Moving to another apartment and selling my old stereo equipment I now have spare 2 x play 1 and 1 x play 5 on hands that were before used for different rooms. Due to convenience factor I would like to move one of these to my main listening area but i still question which way to go. Either i add another Play 5 or purchase a Sub to go with Play 1s. Having small kids my listening volume is normally quite low.
Reading this forum some suggest that the sound from play 5s would give me fuller sound but bass from the Sub would be much better, while others seem to think play 1s do sound better on their own when Sub comes into the picture. I understand the decision would always be subjective but would still like to hear some advice.
Thanks
Tomaz
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Dali Zensor 3 is another good all round option. With a little lighter bass, so is the Zensor 1.
PS: You can also add a third party Sub to Connect Amp for a lot less than Sonos Sub, but I have little experience of these to suggest any.
Many thanks! I really appreciate your efforts. Somehow Sub would be easiest to integrate in my situation rather than bigger stereo speakers. I just hope Play1s can at least come close to mids of mentioned speakers.
Yes it is obvious, but that doesn't rule out the BX2 solution. You will get a good all round sound with a good impression of bass. With the Sub, you will also feel the bass. If you don't need that bass power, the Connect Amp + BX2 is a very decent music set up.
Dali Zensor 3 is another good all round option. With a little lighter bass, so is the Zensor 1.
PS: You can also add a third party Sub to Connect Amp for a lot less than Sonos Sub, but I have little experience of these to suggest any.
Just checked some forum favourites and i was surprised that i can get Monitor Audio BX2's here for 230 EUR only. Thats crazy cheep and with connect AMP even less than Play 5 pair. Is difference in bass really so obvious since according to specs they go down to 42 Hz, while Sub itself "only" to 34 Hz?
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I completely agree and have said that numerous times here. Nevertheless, you get Sonos integrated 5.1 (music) sound at a pricepoint of 349$ and not 1796$. And your existing receiver possibly supports DTS. And you are free to use your Play1s in other rooms.
For the price of a Soundbar, a Sub and 2xPlay1 you can get a VERY nice 7.1 receiver AND a 7.1 (or 5.1) speaker set. You certainly could even add a Sonos Connect (not an AMP) and integrate that 7.1 system into your Sonos network. The only caveat is that the receiver needs to be on for Sonos sound (obviously).
I have an existing Receiver connected to my TV and a 5.1 speaker setup that I use for TV's and Movies. I also have two Play 1's in the room to play "casual" music.
I was considering replacing it all with a Playbar and a Sub plus my two existing Play 1's, but the expensive Sonos Connect seems cheap compared. But I still think it is extremely expensive to what it does.
The Connect Amp has line in, the same type as the 5 does. Results are identical with respect to the delay.
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Possibly yes. I have no Amp, so I don't know for sure.
What inputs? Do you mean on the AMP itself? That would however give me a delay that i know from Play 5, correct? Its not too annoying, but noticeable.
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+1
That all depends where tomaztwo wants to go at what time and at what cost.
All alternatives are not really cheap, some are cheaper than others, some are better upgradeable, all have caveats (e.g. need to cable AMP for surround, Playbar not having DTS, Sub from Sonos or 3rd party). The only thing we can do is work out options. The decision is up to tomaztwo.
Btw: active 3rd party, cabled subwoofers can be really cost effective. They start at 100€/$ already.
All alternatives are not really cheap, some are cheaper than others, some are better upgradeable, all have caveats (e.g. need to cable AMP for surround, Playbar not having DTS, Sub from Sonos or 3rd party). The only thing we can do is work out options. The decision is up to tomaztwo.
Btw: active 3rd party, cabled subwoofers can be really cost effective. They start at 100€/$ already.
I don't know PlayBar well - would the play 1+Sub not be an easier fit into a future addition of it for TV? I agree that would be at the cost of nothing for TV right away.
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The AMP + speakers would however have inputs, which could be used as a stereo speaker set for the TV right away. The Play1 + Sub combo has none.
The AMP has a subwoofer out plug, so a sub could be added right away.
The AMP + speakers combo could be used as rear speakers for a Sonos 5.1 setup at a later time, as is described here: https://ask.sonos.com/sonos/topics/connect_amp_for_surround_channels_from_the_playbar . The AMP needs to be wired however for that to work.
I agree however, that Play1 + Sub will give better bass than AMP + speakers (without sub).
The AMP has a subwoofer out plug, so a sub could be added right away.
The AMP + speakers combo could be used as rear speakers for a Sonos 5.1 setup at a later time, as is described here: https://ask.sonos.com/sonos/topics/connect_amp_for_surround_channels_from_the_playbar . The AMP needs to be wired however for that to work.
I agree however, that Play1 + Sub will give better bass than AMP + speakers (without sub).
i can either do Play 1s + sub combo OR Connect AMP with speakers in my main room, all of which i would still need to purchase. (+ a soundbar in the same room in the near future for TV, but this is secondary as my main concern at the moment is music)
I recommend the 1 pair + Sub. With the Connect Amp, since the 55 wpc can be a limitation for speakers that go as deep and loud as Sub, best results are obtained by adding a Sub - the 1 pair + Sub will be the cheaper and more elegant solution. Unless you spend a lot more money on speakers for the Connect Amp, the sound quality will be same with the 1 pair + Sub.
Would you like to add the Connect Amp + speakers to the Play1 + Sub?
No. Since i will use existing Play speakers elswhere
i can either do Play 1s + sub combo OR Connect AMP with speakers in my main room, all of which i would still need to purchase. (+ a soundbar in the same room in the near future for TV, but this is secondary as my main concern at the moment is music)
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The cheapest way to add a zone is always a Play1.
This complicates things since now i have a connect amp + speakers option also available 🙂. For 600 EUR/$ difference i suppose i could quite improve play 1s + sub combo, am i right?
Would you like to add the Connect Amp + speakers to the Play1 + Sub? This would only be possible in a "grouped" setup. You won't be able to have 5.1, yet you could have a nice 4 speaker setup with music coming from everywhere in that room. I have that right now in my living room and it is amazing.
In addition however i do also need new "sound" for my TV which is in the same room so adding a playbar to play 1s with sub would be much more elegant (and better sounding?) than connect amp + speakers and seperate 5.1 system (or soundbar) in addition.
That is not the only / the right option. As the Playbar has some shortcomings (no DTS support, only 1 input, ...) it is a nice, but not the only possibility for a serious home theatre setup. For the price of a Soundbar, a Sub and 2xPlay1 you can get a VERY nice 7.1 receiver AND a 7.1 (or 5.1) speaker set. OK, you would need to cable all those speakers around the room, but you would have a perfect home theater setup with DTS and HDMI (up to 4k) switching support. You certainly could even add a Sonos Connect (not an AMP) and integrate that 7.1 system into your Sonos network. The only caveat is that the receiver needs to be on for Sonos sound (obviously).
Thanks all for some valuable information and opinions. While i was indeed leaning towards play 1s with sub also due to smaller footprint, i acctually now realized that i would want to have (contrary to what i decided before 🙂 ) 3 zones even in my new appartment which means i would need to purchase zone 3 totaly from scratch.
This complicates things since now i have a connect amp + speakers option also available 🙂. For 600 EUR/$ difference i suppose i could quite improve play 1s + sub combo, am i right?
In addition however i do also need new "sound" for my TV which is in the same room so adding a playbar to play 1s with sub would be much more elegant (and better sounding?) than connect amp + speakers and seperate 5.1 system (or soundbar) in addition.
Damn. 😉
This complicates things since now i have a connect amp + speakers option also available 🙂. For 600 EUR/$ difference i suppose i could quite improve play 1s + sub combo, am i right?
In addition however i do also need new "sound" for my TV which is in the same room so adding a playbar to play 1s with sub would be much more elegant (and better sounding?) than connect amp + speakers and seperate 5.1 system (or soundbar) in addition.
Damn. 😉
In an admittedly small listening sweet spot, I would think that the play 1 pair + Sub would trump the play bar for music SQ. I have no experience of the play bar , but so it seems to me - though open to correction for this reason.
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+1
Now, will a Playbar and a sub give equal or better music quality than a pair of Play 1 and a Sub?
The stereo separation should be better with the Play1s set apart, the Playbar with its bigger number of speakers in my opinion is at least able to hold up to two Play1s. The Playbar is btw definitely able to output quite some bass itself.
Exactly, so a pair of Play 1 with a Sub will give much better sound paired with more bass than a pair of Play 5. To me the Play 5 doesn't play louder than a Play 1 either, slightly more bass, but there is no need for the more expensive Play 5 if a Sub is used.
The price is of course also much higher, but it is an answer to the OP.
Now, will a Playbar and a sub give equal or better music quality than a pair of Play 1 and a Sub?
The price is of course also much higher, but it is an answer to the OP.
Now, will a Playbar and a sub give equal or better music quality than a pair of Play 1 and a Sub?
Sonos isn't exempt from getting carried away!
The thing with bass in small enclosures is that it can easily get the all important midrange out of shape. Which is how the Sub makes a case for itself, by not doing this, via a separate enclosure, allowing the play units to sound better at the same time it does the bass thing.
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+1
PLAY:1 - PLAY:3 - PLAY:5
How loud do you want your music?
LOUD - REALLY LOUD - CRAZY LOUD
How deep do you want your bass?
DEEP - REALLY DEEP - CRAZY DEEP
Jeez, indeed. How silly is that?!🆒
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Well under "compare speakers" on Sonos "System" page it indeed says:
PLAY:1 - PLAY:3 - PLAY:5
How loud do you want your music?
LOUD - REALLY LOUD - CRAZY LOUD
How deep do you want your bass?
DEEP - REALLY DEEP - CRAZY DEEP
Userlevel 3
+1
No idea where you read that, but my Sonos.com website says: "The ultimate all-in-one listening experience with the deepest, richest HiFi sound."
If you are referring to "For many, the PLAY:1 will provide an incredible music experience with deep bass and plenty of power. The PLAY:3 and PLAY:5 each deliver progressively deeper and more powerful sound, as well as left and right channel separation from a single player."
...at least for me, "deeper and more powerful sound" is not the same as more bass and louder speaker. Well, I am no English native speaker and could be wrong. But for me, there is "more powerful" sound even at low volumes. 😉 And the Play5 delivers that for sure.
My HK Go play is used occasionally outdoors but the bass, though clean, is overbearing indoors. Unlike the Sonos units, it doesn't have any tone controls - I have achieved some reduction in boominess by stuffing the large battery compartment with a small towel!
You are correct, but Sonos.com are pointing out those two as advantages of the Sonos 5 over the 1.
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+1
Those are no criteria for "good sound".
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