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So guys I am using a JBL Authentics L8 speakers as my wireless Speakers as it has AirPlay and Bluetooth and almost everything to stream music wirelessly! It has 120 Watts of sound output with two tweeters and two woofers 30 Watts for each driver. I want a thunderous BASS which somewhere the JBL Authentics L8 is lacking obviously because of the compact size, but even if for a moment I come to think about contemplating the Sonos Play :5 second generation, due to even its compact size it is not going to give me a thunderous BASS either ? I was told that you can add a Sonos Sub to it which will give you more BASS but my question is will the entire set up not get messed up with this arrangement ? Firstly Sonos does not give details about its drivers (That is again a big problem) so my question is let's say the tweeter of Sonos is 25 watts and there are two of them and let's say it has two woofers (By the way I don't know how many woofers does the Play :5 second generation have?) two woofers are let's say 50 Watts do adding an external Sonos sub has to gel, compliment with the Play :5 right ? Will it be not like a situation that I have a body of a motorcycle and I am adding a Rocket engine the entire set up will be so unbalanced if you guys know what I mean ? Will the Play :5 give me a ground shaking BASS as I like to listen to electronic and house music !
My pair of Play-5's never stops to amaze me. I listen to classical music mostly. The amount of detail I hear is fantastic. No distortion at all, even in the basses. They do JS Bachs Toccata & Fugue a lot better than on my previous system : a Technics SU-A800D/SU-C800U with 2 Memorex (180W speakers). In the evening, I want to listen at very low volumes but even then I don't miss details. If it's just plain bass you want, I'm not sure they are the right choice for you. You sound like you just want to make a lot of noise 🙂 If you want great quality sound while enjoying the benefits of wireless, streaming music then you should have no doubts.



A fanboy
You don't subscribe to pure unadulterared facts?



Me dies! :8
It is nonsense because watts means nothing without other information like speaker sensitivity. Do you know the sensitivity of your speakers? Do you know that a speaker using the same watts can put out 50% more output depending on the sensitivity? That a 50 watt amp can supply the same speaker output of a 100 watt amp depending on speaker sensitivity? So without knowing the sensitivity, watts means nothing. So mentioning watts as a factor means nothing, i.e. it is nonsense.



What if I told you that Sonos has 1000 watts of power? That would be awesome! But what if that 1000 watts was put through very inefficient speakers that made less output than your current system? Would you be thanking us?



Or what if Sonos has 50 watts? By your criteria, you wouldn't buy it. But seeing as how Sonos is a contained system designed to be efficient, those 50 watts will probably blow away your inefficient speakers with 240 watts, and you would have missed out by not buying it.



Get it now?




I still don't completely subscribe to what you are saying, but I have to listen to the Sonos Play:5 once again thoroughly !!
It is nonsense because watts means nothing without other information like speaker sensitivity. Do you know the sensitivity of your speakers? Do you know that a speaker using the same watts can put out 50% more output depending on the sensitivity? That a 50 watt amp can supply the same speaker output of a 100 watt amp depending on speaker sensitivity? So without knowing the sensitivity, watts means nothing. So mentioning watts as a factor means nothing, i.e. it is nonsense.



What if I told you that Sonos has 1000 watts of power? That would be awesome! But what if that 1000 watts was put through very inefficient speakers that made less output than your current system? Would you be thanking us?



Or what if Sonos has 50 watts? By your criteria, you wouldn't buy it. But seeing as how Sonos is a contained system designed to be efficient, those 50 watts will probably blow away your inefficient speakers with 240 watts, and you would have missed out by not buying it.



Get it now?
Of course I get it, you can't easily return your purchase. That doesn't mean that your repeated attempts to get us to justify your purchase using meaningless numbers like watts is not still nonsense. Buy it, or don't buy it. Just stop posting nonsense.



Again you are sounding like a Fanboy and again it maybe nonsense to you, but I was just asking that I use certain watts system will the Sonos Play:5 alone and with the Sub have more Watts and power ! Whats nonsense about it ??
Of course I get it, you can't easily return your purchase. Regardless, your repeated attempts to get us to justify your purchase using meaningless numbers like watts comparisons is still nonsense. Buy it, or don't buy it. Just stop posting nonsense.
I have repeatedly stated that the only way for you to see if the system is sufficient for your usage is to actually use it. You are the one insisting on hearing numbers to justify the purchase, numbers which mean absolutely nothing to the final sound of the system. All I am doing is trying to prevent you from justifying a purchase on meaningless numbers. That's not being a fanboy, that is giving good, solid advice. If you don't want anyone giving you advice, what are you asking questions for?



And I have said if before aswell Sonos is not available here that too for try and return back. I have to get it from the U.S without any return-refund assurance how do I make such a blind decision, do you get it now?
I have repeatedly stated that the only way for you to see if the system is sufficient for your usage is to actually use it. You are the one insisting on hearing numbers to justify the purchase, numbers which mean absolutely nothing to the final sound of the system. All I am doing is trying to prevent you from justifying a purchase on meaningless numbers. That's not being a fanboy, that is giving good, solid advice. If you don't want anyone giving you advice, what are you asking questions for?
Sir, that is correct. Adding a powered sub adds more wattage but not necessarily more output depending on other factors. Because you are so obsessed with wattage ratings you refuse to grasp that there is a much more complex relationship going on here. The fact is, just listing the wattage of a system says NOTHING about the output capabilities. Wattage means nothing without knowing other factors at play such as the sensitivity of the speakers, the level and steepness of the crossovers; even room size and distance from the listening position come into play.



But here, I will give what you want: The 2 Play:5s and Sonos Sub will far exceed the output of a 10,000 watt system played through 0dB sensitive speakers. Sound good?



And my sympathies to the Sonos customer service person having to deal with this nonsense. :8




If I were to invest so much of money in the set up as you suggest 2 Play:5 and Sub why can't I get a proper 2.1 speaker system What you call nonsense is common sense for a lot of people who would want to use it before taking a decision to make such a blind huge investment not just being a Fan Boy as you sound 🙂
Sir, that is correct. Adding a powered sub adds more wattage but not necessarily more output depending on other factors. Because you are so obsessed with wattage ratings you refuse to grasp that there is a much more complex relationship going on here. The fact is, just listing the wattage of a system says NOTHING about the output capabilities. Wattage means nothing without knowing other factors at play such as the sensitivity of the speakers, the level and steepness of the crossovers; even room size and distance from the listening position come into play.



But here, I will give what you want: The 2 Play:5s and Sonos Sub will far exceed the output of a 10,000 watt system played through 0dB sensitive speakers. Sound good?



And my sympathies to the Sonos customer service person having to deal with this nonsense. :8
How on God's green Earth could you think adding a POWERED subwoofer to a system will nor add output to the system? Not that it matters, but yes, adding more watts of power increases the output. :8



Well you know the funny part is, nobody has an exact clue about this?? Yesterday I was speaking to Sonos Technical Support and even HR seemed to didn't have any exact answer for this he said adding a wireless will transfer the lower frequency from the Play 5 to it but will it add more watts and output he said he doesn't know ! How gullible is that ??
How on God's green Earth could you think adding a POWERED subwoofer to a system will nor add output to the system? Not that it matters, but yes, adding more watts of power increases the output. :8




My last post on this thread.




Oh Thank You ! Indeed ! For Obliging me ! What a big favor really ? :8
Kit delivering a given sound level, can be specified in watts ranging from 10 to maybe 500, depending on how you count them. And without straying into outright dishonesty.



If you are not in a position to listen to Sonos kit before buying it, I suggest you don't, and limit yourself to that which you can test by listening to it. As has been suggested here more than once.



My last post on this thread.
just a question. do you intend to get 1 Play 5 and a Sub and creat the sound of a 2.1 setup?



No If I wanted the 2.1 set up I would have straightaway gone for it. I originally started with the idea of buying only Play:5 but a lot of people here said that Maybe I might have to add a wireless Sonos sub to get that ground shaking BASS. Mind you I already have the JBL Authentics L8 which has 4 drivers (2 Tweeters, and two Woofers 40 watts each) So I am looking out for something which surpasses this.
Thats what I am trying to figure out here will a Play:5 and a Sonos SUB match the same BASS that created out of a 2.1 set up ?

This question is unanswerable without knowing the 2.1 comparator. If you want a setup that is mostly a 'bass machine', I'd look elsewhere, as well as focusing on options that you can hear before buying.
just a question. do you intend to get 1 Play 5 and a Sub and creat the sound of a 2.1 setup?
you wil be amazed by the Sonos bass. if you want a 2.1 setup play5 and sub, advise your neighbor to start looking for a new place to move in. good luck!



Thats what I am trying to figure out here will a Play:5 and a Sonos SUB match the same BASS that created out of a 2.1 set up ?
In the beginning i was like you chasing watt. as much as possible. then one day i happened to listen to sonos and that was about it. The clarity of the sound was amazing. no mather how high you crank the speaker you will NOT get any distortion.

Just like the others says. Take them home for a nightstand 🙂. you wil be amazed by the Sonos bass. if you want a 2.1 setup play5 and sub, advise your neighbor to start looking for a new place to move in. good luck!
coming back to my question, I was looking forward for an answer on my question posted earlier.



"So let's imagine a situation that I have the Play:5 and let's say the Play:5 (Hypothetically speaking) gives 240 Watts of power now if I add a wireless Sonos Sub to it the output is not going to increase right ? Then How is adding an external Sub going to enhance the Bass of this entire set up ? Will this set up Play:5+Sonos SUB have more BASS than let's say a traditional 2.1 set up ?"


There is no such law, except in the minds of audiophiles that are clueless about what technology can accomplish today. Or about psychoacoustics.




Absolutely there is, there is a Law of Physics, Law of Sound. The Output speaks for itself,compare a Sonos Play:5 and put it against a good 2.1 speaker system with two satellite speakers and a dedicated Sub-Woofer and lets see what sounds the best ? There is no mind, it is reality, what one listens and hears.It is Physics and law of sound !:S
Any real audiophile, music lover would not compromise for a Play:5 kind of portable device where you have to compromise on sound, going by the simple law the more portable you go the more you compromise on sound. So guys how will the Play:5+Sonos Sub stack up against a traditional 2.1 set up ?

There is no such law, except in the minds of audiophiles that are clueless about what technology can accomplish today. Or about psychoacoustics.
No, I have it turned off.
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Are you in India ? Do you not have your PM activated ?
So guys I have been thinking about this, but still have some questions which have been unanswered! I also called the Sonos Technical Support and even they seem to not to have any accurate answer on this. Can anyone here further enlighten me on this ? So let's imagine a situation that I have the Play:5 and let's say the Play:5 (Hypothetically speaking) gives 240 Watts of power now if I add a wireless Sonos Sub to it the output is not going to increase right ? Then How is adding an external Sub going to enhance the Bass of this entire set up ? Will this set up Play:5+Sonos SUB have more BASS than let's say a traditional 2.1 set up ? Any real audiophile, music lover would not compromise for a Play:5 kind of portable device where you have to compromise on sound, going by the simple law the more portable you go the more you compromise on sound. So guys how will the Play:5+Sonos Sub stack up against a traditional 2.1 set up ?