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BanditGTP
Contributor I
April 11, 2018

Integrating with existing equipment

A friend has asked me to help him install some outdoor speakers for him. Sounds easy enough. The problem is he currently has a Samsung screen connected to a Polk Soundbar. The challenge is he would like to have the option of playing the same music inside on the soundbar at the same time it is playing outside on the patio. Currently he uses the bluetooth connection to play music from his phone on the sound bar but also may use one of the music channels from Comcast to play music on the Soundbar.

My thinking is to purchase a Sonos Connect and also a Sonos Amp. The audio from the TV would go to the Sonos Connect via RCA. The Sonos Connect would go to the Soundbar via Optical cable and also go to the Sonos Amp via RCA.

This would enable him to use the Sonos Connect to feed the soundbar and the Sonos Amp at the same time but also give him the option of just playing music either inside or outside independently. I guess he also would still be able to play music directly to the Soundbar using Bluetooth but with this system he could just play everything using the Sonos app.

Does this scenario sound like it would work? Does anyone see a problem with my thoughts?

Thanks for the help
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14 replies

Chris
Chris
Lead Maestro
April 11, 2018
It will work as long as you get output from the TV - do all sources go to TV then how does it go out to the Polk Soundbar?
Respect the Queue (2)Move (3)Beam (1) Era100 (2)ARC (1)SonosOne (1)Playbar (4)Play5 (4)Play1 (3)Play3 (1)Port (2)Connect (1) Roam (2) Ace (1)Connect:Amp (4)Sonos Amp (1)Sub + (9) Echo + Smartthings; (2)Play)
    BanditGTPAuthor
    Contributor I
    April 11, 2018
    Currently the connections go in this order.

    1-Cable box (connects using HDMI to TV)
    2-TV (connects using Optical cable to soundbar)
    3-Soundbar
      Chris
      Chris
      Lead Maestro
      April 11, 2018
      First - streaming Bluetooth to the Soundbar there is no way to have that Bluetooth music actually play then to Sonos speakers (the soundbar has no input).

      First logical thing would be replace the soundbar with a Sonos Playbar.

      But short of that then - if playing music channels from the cable box. You could hook the Connect to the analog outs of the cable box (assume it has left/right white/red RCA outputs on the cable box that could feed the Connect. Then hook the analog out from the Connect to the Aux in of the soundbar to be able to play Sonos music to the soundbar / along with the Sonos Connect:Amp.

      Playing via bluetooth you will only be able to play to the soundbar. Need to replace playing with inferior bluetooth with using Sonos app and playing music from Sonos app (or compatible direct apps).
      Respect the Queue (2)Move (3)Beam (1) Era100 (2)ARC (1)SonosOne (1)Playbar (4)Play5 (4)Play1 (3)Play3 (1)Port (2)Connect (1) Roam (2) Ace (1)Connect:Amp (4)Sonos Amp (1)Sub + (9) Echo + Smartthings; (2)Play)
        BanditGTPAuthor
        Contributor I
        April 11, 2018
        First - streaming Bluetooth to the Soundbar there is no way to have that Bluetooth music actually play then to Sonos speakers (the soundbar has no input).

        I was thinking if he only wanted to play music inside through the soundbar, then he would be able to use the Bluetooth connection. I wasn't thinking he would use Bluetooth and back feed to the Sonos system. I was thinking he would use the Sonos app and use the Optical out on the Sonos Connect that would be connected to the Soundbar (the Soundbar has both optical inputs as well as a 3.5mm audio input). I guess one of my concerns would be if the Sonos Connect would put out audio on the Optical output as well as the RCA outputs at the same time this way one output would be feeding the soundbar and the other would be feeding the Sonos Amp(which in turn is feeding the outdoor speakers).
          Chris
          Chris
          Lead Maestro
          April 11, 2018
          Since tv is hooked to the optical you should feed the analog into the soundbar from connect
          Respect the Queue (2)Move (3)Beam (1) Era100 (2)ARC (1)SonosOne (1)Playbar (4)Play5 (4)Play1 (3)Play3 (1)Port (2)Connect (1) Roam (2) Ace (1)Connect:Amp (4)Sonos Amp (1)Sub + (9) Echo + Smartthings; (2)Play)
            Chris
            Chris
            Lead Maestro
            April 11, 2018
            The connect amp feeding the outdoor speakers doesn’t need connected to anything at the tv. It will get it sound fed wirelessly from the Sonos app or from the connect wirelessly. The connect amp only needs placed somewhere convieninet to running the outside wires (like the garage).
            Respect the Queue (2)Move (3)Beam (1) Era100 (2)ARC (1)SonosOne (1)Playbar (4)Play5 (4)Play1 (3)Play3 (1)Port (2)Connect (1) Roam (2) Ace (1)Connect:Amp (4)Sonos Amp (1)Sub + (9) Echo + Smartthings; (2)Play)
              Chris
              Chris
              Lead Maestro
              April 12, 2018
              Yea you are confused. Why would you feed output from the connect into the connect:amp. Sonos does this wirelessly. You wouldn’t input anything into the connect amp.
              Respect the Queue (2)Move (3)Beam (1) Era100 (2)ARC (1)SonosOne (1)Playbar (4)Play5 (4)Play1 (3)Play3 (1)Port (2)Connect (1) Roam (2) Ace (1)Connect:Amp (4)Sonos Amp (1)Sub + (9) Echo + Smartthings; (2)Play)
                Chris
                Chris
                Lead Maestro
                April 12, 2018
                The connect analog outputs you will connect to the anaolg input of the soundbar so the soundbar can play Sonos music.
                Respect the Queue (2)Move (3)Beam (1) Era100 (2)ARC (1)SonosOne (1)Playbar (4)Play5 (4)Play1 (3)Play3 (1)Port (2)Connect (1) Roam (2) Ace (1)Connect:Amp (4)Sonos Amp (1)Sub + (9) Echo + Smartthings; (2)Play)
                  Chris
                  Chris
                  Lead Maestro
                  April 12, 2018
                  To play tv music via the connect amp you would pick the connect amp zone and choose the source of music as the Connect analog in.

                  You would most likely would name the input on the connect “tv sound”. Then any speaker in house that you wanted to hear the tv sound on you just pick in controller ... “tv sound” as the source.
                  Respect the Queue (2)Move (3)Beam (1) Era100 (2)ARC (1)SonosOne (1)Playbar (4)Play5 (4)Play1 (3)Play3 (1)Port (2)Connect (1) Roam (2) Ace (1)Connect:Amp (4)Sonos Amp (1)Sub + (9) Echo + Smartthings; (2)Play)
                    airforceteacher
                    airforceteacher
                    Headliner I
                    April 12, 2018
                    Do you happen to know the soundbar's make and model?
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