I'm wanting more quality and volume in my car speakers so i was wondering if i could install my two Play ones and a play-base in my trunk. I don't want to rip anything up in my car or in the speakers, i wanna know if its possible to use some cables and the in car WiFi to get it to work.
Would it be possible to buy a optical audio cable that goes in the play-base and comes out as an AUX cable, then plugging that into my aux port. Using a cigarette lighter converter to power the play-base and then using the in car WiFi to connect the speaker.
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Short answer: No, this is not going to work
Even if you somehow got it to work from a perspective of power supply - I cannot imagine that powering a few mains powered devices off the cigarette lighter is a sustainable option - then the wifi implementation in the car will most likely not be up to the task of creating the required network environment for Sonos.
Most car WiFi is built to provide internet access, much like hotspots in shops or airports, not to provide a local network environment that can facilitate the inter-device connectivity that Sonos needs.
Yes, something could be done with line-in autoplay, but without WiFi, you would have zero control over the system, which makes it a ridiculously convoluted and overpriced way to get good audio in your car. From your post I would deduce that you already own the two Ones, but I'm not sure about the Playbase. For the price of a Playbase, you could find many solutions that are specifically built to introduce great audio into your car, without strange workarounds and risk of damage to the electronics of your car.
If you are looking to use Sonos on the go, then you should look into the Move. It has Bluetooth and is battery powered, which would make it better suited for use in a car, and when you're not driving it fits into your Sonos household by WiFi
Even if you somehow got it to work from a perspective of power supply - I cannot imagine that powering a few mains powered devices off the cigarette lighter is a sustainable option - then the wifi implementation in the car will most likely not be up to the task of creating the required network environment for Sonos.
Most car WiFi is built to provide internet access, much like hotspots in shops or airports, not to provide a local network environment that can facilitate the inter-device connectivity that Sonos needs.
Yes, something could be done with line-in autoplay, but without WiFi, you would have zero control over the system, which makes it a ridiculously convoluted and overpriced way to get good audio in your car. From your post I would deduce that you already own the two Ones, but I'm not sure about the Playbase. For the price of a Playbase, you could find many solutions that are specifically built to introduce great audio into your car, without strange workarounds and risk of damage to the electronics of your car.
If you are looking to use Sonos on the go, then you should look into the Move. It has Bluetooth and is battery powered, which would make it better suited for use in a car, and when you're not driving it fits into your Sonos household by WiFi
Agree that this wouldn't work. I have thought about the possibility of the Move being used as a car audio system though. Bluetooth mode would work fine, but you aren't going to get the best sound quality out of the Move and won't take advantage of your vehicle's WiFi, and control would be limited to your phone...no voice control.. I also think that the Move's size, weight, and shape isn't ideal for a moving environment. If you're always going to be in Bluetooth mode, I would think there would be better options out there.
So what about WiFi mode? I've actually tested this out and no, my Move won't connect to the vehicle's WiFi. I believe because there isn't a router to connect to. More specifically, Sonos setup requires your phone to connect to the speaker through WiFi, and this can't be done without a router. A cheap travel router should resolve this issue,, but I haven't tested this.
Assuming a travel router works, power would be the next issue. You can power the Move with USB-C cable, but whether your particular vehicle can provide enough power to keep the speaker charged is going to depend on your specific vehicle. I would think if you took the move out and charged it when not using the vehicle it would be fine.
So you would have WiFi and power, and you should be able to voice control the speaker. Auto Trueplay should take in to account the space inside your vehicle to optimize the sound, but that might actually be a problem. As I understand it, their's an accelerator in the Move so it knows when it's in motion. Motion (or perhaps once motion stops?) is supposed to initiate auto trueplay, because it thinks it's a new space. So in a moving vehicle, the space isn't actually changing but the Move would act as if it is. So Auto Trueplay would be kicking in frequently, either all the time or every time the vehicle isn't in motion. Not the environment the Move was designed for and could potential cause excess wear or battery drain? Not sure on that.
BTW,my interest in using the Move with vehicle's WiFi wasn't about using the Move while driving as it was using the Move while parked, outside of the vehicle. Partially for improved sound quality over BT and partially for access to Alexa for voice control.
So what about WiFi mode? I've actually tested this out and no, my Move won't connect to the vehicle's WiFi. I believe because there isn't a router to connect to. More specifically, Sonos setup requires your phone to connect to the speaker through WiFi, and this can't be done without a router. A cheap travel router should resolve this issue,, but I haven't tested this.
Assuming a travel router works, power would be the next issue. You can power the Move with USB-C cable, but whether your particular vehicle can provide enough power to keep the speaker charged is going to depend on your specific vehicle. I would think if you took the move out and charged it when not using the vehicle it would be fine.
So you would have WiFi and power, and you should be able to voice control the speaker. Auto Trueplay should take in to account the space inside your vehicle to optimize the sound, but that might actually be a problem. As I understand it, their's an accelerator in the Move so it knows when it's in motion. Motion (or perhaps once motion stops?) is supposed to initiate auto trueplay, because it thinks it's a new space. So in a moving vehicle, the space isn't actually changing but the Move would act as if it is. So Auto Trueplay would be kicking in frequently, either all the time or every time the vehicle isn't in motion. Not the environment the Move was designed for and could potential cause excess wear or battery drain? Not sure on that.
BTW,my interest in using the Move with vehicle's WiFi wasn't about using the Move while driving as it was using the Move while parked, outside of the vehicle. Partially for improved sound quality over BT and partially for access to Alexa for voice control.
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