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Hi Sonos community! I'm in the planning stages for a new sound system in our unfinished basement and Sonos keeps coming up as the gold standard for ease of use and multi-room flexibility. We're about to start finishing the space, so now's the perfect time to run any necessary wires. I'd love your recommendations on speaker models, placements, and connectivity to make this seamless.

Basement Layout

The basement is shaped like a capital "T":

  • Top bar of the T: 16' wide x 43' long, split into:
    • Left side: 16' x 17' TV/living room.
    • Right side: Wet bar/kitchen area.
  • Stem of the T: Open 20' long x 15' wide hallway (pool table/game area) connecting to the top bar.
  • Exterior access: Slider door from the game area to a covered patio (13' x 15'), opening to the backyard for outdoor use in spring/fall.

Here's a rough diagram of the layout: Google Drive Link

Goals

  • Whole-space audio coverage (TV room, bar, game area, patio/backyard) with the ability to group/ungroup zones via the Sonos app (e.g., TV-only for movies, full-house for parties).
  • True surround sound in the TV room.
  • Prioritize wired (Ethernet) over Wi-Fi where possible for reliability, but open to advice.
  • I have an existing Klipsch R-12SW subwoofer—curious if it's compatible, or if a Sonos Sub is worth switching to.

Current Thinking & Questions

I'm a Sonos newbie, so I've been digging into articles but getting a bit tangled on surrounds and multi-zone setups. Here's my rough plan for the TV room—feedback welcome!

  • Front/Surround: Sonos Arc Ultra soundbar under the TV + pair of Sonos Fives as front channels (positioned ~2' above ear level to the sides).
    • Do the Arc Ultra + Fives handle basic surround on their own, or do I need rear speakers (e.g., Eras) for true immersion?
  • Other zones:
    • Wet bar/kitchen: In-ceiling or bookshelf speakers? Placement ideas?
    • Game area/hallway: How many speakers, and where (e.g., corners for even coverage)?
    • Patio/backyard: Outdoor-rated options like Move or Roam?
  • General: Best speaker recommendations for each zone? Ceiling vs. wall-mount? Any must-have accessories for grouping/outdoor extension?

Thanks in advance for your insights—excited to get this right from the start! What would you do in this setup?

 

 

  • Front/Surround: Sonos Arc Ultra soundbar under the TV + pair of Sonos Fives as front channels (positioned ~2' above ear level to the sides).
    • Do the Arc Ultra + Fives handle basic surround on their own, or do I need rear speakers (e.g., Eras) for true immersion?

 

Speaking to this:  The Arc already contains the front Left/Center/Right channels.  You cannot add separate front speakers using the Sonos app (there is a 3rd party app which allows this, but it is not supported by Sonos).  An Arc alone will attempt to simulate surround, but it is a pale comparison to having true surround speakers.

I’m not a huge fan of commenting on layouts…much of it is both personal based on budget, the individual’s hearing, the individual’s expectations, and the physical room setup. 
 

That being said, I did want to call out a potential issue for you to consider. In your expressed setup, you have:

  • Front/Surround: Sonos Arc Ultra soundbar under the TV + pair of Sonos Fives as front channels (positioned ~2' above ear level to the sides).
    • Do the Arc Ultra + Fives handle basic surround on their own, or do I need rear speakers (e.g., Eras) for true immersion?

Sonos doesn’t make a ‘only’ center channel speaker. Inside the Arc Ultra (and any Sonos soundbar) are center, right, and left speakers. There is no way to split out the signal for additional ‘front channels’. 

Of course, I have a similar setup, but the pair of speakers that flank my soundbar are a different Sonos ‘room’, which I use for music only. They’re silent when I use the Arc for TV watching.

Since you're not able to use them for front channels, I’d encourage you to use them as surround speakers. I find the envelopment of sound to be extraordinary, when watching TV. The Arc Ultra does some of that, but to truly get the full experience, you should use surrounds. I happen to use either a pair of Era 100s or a pair of Era 300s. My Fives I reserve for music playback. 
 

Edit: beat by my slow typing, and ​@jgatie ‘s excellent reply ;)

 

 

  • Front/Surround: Sonos Arc Ultra soundbar under the TV + pair of Sonos Fives as front channels (positioned ~2' above ear level to the sides).
    • Do the Arc Ultra + Fives handle basic surround on their own, or do I need rear speakers (e.g., Eras) for true immersion?

 

Speaking to this:  The Arc already contains the front Left/Center/Right channels.  You cannot add separate front speakers using the Sonos app (there is a 3rd party app which allows this, but it is not supported by Sonos).  An Arc alone will attempt to simulate surround, but it is a pale comparison to having true surround speakers.

So rather than the Fives in front, should they be in the back of the room? And would you go with fives or Era 300’s?

The Fives are good stereo speakers, having a Pair up front for stereo listening might be nice, you'd use instead of the Arc.

For surrounds the 300s are the preferred option, 100s if you can't fit the 300s in your space.

As ​@Stanley_4 says, the Era 300’s are the premiere surrounds, as they have the Atmos capability to go along with the Atmos drivers in the Arc.  Fives excel as a stereo pair for critical music listening.

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