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Sonos Arc with 4 Bose ceiling speakers. how do i set them up?

  • November 29, 2020
  • 3 replies
  • 1438 views

Hi everyone,

apologize for the basic question, new to this. 
 

I have the Sonos arc, 4 inch ceiling Bose speakers, and two Sonos amps. (The new black ones) -plus the sub. 
 

question 1. 
do I need one amp or two speakers in this set up? That’s how I have it set up now but I can’t figure out how to make them both surroundsound, or if I even should do that.

 

question 2.

I’ve also seen articles where people are using one amp for all four speakers. Is this what you suggest I do? And then set that one set of four up as surround?

Other tips?

 

thanks!!

john

 

Best answer by melvimbe

Please be aware that although you can connect 2 pairs of speakers (your 4  Bose speakers) to a single Sonos amp, you are still limited to 2 channels of audio.  When you’re using the amp to perfrom surround audio duties, it is using the those 2 channels of audio for audio to come from the rear.  Being that your 4 speakers are likely in the ceiling in front of the seating area, you won’t get the desired surround audio effect.

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3 replies

Rowena B.
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  • Retired Sonos Staff
  • 1500 replies
  • December 1, 2020

 Hi @JohnB1125, welcome to the Sonos community. Thank you for reaching out to us and letting us know about your concern. Let me help you with this.

The Sonos Amp works with traditional 8-ohm bookshelf speakers as well as pairs of 6 or 4-ohm speakers that you can connect via the banana plugs. You can check out this article about connecting four speakers to your Sonos Amp to guide you through.

The Sonos Amp can be added as surround with the Sonos Arc to create a home theater setup. An Amp supports Trueplay when using Sonos In-wall or In-Ceiling by Sonance Architectural speakers with the Amp. An Amp also supports Trueplay when powering Sonos rear channels in a home theater setup. You can remove the Amp as surround from the home theater setup to play TV with the Arc and play music with the Amp at the same time. Set back the Amp as a surround to return to the home theater setup.

Hope this helps. If you have any questions about this. We and the community are always here to help.


melvimbe
  • 9816 replies
  • Answer
  • December 1, 2020

Please be aware that although you can connect 2 pairs of speakers (your 4  Bose speakers) to a single Sonos amp, you are still limited to 2 channels of audio.  When you’re using the amp to perfrom surround audio duties, it is using the those 2 channels of audio for audio to come from the rear.  Being that your 4 speakers are likely in the ceiling in front of the seating area, you won’t get the desired surround audio effect.


  • Author
  • Contributor I
  • 1 reply
  • December 2, 2020

Thanks for the responses. 
 

I set my system up with the four Bose speakers hooked up to one amp. That amp is being used as surround for the Arc. The back 2 speakers of the four ceiling are about 6 inches past the couch, so they are technically behind me when on the couch. The sound is very full, but I definitely don’t feel the surround sound effect. 
 

Any thoughts on whether I should change my setup?

thanks!

John


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