Amp or Port plus Hi Fi amp -- to connect to passive speakers

P

Hi all,

I’m about to become a new Sonos user and looking for some advice on how best to integrate a pair of wired passive speakers (Dynaudio Evoke 20s) into the Sonos system.

My choice seems to come down to either (1) buying the Sonos Amp; or (2) buying the Sonos Port plus a new Hi Fi amp.

The store that is helping me is suggesting option 2 on the basis that it will produce better sound.  The amp they have recommended is the Rega Elex-R, with the comment that the speakers will sound better “with the extra power”.

From what I can tell (and I am new at this), the Sonos Amp looks to have plenty of power.

So my real question is: is there any benefit spending more money on Option 2 … whether in terms of sound quality or (perhaps) functionality?

I don’t mind spending the extra money if it will produce a better result, but also don’t want to be dumb.

This is for the main music listening area in a new house (no TV required) and it will be primarily streaming services (Spotify or Tidal), although I may want to connect a CD player or turntable at some point.  

Thanks in advance!

 

 

This topic has been closed for further comments. You can use the search bar to find a similar topic, or create a new one by clicking Create Topic at the top of the page.

18 replies

K

 

My choice seems to come down to either (1) buying the Sonos Amp; or (2) buying the Sonos Port plus a new Hi Fi amp.

The store that is helping me is suggesting option 2 on the basis that it will produce better sound.  The amp they have recommended is the Rega Elex-R, with the comment that the speakers will sound better “with the extra power”.

From what I can tell (and I am new at this), the Sonos Amp looks to have plenty of power.

So my real question is: is there any benefit spending more money on Option 2 … whether in terms of sound quality or (perhaps) functionality?

This is for the main music listening area in a new house (no TV required) and it will be primarily streaming services (Spotify or Tidal), although I may want to connect a CD player or turntable at some point.  

 

 

 

The store may be saying the right thing, but for the wrong reasons. The Sonos Amp is more powerful than the Rega model quoted. 

But the Rega may have the extra jacks needed to allow a CD player AND Turntable AND Sonos Port connected to it, the Turntable without the need for a pre amp, if the Rega has phono jacks. Only one such unit can be wired to the Sonos Amp, and in case of turntable a built in or separate phono amp may be needed.

But the other question is - why Sonos at all? If you get even the cheapest Echo device and wire it in to the Rega or any other third party amp, your stated requirement will be met. With voice control as a bonus.

P

Thanks for the reply, Kumar. (And, by the way, I’ve learned a lot from reading some of your replies to other questions on the forum as I’ve started to research this space.)

In terms of the “why Sonos” question: we are going to have a bunch of other rooms where we’ll want music, and I like the idea of being able to group rooms easily. For example, the passive speakers will be located in a main living area that is also close to the kitchen and the outdoor area.  I like the idea of being able to add smaller wireless speakers to these areas, and Sonos seems to do this well.  And we’ll also add a Beam in the TV room to improve the sound of an older TV, and this would provide a music solution in this room too.  So I’m kind of sold on the Sonos idea.  Voice control isn’t attractive to me.

So leaving that aside, it seems that a third party amp does allow for some extra flexibility down the track, which is good to know.

I’ve come across some mediocre reviews of the Port in my googling … but I’m assuming (based on some familiarity with your views) that you find these unpersuasive?

 

K

If you are going to play the same music in more than one room, Sonos is still the best in the business. And Port is the entry point in your use case, although expensive.

A more fundamental question though: why those particular dynaudio speakers?

 

Ps: and yes, ignore the port criticism ...

 

K

I have just finished reading about the speakers - excellent, as all Dynaudios are, but you will get 90% of what they do at 50% of the price from other similar tech equipped speakers from other HiFi brands. Only you can decide the choice based on this VFM factoid. 

But what they do need to deliver to full potential, like all from that make, is lots of power. At least as much as what the Sonos Amp can deliver. The Rega is just adequate; look instead for amps from Marantz and the like that deliver at least 100 wpc into 8 ohms and 200 wpc into 4. This combination of spec is important for the Dynaudios to deliver. Sonos Amp meets the need, but you are limited to just one pair of input jacks.

Any known HiFi brand will serve for the amp; make sure it has the input jacks you will need, including one phono jack to take a turntable.

I know you are not a voice fan - neither am I, but it has its uses as a complement to phone based control. Once the amp and speakers are decided, I would strongly suggest first getting an Echo Show 5/8, and wiring that to the amp and start playing around with streaming services. One caution is to make sure to get the superseded versions of the Show units - the latest ones do NOT have the required audio out jack - IMO a poor decision by Amazon.

What the Show units will give you is album art for whatever is playing, and used with streaming services, it is a brilliant benefit. IMO. And the sound quality from the Dynaudios will be the same as it would be with the Port as a source. Even with the voice mic turned off, this is a good buy. Even if you will not use all the other Alexa gimmickry.

As you expand the system, you can move to Sonos if you find that you really will be listening to the same music in grouped mode - this is only feature, IMO, that justifies Sonos these days. And if you make that move, you will find that a Show 8, in standalone mode, will still serve as a music maker in a kitchen or small bedroom. So even that small investment will not be a wasted one. Or, you may want to keep the album art feature which you can by wiring the Show to the line in jacks on the Port and use the Port only to distribute the music to other Sonos units along with the amp downstream of the Port.

K

Finally, when choosing a streaming service, choose one that allows for handing over of the chosen stream to the target speaker - be it Echo or Port - and thus takes the phone out of the music play loop. Both Spotify and Amazon Music offer this feature for sure I can say, since I use both. There may be others that also do this, but Apple Music for sure does not.

With such a service, you can use the native app on the phone to select music instead of voice in the case of Echo or the Sonos app in case of Port. I find the native apps to be more rich in features than the Sonos version, and for Echo they eliminate the need for any voice commands.

P

Thanks Kumar.  Your comments on the Echo are super interesting.  I love the idea of album art too, so I’ll definitely look into that as an option.  Too bad about Amazon discontinuing the audio out -- sounds like a very useful feature.  

As regards the desired power rating on the amp -- where in the specs for the Evoke 20 speakers would I find guidance on this?   

K

Having gotten used to album art, I find I don’t like to not have it now. With streaming services often serving up good but unfamiliar music this becomes very useful, to know at a glance what is playing.

You should still be able to get the earlier versions of the Echo Show 5/8 that have the audio out socket that is needed for the connection downstream, if you act soon to get one still in stock.

The Dynaudios have a reputation for being power hungry. In the spec in question, this is indicated by the 6 ohm impedance rating - less hungry speakers tend to have a nominal impedance of 8 ohms although this may dip to 4 ohms at times. The lower the impedance, the more the power the speaker will pull from the amp. The other hint at power hungry is in the 86dB sensitivity. Speakers with higher sensitivity in the region of 90dB will put out more sound levels given the same power. 

Also the power handling is stated to be 180 watts, but this by itself isn't something that gives all the insight needed. I have used Dynaudios - so I know from experience as well.

The flip side of the design is that bass performance in particular will be very smooth/good, but this is provided the Dynaudios are served with the power they need. 

P

That’s super helpful, thanks.

Good tip on the streaming services.  I’ve heard friends say they prefer the native Spotify app over the Sonos one.   

I’m wary of imposing more on your time, but do you have any specific suggestions on amps that meet these requirements -- in a broadly similar price range to the Rega? I’ve searched around a bit and above 100 wpc, the choices seem to thin out, at least as far as I can tell (and maybe limited by what’s around in Australia).  

I guess the alternative is to go with the Sonos Amp and face the fact that I probably won’t ever really want to connect a turntable.  Being limited to one input (likely a CD player) is -- practically and realistically -- probably just fine.  

106rallye
Userlevel 7
Badge +17

To me the advantage of the Amp would be the possibility to change volume from the Sonos app. From the Port this is also possible, but I have read this could degrade audio quality for some.

On the other hand: an old fashoined non-connected amp will probably last you a lifetime. Making all connectivity options external (and so replaceble) will make your system a bit more future proof (remember this is coming from someone who is heavily into Sonos).

K

To me the advantage of the Amp would be the possibility to change volume from the Sonos app. From the Port this is also possible, but I have read this could degrade audio quality for some.

On the other hand: an old fashoined non-connected amp will probably last you a lifetime. Making all connectivity options external (and so replaceble) will make your system a bit more future proof (remember this is coming from someone who is heavily into Sonos).

The advantage of the Sonos Amp is the smaller footprint and reduced cable clutter. I do not think that the Port has a problem with its audio quality when set to variable level mode except for someone sitting with a test instrument instead of listening to the music. As long as the volume level on the downstream amp is set such that the Port needs to be at plus 60-70% volume for minimum sound levels, it will not have any problem.

The advantages of the third party amp are as quoted above, but there is a price to pay for that in addition to the price and service life - the high power ones can be heavy and big. On the other hand, they look impressive:-).

@PennyP One example of a fine amp with the kind of power that Dynaudios deserve:

https://www.amazon.com/Yamaha-S801SL-Natural-Integrated-Amplifier/dp/B00N30M2DW?ref_=ast_sto_dp&th=1

Yamaha still make kit of great build quality, but you always want to be sure what you buy has in-country warranty and service support. Two other makes that would also offer something alike are Sony and Onkyo. Or, Marantz. I have used Yamaha and Marantz and both served me well - indeed a Yamaha unit still does fuss free duty ten years after buying it. Brit makes like NAD can be prone to a need for more service.

I would caution against a hasty buy of a turntable. Buy an exercise bicycle and you can at least dry clothes on it...the hassle of handling vinyl comes to light soon enough. But input jacks are always useful, and the Sonos amp provides just the bare minimum.

PS: Another great amp brand is Rotel.

 

pwt
Userlevel 7
Badge +20

To me the advantage of the Amp would be the possibility to change volume from the Sonos app. From the Port this is also possible, but I have read this could degrade audio quality for some.

Not if you use the Port’s analog outputs. It’s a corner case issue with the digital output, if variable volume is used.

4 x P:5 | Sub | 4 x P:1 | 3 x Connect | 2 x Boost | Connect:Amp | 2 x One | Amp | Move | Port
K

Another great amp:

https://www.rotel.com/en-apac/product/ra-1572mkii

I would buy the brand - between Yamaha/Sony/Marantz/Rotel - based on availability of in-country warranty and service because these are meant to be used for decades.

My daughter has my handed down Rotel that needed service this year to fix one channel loss after working flawlessly since 2003 when I bought it.

K

Not if you use the Port’s analog outputs.

And there is no audible reason to NOT use these.

On that point: I know it sounds crazy to wire an Echo Dot into an amp like the linked Rotel, but only for psychological reasons, I have discovered.

K

@PennyP : Over the last two years, my annoyance at Sonos at their antics for promoting their future even if it meant that I have to trash my Sonos hardware that is in perfect working condition finds an expression in many threads, and these views immediately raise the ire of a handful of inveterate Sonos defenders on this site who think that Sonos can do no wrong. So, what follows is ironic, but true nonetheless.

A system consisting of a Sonos 5 pair, anchored by a Sonos Sub, properly set up and tuned, will not be far away from the sound you will get from the amp + Dynaudio system. For maybe half the price. And from the two 5 units, you will get two sets of line in jacks. One of which can even accommodate a Show 8.

Since the price will be less, a correspondingly lower service life should not be an issue. The only caveat is that you must have a robust local WiFi in place.

My suggestion therefore is: make sure you are ruling out this option for good reasons.

P

Thanks very much everyone for all the input -- I’ve learned a lot.

So coming back to the original question and summarising -- and setting aside, for now, the suggestion of trying out a pair of Sonos 5s plus the Sub: is it fair to say that if I’m happy to forego the ability to add more than one input device, the Amp would pair well enough with the Evoke 20s such that I can avoid the extra cost of getting both the Port plus a third party amp … with minimal or no compromise on sound quality?

I see Sonos states that the Amp will deliver 125 wpc into 8 ohms and 250 wpc into 4 ohms, which seems to meet the brief for these speakers.

Set up your Sonos Amp | Sonos   

106rallye
Userlevel 7
Badge +17

Yes, but do remember sound quality is very personal, so I'd go somewhere to listen to to the Amp with the Dynaudio's to see if they are suited to each other. Different amps and speakers can sound differently. Trust your ears.

K

I have used many solid state amps in the past, and as long as they were not underpowered, they had no influence on sound quality. So, while I have not used the Sonos Amp - I have its predecessors, two Connect Amps - and I trust Sonos to not have screwed up on amp fundamentals.

But speakers, and especially how they will sound in a given room, is a major item because what you finally hear is the interaction of the speaker with the room. For an investment as high as those Dynaudios, I would play them extensively at home in the target location, with music you like, with any amp that is in the same power delivery leagues as the Sonos Amp if the Sonos Amp isn't at hand. Ideally having the amp will be good, but not essential. But listening to the speakers as suggested, is a must. Buy only thereafter. 

K

Note also to not skimp on speaker cable quality where conductor core thickness is concerned, such that it is adequate for the length of the cable run. It isn't necessary to buy the expensive HiFi branded and overpriced speaker cables, as long as this aspect is taken care of.

Terms & ConditionsCookie settings