Sonos speakers are identified by a name. Usually this takes the form of the room they’re in - lounge, bedroom, den etc. Equally they could be called dog, cat, elephant… you get the idea. “Dog” could be a paired stereo speaker set - two Ones for example, or a single speaker in mono. Speakers can then be grouped so they all play the same source. In your use case, use as many speakers as you deem necessary to achieve the surround effect you want. Then play the source to one speaker, group the other(s) and away you go.
Also, Sonos are primarily WiFi speakers, with no bluetooth capability. They stream audio directly, without it going through your phone. The Sonos app is just a controller. Roam and Move have bluetooth capaiblity, but you would still want to use them as WiFi speakers in the context you described.
Honestly though, it sounds like you need noise cancelling more than background audio. You can obviously get that in headphones, but you might want to see if there are any speakers with that sort of thing built in.
We have a Sonos Move that lives in the bedroom for just this purpose. My wife like to play the Piano for Sleeping station (name may be wrong) on Sonos Radio every night. There are other stations on Sonos Radio, Spotify, etc. that also have ambient noise for sleeping.
When not sleeping, the Move has the added benefit of being our outdoor and travel speaker.
These answers are super helpful Thanks! Some follow-questions:
- Is there a particular Sonos product(s) that is best suited for a bedroom application? For example I don’t need waterproof and I don’t need much bass. I do want more than 1 speaker and want them around the room in different places. I have seen One, Move, Roam, and there are a bunch of packages that I don’t understand like “Home Theater Completion Set” or “2 Room Set with One.”
- I think the Wifi connection will be just fine. Is it correct to assume that standard streaming services can play through Sonos like YouTube Music, Spotify, or even YouTube videos or the Better Sleep app?
- Is there an optimal number of speakers to pair together for something like this?
- Do any of the systems prevent adding more speakers at a later date?
If you want to “totally surround the bed” you need three in a triangle, or 4 (or more). Two may be sufficient if you’re ok with one spaced either side of your pillows/heads. If you want voice control go for a One and the other(s) could be One SL’s (same speaker but without microphone). Move and Roam are battery/mains powered so can be used away from the home.
When grouped Sonos speakers will play in sync but you’ll have independent control of volume from each speaker.
Add a music streaming service and link to your account (if appropriate) and you’re away. If you have music on NAS or computer drive you can play those files too (depending on the format). There’s a limit of 32 Sonos devices in a single system.
Update: We got 4 Sonos One SLs and put them in the 4 corners of the bed. Works like a charm!
