - then both the Home Theatre and Move 2 can be ‘grouped’ etc. over WiFi (just as an example)… but ‘yes’, there are other options (as you mention) with audio line-in to another Sonos product, like the Sonos Port, or you could even use a wired link (line audio output) from say the ‘TV Receiver’ or a linked ‘TV’, or the Cube, (assuming it has an audio line-out option available?) ‘direct’ to the Move 2 line-in, but note that requires one of these Sonos adapters (below) to implement the USB-C audio line-in on the Move 2 itself.
I guess it really depends on what features/line-out options you have available with your current setup
? (and distance to the pool area).
Just as an aside though, I wouldn’t personally recommend wiring the Cube direct to your Move 2, as I understand that will likely mute the Cube’s built-in speaker, but that’s perhaps a matter for you to consider.
Anyhow I hope that info. goes someway to assist you.
@Ken_Griffiths, thanks so much for the reply, it was very helpful, especially the confirmation that sync doesn’t work across different product brands.
First, the Move 2 will be too far away for Bluetooth, but it is within wifi range thanks to mesh.
Piecing it all together, I’m pretty sure that what I need to do is just drop a Sonos Port in-between the Cube and my receiver:
- When I’m watching a movie, the audio will come out of the Cube, into an HDMI audio extractor, and into the Port (since the Port only has RCA inputs), which will then send it on to my receiver.
- When I want to listen to music, I’ll ask Alexa to use the Sonos skill to start playing music on either the Port, the Move 2, or both. In this scenario, Sonos will do the syncing between the devices and Alexa MRM isn’t involved at all.
Does that sound right? It sounds right to me, so that’s either good news or I’m very wrong and I should just give up. :^P
@buzz I have an older, nothing-fancy Onkyo. It works perfectly for my needs and I would be happy if I could just use it along with a Port instead of having to go with the Amp.
To answer your other question, yes, there is a good chance that I’ll end up with another outside unit. I need to hear how the one unit sounds first. If it does a good enough job by itself, I may be set.
@Ken_Griffiths, thanks so much for the reply, it was very helpful, especially the confirmation that sync doesn’t work across different product brands.
First, the Move 2 will be too far away for Bluetooth, but it is within wifi range thanks to mesh.
Piecing it all together, I’m pretty sure that what I need to do is just drop a Sonos Port in-between the Cube and my receiver:
- When I’m watching a movie, the audio will come out of the Cube, into an HDMI audio extractor, and into the Port (since the Port only has RCA inputs), which will then send it on to my receiver.
- When I want to listen to music, I’ll ask Alexa to use the Sonos skill to start playing music on either the Port, the Move 2, or both. In this scenario, Sonos will do the syncing between the devices and Alexa MRM isn’t involved at all.
Does that sound right? It sounds right to me, so that’s either good news or I’m very wrong and I should just give up. :^P
Yeah, that all sounds okay to me.
There will be a 75ms delay between PORT’s Line-In, Line-Out, and output from SONOS players. This will not likely be an issue for the outdoor player(s).
