Does anyone see the value in adding a SONOS SUB to a stereo pair of GEN 2 PLAY: 5's?
I've been told that the DSP / crossover functionality of adding the sub to this set would lighten the low end load of the PLAY: 5's, allowing them to more powerfully and clearly produce the mids and highs.
My specific questions:
1. Are there really high and mid frequency benefits to be gained from allowing the sub to handle the low end? Or would the sub just handle the low end, while the highs and mids on the PLAY: 5's sound exactly as they did without the SUB?
2. The pair of PLAY: 5's already deliver substantial bass, so are there even more substantial / noticeable gains to be had from adding the SUB? Or do 2 PLAY: 5's roughly equal the low end output of 1 SUB?
I consider myself a very lightweight audiophile, so I would love to gain more clarity and power if adding the SUB can achieve this, but I do not want to waste the money, if the stereo pair can provide roughly the same clarity and high / mid range power as it already does, while also handling similar low end to the sub?
Many thanks in advance to anyone, who may have input.
Best,
Patrick
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Hi there,
This thread is quite old but but I find myself in the same situation as some of you guys and ptsmith77 in particular where i own a pair of play5 2ng gen, and consider the option to upgrade my existing system with a play sub.
I'm not looking at a massive increase of bass but rather get more "presence" and/or depth when the volume is low(ish). I'm actually happy with my existing setup when I crank up the volume but I think the overall audio experience could be improved when the sound is played at "normal" level (when you can still talk and not scream at one another).
Also my musical taste are ranging from rock blue to heavy metal with some few exception of good old hip hop/electronics.
Can you please share your experience : would the sub really add its real value only when volume is set high up - ie.for big party... Alternatively does the sub justifiy the cost more for electronic music than rock music?
Thanks in advance,
Nico.
This thread is quite old but but I find myself in the same situation as some of you guys and ptsmith77 in particular where i own a pair of play5 2ng gen, and consider the option to upgrade my existing system with a play sub.
I'm not looking at a massive increase of bass but rather get more "presence" and/or depth when the volume is low(ish). I'm actually happy with my existing setup when I crank up the volume but I think the overall audio experience could be improved when the sound is played at "normal" level (when you can still talk and not scream at one another).
Also my musical taste are ranging from rock blue to heavy metal with some few exception of good old hip hop/electronics.
Can you please share your experience : would the sub really add its real value only when volume is set high up - ie.for big party... Alternatively does the sub justifiy the cost more for electronic music than rock music?
Thanks in advance,
Nico.
Short answer-no.
Can it improve it-yes.
Is the improvement of a Sub to Gen 2 play:5s worth almost $1000? In my opinion definetly not.
Can it improve it-yes.
Is the improvement of a Sub to Gen 2 play:5s worth almost $1000? In my opinion definetly not.
The Sub does add a welcome extra layer of depth/richness at low volumes to a play 1 pair regardless of music genre - my tastes run to jazz and acoustic music, and this applies just as much to that. I bought the Sub and have zero regrets with what it does for a play 1.
I can't say how much extra this layer will be for a next gen 5 pair which has significant bass delivery capability on its own, and even less on whether this would be worth the price because this gets to be a very subjective assessment of value for money. The other thing is the clean up of the mid range once bass delivery is moved across to the Sub. Even with as good a bass device as a 5, the small size of its enclosure relative to bass delivery needs suggests that this ought to be significant. In theory.
The best thing to do would be to get one on a returnable basis and see for yourself. For a 1 pair, it is a no brainer.
I can't say how much extra this layer will be for a next gen 5 pair which has significant bass delivery capability on its own, and even less on whether this would be worth the price because this gets to be a very subjective assessment of value for money. The other thing is the clean up of the mid range once bass delivery is moved across to the Sub. Even with as good a bass device as a 5, the small size of its enclosure relative to bass delivery needs suggests that this ought to be significant. In theory.
The best thing to do would be to get one on a returnable basis and see for yourself. For a 1 pair, it is a no brainer.
Btw, I've got the SUB and 4 play5s (2nd gen) so I've heard with and without. So although it does add some low end across a larger area it is not a huge change and there is very little is any at all change in the mids or the volume or any other sound qualities. So if the listener wanted to have a dance party in a large house-maybe it would be worth around 800 to add to the 5 pair in that scenario....
On the Sub question, I don't think it would be worth the money to add it to a play 5 pair to have it sound better at low volumes. Leaving loudness turned on all the time should do the trick, because the loudness toggle boosts bass only at low volumes, an effect that works for most people/rooms, and the new 5 units have excellent low frequency response in the first place.
With the next gen 5 pair, I expect a Sub to add value only where the pair cannot go loud enough for the room, to obtain the bass energy required.
With the next gen 5 pair, I expect a Sub to add value only where the pair cannot go loud enough for the room, to obtain the bass energy required.
In my opinion, if you are extremely sensitive to midrange clarity, adding SUB is a plus. This is a matter of personal preference. To some extent it is a "The Princess and the Pea" situation. As always the goodness of sound is in the ear of the listener and we are all different -- and we are all correct in the end.
Great to hear! 😃 Sounds like a nice enveloping setup you are building 🙂
the suggestions from earlier in the thread and turn off the loudness and trueplay and see what happens.
I joined the community just to participate in this thread.
I had picked up 2 Play 5:Gen 2 few months back, but never really figured out what to do with them, as my main TV system was a Bose Accoustimass 10 paired with an Onkyo receiver. I finally decided to get rid of all the wired stuff, and replaced it all with the Play 5's. The first question I asked was whether it was now worth to invest in a SUB, as I have the TV also hooked through the Line-IN.
I am definitely going to buy the SUB and see if it makes any difference.
“An objective answer is possible to only the first question with a Yes”
Hey Kumar, thanks for your reply. From a binary perspective I agree. Yes, some of the value of the 5s is wasted. But if we can consider it on a spectrum I think a valuable dialogue, imo, is to what degree. It is my sense (and forgive my lack of any technical rhetoric) that while the SUB is handling the lower frequencies, the woofers in the 5 are still active to a degree and playing bass frequencies that don’t quite fall into the lower register that the sub handles. So with that it seems the 5s are still offering a clarity and prowess that a pair of 1s still would be unable to handle.
Hey Kumar, thanks for your reply. From a binary perspective I agree. Yes, some of the value of the 5s is wasted. But if we can consider it on a spectrum I think a valuable dialogue, imo, is to what degree. It is my sense (and forgive my lack of any technical rhetoric) that while the SUB is handling the lower frequencies, the woofers in the 5 are still active to a degree and playing bass frequencies that don’t quite fall into the lower register that the sub handles. So with that it seems the 5s are still offering a clarity and prowess that a pair of 1s still would be unable to handle.
^in regards to the bass.
There is no spectrum in the statement that more of the price paid for the 5 is wasted as compared to that paid for the 1. One can debate the dollars wasted, but that isn't useful.
As to how the 5 pair seems to offer something that a 1 pair cannot handle, it again gets down to the only thing that matters in home audio - what one hears, which is always subjective, while also depending on the room acoustics. Instrument measurements or technicals are only a guide to what may be heard and are more useful for designers/makers.
If a 1 pair + sub in my room with my music sounds better to me than a 5 pair + sub, it IS better as far as I am concerned. And vice versa.
Which is why listening tests remain the supreme decider. All else is just an aid to short listing the candidates.
My guess though is that the difference between a 5 pair and a 1 pair would be more than 5 pair + Sub and 1 pair + Sub. With the same dollar difference.
As to how the 5 pair seems to offer something that a 1 pair cannot handle, it again gets down to the only thing that matters in home audio - what one hears, which is always subjective, while also depending on the room acoustics. Instrument measurements or technicals are only a guide to what may be heard and are more useful for designers/makers.
If a 1 pair + sub in my room with my music sounds better to me than a 5 pair + sub, it IS better as far as I am concerned. And vice versa.
Which is why listening tests remain the supreme decider. All else is just an aid to short listing the candidates.
My guess though is that the difference between a 5 pair and a 1 pair would be more than 5 pair + Sub and 1 pair + Sub. With the same dollar difference.
Just to be clear, I’m not referring to ‘money wasted’ as so much as ‘bass wasted’ which I do think is a spectrum and worth considering.
Userlevel 4
+5
Hi,
I am new to the community, Sonos and audiophile in general. Been following the community silently for a few months now, thank you all for the great insights.
I recently upgraded my Play5 Gen2 to a stereo pair. Rearranged the relatively large family area, ran TruePlay and the results were amazing. However I found there was a lack of bass especially at lower volumes even with EQ adjustments.
I decided to invest in a sub for the pair and have no regrets. EQ is all set at neutral now except for the sub which is as 65%.
I am new to the community, Sonos and audiophile in general. Been following the community silently for a few months now, thank you all for the great insights.
I recently upgraded my Play5 Gen2 to a stereo pair. Rearranged the relatively large family area, ran TruePlay and the results were amazing. However I found there was a lack of bass especially at lower volumes even with EQ adjustments.
I decided to invest in a sub for the pair and have no regrets. EQ is all set at neutral now except for the sub which is as 65%.
Userlevel 7
+22
I'd suggest folks try the Loudness option under the room settings as it can help the low end at lower playback levels, if that doesn't do the job then the Sub is the way to go.
FWIW here's my experience. My 5 gen2 stereo pair replaced a Hegel amp, a pair of ATC SC40mk2 and a JH audio sub about 2 tears ago, and whilst not as powerful sounding, the midrange and detail was right there with my old system. I've just added the sub, as sweet as the 5 bottom end is they struggle to fill my lounge when you crank it up. The sub makes a huge difference to my ears, and it's easy to over do it. Mine is set to mid level, no EQ bass boost and definitely no loudness. It's punchy, taught and extended without getting boomy or bloated. OK, the 750W JH could shake the walls and floor literally, but sonically the sonos system is not far behind it at a fraction of the cost. Personally I live it, and the house is slowly filling up with play 1s in every other room.
Absolutely add the sub in with your Play.5 stereo pair!! A single play.5 in my opinion has great sound across the board. Adding the sub into the stereo pair lets the speakers handle more of the highs and midrange, while the sub handles all the lows. My stereo EQ is set flat across the board with the loudness off, the sub is turned up 1 to 3 notches (depending on what genres playing). It's glorious, I highly suggest adding the sub.
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