Tell me all about Sonus.........design me a system
Discussion
Right as per the title then .....
Can someone explain how these systems work and interact with one another in VERY basic terms, so far I have learnt a fair bit from the other two threads on here, Toxicnerve seems to know his stuff.
Now my denon amp is borked in the conservatory which fed a pair of Bose outdoor garden speakers, I assume I need a connect amp to power these? The denon was also 4 channel so fed a pair of monitor audio speakers on the wall in the conservatory, these are going too so maybe i need a Play 5 to make some noise in there too? As the connect amps are only 2 channel?
In the kitchen we have a Bose sound link, this will be moved to holiday duties or another room, so maybe another play 5?
I then want to add play 3 or 5 units as required, bedroom, garage etc..... We have an iPad and the wife has an iPhone, can we use both these to control the system?
We would utilise I tunes for the music source, do we need a bridge unit still? we may see how we go and subscribe to spotify in the future
Sorry for all the questions but has anyone got the sub? and if so whats your verdict as I think @ £600.00 it's a piss take especially when all the other products are I say tongue in cheek reasonably priced....I think they would sell @ around £300 -£400!
Can someone explain how these systems work and interact with one another in VERY basic terms, so far I have learnt a fair bit from the other two threads on here, Toxicnerve seems to know his stuff.
Now my denon amp is borked in the conservatory which fed a pair of Bose outdoor garden speakers, I assume I need a connect amp to power these? The denon was also 4 channel so fed a pair of monitor audio speakers on the wall in the conservatory, these are going too so maybe i need a Play 5 to make some noise in there too? As the connect amps are only 2 channel?
In the kitchen we have a Bose sound link, this will be moved to holiday duties or another room, so maybe another play 5?
I then want to add play 3 or 5 units as required, bedroom, garage etc..... We have an iPad and the wife has an iPhone, can we use both these to control the system?
We would utilise I tunes for the music source, do we need a bridge unit still? we may see how we go and subscribe to spotify in the future
Sorry for all the questions but has anyone got the sub? and if so whats your verdict as I think @ £600.00 it's a piss take especially when all the other products are I say tongue in cheek reasonably priced....I think they would sell @ around £300 -£400!
Edited by VERN UK on Sunday 22 July 09:05
Edited by VERN UK on Sunday 22 July 09:06
Taking it in stages:
1. You need a piece of Sonos kit hanging off your home network via a wired connection. Without this it won't work. The conventional route is to use a Somos Bridge plugged into your router. But if you have Cat5 cabling through the house, or you use Homeplugs, you can instead have a different piece of Sonos kit on one of those wired connections.
2. What hardware you need after that depends on what you house layout is. We use Play 3 and 5s in bedrooms where there is no hifi kit already installed. Where we had an amp and speakers already, we used Connects. The biggest drawback IMO about the Connects is having to leave the amp powered on and on the right input. OTOH, if you want to drive two pairs of speakers, using a Connect and a suitable amp is a good solution. We didn't use any Connect Amps simply because we didn't have any unpowered speakers that needed an amp.
3. You probably know about setting up your wifi network on a channel that doesn't interfere with the channel the Sonos is using.
4. Download the Sonos desktop app to your PC to access your iTunes library. It is very easy to set up and takes a few minutes to build an index that allows it to access the library. However, if you're a fussy b
d, that's the beginning of the job. I spent hours going through my iTunes library correcting typos, sorting out artist names and album names, and adding the all important artwork (copy and paste from Amazon or Google images) so that everything indexed the way I wanted it to.
5. I have found a minor frustration with my Onkyo AV amp. If it is set to output in any form of surround there is a very slight time lag between what it puts out and what the standard hifi audio amp in the next room puts out. I can eliminate the delay by setting the Onkyo to vanilla 2ch stereo, but when I do so the Onkyo won't drive its sub. It has made me think about the Sonos sub, but it isn't really a £600 problem.
6. iPhones and iPads make excellent controllers, but you have to bear in mind that they can take a couple of seconds to hook themselves onto your wifi network and connect to your Sonos system before they can be used.
1. You need a piece of Sonos kit hanging off your home network via a wired connection. Without this it won't work. The conventional route is to use a Somos Bridge plugged into your router. But if you have Cat5 cabling through the house, or you use Homeplugs, you can instead have a different piece of Sonos kit on one of those wired connections.
2. What hardware you need after that depends on what you house layout is. We use Play 3 and 5s in bedrooms where there is no hifi kit already installed. Where we had an amp and speakers already, we used Connects. The biggest drawback IMO about the Connects is having to leave the amp powered on and on the right input. OTOH, if you want to drive two pairs of speakers, using a Connect and a suitable amp is a good solution. We didn't use any Connect Amps simply because we didn't have any unpowered speakers that needed an amp.
3. You probably know about setting up your wifi network on a channel that doesn't interfere with the channel the Sonos is using.
4. Download the Sonos desktop app to your PC to access your iTunes library. It is very easy to set up and takes a few minutes to build an index that allows it to access the library. However, if you're a fussy b
d, that's the beginning of the job. I spent hours going through my iTunes library correcting typos, sorting out artist names and album names, and adding the all important artwork (copy and paste from Amazon or Google images) so that everything indexed the way I wanted it to. 5. I have found a minor frustration with my Onkyo AV amp. If it is set to output in any form of surround there is a very slight time lag between what it puts out and what the standard hifi audio amp in the next room puts out. I can eliminate the delay by setting the Onkyo to vanilla 2ch stereo, but when I do so the Onkyo won't drive its sub. It has made me think about the Sonos sub, but it isn't really a £600 problem.
6. iPhones and iPads make excellent controllers, but you have to bear in mind that they can take a couple of seconds to hook themselves onto your wifi network and connect to your Sonos system before they can be used.
Edited by anonymous-user on Sunday 22 July 09:22
Greg
Many thanks for your input, some great information! I read there is a cheaper sub on the way with a matt finish, no doubt from the feedback they have had from installers and end users that £600 is too much!
The Bose outdoors will be driven of the connect amp, I assume this switches through wi fi when you power on, so the power does not have to left on all the time? But if you have an exisiting hi fi I would assume amp and input would have to be left on accordingly, should not be a problem in my case, I hope.....
How is the best wifi channel found? Trial and error until drop outs stop? How is the channel changed
Thanks again
Many thanks for your input, some great information! I read there is a cheaper sub on the way with a matt finish, no doubt from the feedback they have had from installers and end users that £600 is too much!
The Bose outdoors will be driven of the connect amp, I assume this switches through wi fi when you power on, so the power does not have to left on all the time? But if you have an exisiting hi fi I would assume amp and input would have to be left on accordingly, should not be a problem in my case, I hope.....
How is the best wifi channel found? Trial and error until drop outs stop? How is the channel changed
Thanks again
Stop now, move away from the Sonos site, its just the start of an addiction.
Stage 1 -
Hmm this Sonos stuff sounds like a good idea, easy to you, lots of flexibility
Stage 2
Its great, easily installed, watch out for Sonos wars if you have kids (Sonos war is where you vary the songs and volume at rapid rate in the room the other person is doing something else, laughing lots)
Stage 3
Its a bit annoying having the laptop on, what about a NAS drive
Stage 4
Hmm could do with a 3/5 in the bedroom
Stage 5
Oooh how about using another connect:amp to the old speakers and putting them in shed/garage/man cave
Stage 6
Wonder if it sounds better with 2 5s as a stereo pair
Stage 7
A sub.......
Last chance to escape now
Sonos addict
Stage 1 -
Hmm this Sonos stuff sounds like a good idea, easy to you, lots of flexibility
Stage 2
Its great, easily installed, watch out for Sonos wars if you have kids (Sonos war is where you vary the songs and volume at rapid rate in the room the other person is doing something else, laughing lots)
Stage 3
Its a bit annoying having the laptop on, what about a NAS drive
Stage 4
Hmm could do with a 3/5 in the bedroom
Stage 5
Oooh how about using another connect:amp to the old speakers and putting them in shed/garage/man cave
Stage 6
Wonder if it sounds better with 2 5s as a stereo pair
Stage 7
A sub.......
Last chance to escape now
Sonos addict
anonymous said:
[redacted]
Cheers toxic and Greg for your input, much like Apple and Bose then on the pricing......the stuff pretty sells it's self!Had a look at a few bundle deals, better value but just!
It's more about a lifestyle thing for me, less clutter, great flexibility, future expansion as required.....I know the sound will be a slight compromise, I have had high end gear before but it's sits mostly un used......I know me and the Mrs will actually use this gear every day, due to the apps on the iPhone, iPad etc
Has anyone actually heard the sub, thinking of upping the budget, as I have sold the whole concept to Mrs Vern
Madness60 said:
Stop now, move away from the Sonos site, its just the start of an addiction.
Stage 1 -
Hmm this Sonos stuff sounds like a good idea, easy to you, lots of flexibility
Stage 2
Its great, easily installed, watch out for Sonos wars if you have kids (Sonos war is where you vary the songs and volume at rapid rate in the room the other person is doing something else, laughing lots)
Stage 3
Its a bit annoying having the laptop on, what about a NAS drive
Stage 4
Hmm could do with a 3/5 in the bedroom
Stage 5
Oooh how about using another connect:amp to the old speakers and putting them in shed/garage/man cave
Stage 6
Wonder if it sounds better with 2 5s as a stereo pair
Stage 7
A sub.......
Last chance to escape now
Sonos addict
Lol, already thinking of the garage.Stage 1 -
Hmm this Sonos stuff sounds like a good idea, easy to you, lots of flexibility
Stage 2
Its great, easily installed, watch out for Sonos wars if you have kids (Sonos war is where you vary the songs and volume at rapid rate in the room the other person is doing something else, laughing lots)
Stage 3
Its a bit annoying having the laptop on, what about a NAS drive
Stage 4
Hmm could do with a 3/5 in the bedroom
Stage 5
Oooh how about using another connect:amp to the old speakers and putting them in shed/garage/man cave
Stage 6
Wonder if it sounds better with 2 5s as a stereo pair
Stage 7
A sub.......
Last chance to escape now
Sonos addict
2 x 5s would be a treat with the sub for sure....
Can't imagine why anyone would want the Sub. Far better to use a proper amp and speakers with a Connect (ZP50 as was). We have a ZP50 connected to a MF X-80 and Mission 751s and the sound is immense; as ever, interconnect and speaker cable matters too. ZP100s (Connect:amp these days, apparently) are OK, but the amp is no great shakes; fine with bookshelf speakers - we have one in the kitchen, but separate amps everywhere else. There are occasional PITAs with the less technophilic members of the household if an amp is off, or on the wrong input, but easily solved - I did choose not to use any of the amps for anything else, to make things simple.
I've not heard the Play5/3 but can't imagine the sound is close to what you'd get with a half-decent amp & speakers from Richer Sounds - less convenient of course, and will take up more space, but sound quality matters.
I've not heard the Play5/3 but can't imagine the sound is close to what you'd get with a half-decent amp & speakers from Richer Sounds - less convenient of course, and will take up more space, but sound quality matters.
BlueMR2 said:
Sounds like its worth you going into a richer shop and getting them to demo the 3 and 5 and a similar priced separates and get an idea of the difference in quality and what you want where.
Can always get quality older amps 2nd hand of course.
Might help you decide.
Yep deffo, need to hear a 5 for sure firstCan always get quality older amps 2nd hand of course.
Might help you decide.
VERN UK said:
Has anyone actually heard the sub, thinking of upping the budget, as I have sold the whole concept to Mrs Vern
It's good, and very convenient as you can put it anywhere without wires. It adds a LOT of bass. I would rather have another zone than more bass though, for day to day listening I didn't feel I needed it.
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