Answered

Can playbase connect to stereo?

  • 17 December 2017
  • 5 replies
  • 496 views
N
Hi,
Am about to buy a sonos system with 3 components throughout the house.

I’d like for the system to improve the tv sound, and be able to connect by cable to our existing stereo.

I’m hoping that doesn’t require buying both a Playbase and a Connect? My question is- can a playbase be used interchangeably to play sound off the TV and a stereo, when the cable is moved between the devices?

I know moving the cable back and forth would be a bit inconvenient, but the stereo use would be infrequent (to be able to play CDs without having to go though uploading them as don’t currently have computer). Both the tv and stereo have the same input jack (on stereo it says ‘Digital Optical’ and on the TV ‘Digital Audio’ but I understand they are the same as TV manual says the TV does Digital Optical, and they look the same).

So I’m hoping the system could be-
1 Playbase and 2 Play1s
Or does it sound like I’d need-
1 Playbase, 1 Connect and 1 Play1?

Many thanks,

Nerys
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Best answer by Airgetlam 17 December 2017, 23:50

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5 replies

Airgetlam
Well, the PLAYBASE doesn't care where the audio signal comes from, as long as it is either Stereo, or Digital Dolby. So that would likely work, and you wouldn't need the CONNECT at all. But then you wouldn't get anything going in to the receiver, since an optical connection is one way.

If it were me, I'd probably invest in an optical switch box of some type, rather than flipping a single cable between the two devices repeatedly. I'd think on the 20th (well, nth) time, the plastic on the cable would begin to deform/wear away, and it might stop connecting properly. Unfortunately, optical connections tend to be plastic, rather than metal like RCA cables are.
Bruce
N
Thank you that’s so useful, I’ll look into getting a a switch. I read on a review that Playbar has a ‘TV Autoplay feature so that the TV audio is automatically played when you turn on the TV, even if music is currently playing from another source.’ I wonder if that feature would still happen with the switch, and it would just default to playing either the TV or stereo (whichever it were switched to) when they were turned on.

I’m afraid I don’t understand well what you said about ‘But then you wouldn't get anything going in to the receiver, since an optical connection is one way’ What is the receiver in this case? And what is the impacting not getting anything in it?
Many thanks!
Nerys
Airgetlam
The autoplay function depends on a starting of a stream across the optical. So whichever data stream comes across the optical input, it would interrupt anything that you were streaming across the internet.

Not getting anything in to the receiver means that if you're playing anything on the Sonos across the internet, it wouldn't be going back to the receiver, so if you had speakers connected to the receiver, they wouldn't be able to play the music. That's what the CONNECT exists for....getting a Sonos stream into a receiver. But if the only speaker you want to be playing Sonos streamed music on is the PLAYBAR, you're fine. If you're playing music connected to the receiver, you'd be fine. But you can't get Sonos music steams from the PLAYBAR back to the receiver.
Bruce
N
Thanks again! So if I had other non-sonos speakers attached to the stereo (which I understand is the receiver) they wouldn’t be able to receive and play streamed music. Okay that sounds fine, as you have said I would use the Playbar for that.
Just so long as a stereo could be used to input music from a CD to the speakers that’s all I’m after.
Airgetlam
Yep, you've got it right 🙂 Enjoy!
Bruce
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