Question

Fully wireless amp and speaker solution running audio from upstairs devices to downstairs

  • 16 May 2024
  • 4 replies
  • 28 views
T

I'm trying to figure out a fully wireless amp and speaker solution. I sent the below to support over 3 months ago and never got a response. I'm hoping someone here can point me in the right direction and what if any devices sonos sells that I would need to make this work. And if they don't offer what I need, what other company's devices should I look into?

This is my desired set up. Unsure if it is possible.:

I live in a 3 story home. I have a wired turntable with its own phono pre-amp (among other audio devices) which live on the 2nd floor of my home.

Taking just the turntable as an example:
- I want to be able to listen to that turntable on the 1st floor of my home.
- It is not feasible for me to run physical speaker wires from the 2nd floor down to the 1st floor. I also don’t think a Bluetooth signal will pass reliably from the 2nd floor down to the 1st floor (but maybe it would?). If Bluetooth wouldn't work/be reliable, then I'd be looking specifically for a WiFi solution.
- In other words, I’m looking to physically connect the RCA output of the turntable’s pre-amp into some kind of wireless amp living on the 2nd floor. Then have that amp drive that turntable’s signal to a pair of wireless speakers which will live on the bottom/1st floor.
- Then I would like additional flexibility to hook up other physical audio devices located upstairs beyond just the turntable.

I also still want to be able to have any given upstairs audio device run through my existing wired system upstairs.

Is this set up possible? If so, which product(s) could accomplish this?
 

4 replies

Stanley_4
Userlevel 7
Badge +22

Look at the Sonos Port, it will bring your audio into the Sonos system and a second one, in a different location, bring it back out to other non-Sonos devices.

T

Look at the Sonos Port, it will bring your audio into the Sonos system and a second one, in a different location, bring it back out to other non-Sonos devices.

Thanks so much @Stanley_4 . So with the Port I’m unsure why you said I would need 2 of them?

In this single turntable setup I’ve described, is this an accurate assumption?

  1. I use the Port’s RCA Line IN from my turntable’s preamp OUT, then
  2. Use the Port’s RCA Line OUT to send the signal to my existing amp set up in the same room.
  3. Then I can use the Port’s WiFi feature to “cast” the turntable’s audio signal to some WiFi Sonos speakers (located downstairs) but still have the audio signal going through my existing amp in the same room as the turntable? 

More follow up questions:

  1. The Port supports only 1 audio input device right? If so and if I wanted to send other line-level audio devices to it’s input along with the turntable, I could just use a simple audio switch between the various audio devices and the Port’s RCA input jacks, right?
  2. For the Wifi speakers I’d connect wirelessly to the Port (the ones that would be located downstairs), I would need a pair of Active / Powered Wifi speakers, correct? Am I stuck using only Sonos speakers of that type or can I use a 3rd company’s? Any overall suggestions on that front? 
  3. Any other Sonos devices I would need besides the Port and some Active/Powered Wifi Speakers?
Stanley_4
Userlevel 7
Badge +22

Look at the Sonos Port, it will bring your audio into the Sonos system and a second one, in a different location, bring it back out to other non-Sonos devices.

Thanks so much @Stanley_4 . So with the Port I’m unsure why you said I would need 2 of them?

In this single turntable setup I’ve described, is this an accurate assumption?

  1. I use the Port’s RCA Line IN from my turntable’s preamp OUT, then
  2. Use the Port’s RCA Line OUT to send the signal to my existing amp set up in the same room.
  3. Then I can use the Port’s WiFi feature to “cast” the turntable’s audio signal to some WiFi Sonos speakers (located downstairs) but still have the audio signal going through my existing amp in the same room as the turntable? 

I thought you wanted to use your existing audio gear upstairs, for that you’d need a Port up there to get the audio back out of the Sonos system.

You would only need one Port if using Sonos speakers as it would send it to any/all of them.

 

More follow up questions:

  1. The Port supports only 1 audio input device right? If so and if I wanted to send other line-level audio devices to it’s input along with the turntable, I could just use a simple audio switch between the various audio devices and the Port’s RCA input jacks, right?
  2. For the Wifi speakers I’d connect wirelessly to the Port (the ones that would be located downstairs), I would need a pair of Active / Powered Wifi speakers, correct? Am I stuck using only Sonos speakers of that type or can I use a 3rd company’s? Any overall suggestions on that front? 
  3. Any other Sonos devices I would need besides the Port and some Active/Powered Wifi Speakers?
  1. Yes, a simple, non amplified audio switch will do fine.
  1. If you want to connect into a Sonos system you need Sonos speakers, they aren’t exactly WiFi and don’t work with other systems. If you want non-Sonos speakers a Port will get the audio to powered ones, the Amp will get it to non-powered ones.
  2. You need the Port or another Sonos device with an input (Five, Era or the portables) to get the signal into your Sonos system. You need Sonos speakers, a Port or Amp to get it back out.

Here I had two AVR setups, both with a ZP-80, an early Port like device. I could get audio into my Sonos or out of it through the ZPs. I had several Sonos speakers that I could Group with the ZPs if I wanted the audio they were playing.

T

Thanks again @Stanley_4 . Apologies but I still don’t quite understand the nomenclature in your responses. Especially what you mean by “Sonos system” and “get the signal in and get it back out”. I just made a crude diagram of what I’m trying to do. I simply need to know what exact products I need to buy to do this. Maybe this helps. GREEN is what I already own. RED is what I do not own / what I do or don’t understand if is what I need to make this work.

 

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