Wider sound stage options? What to buy?

  • 20 July 2021
  • 6 replies
  • 382 views

I have a Sonos Five, a Beam, a roam, and a borrowed play:1 I'm looking to create a setup for watching music videos, I don't really watch too many movies. r I would like to widen the sound stage and get maximum flexibility. I would like it to be a mesh network if possible. Do I purchase? :

  1. Another Roam? This could be set up as a stereo pair and placed on either side of the play five or alternatively the Beam. No wires. Neat. Cost $299aud.

  2. Two Sonos Ones? This would allow surround sound but creates more power wires. Cost $398aud

  3. Another Five? Ultimate sound, but heavy, wired, and expensive. Cost $499aud

I'm thinking of the Roam option. Any thoughts?


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6 replies

 I'm looking to create a setup for watching music videos,

I would like to widen the sound stage

If you widen the sound stage to more than the width of the screen where all the musical instruments in music videos are usually to be seen, will that be a good thing?

For movies the widening works to better produce effects that pan from across more than just the width of the seen action on the screen, so it makes sense. For videos?

Sonos is designed to be able to add additional front left and right speakers in a home theatre setup.  With your Beam, you can add a sub and 2 rear surround channels only.  You could of course setup a second Sonos room (a pair of speakers) in the same physical room, but that will not have the desired effect.  Grouped rooms will not play in sync with TV audio.  They will for streaming music playback, but if the audio comes from the TV, the beam audio will play first (to avoid lip sync) with your other room playing after.

What you could do is mute the Beam while grouping, to avoid the echo, but the audio would be out of sync with the video.  Maybe that’s not an issue for the videos your watching.  Ideally though, for a wider sound stage, us an Arc or an Amp (with a pair of passive speakers).

I think he meant ‘Sonos is not designed’.

Thanks for the advice. Ok. So I went  with the extra Roam and yes as you say there is a slight delay when placed either side of the beam. its very slight however in my set up.. bearly noticable, but there. The two roams have other uses for me though. (two kids).

Where they really make a diference however, is when placed as a pair either side of the Five. Wow,! It sounded like I was there in the studio. Im happy that my system can now take any input. with minimal wiring and lots of flexibility. Now Sonos, please allow my two roams to stereo pair via blutooth and I will have it all. 

With respect to the slight time skew issue when grouping speakers with BEAM for TV listening, adjust the BEAM’s TV Dialog Sync. You’ll be trading off between Lip Sync accuracy and time skew elimination.

Ok, so having lived with my set up for a week, I shall share my experiences. Firstly I am still amazed at how good this set up sounds. Im rediscovering music. I live in an appartment so I dont often turn the volume up too loud for the communities sake, the Roams sound simply outstanding at low levels with the five just quietly supporting the lower tones.  When I have the opportunity to turn it up.. the five really shows its colours, and the Roams just widen the left and right chanels. 

I have one niggle though.. The roams constantly need re-pairing as a stereo pair. If one goes to sleep, or if a bluetooth phone connects, it splits, and it can only be reconected using the phone app.. I control my music via my laptop.. frustrating. A stereo pair lock feature would be perfect.