Newbie Sonos Question?

[CardinalFang]

Afternoon all,

I've been asked to co-ordinate a gift for a friends 50th & the answer would seem to be Sonos, but I'm not sure what components we need to get him off the ground. Could anyone advise?

He wants. to play his turntable, iTunes & Spotify anywhere in the house, wirelessly & be able to expand & grow the system in future - multiple rooms, cinema etc.
He has: various laptops, phones,as sources etc, but, the turntable is a key component. A PioneerPL990, which is currently wired direct to a phillips speaker. No amp or reciever...This is what's thrown me, with my old stylee cd player, amp, tuner, speakers set up.

Am i right in thinking the answer is Sonos Connect, plus Play, 3, or 5?
Or is it Sonos Connect Amp, plus Play, 3, 5?
Or, even one of the above, plus a "one" speaker - I think he'd like the idea of voice control/Alexa, but not if it meant losing turntable, iTunes sources or Spotify

Many thanks in advance folks.

[troc]

The turntable in question has line-level out so the speakers must be powered but probably only have one input.

Normally one would go from a source -> Amp -> Speakers, in which case a Connect could be connected to the source (putting the vinyl into the Sonos system) and the Amp (putting spotify etc into the amp). Without an amp and with normal speakers, the connect:amp could be used.

So, your mate would either need to get a connect and separate amp and normal speakers or a connect:amp and normal speakers or ditch his old speakers entirely and run everything through the sonos.

So, get a connect to take the output from the turntable (or a play:5) and then just play wirelessly from the play:5 and any other sonos as desired.

e.g. turntable -> connect. Then two play one (new version of play:1) in the same room as the turntable as the stereo pair replacing the philips thing. Then add play one (or play:5) as desired elsewhere in the house.

There is (currently) a complication in that sonos doesn't support airplay but will next year assuming you have at least one play one (or maybe the newest play:5). You can use a connect and an airport express or apple TV to get airplay onto sonos but the connects only have one input.

[CardinalFang]

troc said:

The turntable in question has line-level out so the speakers must be powered but probably only have one input.


So, your mate would either need to get a connect and separate amp and normal speakers or a connect:amp and normal speakers or ditch his old speakers entirely and run everything through the sonos.

So, get a connect to take the output from the turntable (or a play:5) and then just play wirelessly from the play:5 and any other sonos as desired.

e.g. turntable -> connect. Then two play one (new version of play:1) in the same room as the turntable as the stereo pair replacing the philips thing. Then add play one (or play:5) as desired elsewhere in the house.

There is (currently) a complication in that sonos doesn't support airplay but will next year assuming you have at least one play one (or maybe the newest play:5). You can use a connect and an airport express or apple TV to get airplay onto sonos but the connects only have one input.

Thanks Troc - I knew it wouldn't be straightforward, however, the turntable is wired to a single speaker, so I don't think a perfect stereo sound stage is top of the wish list. Sooo, if I understand you correctly, turntable>connect amp>Play1, the last 2 components of which can run Itunes, Spotify & he can pick the Play1 up & put it wherever he likes (wifi permitting). Then add Play1, 3, 5 Playbar etc through the house as he wishes.

But - what about SonosOne - seems like he might as well go for this as it's a Play1 with Alexa, but then he'll lose spotify until they sort out that integration, correct?

Airport express/AppleTV info is handy - didn't think of that.

I think the other variations you mention: turntable>connectamp>play5, or 2 x play1 would be out of budget - we're after a "starter kit", but thanks.

Sorry for the questions: I really don't want to get this wrong. Much appreciated, ta.

[niallf]

If a line level analogue input from the turntable has to be accommodated, then a Connect, Connect Amp or Play 5 are the only options in a Sonos system to support this.

Connect/Connect Amp do not make any sound on their own, so need speakers (Connect Amp) and/or amp & speakers (Connect). The Play 5 would need to be physically located close to the turntable as a cable needs to go to the back of the speaker. Once any of these components are connected to Sonos the input (i.e. turntable) can be a source for any other Sonos device, so, for example, with a turntable connected to a Play 5 in the lounge, another Play 3 in the kitchen can select the turntable as the source of its audio. The Play 5 doesn't have to be playing the turntable as its source, but it does need to be switched on to put the turntable connection onto the network.

You can also point Sonos at multiple music libraries on the network, so if you have your music on a folder on your Mac, you can add that folder to the Sonos library and play files from a computer that way. Phones have a similar (but different!) way to play stuff that's "on this device", using the Wifi connection on the same network as Sonos.

What doesn't happen is that the Sonos system appears as a wireless/bluetooth destination for a computer's audio. For this, something like Google Chromecast Audio is a more convenient solution.

[anonymous-user]

I think the connection would be Turntable >> Connect Amp >> speakers. You wouldn't need the connect amp into a Play.

If the Turntable comes with a built in amp for whatever reason, or the speaker has a amp built in, you could use a connect rather than connect amp.

[bigandclever]

Save all the messing with the turntable and just get him a Spotify account for the year

[CardinalFang]

bigandclever said:

Save all the messing with the turntable and just get him a Spotify account for the year

Thanks bigandclever, but see my first post - he has spotify already, but wants to add the turntable, iTunes, wireless multiroom & then expand over time. Chs, CF.

[bigandclever]

Apologies, my comprehension skills were lacking.

[CardinalFang]

bigandclever said:

Apologies, my comprehension skills were lacking.

no probs - there's a hell of a lot more to this than I was expecting...Chs!

[J8 SVG]

I'm currently looking at the Denon HEOS selection to achieve the same thing, turntable in the lounge with the AV set up but want to hear it in the kitchen etc

[troc]

Out of experimental curiosity, I just did essentially what the OP wants to do here at home.

I connected the line output of my amp to a spare connect I had lying about and moved a couple of play:1s into the listening room and it all worked rather well.

So, my suggestion would be to get a connect (connect the turntable to the analogue input) and either a play one (the new one with alexa) or two (for stereo) or a play:5 for the listening room and then add sonos to the other rooms as and when desired.

Discretely dispose of the now redundant Philips speaker.

[CardinalFang]

troc said:

Out of experimental curiosity, I just did essentially what the OP wants to do here at home.

I connected the line output of my amp to a spare connect I had lying about and moved a couple of play:1s into the listening room and it all worked rather well.

So, my suggestion would be to get a connect (connect the turntable to the analogue input) and either a play one (the new one with alexa) or two (for stereo) or a play:5 for the listening room and then add sonos to the other rooms as and when desired.

Discretely dispose of the now redundant Philips speaker.

Hi Troc, that's what I'm thinking, but one question is nagging at me. His turntable has no amp sitting between it & the (redundant) Phillips speaker, so the best "starter kit" it turntable>connect>PlayONE. (might as well go for the amazon version).

Correct? I know this sounds pedantic, but if I cocked up buying this for myself, I could handle going back to the retailer & trying to negotiate my way out of it,but when it's a significant gift & I'm coaxing contributions from others, getting it wrong would be bl**dy embarrasing)

Edited by CardinalFang on Friday 27th October 13:08

[anonymous-user]

CardinalFang said:

Hi Troc, that's what I'm thinking, but one question is nagging at me. His turntable has no amp sitting between it & the (redundant) Phillips speaker, so the best "starter kit" it turntable>connectAMP>PlayONE. (might as well go for the amazon version).

I am pretty sure you cannot connect a Connect Amp to a play 1.

[CardinalFang]

desolate said:

I am pretty sure you cannot connect a Connect Amp to a play 1.

Ar*e. I think I mean regular connect anyway, (because his turntable is connected to a speaker without any amp between), so apologies for confusing the issue.

I guess your point still stands though? turntable>connect>Play3 or 5 only??

[anonymous-user]

CardinalFang said:

Ar*e. I think I mean regular connect anyway, (because his turntable is connected to a speaker without any amp between), so apologies for confusing the issue.

I guess your point still stands though? turntable>connect>Play3 or 5 only??

I can't think of any situation in which you would plug one sonos piece of kit into another.

I have a turntable on my system. it goes

Turntable>sonos connect amp>mission speakers

If I want to play the turntable in another room I group this set up with the other room, muting the room with the turntable if required.

I think the play 3/5 has a "line in" option so you could go

turntable>amplifier>sonos 3/5

[CardinalFang]

desolate said:

I can't think of any situation in which you would plug one sonos piece of kit into another.

I have a turntable on my system. it goes

Turntable>sonos connect amp>mission speakers

If I want to play the turntable in another room I group this set up with the other room, muting the room with the turntable if required.

I think the play 3/5 has a "line in" option so you could go

turntable>amplifier>sonos 3/5

Icon. Understood, badly phrased on my part. I meant turntable-wired-to-connect-wireless-to-play. Per Troc response, above. the Play component could be a 1 or One.

Thanks, Neil

[anonymous-user]

CardinalFang said:

Icon. Understood, badly phrased on my part. I meant turntable-wired-to-connect-wireless-to-play. Per Troc response, above. the Play component could be a 1 or One.

Thanks, Neil

Got you - yes that should work.

[CardinalFang]

desolate said:

Got you - yes that should work.

Icon? Where the hell did I get that username from! Sorry Desolate - been a long week!

Thanks everyone - have a good weekend, CF.

[PixelpeepS3]

you can listen to anything that is 'aux-in' on all other sonos devices...

Turntable aux out > connect > play:1

You just select the connect line input as your source on the play:1

am i being dim, have i missed something?

[anonymous-user]

PixelpeepS3 said:

you can listen to anything that is 'aux-in' on all other sonos devices...

Turntable aux out > connect > play:1

You just select the connect line input as your source on the play:1

am i being dim, have i missed something?

I think the issue is that many turntables will need an amplification source, which the connect doesn't provide.