7.2 (Onkyo) Receiver and Zone 2 Outdoor (Bose) Speakers: Connect or Connect AMP?

  • 22 May 2018
  • 4 replies
  • 2133 views

I have a Onkyo TX-NR515 7.2-Channel Network A/V Receiver and have the Bose 151® SE environmental speakers on my deck. I currently am using the receiver to power the surround sound speakers in the living room and am using zone 2 for the outdoor speakers.

Without going into detail, using the current setup is a little clunky and doesn't always work so I was hoping to use the sonos ecosystem for the outdoor speakers (and for future expansion). For my immediate purposes, can I use an Connect for this purpose or do I need the Connect AMP?

I'm struggling to understand if I can leave the outdoor speakers plugged into zone 2 and route it thru the connect.

Thanks

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4 replies

I'm not quite sure what you're hoping to accomplish. What's clunky about your current setup?

The CONNECT cannot power your speakers by themselves. You would need to use amp or receiver (like yours) in between them so to speak. So if you got the CONNECT, you would plug that into the input of your Onkyo and it would provide streaming services to your zones 1 or 2, depending on how you set it up.

If you got the CONNECT:AMP, the amp is included and you just plug your speakers directly in to this. if you go this route though, you wouldn't be able to play music indoors and outdoors in sync. They would be two separate systems that can't talk to each other essentially.

If you want to take the outdoor speakers off your Onkyo and have music play in sync, you would need to get a CONNECT:AMP for outdoor and a CONNECT for your Onkyo The sonos devices can talk to each other and play in sync.


So really, the right solution depends on what's clunky about your setup. What you want to improve upon and what you can't do right now that you want to do.
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You'd either need two Connect:Amps to replace the Onkyo, so you have two Sonos zones that could be grouped together to play in sync, or you'd need a Connect to hook to an input on your Onkyo, and can use its zone functions to play music in both places.

If you only want your outdoor speakers on Sonos, and aren't as concerned about the indoor ones, then a Connect:Amp to hook the outdoor speakers up to would accomplish things, since it has a built-in amplifier.
I'm not quite sure what you're hoping to accomplish. What's clunky about your current setup?

The CONNECT cannot power your speakers by themselves. You would need to use amp or receiver (like yours) in between them so to speak. So if you got the CONNECT, you would plug that into the input of your Onkyo and it would provide streaming services to your zones 1 or 2, depending on how you set it up.

If you got the CONNECT:AMP, the amp is included and you just plug your speakers directly in to this. if you go this route though, you wouldn't be able to play music indoors and outdoors in sync. They would be two separate systems that can't talk to each other essentially.

If you want to take the outdoor speakers off your Onkyo and have music play in sync, you would need to get a CONNECT:AMP for outdoor and a CONNECT for your Onkyo The sonos devices can talk to each other and play in sync.


So really, the right solution depends on what's clunky about your setup. What you want to improve upon and what you can't do right now that you want to do.
Melvimbe. Can you plug a Connect Amp into an input to drive more power to your speakers?