Control all grouped Sonos using TV remote control (via Playbar)


Userlevel 2
I already own a Playbar and recently purchased a Play 1. One thing I find invaluable is being able to control the Playbar using the TV remote, even if playing music. It is very intuitive and easy to use. 

What I've noticed however is that now when grouped with the play 1 the TV remote volume control only manages the Playbar vs. the whole group volume. 

Is there a way to add an option to have the TV remote control either only the Playbar or the whole group volume once grouped? 

Would help to extend the handy and intuitive control the bring the volume up and down across the rooms. 

137 replies

I'm afraid you have your terms mixed up. The volume works fine for 5.1 when the system is configured as 5.1. Grouping is something completely different from 5.1.
Userlevel 5
Badge +9
As mentioned above there is a difference between grouping actually joining the speakers in a 5.1 setup or even the stereo setup of two Ones or Threes together. I have often wanted to "permanently" join two or three speakers together in a similar fashion. Basically making them one room. When I use these speakers 99% of the time there are all included in the group, so combining them would be very convenient. Most of my listening is with my Playbar/Sub, Kitchen Play3 , and 3 Connect Amps for outside. If i could combine the 3 Connect Amps into "Outdoor" it would be very helpful. My Maser Bath has two Ones, but they are joined in stereo so i have only one room for them, it would be a pain if I didn't have then in stereo and I has to pick both L and R for music there.
I guess if we could join speakers to rooms, it would help implement the volume feature for people wanting for example to "join" their PlayBar/Base and a Play 5.
With close to 20 speakers, the ability join a few into rooms would be a nice feature. I guess a join room function instead of the normal group function. I have little hope Sonos ever implements, but I guy can dream right? LOL
Userlevel 1
It would be great to control the volume for the total group with the TV remote. I have installed a Sonos Beam and I group this with two PLAY:5's + Subwoofer. Indeed only the volume of the Beam can be controlled which is not what I expected to happen. Normally there is always one group volume which you can control by the app or Sonos CR200. You have to do additional steps to control a singe speaker. I do not see why the interface is different when using the TV-remote. Also in this case I would expect that it controls the group volume. So, SONOS, please provide a solution.
Userlevel 1
Badge +1
Yes - please implenent this feature!
Just added a Beam to my system. Disapointed that remote does not control group - only beam. Not useful at all. I was so certain that it would work like that so i didn't ask. very unfortunate.
Sonos needs to fix this. So im watching tv, my iphone rings (where my sonos app is), so now i need to answer it then tell the person on the phone to hang on, open the app, turn off group volume. For an all-in 1k$+ sound option, thats a silly outcome. And seems like a BASIC function that you wouldn’t need to ask. Just have it control all speakers that are in the current Groupiing. Others arent affected .This is a simple software update.
Is there a possible third-party work around to this problem if Sonos won’t address it? I group a beam with two play 1s so my tv audio is on bed nightstands as well as under tv which is across the room. Setting play 1s as surrounds off the beam doesn’t give me full tv audio on the nightstands (Play 1s) as I would like to have.

If Sonos is allowing me to group tv audio from beam with play 1s why would the ability to use the tv remote for volume control suddenly go away?
Userlevel 1
+2 for this (my wife and I). I want to hear the tv in the kitchen without cranking up my playbar, so I added play ones. I would have Set them up as surrounds, but that removes most dialog and other audio that normally comes from the front. My only option was to create them as a second room and group them. I really really really want my tv remote to treat them as one system.
Userlevel 1
100% this should be added as a feature.
The ability to control a group with the tv remote is a must for those users that cannot instead use a surround setup. In my case, my cable provider doesn’t offer channels with surround, so I have to use my Sonos speakers in stereo setup.

Been waiting for this feature for 2 Years+. I’m afraid to say that if it doesn’t make its way into a future update, I’ll be switching to another sound system. And I know I won’t be the only one....
I have raised this as an ADA issue for years (at least 3) and still no movement. For persons hard of hearing I typically install play1 by the sitting area and group the Playbar and play1. But they can only control the volume from their phone not the TV remote. It is very frustrating after spending a good chunk of money on a system. Very disappointed in Sonos slow movement on this issue.

What's worse is that it does seem as if it could be resolved through software. It seems almost everytime I login to the app there is an update but not for this.
Having the same issue. Because of this, I only use the surround system when I'm watching something important. A waste of two Sono's Ones most of the time. There should be a way to connect them all to the volume of the Play Bar that is controlled with a TV remote.
Having the same issue. Because of this, I only use the surround system when I'm watching something important. A waste of two Sono's Ones most of the time. There should be a way to connect them all to the volume of the Play Bar that is controlled with a TV remote.You could 'unbond' the surrounds and then 'group' them with the PlayBar as a stereo pair and use the TV Dialog Lip-Sync slider bar in Room Settings... that will often work fine for standard TV PCM 2 channel audio output. It works for me with my Sonos setup, albeit I use a Sonos Beam and an additional stereo pair of speakers, rather than 'unbonding' the surrounds from my HT system. Hope it works for you and provides you with TV stereo audio from ALL your speakers.?
I want to have this feature as well! Using a Play 5 Stereo Pair grouped with my Playbar. Remote does only change volume of Playbar, but not of the whole group. That sucks. Sonos needs to accept that there are users who wish to have this setting, even though it might not be intented by them!
Sonos, please implement!!! It's so simple! Come on!
I concur.

This is a big issue for us and shouldn’t take 4 years to fix. SONOS get moving on this!!!
Big disappointment. I got two new One speakers and am also dissatisfied with the surround sound and rather made a group comprised of the playbar and a studio L-R pair. TV Remote only controls the playbar volume and I’m desperately trying to find a solution before I decide on returning them. Anyone find a work-around??
Big disappointment. I got two new One speakers and am also dissatisfied with the surround sound and rather made a group comprised of the playbar and a studio L-R pair. TV Remote only controls the playbar volume and I’m desperately trying to find a solution before I decide on returning them. Anyone find a work-around??
As they are 'Grouped' rooms, rather than 'Bonded' surrounds their volume controls are separate. The group volume is controllable via the Sonos App, but you can also create an Alexa 'enabled' Group in the Amazon Alexa App and together with the Sonos Skill and an echo dot, change the 'Group' volume using voice control. Simply set the PlayBar and its partner Sonos Room as the 'preferred' speakers in the Alexa Group and ensure the group is 'enabled' by the Echo dot in the same room.

It works well and gives you the option to mute/unmute the audio or set a volume between 0 and 100% in increments of 10% across both or each individual Sonos room... so no need to reach for a remote control at all.

I will just add that a similar thing can be achieved with a Logitech harmony remote or Hub, if your TV is supported by Harmony. Most TV's are if they are infrared controlled.

Hope that assists.
I concur.

This is a big issue for us and shouldn’t take 4 years to fix. SONOS get moving on this!!!

Don't understand either...
I just don’t understand why adding the option to control the volume of grouped speakers with an infrared remote through the PLAYBAR is a unreasonable request. I haven’t seen a valid argument yet!
Userlevel 3
Badge +2
Adding my support for this.

My situation is I have a Beam with bonded Ones as surrounds.
I use this setup for music playback also, adjusting surround levels accordingly.

I've just bought another pair of Ones to be grouped as a separate stereo pair positioned in the front of the room as I prefer the focus of the music to be from the front.

I was also going to group this room with the bonded surround setup to in fill some sound to the back, which may not be everyone's cup of tea but I like it.

Streaming music from various playlists often brings with it changing volumes from track to track, grabbing the TV remote as I have been up to now for Beam/Surrounds music playback is quick and convenient.

Having to reach for my phone, unlock the screen, navigate to Sonos app and fiddle with the levels is comparatively much more inconvenient than a one stop solution.

Whilst I understand it's of no use to some, please recognise it's very useful for many for various reasons and therefore a feature worthy of implementation.
Adding my support for this.

My situation is I have a Beam with bonded Ones as surrounds.
I use this setup for music playback also, adjusting surround levels accordingly.

I've just bought another pair of Ones to be grouped as a separate stereo pair positioned in the front of the room as I prefer the focus of the music to be from the front.

I was also going to group this room with the bonded surround setup to in fill some sound to the back, which may not be everyone's cup of tea but I like it.

Streaming music from various playlists often brings with it changing volumes from track to track, grabbing the TV remote as I have been up to now for Beam/Surrounds music playback is quick and convenient.

Having to reach for my phone, unlock the screen, navigate to Sonos app and fiddle with the levels is comparatively much more inconvenient than a one stop solution.

Whilst I understand it's of no use to some, please recognise it's very useful for many for various reasons and therefore a feature worthy of implementation.

Why don’t you use Alexa Enabled Groups to set/control their group-volume... just set the group up and say to any of the enabling devices “Alexa set the volume to 30%” (just as an example) ..and ALL Sonos devices ‘preferred' in the group will set to that volume.
Userlevel 3
Badge +2
Thanks for the suggestion which would work, I'm not keen on Alexa though and disabled it soon after installing.
Not least for it's annoyingly loud responses which STILL cannot be set independently of general sound playback.
Thanks for the suggestion which would work, I'm not keen on Alexa though and disabled it soon after installing.
Not least for it's annoyingly loud responses which STILL cannot be set independently of general sound playback.

I think the volume correlation maybe an Amazon restriction, so perhaps add an Echo Dot to your setup instead, as it’s volume can be set entirely independently to the Beam.
Bernardo,

Also if you set the Echo Dot Alexa to “brief mode” then all you will hear (I believe) is a short (brief) chime when you give the group volume commands.
There would be some financial outlay, but an iPort xPRESS keypad could do what's requested. It can be configured to adjust group volume. It would also have better granularity than Alexa's 10% volume steps.
Userlevel 3
Badge +2
There would be some financial outlay, but an iPort xPRESS keypad could do what's requested. It can be configured to adjust group volume. It would also have better granularity than Alexa's 10% volume steps.

Yes I did see that in my search for a physical remote and was somewhat surprised at the high cost.
Being an Android user anyway it's (thankfully) a non-starter.

I'm keeping my eye on this upcoming IKEA/Sonos collaboration which sounds interesting and may provide the basic remote control solution I'm looking for.

https://www.whathifi.com/us/news/ikeasonos-symfonisk-speakers-will-work-with-a-remote-control

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