I am looking to improve my current Sonos setup; I use the current setup within my games room for entertainment so I can stream music from YouTube, or Apple Music (I appreciate that the quality is dependent on the streaming service and the subscription/configuration).
I currently have an Arc sound bar below my TV which is mounted on the wall and a Sonos amp driving two 8 inch ceiling speakers towards the rear of the room. I also have a Sonos subwoofer to one-side.
I’ve been looking at the Sonos Era 100, or 300 although I don’t have an ideal place to position this speaker and not sure if I need Dolby Atmos! The other option that I was considering was the Sonos Five and placing them each side of the TV about 2 meters away.
Does anyone have any recommendations or suggestions to improve and optimise the sound. I don’t use the room for movies generally, so I suppose the sound that I’m looking for is a more hi-fi effect than surround sound.
I do have a pair of Sonos Play 1 that I could move from another room and try to see if this enhances the music audio, which I might do next anyway.
I look forward to your thoughts.
Best hi-fi setup for my games room
Fives are the optimum speakers for stereo, one in each front corner, Paired and maybe Grouped with the Arc.
Grouping in the Arc and switching the Amp from Ambient to Full mode will take care of the rear of the room.
Try those Play:1’s and add the Sub to them, and assess that sound. Don’t complicate things with the Arc etc. If you like that, but perhaps they’re not enough for the room size, go for two Fives or Era 300’s, plus a Sub.
Going that route, break the Amp out of the Arc Room and make it a Room too. Grouped with Play 1s and a Sub it might work. If not then the Fives.
I do like my 300s but I do Atmos and have them positioned to do it well. The Five is better for stereo in my experience.
A different option, add two more ceiling speakers to the Amp and make it a Room. If Sonos/Sonance maybe add four?
I’ve had to place speakers on the long wall of a rectangular room. I went for an Era 300 pair (with Sub Mini).
Whilst I mostly listen to stereo, the wide soundstage the Era 300’s provide is great, and the traditional stereo “sweet spot” is incredibly wide, giving good stereo sound in a very wide area. The way we use the room, with furniture (and seating) being moved around a lot, I don’t think we’d get the same results from a pair of Fives.
Yes, the Fives may be more “hifi”, but the Eras are better suited to my requirements.
I’m a fan of my pair of PLAY:5 Gen 2s for stereo listening. The Arc, Sub and surrounds are for TV watching (well, movies, really). So I’d go with a pair of Fives…but none of the suggestions above are bad.
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