Expanding Sonos system beyond a single Play:3 in main living area

I bought my first Sonos (Play:3) in November 2017 and love it. I’m hooked on Sonos.

I’m looking to expand the system with another 2 or 3 speakers and would appreciate recommendations and/or if my plan sounds like a good one.

Prior to buying the Play:3, the last time I bought quality speakers was in 1995 when I bought my Cerwin-Vega DX-7s, which I’m still rocking today in my home office.

Since then I’ve only acquired a smattering of lower quality bookshelf or computer speakers, and a fairly cheap 9-year-old Onkyo HT-S3200 5.1 system I use with my TV.

Needless to say, I’m loving the sound of the Play:3 and have been deliberating how to expand the system. The Play:3 does a great job filling the main living area of my house, but I’d like to take the sound to the next level.

Below is a floor plan of my main level living area, which shows current placement of my existing Play:3 (marked in pink):

https://www.dropbox.com/s/sxxheat55sjzbl2/floorplan-sonos-2018.png?dl=0

I marked in green the spots where I’m thinking about adding a Play:5 (living room) and Play:1 or Sonos One (up high in kitchen on top of a cabinet near the ceiling).

I’m also considering a second Play:1 / Sonos One for possible stereo pairing or use elsewhere in the house (or relocating to porch / patio on nice days).

The dining room and living room are open, and the kitchen is mostly closed off, but the Play:3 sound travels nicely into the kitchen.

The dining room is about 13’ x 14’.

The kitchen is about 12’ x 19’.

The living room is about 14’ x 19’ (and open to the foyer).

Thoughts on my plan or other suggestions?

Thanks in advance!

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I would put Play:5s in the spots marked Play:5 and Play:3. Put the Sonos One in kitchen looking toward dining room (great to be able to use alexa voice control in kitchen).

Move the Play:3 upstairs.

Thanks for the suggestion, Chris. Good idea for longer-term plan.

For now I'm probably going to start by adding a single Play:5 for the living room (or possibly swap spots with the dining room Play:3 since we spend a lot of time in the kitchen), and a Sonos One for the kitchen.

Then down the road I can expand the system with another Play:5, as you suggest.

...and eventually a new Sonos surround system (and TV) for the family room (not shown in above floor plan).

I decided to go for two Play:5s and a Sonos One to add to my Play:3! Placed my order today, and really looking forward to the new speakers.

Any thoughts on placing the Play:5s together in either my living or dining room to create a stereo pair (potentially with Play:3 in other room, if not relocated upstairs)? Vs. one Play:5 in each room?

What's generally a better sound in a large / open space—at opposite ends or stereo paired closer together? And is vertical or horizontal orientation better sound? I did see below info, but not a lot of details on what's best sound experience:

https://sonos.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/1077/~/creating%2C-separating%2C-and-placing-a-stereo-pair

I'll experiment with what sounds best in the space, but curious what others do.

Love your idea to post a schematic. May I steal it? May I hop on your thread? :)

Here's my very small house (please don't laugh), with three configurations I'm semi-considering:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/2un5x96jwzmmcjw/1st_flr_stereo.jpg?dl=0

I'm brand new to Sonos, and I'm trying to figure out what all to get. I'm not an audiophile, but I like music. I don't care about Alexa, and I doubt I'll ever need a surround-sound entertainment system (I haven't owned a TV for close to ten years), but I'm really pleased with the idea of having music that can be heard throughout the house, but still playing quietly enough that it doesn't hurt in any one place. I'm starting with just the first floor.

I originally thought that I wanted stereo pairs on the South wall of the kitchen and the South wall of the living room (both facing North, so they wouldn't argue with each other), but I know that that's more power than my

I would consider stereo pairing a set of play 3 where ever you move it, and adding the sub to the living room will finish off the music for the living. The kitchen a play 1 or sonos 1. Stereo sound will greatly improve the sonos system you have now.

Option 3 will give you the best sound in the living room. Stereo pairs will really add pop to your sonos system.

It appears that I was too verbose, and got cut off...

In options 2 and 3, the placement of the two Play:1s is slightly problematic, as they would prevent cupboard doors from opening fully. That's why I wondered about a single Play:3 on the shelf.

I've read a few articles that claim that Play:3 is old tech, so not a good purchase, at this point. I don't really want to replace these speakers in five, or even ten, years. I need a semi-long-term solution. The Play:5s seem like massive overkill for my space, and also a big outlay in $$, esp. since I want a stereo pair. The SUB is also a huge chunk of coin.

both the play 1 and play 3 are the same gen. And is "old tech". play 1 and sonos one sound almost exactly alike. Yes it is a older speaker, the play 1, but it will keep working with the sonos system 5 years down the line or even 10. My old gen1 play 5 is old tech, and still works with the current sonos network. Sonos CEO commented, that he wants play1 sonos one pair to be supported. So if that comes, you are pairing "old tech" with new tech. And it will work.

New tech, you need to be careful with, just look at cell phones, every year the old models become old tech. The samsung s8 is still an excellent phone, but it is old tech compare to the samsung s9. I have a 2013 MacBook pro, and it is old tech, but it does everything I need it to do.

With Sonos, they do a pretty good job in keeping their "old tech relevant" just look at their plan to support airplay2 with apple, Your whole system with old tech will be airplay2 compatible by just adding one sonos one speaker. Making the play5, play3, play1, connect, connect amp still relevant.

I have been a sonos user since 2009, and all my sonos still works and support all the sonos updates. From just multi room music system when I started with iPhone and mac iTunes. To all the streaming services that is available to smart assistance. Sonos has keep all my old tech relevant. Just food for thought.

Thanks for that. I certainly like all my old tech (I keep cell phones for years); just wasn't sure whether the Sonos crew would let me keep using it. 🙂

Not sure where my post went, it disappeared. Very strange.

Maybe it went the same place as the latter half of my post. Strange, indeed.

Sonos is good with keeping the systems relevant, no worries that it will be obsolete in 5 years. Sonos replace the gen 1 play5, and my gen1 play 5 is still relevant.

Framjam - I would go with the option for two Play:1s and sub in the living room and a Sonos One in Kitchen (I can't stress the how having Alexa and hands free ability in kitchen is terrific).

While I do like the Play:3 - your not gaining much over the Sonos One sound wise. The Alexa (and future Google Home and Airplay2) is worth going Sonos One.

Alexa - add milk to shopping list

Alexa - play Bruno mars

Alexa - How many cups are in a pint

Alexa - set oven timer for 1 hour

All with your hands covered in batter.

Option 2 and 3 are off the table, do to possible conflict with cabinet.

I would go with on play3 in the kitchen, if you want alexa or google assistance just get a dot or google home mini for the kitchen. Put 2 Play1 with a sub in the living room. And you are all set. And if you want a home assistance in the living room add a dot or mini. The mic on the mini and dot is actually better then the mic array in the sonos one. And drop in on alexa is not supported on the sonos one vs the dot.

something is seriously wrong with the board, I was just reading RVA's post. Now it has been chopped. and the rest is gone. Like my post, about "old tech":?:?

May I suggest another option. If you go with option one setup, keep the play1 in the kitchen, and add 2 play3 in the living room. As a stereo pair. It will give you a much fuller sound in the living room. And you will gain in the bass response until if or when you want to add the sub. And 2 play3 sound a lot better then 2 sonos one or play1. I have both setups.

And just add a dot or google home mini in the kitchen for that helpful kitchen assistance.

I doubt the sonos one mic array will work well sitting high on the bookshelf. It is not as good as the mic array off of the native alexa dot or google home mini. And it might not pick up what you are saying sitting high on the bookshelf when cooking in the kitchen.

And if airplay2 is something that jamfram want to add, just get a sonos one and put it in the bedroom. And airplay2 is on the whole network.

And

alexa turn off bedroom lights

alexa set alarm for xx:xx

alexa turn off the alarm

alexa play my night time playlist.

😃

Mine seems to pick up from a room away all the time.

My google home out preform my sonos one by a big margin in the mic array. I had the sonos one up high once in a kitchen bookshelf about 8 feet up. It had issue when I was cooking catching what I was saying to alexa. The mic are top mounted. So I guess it had issues to pick up what I was saying.

I don't have mine up high - I have it on counter level.

Think all the smart speakers were design to be counter level actually. As all of the mic arrays are top mounted

But from framjam option one, pointed out that it will be high on the kitchen book shelf. Sonos one might not be the best option there. Also alexa and smart assistance is not a concern. And it looked like full nice sound through the house it key. Just adding a stereo pair of play3 will give the livingroom a rich full sound with a lot better bass response then a 2 play1 alone. And cheaper then adding a sub while still gaining on the bass response over 2 play1.

Maybe if on a bracket facing kind down (exposing the mics more) - since that high you would want a little angle anyhow.

Or just heck with it and get a DOT.

Actually I have an Alexa Show in my kitchen (of course can control my Play:5 in kitchen).... very nice having the video part too.

You guys are awesome. Thanks for all the advice.

Good luck. Let us know how it goes and if our advice was way off 🙂

Play:3 installed in kitchen yesterday.

Plan for living room is Play:1s on bookshelves, facing sofa, and (eventually) a SUB under it. I have a birthday coming up, so we'll see how much more equipment gets purchased. 🙂

Can't wait to put some more upstairs and downstairs, too. Cleaning day gets pretty tedious in a four-floor, skinny house!

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