I have read a lot of threads on here, but I have yet to see anyone with the Sonos in-wall fronts with In-ceiling 8 inch speakers. How would one compare the sound stage and depth between the two set ups. I really want to use the two in wall speakers as fronts due to aesthetics as well as the fact that I have a mental block telling me the in-walls will last much longer than a soundbar. However, everywhere I read, says the arc ultra is incredible. My question I guess is how much of a compromise is it to go with in-walls in front vs arc ultra? The system would be mixed use, as my living room is open floorplan and is really the only space in my house to entertain aside from the backyard. I want a great cinematic experience but even better music experience. I don’t want to invest in the wrong speakers and deal with headaches. Please help.
In-wall front speakers with In-Ceiling surround vs Arc Ultra with In-Ceiling surround
Best answer by VivaTerlingua
My construction will not be complete until the fall, but I am planning on the Arc Ultra, Sub 4, and Amp and 8 inch in ceiling speakers. In fact, I have already purchased the components because I am concerned about price increases due to tariffs.
+17If you are not interested in Dolby Atmos, Two Amps with in-walls and ceiling speakers will work fine. The Amp for the front speakers will provide a pseudo center channel that work great.
But if you are interested in enjoying Dolby Atmos content, you will need a Sonos soundbar capable of reproducing the audio. The Arc and Arc Ultra are the first choice for true Dolby Atmos. The Beam does a great job at simulating Dolby Atmos.
The best setup for music would be two Amps and passive speakers, but the Arc soundbars do a great job reproducing music, with a better cinematic experience.
Okay, thank you for your reply. It sounds based off of your reply, that I am going to end up with the arc ultra instead of the in-wall speakers. I don’t know if I could sacrifice capability over aesthetics. Especially if the Arc soundbars don’t have degraded sound when playing music. Thank you for your input. Investing in a second amp seems to be a bit much as well. I appreciate your help.
I find the Arc and Arc Ultra pretty decent at music reproduction, the stereo image is a bit narrower than I’d like but the driver positions seem to make it wider than you’d initially think.
For filling a room with even sound for entertaining I’d add a set of surrounds and set them to Full Mode so they carry the full right/left channels in the rear of the room. I find my Play 1s, Ones, and Era-100s more than adequate for filling a fairly large and L shaped room.
I tried a set of Era-300s in there and for music didn’t find them really much better than the Era-100s. For Atmos they were a lot better but sadly the boss vetoed them where they sounded best and where they were allowed (a very poor choice) the 100s do just as well.
You might consider a Sub 4 at some point, the Ultra is pretty good at most music but for stuff with a lot of bottom end or action movies the Sub adds a lot.
My comment is more about the In-Ceiling speakers. In-ceiling speakers for surrounds IMO are very limiting. Seating has to be exact which means no rearranging of furniture as the downward firing angle/position is fixed. On the other hand if you are certain that the seating will remain the same for several years then go for it. Even if you decide to go with a version of Sonos free-standing speakers (Era 300’s, Era 100’s or whatever flavor maybe offer at the time) the in-ceiling speakers can be repurposed to augment music.
+1I’m building a new master bedroom suite with a seating area and TV. I considered; a) 2 amps, in wall and in ceiling speakers, and sub 4, b) Arc ultra, sub 4, and Era 300s, c) Arc Ultra, sub 4, and amp with in ceiling speakers. I am planning on option c, I think it will give me the best combination of sound quality and aesthetics.
This is the EXACT set up I was thinking! Option C for you is exactly what I'm thinking for my space. My kitchen and living room is all one open space with the only power/ wall options being to the very sides of the space. So plugging in Era 300's or other options just would not work both aesthetically or practically. That being said, I have a fireplace wall, then my couch and behind my couch is the kitchen island. So it sounds like the consensus here is to go with the Arcc Ultra for front channels, Sub 4 for depth and bass and then the amp with 8 inch in-ceiling speakers slightly behind my couch angled at the seating position for surround. Is this similar to your set up?
+1My construction will not be complete until the fall, but I am planning on the Arc Ultra, Sub 4, and Amp and 8 inch in ceiling speakers. In fact, I have already purchased the components because I am concerned about price increases due to tariffs.
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