Question

Center channel speaker

  • 19 January 2021
  • 1 reply
  • 3141 views
G

First off, I'm fairly tech savvy all around, but definitely lacking when it comes to audio. I bought a new house that has a fairly robust Sonos system (detailed below). Due to the lack of dialogue support from the multichannel surround speakers, I'm looking to add a center channel. I understand why you wouldn't add a soundbar to a surround sound system, but I don't know if the same holds true for Sonos and the Arc. Basically, can I get the Arc or do I need to get a dedicated center speaker?

Marantz SR6014 receiver

Sonos Connect for poolside Sonance 8 speaker system, no sub, Sonance multichannel amp

Sonos Connect for courtyard 2 speaker system (not Sonos speakers), Sonance multichannel amp

Sonos Connect for 6 in-ceiling Sonance surround speakers in living room

Sonos Connect for 2 in-ceiling Sonance surround speakers in kitchen (directly behind living room)

Play 5 (speaker we move from room to room when wanted for music

Sub (not Sonos and can't remember if 10 or 12 inch)

When I moved in, I had to clean out the media cabinet of old equipment (broken universal remotes) and hard reset the Connects to connect new wifi. I finally got the full system working (was having an issue with the kitchen speakers not playing). The receiver is set up to recognize the sub, 2 front speakers, 2 surround speakers, 2 rear speakers (kitchen speakers, Zone 2), and 2 front height speakers (that may not be the best setup and haven't tinkered with it since I got every speaker working).

The center channel would sit on the mantle below the TV (mounted on a stone fireplace). I'd like to get the Arc if it will work. The feedback I've gotten is that it won’t work because it is eARC.  The receiver supports eARC.  I’m not as worried about the voice control.   If an Arc isn't the way to go and I need to get a normal center speaker, I'd still run the speaker wire through the wall.

Thanks in advance for any help.

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1 reply

Rowena B.
Userlevel 5
Badge +16

Hi @gblacksooner,

Welcome to the Sonos community. Thank you for reaching out to us and letting us know about your concern. Let me share some information with you.

All of our home theater products, including the Sonos Arc, were designed to be used with TVs. HDMI-ARC and HDMI-eARC are protocols responsible for sending audio over an HDMI cable to home theater sound systems like Sonos Arc. Sonos Arc must be connected to HDMI ARC or HDMI eARC to play any Dolby Atmos content. Not all TVs have HDMI ARC or HDMI eARC, so check your TV’s user manual to see which HDMI connections you have.

The Sonos Amp can be added as the surround to the Sonos Arc for a home theater setup. If the Sonos Amp is running HT setup or line-in on surround speakers, the Sub output and Line-In connections are disabled. The ports on the Sonos Amp can be used one at a time.

Two Amps can be used for home theater setup. One Amp as a TV soundbar then another Amp as surrounds. The Sonos Amp gives you a 2.0 setup. Adding surrounds will give you a 4.0 setup. You can physically connect the 3rd party sub to the Amp acting as the soundbar. It can’t be connected to the Amp as surrounds since the line in and sub port are disabled. The hearing experience would be the same as the 5.0 set up because it creates a phantom channel. Let me share this community thread about the phantom channel for your reference.

https://en.community.sonos.com/ask-a-question-228987/phantom-center-for-sonos-amp-6840288
https://en.community.sonos.com/components-228996/phantom-center-channel-6823772

Hope this helps. Please let me know if you have any further questions or concerns, we'll be glad to assist you.

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