Skip to main content
Question

Setting up Golf Simulator/Theater Room

  • March 19, 2026
  • 7 replies
  • 43 views
G

Hey -

 I’m doing an addition and it’s going to be an 18 x 26’ Golf simulator/Theater addition.  I’ve started my research and would really like to go the Sonos route but have seen some conflicting information on if its enough to power my room with my distance from where the speakers will be behind my impact screen.  I’m going to have a 16’x9’ Screen and want to have my walls built to house the speakers and was thinking that I’m going to do a Center sound bar with 2 channels behind the impact screen, along with a sub or two behind the screen and then two side channels mounted to the side of the couch, and then possibly two rear channels.  My overarching question is am I too far away from the screen (Sitting approximately 24’ away) to get the benefit of the Sonos system or am I better off going in wall speakers with an amp/reciever?

 

Thank you!!!

7 replies

Airgetlam
  • Airgetlam
  • March 19, 2026

Not sure if it matters to you, as your build is super ambitious, but Sonos doesn’t make a center soundbar, all Sonos soundbars contain front right, center, and left speakers in them. There is no method to have a separate center channel and then separate right and left speakers.

Bruce
    buzz
    • buzz
    • March 19, 2026

    I think that you should go with standard A/V setup rather than a soundbar.  Soundbars are convenient to install because they minimize wiring, but they offer fewer options. Specifically, with the SONOS soundbars there is only one input. This will negate much of the convenience because you’ll need external “boxes” to manage the inputs.

      J
      Forum|alt.badge.img+2
      • JesterIzDead
      • Trending Lyricist II
      • March 19, 2026

      Not sure if it matters to you, as your build is super ambitious, but Sonos doesn’t make a center soundbar, all Sonos soundbars contain front right, center, and left speakers in them. There is no method to have a separate center channel and then separate right and left speakers.

      In addition, Sonos offers only simulated surround, having no options for physical side-channels. 

      jgatie
      • jgatie
      • March 19, 2026

      In addition, Sonos offers only simulated surround, having no options for physical side-channels. 

       

      100 percent untrue.  Sonos surround sound is not “simulated” if you have actual surrounds installed in your system.  Some aspects of the Beam Gen 2 Atmos channels and single soundbar setups have virtual channels, but a full Arc Ultra + surrounds + Sub have actual discrete channels. 

      In addition, in the world of Atmos - EVERYTHING is simulated, in that the sound is routed according to room mapping, not the 5.1 or 7.1 designation.  So a processor is determining where the sound goes, not the wiring. 

      J
      Forum|alt.badge.img+2
      • JesterIzDead
      • Trending Lyricist II
      • March 19, 2026

      In addition, Sonos offers only simulated surround, having no options for physical side-channels. 

       

      100 percent untrue.  Sonos surround sound is not “simulated” if you have actual surrounds installed in your system.  Some aspects of the Beam Gen 2 Atmos channels and single soundbar setups have virtual channels, but a full Arc Ultra + surrounds + Sub have actual discrete channels. 

      In addition, in the world of Atmos - EVERYTHING is simulated, in that the sound is routed according to room mapping, not the 5.1 or 7.1 designation.  So a processor is determining where the sound goes, not the wiring. 

      Negative. After adding surrounds, the Arc/Arc Ultra repurposes side-firing drivers to handle a mix of front and side-channel signals. Additionally, if 300s are used as surrounds, further collaboration occurs between the soundbars side-firing drivers and the 300s for enhanced virtualize side channels. Discrete means discrete. Mixing channels == virtualized == simulated. The system may receive discrete signals, but it doesn’t render them, discretely.

      jgatie
      • jgatie
      • March 19, 2026

      Negative. After adding surrounds, the Arc/Arc Ultra repurposes side-firing drivers to handle a mix of front and side-channel signals. Additionally, if 300s are used as surrounds, further collaboration occurs between the soundbars side-firing drivers and the 300s for enhanced virtualize side channels. Discrete means discrete. Mixing channels == virtualized == simulated. The system may receive discrete signals, but it doesn’t render them, discretely.

       

      All thrown out the window in an Atmos system, because in an Atmos capable system, there are no discrete channels.  Everything is virtual, because from the mastering studio, to the theater, and all the way to the home, sounds are mixed according to the position in the room, not according to what channel(s) they are mapped to.  You really need to keep up with the technology.  

      J
      Forum|alt.badge.img+2
      • JesterIzDead
      • Trending Lyricist II
      • March 19, 2026

      Negative. After adding surrounds, the Arc/Arc Ultra repurposes side-firing drivers to handle a mix of front and side-channel signals. Additionally, if 300s are used as surrounds, further collaboration occurs between the soundbars side-firing drivers and the 300s for enhanced virtualize side channels. Discrete means discrete. Mixing channels == virtualized == simulated. The system may receive discrete signals, but it doesn’t render them, discretely.

       

      All thrown out the window in an Atmos system, because in an Atmos capable system, there are no discrete channels.  Everything is virtual, because from the mastering studio, to the theater, and all the way to the home, sounds are mixed according to the position in the room, not according to what channel(s) they are mapped to.  You really need to keep up with the technology.  

      And everything you just said all goes out the window when not processing an Atmos signal. Whereas most content is NOT Atmos, seems illogical to use that as the presiding use-case.

      Terms & ConditionsCookie settingsAccessibility statement