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Sonos vs ‘traditional’ 3.1???

6264 Views 6 Replies 5 Participants Last post by qirex, Nov 5, 2020

cobrakillerta

Discussion Starter · Oct 18, 2019

Sonos vs Traditional 3.1???

So, I just bought a new house and I’m trying to figure out what direction to go with my home audio.

In my old house I had a 5.1 set-up consisting of an Onkyo TX-NR509 and Polk RM6750’s hooked up to my Samsung UN55D6300. All of which is a bit dated...

Over the years I acquired a few Sonos speakers. Right now I have (2) Sonos Play 1 and (1) Sonos Play 5.

I’m not a real audiophile, I’m a total newbie who just appreciates good stuff. I was happy with my Onkyo/Polk set-up as well as my Sonos speakers.

In my new house I’ll probably have to run a 3.1 system or a Sonos Playbar and Sub. My new house is an open layout and I just don’t have a rear wall/space for two rear channel speakers. Eventually I may be able to add two ceiling speakers...eventually.

The Samsung UN55D6300 will have to stay for a bit.

I do like Sonos’ seemless integration, or so it seems to be.

I’m thinking of a Sonos Playbar and Sub for the den/living area. A Sonos One in the kitchen, upstairs, garage, etc. Maybe add a Sonos amp to run a couple of outdoor speakers.

Should I try to sell off what I have and go full Sonos? Or, go with an updated 3.1 set-up (w/ 5.1 ability later on).

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jmbgator

· #2 · Oct 18, 2019 (Edited)

You will almost universally get better sound at a better price if you go with a traditional 3.1. For the same cost of of a Sonos Playbar + Sub, you will get a kick ass system with a 3.1 (Front/Center/Left, Sub, Receiver) setup offering much better audio than the Sonos playbar + sub. The good news is that you can easily integrate your 3.1 system into your Sonos ecosystem by purchasing a Sonos Port (https://www.sonos.com/en-us/shop/port.html). Therefore it gives you the best of both worlds. Have amazing sound with the 3.1 and also be able to integrate it with your other Sonos speakers around your house. And if you ever plan to upgrade to a 5.1 full surround / Dolby Atmos set-up in the future, you can easily do so with the 3.1 starting setup.

That's basically the setup that I have in my house and it works very well.

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cobrakillerta

Discussion Starter · #3 · Oct 19, 2019

Does the Sonos Port truely make a traditional 3.1 as seemless as a Sonos speaker? If so, I may lean that way

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jmbgator

· #4 · Oct 19, 2019

cobrakillerta said:
Does the Sonos Port truely make a traditional 3.1 as seemless as a Sonos speaker? If so, I may lean that way

Yes. You would just have to set your receiver to the correct input. Otherwise it will work just like any other Sonos speaker

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Vikram Iyengar

· #5 · Nov 5, 2020

This is intriguing. Looking for a bedroom. Don't want a messy receiver and 5 speakers with wiring in there. @doctors11 have you considered 4 Sonos Ones and a Sonos Sub? Or a Sonos Arc and a Sonos Sub? Any reviews/feedback from folks who've paired 2 Sonos Ones and a Sonos Sub? I'm asking for a bedroom in which I'd like to play music and/or TV but not critical listening. Something convenient we can switch off by a simple tap like the Sonos One. The Sonos One is great but rolls off at 80 Hz and so the Sub will likely be directional right? I suspect crossover will be like 120 Hz?

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doctors11

· #6 · Nov 5, 2020

Vikram Iyengar said:
This is intriguing. Looking for a bedroom. Don't want a messy receiver and 5 speakers with wiring in there. @doctors11 have you considered 4 Sonos Ones and a Sonos Sub? Or a Sonos Arc and a Sonos Sub? Any reviews/feedback from folks who've paired 2 Sonos Ones and a Sonos Sub? I'm asking for a bedroom in which I'd like to play music and/or TV but not critical listening. Something convenient we can switch off by a simple tap like the Sonos One. The Sonos One is great but rolls off at 80 Hz and so the Sub will likely be directional right? I suspect crossover will be like 120 Hz?

I haven't. I just looked at them on their site and don't understand how I'd get true 5.1 decoding of my multi channel discs. ?

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qirex

· #7 · Nov 5, 2020

I would say a Sonos Amp is a good option, as you could keep your L/R speakers and sub but use play ones or Ikea speakers as surrrounds for 4.1. Phantom center is fine for most people.

There is no way to get surround sound using a Port. I wouldn't even recommend it for analog input from a TV since it introduces a significant amount of delay.

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