How does your current setup sound? Does it have the features that you want? Do you have or expect to add any additional SONOS units?

It all sounds good. What I’m really looking forward to is the flexibility of playing different things from different sources (ie one type of music or tv inside and a separate feed outside) and being able to manage via an app.

Well, if it sounds good, does what you want and it has all the connectivity that you need, then why change it? If you add a Port as an input (or input/output if you have it) then you can bring Sonos in to play with your existing system. There might be an issues with delays, but it doesn’t always happen - e.g. I group my ZP90 (old version of Port) and my other kit together and there’s no noticeable delays, as long as I don’t engage much signal processing on the AV amp.

Hi

The term “traditional amp” is somewhat ambiguous. Traditional amp typically means you have a selector switch to choose which source you want to play through the speakers (i.e. TV, turntable, aux component etc.) So, unless the Pioneer currently has Zone capability introducing Sonos via a Port connected to available line-in and line-out will not allow you to play multiple sources simultaneously.

The Port will only send audio from the selected Pioneer source to whatever Sonos speakers you have installed. Conversely you could stream using the Sonos App via your iOS or Android controller to the speakers connected to your Pioneer. Addionaly, if the outdoor speakers are wired to the same Amp only the selected source will play to them. 

The best option IMO (assuming the Pioneer is not zone capable) is to setup Sonos speakers indoors in conjunction with a Port to stream to your Amp or if desired play music to the Sonos indoor speakers in another room while playing TV audio through your Pioneer.

To send separate audio to the outdoor speakers you would need to remove them from the Pioneer and connect them to a Sonos Amp. In that configuration you could play a different music source to them and a different music source to the indoor Sonos and still another to the Pioneer amp via the Port. 

TV audio played to a Sonos speaker that is not part of a Sonos Home Theater setup will have a 75ms delay.

I assume you want to essentially make your existing set up more “smart” or integrated with Sonos multi room capability for MUSIC.  You already have all the hardware.  So it would seem the smartest solution would be to just integrate a Sonos PORT into your receiver and use the 12V trigger the PORT has to turn your receiver on or off whenever you want to listen to music via the port.  However, the Sonos PORT is quite over-priced for what it does in that respect.  (its debatable whether you want to use the DAC in the PORT or the receiver - if you think the DAC is better in your receiver then just use the optical port).  I assume you can then send the music to the other zone with the receiver - or you could just power those with a SONOS AMP.  

If your Pioneer receiver has pre-outs then in theory you could use them to connect to the Sonos AMP and then to your front 2 speakers.  But this depends on how good the stereo amp is on your existing receiver and whether the Sonos AMP would do a good job driving your fronts in the first place.  

Ditching your AV receiver would essentially mean losing your center channel if you replace it with a SONOS Amp because it can only power 4 speakers in a 4.1 set up.

I had a very similar set up to you just 1 month ago.  I sold it all and going for a full wireless Sonos system (ARC+SUB+ 2 ONE SLs).  I won’t know what it is like to live with until after a month when I move back in (currently renovating).  My friend has the exact same set up now (after having ditched a similar system to my old one) and he has nothing but good things to say - although to be fair he is no audiophile.  I also listened to his system and its very good - although if you sit down and listen to acoustic music it may not be as good as a proper dedicated system - but again that depends on how good your existing hardware really is.  But overall, I am going for ease of use and simplicity while still having good sound.  So its as much about aesthetics and lifestyle as anything else.

Hope this helps.  

Thanks to you (and all) for your guidance!

Hi Community,

Adding a question on this topic for any assistance.

I want to add a pair of passive speakers (Wharfedale Denton 85 or Diamond 12) wirelessly as rears to my current set up. I also want to integrate two Subs in the rear as well as add Sonos speakers throughout my home in the future.

I’m currently running Wharfedale Lintons on front L/R duty with a Diamond 12.C as a center through a Sonos compatible Pioneer Elite VSX-LX305. 

Would the Sonos Amp allow me to connect passive rears wirelessly to my AVR? Do I need more or is this not a feasible idea?

Thank you all in advance. 

No.  The Sonos Amp can only be used as surrounds with other Sonos HT devices (Arc, Beam, Ray, or another Amp).

Bummer.