I currently have two Google home devices, not the expensive ones, and I was looking for a better sounding speaker that could operate with the ones I have. I ran across Sonos speakers, which apparently have both Google and Alexa built in.
If I get one of these, would it sync music with my two existing Google assistants, so I can play music throughout the house?
Also, even after reading Sonos’ website, I’m confused about how to integrate these to my TV, for stereo sound from it, and also a turntable.
Regarding a turntable, it seems Sonos says I can plug a turntable directly into a Five (which is $550), but if I don’t have a Five I need an amp, which is also expensive. It seems I can hook my own wired speakers to an amp though. Then there is a “port” which seems to interface the output of another amp to the Sonos system. I do have an amp/tuner and speakers but I wanted to get rid of them.
So it seems the best option is a Five, but if I want stereo sound, do I need a pair of Fives? It seems I do if I want comparable sound. That’s about $1,100. Would I be better off with two Ones and a Sonos amp for about $900?
I use Sonos throughout the house and for the TV. Your TV would connect to the Sonos Soundbar by optical cord. Two additional Sonos speakers can connect to the soundbar by wifi and provide full surround sound. The Sonos systems is app-centric, meaning the usual way of thinking about music does not really work. If your recordings can be placed on your computer, then you can bypass the turntable, excluding to make the original sound file.
The soundbar and speakers will easily play music and automatically switch to TV sound if the TV is turned on. I’ve been very pleased with system, even though it is pricey. Hope this helps.
No, Sonos and Google will not sync, they are also in dispute with each other over multiroom audio functions.
TV sound needs to be connected with Optical/HDMi to keep sync, the Sonos Speakers don’t have that. You need a Soundbar or The Sonos Amp.
Stereo is always two, so if you want stereo and proper sound you need two speakers from Sonos or wired speakers to the Sonos Amp.
Turntable need a cable and a input on a device, and the only product from Sonos is the Port and Sonos Amp (right connections), you can connect a turntable to a Sonos Five with a adapter.
There is still a problem, you also need a turntable with phone stage (Riaa stage) to make it work, you can of course buy one separately and connect it to the Sonos Five, Amp and Port.
My suggestion would be to buy the Sonos Amp and connect your wired speakers to it, draw a HDMi from TV to the Amp, then connect a turntable with built in phone stage. After that you can buy all the other Sonos speakers for all the other rooms in you building.
If you have high stereo standards you should buy something else, and then maybe the Sonos Port to connect to your real Hifi. But when it comes to the Sonos Port there are alot of better sounding products out there.
Thanks very much for the detailed answers. I have existing wired speakers (in storage, I just moved). They are big and wired, and I was thinking it would be good to ditch the wired aspect. There is no good way to route the wires.
You also addressed another question I didn’t ask, the quality of the Sonos port. Sounds like its not great. I’m wondering if the Sonos amp also works like a Sonos port, in that it will bridge the line in to the rest of the system?
I did order a Sonos One, it sounds pretty good for what it is but as you said it will not sync with the other two Google devices. I also read that Google and Sonos were in court over patent issues, including setting the volume of all the devices at once. That caused Google to drop that feature so now each Google device has to have it’t volume set separately.
Given how expensive the Sonos stuff is, I’m not sure it’s worth the extra cost for a minor improvement in sound quality over the Google devices, and I do want whole house synched sound. My hearing has degraded as I aged a bit anyhow. But I really do enjoy the retro ness of actual vinyl, the artwork on the albume jackets, and so on.
I guess ya can’t have everything!
What do you think of the sound quality from the Sonos Five speakers?
Well in the Sonos line-up the Sonos One is the most impressive, sure the Sonos Five sounds more and better (a little to bass heavy and muddy for my taste). The good thing about Sonos is there mesh network (Sonos Net), makes it more stable than other systems, when people have cheap routers, that most do have
If Sonos own product are to expensive you can always add IKEA speakers to your Sonos system. I believe that your hearing (if not almost deaf) shouldn’t be a factor, I believe that most people will absolutely hear a difference between good and really good sound!
Thanks again. I have a Five and a One, and I can hear a difference in the midrange but I’m not sure it’s worth the price difference. I’m wondering if I might be better off with a paid of Ones set up as a stereo pair. Of course, then I can’t plug the turntable or CD player in, but I may just pass on those.
