Sonos with receiver

  • 21 February 2018
  • 8 replies
  • 999 views

I own an Insignia receiver ns-str514. I am looking to purchase a Sonos system. Not sure if I could use it on the receiver or do I just need a Sonos. I have it connected to the speakers in the yard for the summer and in the winter I connect it to the speakers in the house. I am trying to avoid that. Want to keep it connected all the time to all speakers.
What is my best way to go about this.?

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8 replies

Userlevel 7
Hi Mariem68

I see your Insignia receiver ns-str514 has inputs for CD and two other sources of your choice. What components do you have connected to it or are you just using the AM/FM Radio?

If you had Sonos speakers in-house why would you need to integrate the Insignia receiver ns-str514 with them? Not that you can't; but why?

How many rooms are you trying to bring music to?

Please Post back with the information as I (and I'm sure other members) would be glad to assist and welcome another Sonos member ;)

Cheers!
I don’t have Sonos speakers in the house. I’m deciding if I need them. Or if they would even connect with my receiver. For music I use xm radio
I am trying to connect my living room, deck and pool. And if I wanted to add more speakers would that be possible
Userlevel 6
Badge +15
If you already have it connected to the outdoor speakers, and want to also run it to indoor speakers, then the most likely (initial) purchase for you is a Sonos Connect, which you would connect to one of the analog stereo inputs. It's already got A/B speaker outputs , so you could easily have indoor and outdoor available at the same time, albeit all playing the same stream.

You could later add other Sonos speakers, which would let you add more zones and play all simultaneously.

However, why are you looking at Sonos? If you primarily use XM radio, and you already have an XM radio player connected to the amplifier, then Sonos doesn't add anything you're looking for other than network streaming from other services. You could ditch the current XM radio and stream XM through the Sonos connect (IIRC, Sirius/XM is an available service, but I can't check my list right now as I'm away from home.)
Userlevel 7
Hi....This is going to take a bit so be patient...:8

Step 1
You can purchase a Sonos Connect Amp ($499) and run the speaker wire from the outdoor speakers to the Connect Amp speaker posts. Using RCA cable with Left/Right connections on both ends connect one end to the Connect Amp inputs and the other end to an Aux Output of the Insignia receiver ns-str514 (The Connect Amp must be protected from the elements). Any source connected to the receiver (i.e. CD) would play to the speakers connected to the Connect Amp and those connected to the receiver.

Step 2
You can purchase Play 5's ($599 each), Play 3's ($299 each), Play 1's ($150 each on sale), Sonos One's with Alexa ($199 each) or any combination and place then throughout your home.

Every Sonos speaker includig the Connect Amp would be given a room name. In the case of the Connect Amp you might name it Poolside. You'd play the same music to every room by grouping all speakers together including the Connect Amp. XM Radio is a native streaming service to Sonos so no problem there.

You could also choose to play different music in different rooms. For example Smooth Jazz in the living room and Rock on Poolside.

However before you decide here's some informaton you should read first Setting Up Your Sonos starting at top then down:

https://www.sonos.com/en-us/support/setting-up-sonos

Please post back and let us know if you want (or need) more info. Cheers!
Thank you for your help!
mariem68, I don't disagree with what others above have said, but I wanted to ask a couple more questions about your situation as you might be able to get a better solution.

Do you physically move your insignia receiver between summer and winter? I imagine you do, but if the speaker wires for the inside and outside speakers all route to the same place, that gives you different options.

Also, are you happy with the speakers you have inside? Are they mounted in the ceiling?

Are you interested in playing different music outside on the deck vs inside the house. Maybe different music in the family room or bedrooms? Sonos is really good with that.

Also important to consider is how much cost, ease of use, and features matter to you. Are you content with just XM radio or do you want to look into other music services? Are you interested in having audio from your tv play out by the pool?

Are you interested in voice control at all?

There really are a lot of options with Sonos, to fit in with what you currently have and to expand to where you want to go. It never hurts to look at the website and the different products available.
Ok let me see if I can explain this better. My laundry room is off my deck and has a window there. I ran Yamaha speakers to my deck from the Receiver and Bose in the back of my house facing the pool I can play 2 or 4 of the speakers at once. In the winter I move the Bose speakers in my living room and the receiver in my den. (About 50 feet away from the laundry room). So at tha Point I just have the Bose playing in the living room. One speaker is up on a curio and the other side of the room it’s on a 3’ high stool. I have a cathedral ceiling and a small room so mounting it would probably not be beneficial. I do find the sound is not the best inside. But when it’s outside they sound great.
My question is. I want to leave the receiver in 1 spot all the time and not worry about controlling it from the window or in front of it in the den. Is it safe to assume the Sonos would help with that? I know the denon receiver with Heos works well too.
I don’t need music anywhere else in the house. It’s a small house so playing it in the living room is plenty.
I have an extra iPad I could use to control the music. I want to be able to sit on my deck or go in the pool and control the music choice and/sound.
Ah, ok.

So for the inside of the house, I would recommend getting a pair of PLAY:1s set up in stereo. You can get higher end models, but if it's a small house, you might not need/want more then that. You could get Sonos Ones for voice control, but I'm guessing that's not important to you if you just play the radio all the time. Usually, you can go to a best buy or the equivalent around you and get an idea of what the different sonos speakers sound like.

Outside, you essentially have two options. 1st option is get a CONNECT and connect that as an AUX input to your insignia receiver. You would have to make sure your receiver is always on and ready, but you can change the radio station and the volume through your ipad or phone. It's a little clunky to do it this way in terms of controlling the volume, but it should 2nd option is to get a CONNECT:AMP to replace your receiver entirely. Definitely be able to switch the music and set the volume without issues. It will also take up less space in you laundry room. I would go with option 2 (this is actually what I do for my backyard), but there is $150 difference.