Best products from r/sonos

The main thing that sold me on Sonos was something like, "It's so easy my wife can use it." Not to say the other vendor's systems are hard to use per se, but that Sonos hits a sweet spot in usability once you are fully engrossed in the system. That ease of use and cohesiveness is what sold my wife (a technophobe) on the system.

For me, the killer features are a combination of the following.

1. The lack of wires: I have 10 speakers taking up 10 different outlets. If I added other voice assistant speakers, like an Echo or Google Home to the mix, I have to take up additional plugs on one of those 10 outlets. Why is this a problem? Well some of the outlets are highly visible (like the kitchen counter) or need to be used for something else (next to the bed) and I don't want to add additional clutter adding a power trip/surge protector.
   
   
2. Lack of physical things: Complementing the above lack of wires is the fact that there are less physical things taking up space in my house. The TV soundbar (Playbar or Playbase) and each speaker is self contained and there is no need for a receiver. Not having to have another Echo or Google Home or HomePod means less physical counter/table space taken up and less clutter.
   
   
3. Changing speaker groups via voice: This is not officially supported by Sonos right now but is accomplished using the Speaker Groups Alexa skill and to me is a killer feature that distinguishes Sonos from the other competitors right now. I can say something like, "Alexa, tell Speaker Groups to play what's on in the living room in the office" and it will automatically group the living room and office speakers together. Later I can say, "Alexa, tell Speaker Groups to stop the living room" and then the living room will be disconnected from the speaker groups and paused, leaving audio playing in the other rooms.
   
   
4. Voice assistant agnostic (hopefully): Sonos announced that it is going to add support for Google Assistant in the future. It is a nice addition in case I do not want to fully rely on Alexa. For instance, if I wanted to add tasks to my Google task list.
   
   
5. Sounds great: For someone that is not an audiophile, an entire home Sonos system is going to sound great.
   
   
6. Spotify Connect support: I can seamlessly transition using just the Spotify app between my computer, my phone, and my Sonos speakers. This is not unique to Sonos, but it is a necessary feature.
   
   
7. Support for tons of audio sources: It supports lots of streaming services. I don't use anything more than Spotify and Pandora though, but having this many sources appeals to a wider group of people.
   
   
8. Stream TV audio: It is really nice to be able to stream my TV audio. I like to stream Twitch from my Xbox and soccer games from my cable box to different rooms.
   
   To understand how this all works together, imagine me and my wife's typical use case: I start playing music in my car, then I transition it to my phone and walk to my house, then I transition it to my home theater, and finally transition it to my office (turning off the home theater). To do this, I use the Spotify app to start the music, switch to the home theater using Spotify Connect and leave my phone on the counter. Since Sonos utilizes Wifi, it isn't making my phone battery go down. As I walk through the house I can use the voice assistant part to play songs, change tracks/volume and if I move to a new room, I can use the Speaker Groups skill (item 3) to change audio groups using voice, all without picking up my phone or any other remotes.
   
   It is a bummer you got two Sonos Play:1s instead of two Sonos Ones. I think the latter are a better indication of what the whole Sonos ecosystem is capable of.

I had you a very through reply, but I got an error on save and lost my mini-novel for you. I don't have it in me to rewrite the whole thing, so i'm just going to summarize; however feel free to ask specifics.

• You need a sonos product for each area/zone you want to control interdependently. I counted 7 in your desc.
  
• I would specify to have dedicated 14/4 or 12/4 ofc wire runs to a central rack/av area. I prefer those runs go to manual volume controls and then change to 14/2 or 12/2 to individual speakers.
  
• I would recommend running 6 sonos connects and a 12 channel amp(with audio sense) + a sonos connect amp if your goal is only to have 7 zones. 7 Connects and (2) 8-channels amps are a close second option.
  
• I think a good value/sound speakers are Speakercrafts CRS6 or CRS8's(note the zero through four's give more bells&whistles) or Polk rc80/rc60. Lots of high end options that would be better addressed in another subreddit.
  
• Spotify works fine for me today, not sure what you'd be waiting for?
  
• I would have an audio cable run if you do TV a/v wiring in the bedrooms to connect to the aux input on the associated sonos. It'll give you TV sound over the speakers in the bedroom which is great when you dont want to crank the volume but you still want to hear whispers.
  
• Dont skimp on prewire if you think you even MIGHT want speakers in the future (mud room, garage, laundry room, office, entry, hallways, gym, etc.)

It appears your tv has analog audio out, which will work with the beam. I have a Pioneer Elite Plasma TV that doesn't support HDMI and optical at the same time, but it does have analog audio out just like your TV.

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TV analog audio out to converter, converter to optical/hdmi adapter to beam.

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I use this adapter and it works great. The TV won't auto switch when the TV turns on, but it works just great for my needs right now until our TV dies.

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https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01HGHNCMW/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I wouldn't even consider a bluetooth speaker for a new permanent setup in a home. Sonos or Chromecast Audio with some bookshelf speakers.

Play 1 is $199, while a CCA and some speakers will save you about $50.

Sonos is great and setup is easy (I have 3). But if you want to save a bit of money, it's possible without sacrificing quality.

Just posted on another post about this! I️ was looking at the ones recommended by sonos and they are all super expensive, I️ used the mounting brackets for the Arlo cameras and they work GREAT. Plus it’s a fraction of the price. I’ll put the link below. My AV stuff is behind where it’s mounted so I️ just cut a hole on both sides and just used like a wall plate that allows wires to pass through the wall and it gives it a finished look.


Security Wall Mount- Adjustable Indoor/Outdoor Mount Comptaible With Arlo, Arlo Pro, Arlo Pro 2 and Other Compatible Models — by Dropcessories (2 Pack, White) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01I985WRK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_mc0bAbKZHM7AK

This is the switch JTech Digital HDMI 3 in 1 I have on my Sonos 5.1 setup with my 65" Samsung JS8500; it works to perfection. It does ARC perfectly when I run Netflix out of the applications SmartHub.

Also, I have a NVDIA Shield and a Blue-ray player connected as well and it process sound flawlessly.

They do have a 5 in 1 variant if you need more HDMI ports.

Manufacturer Link

Sounds like you want Chromecast Audio plugged into some nice powered speakers, like these or these or these or these.
Edit: I'm not commenting on how well it'll work. I don't own a Chromecast. It just seems to work on paper for what you're asking.

Yes you need a switch or a receiver to split the audio. I have a projector too and a Sonos Beam via optical. There are probably better ones but this is what I bought last year and it works great.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003L14WB8/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I use this:

FosPower 5x1 HDMI + MHL Audio Extractor Converter Switch with Optical and Audio Output [Supports Ultra HD / 4K, Full HD, 3D, ARC] Includes Power Adapt https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B017MUWYLS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apip_5UW7MCvc3tpyQ

Does not convert
Supports ARC
Supports Harmony Remote
Nothing is automatic (Q4) but can be programmed on Harmony i.e. Go to input 4 + turn off ARC
Lights are are on the bright side but I got used to them

Thanks everyone for the replies. I've figured out a few things from looking in the about section of the Sonos app:

1. My Apple TV, which is connected to HDMI 1/DVI, appears to output 5.1 DD, but only if I manually set it to force 5.1 under Apple TV settings > Audio output > Change format on > DD 5.1. I'm not sure if I'm getting true DD 5.1 or transcoded stereo.
   
2. Mac Mini/Kodi media server, connected to ARC, will not output DD 5.1. I can't figure out if this is an issue with Kodi or macOS System Preferences.
   
3. DVD player on HDMI 3 outputs stereo, as expected.
   
   At this point, I'm wondering what, if any, reasonable steps I can take to get proper DD 5.1 for all my devices. Would something like this switch work:
   
   https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01GCGKLNQ/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
   
   I'm not averse to spending an extra $60-$80 to get proper surround, a new TV is not really in the cards right now. I won't bother with the extra Sonos surrounds unless they're actually going to work as intended. Thoughts?

I am using this one (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00QJGAKCW) and it works perfectly. Comes with a remote and has almost perfect rating on Amazon.

Something like this would work as well. I have an old (non hdr) one. Just plug your devices into it and run the optical cable to the playbar. Of course if you use smart tv functionality it’s not going to help. That’s why I didn’t upgrade.

4K@60Hz HDMI 2.0 Switch 3x1 with Optical SPDIF & RCA L/R Audio Out, FiveHome 3 In 1 Out HDMI Audio Extractor Splitter with Remote, Supports ARC, 4Kx2K, Ultra HD https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B076XV1LVS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_bqBIAbHPQ7QZ0

Oh right haha. I got one of these so I can just use a remote to switch through my different devices - currently a switch and an Apple TV. Everything works perfectly.

If you want any smart home light control, get into the Lutron Caseta ecosystem. I find that they work great for lights (also work with Harmony.)

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Once you have the bridge, get these: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LC7O9MY/

I use https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B003L14WB8/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 for that exact reason. It works like a charm and did not break the bank. On the plus side, if you use a Logitech Harmony remote, it will control the switch for you.

I believe the Sonos play 5 has optical input EDIT: it has a line in input. Get an optical cable with line out adapter like this https://www.amazon.com/KabelDirekt-TOSLINK-Optical-Digital-Audio/dp/B00GZQWLF0/ref=asc_df_B00GZQWLF0/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=198063088238&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=18238044448890120272&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=&hvtargid=pla-323411397252&psc=1

Run that cable from your TV to the Play 5. You'll need to set the line level of the input on the Sonos app I believe.

Not in your price range but I have these and they sounds great to me

Polk Audio RC80i 2-Way In-Ceiling/In-Wall Speakers (Pair, White) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00006BMQT/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apip_4qb8uGeofNQ78

Be sure that if your record player does not come preamplified, you will need a preamplifier to give it the output it needs to be at the proper line level output. I got this little guy and it works perfect from my turntable to my ZP90 that's set up to my computer's speakers!

Bummer.
My turntable works great with the Sonos Connect -> Sonos Play:1s (paired).

Seriously thinking the turntable's built-in preamp isn't working the way we're expecting it to, cuz the only major difference between my setup, and yours is I use an external phono stage (preamp), cuz my turntable doesn't have a preamp built-in:
https://www.schiit.com/products/mani

Originally used a cheap Behringer preamp, like this one, just to make sure everything would work, before committing to the more expensive phono stage:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000H2BC4E/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B000H2BC4E&linkCode=as2&tag=thebestturntable-20&linkId=GEQS2OF4VAVE6EE4

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I can't speak to OP's application. But I use these for the Ones in my living room. They're placed lower than ideal because of my furniture/shelf space. These allow me to angle them up so the tweeters are directed at ear height when I'm seated on the sofa. It makes a noticeable improvement in the soundstage and imaging.

Three hardware solutions that I know of:

1. Flic smart button.
   
   (This links to your smartphone via BTLE.)
   
   More info [here.] (http://flic.io)
   
   
2. Satechi Bluetooth Button Series (Media Button.)
   
   (This also links to your smartphone via BTLE.)
   
   More info [here.] (http://www.satechi.net/index.php/satechi-bluetooth-button-series-media-button)
   
   
3. Lutron Pico Remote Control for Audio (requires Caseta Smart Bridge, which I already had installed, for my Lutron "smart" light switches.) More info here.
   

Amazon usually has cheaper mounting options available. Beam is still pretty new so there aren't as many options. Here are 2 reasonably priced options.

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https://www.amazon.com/HumanCentric-Mount-Compatible-Speaker-Bracket/dp/B07GRLSZF7/ref=sr_1_17?ie=UTF8&qid=1541253518&sr=8-17&keywords=sonos+beam+mount

https://www.amazon.com/EMATECH-Mount-Bracket-Suitable-Speaker/dp/B07JHML3KQ/ref=sr_1_22?ie=UTF8&qid=1541253557&sr=8-22&keywords=sonos+beam+mount

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As said the port on the PlayBar will work but it might prove a bit slow if you have fast Ethernet as Sonos only does 100 not 1000.

Try it and if it isn't fast enough for glitch free TV over Ethernet viewing add an inexpensive Ethernet switch, similar to this:

https://smile.amazon.com/NETGEAR-5-Port-Gigabit-Ethernet-Unmanaged/dp/B07S98YLHM/ref=sr_1_4

Avoid any on this list:

https://support.sonos.com/s/article/41?language=en_US

Five ports gives you an input for the cable from your router and four outputs for TV, Sub and PlayBar plus a spare. Eight ports isn't much more expensive if you think you have any use for them.

Are you me? I have almost the same setup, but with a playbar. This is the splitter i use, its been nearly flawless

https://www.amazon.ca/gp/aw/d/B075G9HH6F?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title

Like this?

https://smile.amazon.com/Iot-Relay-Enclosed-High-Power-Raspberry/dp/B00WV7GMA2

BTW, the trigger on the Port is meant for just amps in general, not the AMP, which is the Sonos amp.

Cheers.

Update:

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After a couple of day the TESmart switch did not work out, the addition of the optical splitter proved to be unreliable. Sound would drop or no sound at all would play.

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So, I picked up this Fivehome 3 Port HDMI splitter that has ARC to get the audio from the TV without running any extra optical cables.

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Out of the box it works perfectly. (Still no CEC for graphical volume control).

I'll update if anything crops up.

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Wired up as follows:

PS4/Switch/Chromecast <HDMI> HDMI Switch <optical> Soundbar

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Hope this helps.

You can do the same this with a Sonos Connect by adding a 12V trigger using one of these:

https://smile.amazon.com/Bobwire-Trigger-Compatible-ChromeCast-Amplifiers/dp/B07QS89MZG/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=dat1&qid=1567801760&s=electronics&sr=1-1

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Yes there are a few options for AC power outlet switched by 12V. Here are a few:

EU:

https://www.amazon.de/VOCOMO-Schalt-Steckdose-AV-Verst%C3%A4rker-Standby-Killer-Zwischenstecker/dp/B01CJOZYUU/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=12V+vocomo&qid=1565907878&s=gateway&sr=8-1

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USA:

https://smile.amazon.com/Niles-AC3-FG00242-Voltage-Triggered/dp/B00086IDDC/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=niles+ac+switch&qid=1567801822&s=electronics&sr=1-3

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00WV7GMA2/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?smid=A3D4241373L385&psc=1

You can also use mine: https://www.amazon.com/ControlAV-My-Speaker/dp/B071YW8F1R/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=my+speaker&qid=1566746710&s=digital-skills&sr=1-1

Then "alexa, tell my speaker to play Adele everywhere" will work.

Monoprice 105557 4x1 HDMI Switch with Toslink, Digital Coaxial and 3D Support https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003L14WB8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_31bBCbVYW16R6

Are there some other passive speakers you are planning to power with the Amp? If not, there's no need for the Amp. Another point to mention is that Trueplay Tuning is only compatible with Sonos and Sonace speakers (to my knowledge). If you have other speakers (maybe in-wall?) you are planning to power via the AMP, you will lose the ability to use Trueplay Tuning on them.

The Sonos Beam, Playbar, and Playbase act as the Sonos "controller" in a given room. I may be mistaken, but I believe that you are required to run a hardwired connection (optical audio or HDMI) to the Beam/Soundbar/Playbase. I'd recommend running an optical audio cable from your HDMI switch to the soundbar. Fiber is cheap and can run long distances without signal degradation.

An HDMI switch would be a good solution for managing all of your media devices. I use this HDMI switch in my setup, since my TV did not have Dolby 5.1 passthrough. I've been using it for about a year, and it works flawlessly. The only gripe that I have is that the remote feels a bit low quality and uses CR2032 batteries (cheap but an odd thing to keep on hand).

Also, have you given any consideration to the Playbar? It looks as though this is going in a home theater, and given that the Playbar has a bit higher audio performance, you might look into it. I ended up going with a Playbar, Sub, and 2 x Sonos One speakers for 5.1 surround. Pairing the ones with the playbar gives virtual assistant functionality, but it doesn't allow Airplay unless you group the 5.1 setup with another airplay enabled sonos speaker (not inclusive of the ones used in the 5.1, the grouped speaker must be external to the 5.1 surround). Worst case scenario, you could always airplay to your Apple TV.


EDIT: One thing I wanted to mention is that if you have any source with a PCM output (Nintendo switch, some blu-ray players), then you may need to look at different configurations if you want surround sound. One thing that this switch that I linked above does NOT do is convert PCM (I.e. output from Nintendo switch) to DD 5.1. Additionally, the switch only handles 24 hz as I have come to find out.

I think that a conversor like this can work. https://www.amazon.com/Musou-Digital-Optical-Toslink-Converter/dp/B01HGHNCMW/

I use this Lutron remote that has Sonos capabilities: https://www.amazon.com/Lutron-Caseta-Wireless-Remote-PJ2-3BRL-GWH-A02/dp/B01LC7O9MY/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1537552044&sr=8-3&keywords=lutron+sonos+remote

You will need a Lutron hub though.

https://www.amazon.com/J-Tech-Digital-Switcher-Selector-Extractor/dp/B00QJGAKCW/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1536104904&sr=8-5&keywords=hdmi+switch+w+toslink&dpID=31MBsVkubjL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

Lutron makes a sonos compatible pico remote. May work with that.

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https://www.amazon.com/Lutron-Caseta-Wireless-Remote-PJ2-3BRL-GWH-A02/dp/B01LC7O9MY

If you get an hdmi switch that splits optical you need not plug the playbar into the projector at all. I currently use one because my tv does not pass 5.1 (which is also a possibility with your projector). Plug all your sources into the switch, plug the optical out from the switch to the playbar, and the hdmi out from switch to the projector. You will just need a long hdmi cable.

I use this switch

It's not the cart/needle. You need a preamp. I picked up this one the other day and it works swimmingly with my Technics turntable.