Sonos for Dance Studio?

Yes perfectly possible - it's what Sonos does. If you set them up as one system, though, you run the risk of accidentally changing the music in the 'wrong' room. So I would be inclined to have two separate 'systems', with the controller apps connecting to one system or other. It is fine to have two systems (aka 'households') operating on one network with one internet connection. You could see what sort of setup works for you - these are just options.

I suppose I should not presume anything.... you do need a local wifi network for Sonos to work, and an internet connection to install the system, update it and to play internet music sources.

Thanks John, two systems make sense - was thinking of having dedicated devices/ controllers that stay in the studio to avoid confusion.

Any recommendation on speakers? I will go and get a demo but are we looking at a pair of 5s, or would a pair of 3s work (budget)?

And yes, we will have internet / wifi and I will run some Cat6 to hardwire at least one speaker per system...

EmilJ wrote:

Thanks John, two systems make sense - was thinking of having dedicated devices/ controllers that stay in the studio to avoid confusion.

Any recommendation on speakers? I will go and get a demo but are we looking at a pair of 5s, or would a pair of 3s work (budget)?

I'd avoid the 3s, which are being discontinued, and getting a bit left behind. The gen 2 P:5s are worth the extra.

The Play:1s are another option. If you group two of them in one studio you may get a more even distribution of volume. And I do mean group, not stereo pair. You would be better having two 'mono' speakers playing both channels. Just an idea.

(Sonos One has voice control, as an alternative to the Play:1, which doesn't. Voice control may be not so good an idea in this context anyway?)

Or were you thinking of a pair of 5s for each studio?

If you want to stick with a more conventional setup and it might be easier in this instance to have in ceiling speakers or at least ones that don't need a power supply.
Why not add a sonos connect as a feed into the amp , then use this as a source in the same way you would a CD player or the sonos amp will connect directly to passive speakers. (there is a new version of the AMP due at the start of next year).

I really need to go and have a listen, but I did think perhaps a pair of wall mounted play 5s per studio? I like the idea of multiple play 1’s, but wonder whether they would provide the low end that the dancers want. In ceiling is not an option with the layout, but certainly the Sonos amp/ connect option is a possibility (the new one looks impressive!). I would certainly prefer the simplicity and neatness of a pure Sonos system if there is a suitable play speaker.

Thanks for all the responses.

Yes thinking about it you need good bass and the Play:5s deliver on that

I agree that the Play:5s is probably the way to go. I have little experience with dance studios, but the rooms are typical large and you'd need to play the music pretty loud. I don't think Sons Amps are a bad idea either.

I'd really think about your music sources in this decision. I'm guessing that the majority of the music you'll play won't be coming from a streaming service. If you're going with play:5s you do have a line-in connection, so your instructors could plug their phones (or whatever) directly to the speakers as a source. I imagine this is what they're typically used to. Alternatively, the music could be stored on the same device you have the Sonos app stored on, or on a computer or NAS on your network. That doesn't seem like it would be quite as practical to me, but I am guessing.

if you did set it up so that instructors just plugged their phone in to play audio, then you really wouldn't need dedicated controllers to each room really. You would control playback and volume through the phone connected by the line in. You could add iport controllers so that instructors could control volume in their hand, but I imagine that's not going to be too useful.

Note, however, that using those speakers as "PA" speakers along with just music wouldn't be easy to do. While you could indeed connect a microphone to an analog input to a PLAY:5 Gen 1 or Gen 2, it would stop any music....in addition to the 70ms delay involved in processing the input.

They're ideal music speakers. They're not (IMHO) good as PA speakers.

Hi EmilJ

The Play 5’s x 2 in each studio are going to be your best option for overall production with good low end. A Sonos sub can be added for increased low-end if desired.

Setup I
1. One network for both studios (same SSID/Password)_Suggest using dedicated boost module to facilitate optimal speaker placement.
2. One Management owned Controller for both studios on iOS or Andorid device
3. Stereo pair labeled Studio A
4. Stereo pair labeled Studio B
Options
1. Instructors logon to studio network with credentials (SSID/Password)
2. Instructors have Sonos App on their personal device (with streaming services and/or downloaded music)
3. Instructors Select Studio A or B to send their music to
Risk Factor
1. May inadvertently select wrong studio
2. Network credentials scattered among multiple individuals

Setup II
1. Separate network for each studio (Different SSID’s/Password’s)_Suggest using dedicated boost module to facilitate optimal speaker placement.
2. Separate Management owned Controller for each studio on iOS or Android device’s
3. Stereo pair in each Studio_No need for Studio A and B as they are on separate networks
Options
1. Instructors logon to specific network for the studio they are in
2. Instructors have Sonos App on their personal device (with streaming services and/or downloaded music)
Risk Factor
1. Network credentials scattered among multiple individuals

In either scenario management can plug a BT receiver into the line-in of a Play 5 of each stereo pair. Instructors can stream their music via BT to the players and not need the Sonos app or logon credentials for the network. Note: Sonos cannot be setup on a guest network.

There are other options such as in-ceiling speakers using a Connect:AMP or the new Sonos:AMP (release date February, 2019). In ceiling speakers focus the sound directly over a target area. You could add a 3rd party sub to either for increased low-end.

I hope these and other member suggestions get you to where you want to be. Cheers!