Question

TV set up. Playbar vs playbase

  • 1 May 2017
  • 2 replies
  • 1211 views

I fairly new to sonos and currently have 4 play 1's spread out throughout my apartment. I fell in love with the sound from the play 5 and want to add somethings to my living room set up. have a vizio tv with a 4th gen  tv. Recently upgraded to a larger tv I want to set up a system for my living room. My tv is currently in a cabinet. I like closing the doors to hide the tv. I have been obsessing over whether to get the playbase or the Playbar. I initially wanted a playbase for its looks and setup but the playbar blew me away with its full, round sound. The playbase seems better for dialogue and tv use but the bar is much rounder and fuller for music. I listen to music more than watch tv. I don't plan on getting a sub. If I put the speaker directly under the tv it will be inside the cabinet and may limit the sound; I will have to open the doors everytime I want to listen to music. Will the sound be poor if I place it on top of the cabinet? The cabinet is about 5.5 feet tall and the top is less than a foot above the tv. For my set up do you recommend the playbase or the PLAYBAR? Should I place it below the tv inside the cabinet or above?

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2 replies

Badge +1
Hi Dangerboy,

Welcome to the community. Looking at the picture and noting how you want to use the Sonos system, I would agree with you that placing a Sonos product inside the cabinet (if you want to keep the doors closed) isn't going to be ideal. That leaves having the Sonos product on top of the cabinet. The cabinet height is fine to set either product on top of.

What isn't clear in the picture is how wide the top of the cabinet is. If you're looking at the PLAYBAR, you're going to need at least 35.5 inches which is the length of the PLAYBAR. The PLAYBASE is slightly over 28 inches in comparison.

In terms of sound, the internal placement of the speakers is different between the two. The PLAYBAR does have a wider soundstage while the PLAYBAR has a slightly deeper bass response.

Ultimately your ears are the best judge for the room and keep in mind that when you order from the Sonos website, you do have a 45-day return period.

I hope this helps but don’t hesitate to reply if you have any questions.
Userlevel 3
Badge +2
I think the above should read the PlayBASE has slightly deeper bass response?