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Our Canton DM5 soundbar has recently packed in after 6 years, unfortunately i cants get it repaired. We have a pair of Sonos speakers in the lounge paired in stereo, a One model ,the other an SL, they are both controlled by a Amazon Echo Dot. I was thinking of maybe buying a Sonos Beam, but i wouldn't want it connected in any way to the speakers we have, neither of us are interested in surround sound or cinema sound. Would we be able to just have the Beam soundbar for the TV with no Alexa on it., and in no way linked to the stereo pair. Another option is a Sonos Playbar, that would be a refurb one from Sonos , i did have a demo on one of these a good few years back but couldn't justify the price then. Any advice appreciated

Either the Playbar or Beam are good options. If you have a larger room and TV, go with the Playbar. If you have a smaller room and want a more sleek design that comes in either black or white and is AirPlay 2 compatible and equipped with Alexa, go with the Beam. The Playbar will produce better overall sound than the Beam.

Thanks for that, the Beam looks ok, but as it mentions Alexa on it, plus I have no idea on AirPlay 2?, I think I will go with the Playbar, I detest the Alexa stuff, but the other half loves it, it is better using the Echo Dot to control the Sonos One though, wasn’t easy to set up though. Rubbish mike on the Sonos One. Thanks for advice.

You do not have to install Alexa on the Beam. It will work fine without it.

If you set up the Beam (or Playbar) as a stand alone speaker (or “Room” in Sonos speak), it will be separated from the other Sonos speakers in your home, but you will be able to group it if you so desire.

While de Playbar is soundwise a better speaker, especially in a larger room, the Beam can be controlled by the TV (if the TV is equipped with HDMI-ARC and you connect it via HDMI), which saves you from setting op your TV’s remote to work with the Playbar.

It has HDMI-ARC on one of the connections, I use a digital connection lead with the Canton, from what i gather I can use it with the Playbar and you can program the tv remote to control the volume. As I have heard the Playbar I am going to buy one. The Beam has had good reviews, but no way of getting a demo with stores all closed in pandemic. Thanks for the advice.

 

The PLAYBAR does not have an ARC connection, it uses the optical TOSLink method of connection.

Thanks, I only intended to use the optical connection, there is an Arc Hdmi on the tv, but it’s in use with  Humax PVR connected to it. Looking forward to getting the Playbar, if it’s as good a quality as the Sonos One /SL stereo pair we will be well pleased. Thanks for advice.

 

Note that the PVR is not using ARC at all, and could be connected to any of the HDMI inputs.

I now realise what the Arc is used for, Just that all three tv hdmi outlets are in use, plus I prefer using the digital connection for the sound bar. Just waiting for Playbar to be delivered now.

Ok, just wanted to be sure you were aware. I had two PLAYBARs, and loved them. Outstanding device.

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