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I have a 4,200 sq foot house. Excellent router with zero dead spots in my home. My downstairs is all hardwood flooring. My living room I want to make surround sound. The living room and kitchen are essentially connect with no wall. 20ft by 40ft for the two combined my living room is 20ft by 20ft. I was thinking I should get a playbar, a sub, and 2 play ones for the surround sound effect in living room. I also want a play 1 in my dining room which is separate from my other rooms. Dining room is also hardwood with a large rug but the room is 15ft by 12ft. I also want a speaker I can take outside and put on a mount on my covered patio in my back yard. I was thinking a play 5 here or two play 3s. I don't have any backyard neighbors so sound isn't an issue but my budget is (aka my wife). Thoughts on if I am on the right track in my thinking of speaker size for the rooms and outdoor patio?
You are on the right track. I would suggest you start with:



1) Playbar + Sub + 2xPlay:1 in the living room

2) Play:1 for dining room

3) Connect:Amp + 2-4 outdoor speakers for patio (yes, you'd need to run speaker wire)

4) In terms of setup, even with strong wifi, I would strongly recommend you connect at least 1 of your speakers to the router. This will put your entire system on SonosNet, which is a stronger and more stable wireless network. There's not cost, and plenty of advantages.



Then, you can always easily expand:

5) 1-2 Play:1s in the kitchen

6) Additional Play:1 in the dining room

7) Play:1s or Play:5s in master bedroom

😎 Misc Play:1s in other rooms/hallways



At 4,200 sq, feet, I am guessing you also have an office, sitting room, basement, garage, etc. Yeah...there's always room for more Play:1s!
Thanks for the advice.Do you think play 5s are overkill for rear 5.1 speakers? I agree with all you said.
If you will be using the surrounds for TV use only, then yes, I think the Play:5s are overkill.
Last question, outside do you think the play 5 would be okay mounted in a covered screened porch?
I would not keep any powered speaker outside, let alone one that cost $500.



I would STRONGLY suggest you consider a Connect:Amp and speakers designed for outdoor use. Running the wiring through the wall and to a permanent mounted location is not difficult and a 1-time task. You will be happy you did so.
I agree. You are right, you never know until you ask and I couldn't stomach keeping a $500 speaker outside. I asked the Best Buy guy and he said you could definitely do it. I was certainly weary but figured I'd ask someone here. Play 5 to stay in my room!
Covered or not, moisture, wind, sunlight, heat, cold...the Play:5 is meant for indoor use. Let alone the fact that you have to plug it in to live electricity.



There are some excellent outdoor speakers in a wide range of prices. I have Dayton Audio speakers and would highly recommend them, the are a steal at ~$85/pair:



http://www.parts-express.com/dayton-audio-io655w-6-1-2-2-way-indoor-outdoor-speaker-pair-white--310-010



You can actually run 2 pairs from the Connect:Amp if you wish.
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