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Sonos, Turntable and receiver

  • 5 June 2021
  • 7 replies
  • 188 views

I own a sonos beam and gen 3 sub. I also have a turntable and receiver hooked up to listen to albums with headphones. I want to play albums to speakers, too. I see two options: A sonos port to play on my existing sonos speakers, or add a Play5. If I added a play 5, can I pair my sub with both my beam and a play 5? Is the Play5 stereo? Which is the better option: the port or the Play5. The difference in cost seems négligeable and another speaker seems like clutter when I have a great speaker system already.

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Best answer by GuitarSuperstar 5 June 2021, 19:28

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7 replies

Userlevel 6
Badge +15

If the turntable is staying where it is, and you’re happy with the receiver and its accompanying speakers, then the Port is the best solution. It also provides access to everything else on your Sonos, like streaming services, via the receiver and its speakers.

 

By itself, the Play 5 / Five is technically stereo, but it has little to no stereo separation.

Userlevel 7

I would go with the Play:5 (or Five) so you can have the added speaker. And the Five is Sonos’ best-sounding music speaker.

But if you don’t have space for another speaker, go with the Port.

The Sub cannot be “bonded” with the Beam and Play:5 (or Five) at the same time.

Userlevel 5
Badge +10

As a lower cost option you might want to consider a Roam and a Bluetooth transmitter connected to a line out on your Receiver (if it has one). 

I haven’t tried this as I don’t yet have a Roam, but the Roam is supposed to be capable of accepting a Bluetooth input and then “sharing” it across the rest of a wi-fi linked Sonos network.

You would also have the bonus of a small portable speaker :wink:  

Follow up and to recap:

I want to listen to listen to my turntable through my beam and gen 3 sub AND headphones. If I got the port, could I connect the turntable to the rca line in ports on the Sonos port and connect an rca to 1/8” Jack to the line out rca ports on the Sonos port? In this scenario, I would mothball the receiver.

Userlevel 4
Badge +3

The line-out on the Port will not drive a pair of headphones — though you could attach a headphone amplifier to the Port if you really want to get rid of your receiver. But If your turntable doesn’t have a built-in pre amp you’d need to add that too. I’d be inclined to keep the receiver; keep the turntable attached to the receiver and use an output on the receiver to send audio to a Port or Five.

 

Yes, the turntable has a preamp. I don’t have an analog out on the receiver. But it is a “works with Sonos receiver”. I’m assuming that means I can use, say, the cd input on the receiver to the line out on the port, then set the”works with Sonos” setting to the input I used to connect the receiver. I don’t know why Sonos touts turntables with the play 5 and port. If there’s no headphone Jack, it’s useless for vinyl. No one buys a turntable in the 21st century to listen to albums on JUST speakers. Headphones are preferred or we’d all forgo the turntable and just stream. Sonos just doesn’t get it!

Userlevel 6
Badge +15

TBH, I see many powered speakers without headphone jacks touted as ‘perfect for vinyl’, so it may not be just Sonos that’s out of loop.

 

If getting rid of a large receiver, and playing the turntable output through both your Sonos ecosystem and headphone is a goal, then might I suggest a good headphone amplifier paired with a Port.  Turntable to the Port’s inputs, output of the Port to a headphone amplifier.  Then you can listen to the turntable via headphones or the other Sonos speakers.  If you have passive speakers you want to keep in the same location, use an Amp instead of the Port.