Integrated amp or power amp for Sonos Connect?

If you do not need the other features that an integrated offers, a power amp is all that is needed, with the Connect in variable mode wired to its inputs.

I'm looking to do the same thing, but am not very technically savvy when it comes to audio equipment. Can someone point me to a good external amp to use with the Connect? Preferably one that combines with a Connect to effectively make a Connect:Amp but just in two separate units (i.e., same power output, etc.).

I'm looking to do the same thing, but am not very technically savvy when it comes to audio equipment. Can someone point me to a good external amp to use with the Connect? Preferably one that combines with a Connect to effectively make a Connect:Amp but just in two separate units (i.e., same power output, etc.).

For about $135 from Amazon you can get an "Audio Source AMP100VS 2 Channel Amplifier (Black)"

This amp will automatically power up when you start music on your Connect and go into standby after a period of silence. There are a number of similar models with more power and/or additional features.

Great thanks! Any downsides to this setup besides additional complexity/space/wires? My goal is be able to use the connect with just a pair of passive outdoor speakers now but to leave open the possibility of later deciding to use the connect with an outdoor speaker system (like sonance) that has its own dedicated amp.

I have not found any downside and in fact am moving more towards using this configuration rather than using Play speakers. One advantage that may not apply to you is that if you use the next model up of this amplifier it adds the ability to sum the left and right input to a mono output which is sometimes useful for outdoor speaker installations where stereo is not an issue but sound distribution is. Overall you get more flexibility at the cost of having more devices and wires.

Compared to Connect Amp
Pros:
1. Signal sensing for auto on - not so much a pro against the Connect Amp that also does this, but in general
2. Ability to deliver mono sound at both speaker terminals - very useful outside, something that the Connect Amp cannot do
3. Cheap
4. Can be upgraded while retaining the Connect
5. Two speaker pair capability, though with unified volume controls
Cons
1. Reliability
2. More wires/boxes/footprint

upstatemike, the mono output does seem useful for outdoor. Unless i'm mistaken, it seems the AMP100VS may be able to do this too though. Looking at the manual, it has a bridging mode which is what you're referring to it seems?
https://www.proacousticsusa.com/media/wysiwyg/PDFs/AMP100VS-Manual-4-pages-8_17_15.pdf
Just in case that's helpful for you, too, since you said you are moving to this configuration also...

If that's the case in fact, I would just need to decide if the AMP102 model is worth the extra cost for power, sound quality, etc. for driving outdoor speakers.

Bridging is not the same as summing. An amp in bridged mode combines the two stereo amps into a single mono amp but you have to feed it with a signal that has already been combined into mono unless it has been designed specifically to mix (sum) a stereo signal in for you.

The manual for the Audiosource Amps 200 and 300 verify they sum the inputs when in bridging mode. http://developer.audiosource.net/wp-content/uploads/AMP-200_300.pdf

The manual for the 100 series (102 etc.) state that in bridged mode you must feed a mono signal into the right channel only.
https://www.manualslib.com/manual/716094/Audiosource-Amp-100.html

Note the 102 is not a step up from the 100, you would need to go to the 200 or 300 series. If you can't find the Audiosource version search for an OSD Amp200. The exact same amps are sold under a variety of names at different price points but they all come from the same place.

Can someone who knows audio help me decide which amp (sonance 2-125 or audiosource amp210vs) to pair with my Sonos connect for driving 2 or 3 B&W AM-1s outdoors with mono? I might like the flexibility later on to swap the AM-1s for a sonance distributed audio solution with satellite speakers (something like the sonarray) when budget permits. Could either amp be used for that? The audiosource is significantly cheaper so that’s be nice if it is just as good, but I would want to know what the cons of going for the cheaper solution would be. Sound quality difference etc. Thanks!!
http://www.sonance.com/electronics/amplifiers/dsp
Audio Source Amplifier Audio & Video Component, Black (AMP210VS) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ZSEGKE8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_vuRYAb0CMQ24S

Amps of today are best bought for features, reliability/after sales support, power rating and price. As long as they are of known brands, there are no sound quality differences if you get one of adequate power for the speakers in question. Used ones also make sense.

I ended up deciding on the AMP200 (https://www.outdoorspeakerdepot.com/high-power-stereo-amplifier.html). But now I'm unsure if it will work for what I want. I want to take the stereo output from a single Sonos Connect, combine the left and right channels of the stereo output into a mono signal, and drive a single pair of speakers with that mono signal. The Bridged Mono mode you mentioned, upstatemike, seems like it will combine the left and right channels, but will it not also double the power? If i only hook one pair of speakers up to it, will that not blow my speakers? Outdoor Speaker Depot hasn't been very quick in answering my questions...perhaps someone here can help?

Its not going to blow your speaker. Turn the volume all the way down on the AMP200.

In the Sonos app for the connect turn the volume all the way up for the zone.

Now slowly turn up the volume on the AMP200 until the speakers are at the max volume you would ever want them to play at.

Then all set - you can use the volume control then in sonos and it won't go above that max volume.