Playbase will not fit at new house setup. Can I repurpose it elsewhere in the house?

  • 17 April 2019
  • 5 replies
  • 5848 views

Hello,

I have a playbase and sub, which I love, but am moving into a new house where the only logical place to put the TV is mounted in the wall. There is no place to put the TV stand it was previously sitting on as there is a fireplace there.

I was thinking of getting a beam to mount with the TV and using the playbase elsewhere in the house as a music speaker.

Is this possible? If I have a beam attatched to the TV, and a playbase eslewhere in the house that is on the same network, I should still be able to play TV audio through the playbase, correct?

I have read that, while there is a difference in audio quality between the beam and the base, that difference is negligible when paired with a sub. It is also a medium size room. Is this true in other people's experience?

Has anybody else done this before - repurpose a playbase once it no longer fits? Any clever ideas on where to put it?

Alternatively, I could put the playbase somewhere off center from the TV, but that would sound weird, wouldn't it?

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5 replies

Userlevel 7
Badge +16
Out Playbar gets more music use than TV most of the time!.
Great, thank you both for your feedback. Much appreciated.
Hello,

I have a playbase and sub, which I love, but am moving into a new house where the only logical place to put the TV is mounted in the wall. There is no place to put the TV stand it was previously sitting on as there is a fireplace there.

I was thinking of getting a beam to mount with the TV and using the playbase elsewhere in the house as a music speaker.

Is this possible? If I have a beam attatched to the TV, and a playbase eslewhere in the house that is on the same network, I should still be able to play TV audio through the playbase, correct?


Yes and yes. The TV audio will be slightly delayed on your playbase, when getting the audio from the beam, but that shouldn't be an issue if the playbase is in a different room. And I'm sure you know that the playbase can also be used to play streaming audio.


I have read that, while there is a difference in audio quality between the beam and the base, that difference is negligible when paired with a sub. It is also a medium size room. Is this true in other people's experience?


It's subjective. For a medium size room, I find the Beam to be plenty good enough. I would not recommend it for a large room.


Has anybody else done this before - repurpose a playbase once it no longer fits? Any clever ideas on where to put it?


The obvious answer would be to use it with a TV in a bedroom or something of that nature. Even without a TV, it would should be just fine for music just fine laying on top of a dresser or something of that nature. If you don't really have a need elsewhere, Sonos products tend to retain their value pretty well on the used market.


Alternatively, I could put the playbase somewhere off center from the TV, but that would sound weird, wouldn't it?


No, not really a good idea IMO.
Userlevel 7
Hi baxshandy

What you are attempting to do is one of the reasons Sonos is so versatile. The Playbase will act as a normal Sonos speaker even though it's not connected to a TV. You'll be able to group it to other Sonos speakers and the Beam for TV audio if you wish. I'd purchase a universal IR remote to adjust volume up/down...why let the IR receiver in the Playbase go unsed. :8

I purchased a universal IR remote to use with my Sonos Amp that only powers speakers for music (no integration with a TV whatsoever_sweet)

You probably already know how music sounds coming from the Playbase; but IMO it’s not the best speaker for that sole purpose. It does add a bit of color to music (as does all Sonos TV enhancement speakers).

I understand that a $700 (USD) speaker is a lot to let go unused.:( However, IMO the Playbase not being used as intended will appear a bit out of place no matter where you place it; based upon its shape and size. Yes, placing the Playbase off center from the TV would sound weird. :P

I don’t know where you are located....however, a suggestion would be to put it up for sale on eBay (or a similar site where you live). Hopefully you still have the original packaging as that is a plus for buyers. I have sold Sonos Play 1’s, Play 3’s and Sub on eBay and recouped 75% of the original value. Granted I keep my products in pristine condition and have the original packaging. $500-$525 (USD) is not shabby for a used speaker and would purchase two Sonos One’s which IMO are much better for music and still allow grouping to the Beam for TV audio. 🙂

eBay is just a thought; but it doesn't hurt to test the waters. Good luck with whatever you decide.

Cheers!