Best for TV and Music

Hi @zsamuels28 

You have a couple of options for Sonos…

Purchase the Arc, Sub and Port. The Port can support a pre-amped Turntable (TT) that is grouped to the Arc or the Arc can be set as the auto-play room. By doing the latter the TT audio will start as soon as the stylus hits the record groove. The Sub will augment the low-end.

Purchase the Arc, Sub, Play 5 (gen2) or Five. As you said you can use the line-in of the Play 5 or Five with your pre-amped TT. However, the Sub can only be used to augment low end with either the Arc or Play 5/Five but not both at the same time. 

Thanks @AjTrek1 !

What do I do with my A5s? Can I use an AMP and use those are surrounds with the Arc and Sonos Sub? Or will the Port support surrounds with my A5s?

Hi @zsamuels28 

I assume the A5’s are powered speakers   You can only use passive (wired) speakers with the Sonos Amp as surrounds. You can use the A5’s with a Port as stand-alone speakers or group them with other Sonos for whole-home audio.

@AjTrek1 

If I use the port can I group the A5 + Arc + Sub?

They are powered speakers but do have banana plugs out of the back (left/right channels) so why could I not just hook them to the AMP as surrounds?

To be clear the Arc and sub would be bonded as a unit. But yes using the Port with the A5’s they could be grouped to the Arc w/sub for music. Grouping them to the Arc for movies they would experience a 7Oms delay.

The Amp can only accept a source such as a TT or CD player to send audio to 3rd party WIRED speakers. The A5’s are not a source.

 You can use the Amp with 3rd party WIRED speakers as surrounds with a Sonos Arc, Playbar, Playbase or Beam.

@AjTrek1 if I listen to Spotify will I also experience a 70ms delay?

In your opinion what is my best option for best sound quality for music and for movies/TV?

Hi @zsamuels28 

I gave you two options in a previous post with pro and con for each. You’ll have to decide which will best meet your need. 

The 70ms delay only occurs when grouping a Sonos sound bar with another Sonos speaker when watching a Movie or Cable broadcast. It does not occur for any Music source.

I used to have a Playbar, with Sub and 2 Play:1's as surround, for my tv sound. Next to that I had a hifi amp, an Arcam A18, with Monitor Audio Radius 270 passive speakers and a Sonos Connect. For my hifi music. Both in the livingroom. 

Both ok. 

Just recently I sold the Playbar, Arcam and Connect. And I bought the Sonos Amp. The Amp is now used for tv sound, with Sub and 2 surrounds, and also for hifi sound, with the Sub.

The tv sound is now really much beter than with the Playbar. It works great with the Radius speakers and the virtual center speaker of the Amp, combined with Sub and surround. And for hifi the 2x 125w Amp combined with the Sub is much better sounding than the Arcam I had. 

So if you want lesser equipment, use the Amp for tv and for hifi, it is a great combination for me. 

@Geebee problem is I can’t use the AMP as my speakers are powered. Also, there is a delay with using other Sonos products with TV, no? (Like 70ms?). I’m also not ready to drop tons of money on passive speakers.

I think the best solution is to have Port + A5 + Arc + Sub, then I can tune the Arc how I like with the A5’s. The A5 will still be playing full range, but having the sub in there will make a huge difference. Or get an EQ to cut the low range to the A5’s like https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/422063-REG/Behringer_FBQ800_MINIFBQ_FBQ800_Graphic_Equalizer.html. Worst case I can return or rethink. Thoughts?

Rethink . I'm trying to understand what it is you want, apart from all the options and gear you already have. First do 1 step back: what is it you want?

What I wanted, and I assume you are more or less the same, is

1. good TV sound
2. good stereo hifi sound, listening to music.
3. all in 1 (living?)room

For TV you can perfectly use the ARC, even better if you add surrounds and sub.

For good music I would not use the ARC.
I prefer 2 good passive speakers, they are the most important thing for having good hifi stereo music. Combine these speakers with the AMP, either with or without the Sub, and you have that goal covered.

Now what I try to tell you is that the AMP can do both: music listening via AMP, passive speakers and Sub. TV sound with AMP, Sub and 2 surrounds, e.g. 2 One SL's. The AMP has no center speaker, but the virtual center speaker that it makes is perfect for me.

So, in your situation you could:

• sell the A5's
• sell the Vision soundbar
• buy 2 passive speakers, lots to choose from, most important item you need for good music listening
• buy an AMP instead of an ARC
• buy a Sub
• buy 2 One (SL) speakers as surrounds

I don't understand your thinking about the delays. Make a good TV set (see all options above) and you will not have to worry about delays.