Sorry of if I am going over something previously asked but can’t find the answer I am looking for.
i am looking to link up a turntable to my Sonos Arc Ultra.
ideally a Pro-Ject Debut, T1 or T2 I am a general listener not looking for perfection but I have read several reviews saying the port is unstable, disconnects and the sound is really flat?
I also read a lot about a bad delay?
should I buy a turntable with inbuilt phono ?
Should I buy Sonos AMP or Port ?
Best answer by Airgetlam
A Sonos Port is designed to get things in to the Sonos ecosystem.
A Sonos Amp is designed to do much the same, with the added power to drive external speakers, which is why it is more expensive.
All you need to connect a Turntable is a Sonos line in. Both the Port, and the Amp have one, as do several other speakers, some requiring adapter cables.
The Sonos line in, on all devices, is essentially the same, being based in software, so one device is not any better than another. The only significant difference is the form factor of the line in. Anyone who has said that one device is different is mistaken, unfortunately.
Sonos delays any line in, except TV video, by 75ms, so that the incoming sound can be synced across any number of speakers. When you group another ‘room’ with a TV input, you’ll find that delay, as the Sonos system has to shift to multiple room synchronization.
Since Sonos is expecting a line level line in, any turntable that outputs a ‘phono’ level will need a pre-amp, to raise that output. Many turntables theses days include a pre-amp built in, and include a switch so that you can change the output from ‘phono’ level to ‘line level’ output.
All of this is covered in the FAQ, as well as this area of the forum.
A Sonos Port is designed to get things in to the Sonos ecosystem.
A Sonos Amp is designed to do much the same, with the added power to drive external speakers, which is why it is more expensive.
All you need to connect a Turntable is a Sonos line in. Both the Port, and the Amp have one, as do several other speakers, some requiring adapter cables.
The Sonos line in, on all devices, is essentially the same, being based in software, so one device is not any better than another. The only significant difference is the form factor of the line in. Anyone who has said that one device is different is mistaken, unfortunately.
Sonos delays any line in, except TV video, by 75ms, so that the incoming sound can be synced across any number of speakers. When you group another ‘room’ with a TV input, you’ll find that delay, as the Sonos system has to shift to multiple room synchronization.
Since Sonos is expecting a line level line in, any turntable that outputs a ‘phono’ level will need a pre-amp, to raise that output. Many turntables theses days include a pre-amp built in, and include a switch so that you can change the output from ‘phono’ level to ‘line level’ output.
All of this is covered in the FAQ, as well as this area of the forum.
Not sure what reviews you are reading, they sound very odd.
The Port is used to get audio signals in and out of the Sonos digital system. The Amp is designed to power a set of conventional speakers.
There are cheaper options for your turntable. You may have a speaker with an analog input already or an Era-100 with the optional analog/USB input works well.
You will need a pre-amp for the turntable. A built-in pre-amp eliminates an extra component.
Use a Port if you don’t plan to use wired 3rd party speakers with an Amp. However, I wouldn’t recommend using an Arc Ultra or any Sonos Soundbar has the target speaker for two channel audio.
My choice would be to use the line in capability of an Era 300, Era 100 or Five. As I assume your Era 300’s are used as surrounds then they are not an option as the line-in feature is disabled.
My suggestion would be Era 100 x 2 as a stereo pair using the line-in feature. You could start with a single Era 100 and and a second one later.
All the above is my opinion. If you want to use a Port with your Arc Ultra and set the surrounds to Full for music that’s OK. It’s just not my choice as I prefer stereo pairs for turntable audio.
Thanks for all the responses👍 my Era 300 and 100 are in other rooms and my wife hates “clutter” ideally I would fit a nice looking turntable onto a sideboard and hide the port in a cupboard below.
my plan would be to link to the soundbar as it’s already there so she can’t complain 😂
is it a bad idea to link onto he Ark Ultra?
Thanks for all the responses👍 my Era 300 and 100 are in other rooms and my wife hates “clutter” ideally I would fit a nice looking turntable onto a sideboard and hide the port in a cupboard below.
my plan would be to link to the soundbar as it’s already there so she can’t complain 😂
is it a bad idea to link onto he Ark Ultra?
Using the Arc Ultra is not a bad idea. It’s just not my choice if other options are available. Best idea is to try the Port as you have thought and let your ears make the final decision.
Hiding it makes the Port a more reasonable choice.
It isn't a bad idea to link the Port to a soundbar, sounds pretty good. Even better if you have surrounds, either ambient or full modes depending on the room and your ears.
The suggestion for using a stereo Pair is to get optimum stereo imaging by placing them in the exact spots required by your seating location. The Arc's speakers are fixed so the optimal seating location is also fixed.
The Sonos software allows you to choose where the music plays. You can ‘define’ the line in on any device (like the Port) to play on your Arc.
Enter your E-mail address. We'll send you an e-mail with instructions to reset your password.