Sonos Amp with 4 speakers and passive sub?

Hi @ALLEGAL 

Welcome to the Sonos Community!

The Sonos Amp only supports the connection of more than 4 speakers when all 6 are Sonance Architectural speakers specifically, not other Sonance models. Additionally, there is no low-frequency filter on the stereo output of the Amp to give the subwoofer the feed it needs.

The only supported ways of connecting a subwoofer to an Amp is either with the Sonos Sub, which will connect wirelessly, or by connecting an active, powered subwoofer to the subwoofer RCA connection on the Amp - as described in our Use a third-party subwoofer with Amp or Connect:Amp help page.

I hope this helps.

Is this the reference system you’re referring to?

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/sonance-patio-series-outdoor-speaker-system-brown/6403952.p?skuId=6403952

Specs say that it is 8 ohms, but I don’t believe that is the ohms per speaker, but of the entire system.  Hence it creates an 8 ohm load to the amp, and you can’t accomplish the same thing with normal 8 ohm speakers.    Does not sound like Sonos would support this package setup anyway.

You may want to try your setup with an impedance matching switch, but I don’t know that you’re going to get the bass response you’re looking for.  If it were me, I would instead just get 4 speakers that go fairly low for bass on their own.  This is what I’ve done.

Thanks Danny. Yes, the Patio 4.1 is the one you linked, and the other Mag 6.1 is this one : https://www.bestbuy.com/site/sonance-mag-series-6-1-outdoor-streaming-sound-system-powered-by-sonos-brown-black/6440405.p?skuId=6440405.  I don’t understand how they’re getting 5 Ohm impedance from all of those speakers.

Both systems include a DVC sub, which would be the equivalent of a TIC B50, but that one requires the 2 channels to feed it, and then you come out of there to the satellite speakers. I’m running 250 feet of 12/4 cable around a rectangular pool and patio, and the sub is about 180 feet into the run, so I can’t waste the 180 feet of cable and then have to come back around the pool another 100+ feet each way to run the alternating channels for the speakers.

I have 2+ acres to fill with sound, so I was hoping to get some bass in there as well, but it looks like I may just have to forego the sub and move on.

The Mag 6.1 don’t appear to be Sonance Architectural Series (and they’re 5 Ohm!?!?!?):

Audio

• Speaker Type Landscape

• Enclosure Type Sealed

• Peak Power Handling 150 watts

• Impedance 5 ohms

• Minimum Frequency Response 40 hertz

• Maximum Frequency Response 20 kilohertz

• Sensitivity 85 decibels

• Number Of Speakers 6

• Number of Drivers Included1

• Driver Size 3.5 inches

• Number Of Woofers Included 1

And the Patio 4.1 series are definitely not architectural series.  

• Speaker Type Satellite

• Peak Power Handling 150 watts

• Impedance 8 ohms

• Minimum Frequency Response 40 hertz

• Maximum Frequency Response 20 kilohertz

• Sensitivity 85 decibels

• Number Of Speakers 4

• Driver Size 3.5 inches

• Number Of Woofers Included 1

• Woofer Size 8 inches

Something isn’t adding up. I just don’t know if it’s the product info on BestBuy or the actual capabilities of the amp? 

Does this thread link below assist you at all. It strikes me as being the same/similar setup where success was eventually achieved to get the sub and patio speakers working with the Amp…

Thanks Ken. It’s a similar setup, but I’m trying to recreate it with the TIC speakers and figure out how Patio 4.1 or Mag 6.1 is able to work when it drops the impedance below 4 Ohms. If each speaker in the Patio 4.1 setup is 8 Ohms, and so is the sub, then it drops the impedance to 2.67 when wired in parallel, and if each one of the Mag 6.1 series is 5 Ohms(?) and the sub is 8, that drops impedance even further. I am not sure if a parallel-series-parallel wiring scheme is even an option for this kind of sound system, but I don’t want to risk burning out the Sonos Amp, or the speakers to find out. I really want to stick with the Sonos Amp, but it’s making me think twice about just re-selling it and opting for a more powerful amp. I also have a straight wired Ethernet connection to where the amp is, and I don’t want to give that up for Wi-Fi, either.

It must be the case that the ‘Amp’ is able to go below 4 Ohms to cater for the 3 pairs of Sonance Architectural  (just as an example), but maybe this is something unique and put in place between the Sonos / Sonance partnership perhaps? I don’t see how else it could happen🤔.

If Sonos says it won’t work, then I perhaps wouldn’t take the chance either.

Sadly, It appears to be a case of nothing ventured, nothing gained, in this instance.. I’m not sure you will find anyone else here, that’s perhaps tried this outside of using the supported Sonance Patio 4.1 products.

I guess I’ll just stick with the 4 omnidirectional speakers which I know will work and apparently have decent bass, from what I’ve read. I don’t want to risk damaging the amp, and ultimately, it’s supposed to help round out the relaxing backyard space around the pool and patio, so a subwoofer may be overkill - and not likely to make a huge difference in a 100 x 100 outdoor space.