£280 (or £279 if we're being pedantic) is the RRP and buyers will shop around. It's not showing for £230 on the RS site but £264. That's not surprising, there's sod-all margin in the product
Sonos 5.1 setup possible from multiple sources??
- Thread starter Chris [BEANS]
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Sony aren't very forthcoming with accurate info on their products, but I'd lay odds at 99:1 that the KDL40W705 is like most other sets and it only give DD 5.1 from its own internal tuner (and then only for the very small number of HD-only channels that broadcast the occasional programme in DD5.1) and also for any streamed content via the TVs own browser/streaming function that carries DD5.1 audio. I am 99% certain that your PS4 won't give DD5.1 through the telly and out via Optical. It'll get down-converted to basic stereo. So DD5.1 only applies to the internal tuner (and then only in a very specific set of circumstances) and streamed content from the Sony's own browser and nothing else.Chris [BEANS];29147738 said:
Ergo: If you want DD5.1 from the PS4and your other sources you will definitely need the switch to route that sound direct to the Playbar. If you go via the TV it'll be 'frucked up'
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Sony aren't very forthcoming with accurate info on their products, but I'd lay odds at 99:1 that the KDL40W705 is like most other sets and it only give DD 5.1 from its own internal tuner (and then only for the very small number of HD-only channels that broadcast the occasional programme in DD5.1) and also for any streamed content via the TVs own browser/streaming function that carries DD5.1 audio. I am 99% certain that your PS4 won't give DD5.1 through the telly and out via Optical. It'll get down-converted to basic stereo. So DD5.1 only applies to the internal tuner (and then only in a very specific set of circumstances) and streamed content from the Sony's own browser and nothing else.
Ergo: If you want DD5.1 from the PS4and your other sources you will definitely need the switch to route that sound direct to the Playbar. If you go via the TV it'll be 'frucked up'
Understood! So an optical switch it is!
I can live with that, no issue at all, and there's no issue with mutiple remotes.
I genuinely don't care about using three or four, which is wierd, because everything else has to be super minimalist and neat!
I've googled with no success, does anyone know of an optical switch with either Bluetooth or app (ios) control? I'd like to hide it if at all possible.
Edit: lucid, I won't keep thanking you, it's getting cringy! So genuine massive thanks, and from now on the thanks is implied in any replies!!
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Apologies for dragging this thread off on a tangent but can someone explain how to correctly use extra zone outputs on a receiver. And would this allow two different inputs to be spun out to two different outputs?
Caporegime
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Personally I don't see how a playbar and 2 wireless speakers is proper 5.1. it's 3.1 IMO but instead of 2 front speakers you got 2 back speakers.
the playbar is a soundbar so just like a big centre speaker not a centre and a front L and R.
Sonos also IMO is just ridiculously expensive for what it is. Why has no other company made wireless speakers that work with AVR's?
the playbar is a soundbar so just like a big centre speaker not a centre and a front L and R.
Sonos also IMO is just ridiculously expensive for what it is. Why has no other company made wireless speakers that work with AVR's?
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Thanks
Caporegime
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The soundbar deals with the front 3 channels, and does give some stereo separation as it has sidewards firing drivers. So it doesn't act simply as a centre.
I personally love my Sonos kit but wouldn't go for a 5.1 setup - expensive, no HD support, limited connectivity.
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First off the functionality depends on the capabilities of the AV Receiver, so there isn't a one-size-fits-all answer, but in very broad terms there's AV Receivers with analogue audio only for Zone 2, and then there's higher range receivers that support digital audio decoding for both zones.
The set-up starts with the 'Speakers Configuration' page. Here's where the choice is made whether to run the amp as a single zone in 7.1 or to split the speaker outputs in to two groups: Main zone 5.1 and Zone 2 which is stereo. Once that choice is made then it enables the amp's ability to work as two different zones independently. What this means is either zone can be switched on or off without affecting the other, and they have independent source selection and independent volume control. Accessing the functions can usually be done from the front panel or by switching the remote so it sends out a different set of IR codes for Z2 compared to Z1. App control is fairly common now of course, so if you have a tablet or smartphone you can access the control via that too.
Analogue vs Digital:
It used to be the case that Z2 sources were limited to just analogue signals. IOW red/white phonos. That's still the case with entry-level and midrange 7.1 receivers. This means if you want to have the sound from your Sky box playing in the kitchen as Z2 then you need an extra set of connections alongside either the HDMI or Optical. The reason for this is because there's one set of DACs in the amp and they're assigned to the main zone for decoding digital audio i.e. they can't do two jobs at once decoding say Blu-ray for the main zone and streamed audio for Z2. In the main then it's any analogue input or the radio for Z2. Once you get to the much bigger amps that support Zones 3 and possibly Z4 then you're spending the sort of money where you night find digital audio support for Z2 (but not Z3/4).
To make use of the Z2 feature all you really need is a decent pair of speakers and some thick speaker cable. The location of Z2 tends to be further away than the main zone so the power loss in the cables can become significant. IOW don't use bell wire because you think "it's only Zone 2". The sound quality when done right from Z2 will rival most basic Hi-Fi systems and I'm not talking about the £99 shelf systems sold by Currys here but something far more capable.
That's usually the first cry of the ignorant. The Sonos ecosystem is a beautifully elegant solution to multiroom audio. It's one that several companies have tried and failed to beat at price points lower and the same as and higher.
Taking the 5.1 system in isolation then I and others have show that there are technically superior solutions if one wants a greater range of inputs or wider array of decoding support or greater precision in surround effects placement. But as demonstrated by Chris [BEANS]'s decision there are other motivating factors at play. Sonos provides an effective solution.
They have. The best of the bunch of 'let's make some speakers wireless for add-on use with audio systems' was done by KEF a few years ago. £699 got you a base station transmitter that would accept line level or high level inputs and a base station receiver that connected to a pair of the firm's 'egg' speakers. The sound quality was very close to conventional wired speakers.
The other solutions have been more 'low rent' in their approach. Those included with all-in-one home cinema kits work with restricted audio frequency range and use some rather heavy-handed signal compression. In the context of such a system the sound quality compromises are acceptable, but they wouldn't stand scrutiny within a decent entry-level separates system.
Caporegime
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Even so it is horribly overpriced. £600 for a sound bar. Another £600 for a subwoofer. £300 for a bridge.
Doesnt support a host of audio formats either. Limited inputs. Apart from wireless all i can see are disadvantages to owning one.
Its great if you want wireless.
But its hundreds of pounds for 1 small speaker.
I also dont understand why you would really require the same sound throughout a whole house. Its why i have seperate systems throughout mine.
Also i can connect to them all using bluetooth. So i can easily switch from one to the other if need be. I could also buy a wifi dac for them all too if i really wanted or a fire tv stick for prime music. I just dont see the need personally.
I have avr in living room. Soundbar in bedroom. Roth oli's in home gym.
Replacing them with sonos would have cost me 5-10 times as much.
Also my soundbar has angled drivers too. I would still say its a glorified centre speaker albeit a very good one. I have a ysp 1400 fyi. Its a brilliant soundbar but no way does it come close to a real 3.0 system.
Doesnt support a host of audio formats either. Limited inputs. Apart from wireless all i can see are disadvantages to owning one.
Its great if you want wireless.
But its hundreds of pounds for 1 small speaker.
I also dont understand why you would really require the same sound throughout a whole house. Its why i have seperate systems throughout mine.
Also i can connect to them all using bluetooth. So i can easily switch from one to the other if need be. I could also buy a wifi dac for them all too if i really wanted or a fire tv stick for prime music. I just dont see the need personally.
I have avr in living room. Soundbar in bedroom. Roth oli's in home gym.
Replacing them with sonos would have cost me 5-10 times as much.
Also my soundbar has angled drivers too. I would still say its a glorified centre speaker albeit a very good one. I have a ysp 1400 fyi. Its a brilliant soundbar but no way does it come close to a real 3.0 system.
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You can't claim something is overpriced and then go on to disregard every single feature that makes it worth that sort of money.
So you don't see value in having music playing perfectly in sync across multiple rooms, that's fine, don't buy Sonos.
So you don't see value in having music playing perfectly in sync across multiple rooms, that's fine, don't buy Sonos.
I doubt anyone is losing any sleep over the fact that you can't appreciate what Sonos does. Let's face it, it's not hard to find people who would baulk at the price of a pair of Oli POWA-5's or struggle to understand why you spent £150 on a secondhand soundbar when there's half a dozen choices under £50 at Argos that on the face of it do the same job. Let's not even get in to what you spent on headphone rigs, eh.
I'll give you one single fact that sums up the market and demonstrates how out-of-step you are with general consumer sentiment.... The single best selling soundbar in the UK market is the Sonos Playbar...... BOOM!
Sonos is to streamed music replay what Apple is to the iPod market, Smartphones and tablets. It's THE game changer and trend setter.
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So, after MUCH googling, I think I've found the optical switch I want.
http://www.futureshop.co.uk/blustre...ac-audio-conversion-p-10568.html#.Vrj4spobinM
Not only is it a much more sensible design than anything else I've found, but it also has the option of an IR extension so I can hide it and discretely mount the receiver somewhere too.
So, I now need four optical cables.... These appear to vary wildly in price!!
I think four 1m cables will do it, so does anyone have any recommendations (lucid, I'm looking at you!)?
http://www.futureshop.co.uk/blustre...ac-audio-conversion-p-10568.html#.Vrj4spobinM
Not only is it a much more sensible design than anything else I've found, but it also has the option of an IR extension so I can hide it and discretely mount the receiver somewhere too.
So, I now need four optical cables.... These appear to vary wildly in price!!
I think four 1m cables will do it, so does anyone have any recommendations (lucid, I'm looking at you!)?
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Right.... I apologise fellas, but it'll be a while before I report back!
Just ordered the switch above, and four optical cables from eBay, but currently my house has no flooring and is pretty much a building site.
It's all booked up, but until it's in there's no point in hooking everything up.
As soon as that's done I'll scoop up the Sonos system and report back.
After all my searching there seems to be very little info on setting up a Sonos 5.1 setup with multiple inputs, and there seems to be a great deal of conflicting info on the Sonos 5.1 system working with the PS4.
Once it's all in I'll give it a decent write up, I'll post a load of pics, and I 'may' knock up a short video too, especially if it all works as planned.
That way, people as dumb as me, but not lucky enough to have the guidance of this thread will have some solid answers and an idiots guide to getting it all working!
Just ordered the switch above, and four optical cables from eBay, but currently my house has no flooring and is pretty much a building site.
It's all booked up, but until it's in there's no point in hooking everything up.
As soon as that's done I'll scoop up the Sonos system and report back.
After all my searching there seems to be very little info on setting up a Sonos 5.1 setup with multiple inputs, and there seems to be a great deal of conflicting info on the Sonos 5.1 system working with the PS4.
Once it's all in I'll give it a decent write up, I'll post a load of pics, and I 'may' knock up a short video too, especially if it all works as planned.
That way, people as dumb as me, but not lucky enough to have the guidance of this thread will have some solid answers and an idiots guide to getting it all working!
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£280 (or £279 if we're being pedantic) is the RRP and buyers will shop around. It's not showing for £230 on the RS site but £264. That's not surprising, there's sod-all margin in the product
It was £230 when I posted, or I wouldn't have posted. How dare they change the price
And don't be pedantic - it doesn't suit you
May not be the same as a full dedicated 5.1 system but it sure sounds amazing.
I started with just the PlayBar and rear Play1's and only recently added the Sub. Yeah it cost a fair whack but I love the flexibility and the "no wires" of the system. If we have friends round, I can unplug the sub from the wall socket, take it downstairs and pair it with a Play 5. Simple as that.
My Sony KDL32W654 handles the passthrough 5.1 fine, my only annoyance with the system is that it doesn't support DTS.
I started with just the PlayBar and rear Play1's and only recently added the Sub. Yeah it cost a fair whack but I love the flexibility and the "no wires" of the system. If we have friends round, I can unplug the sub from the wall socket, take it downstairs and pair it with a Play 5. Simple as that.
My Sony KDL32W654 handles the passthrough 5.1 fine, my only annoyance with the system is that it doesn't support DTS.
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Good to hear!
Can I ask what you've got plugged into the TV that you get 5.1 from? Console, dedicated bluray player, etc?
Would be great if my TV handles the passthrough without the need for the optical switch, much more elegant, but I've ordered one now anyway so that when it comes to setting up if mine doesn't then I don't have to wait an extra few days for the switch.
I'm optimistic now! My TV is a Sony too (although I have a Samsung available and I will try both out) and I think is a slightly higher spec (the numbers after the 'w' are slightly higher) so fingers crossed it will have the same passthrough... erm.... ability? Capability? Erm... do it too, fingers crossed it will do it too
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Looking at about two weeks before my house is sorted and I can get these speakers in....
In the mean time, I just need to make sure I have everything I need.
So far, I have the optical switch, 4 X optical cables, and I'll have the speakers as soon as the house is done.
Is there a streaming video/audio track that I can use so that I'll be able to tell whether each speaker is making noise when it should, and in turn, not making noise when it shouldn't??
Edit: I mean specifically some sort of test track that will let me know that, for example, only front left will play next, then play a sound....
In the mean time, I just need to make sure I have everything I need.
So far, I have the optical switch, 4 X optical cables, and I'll have the speakers as soon as the house is done.
Is there a streaming video/audio track that I can use so that I'll be able to tell whether each speaker is making noise when it should, and in turn, not making noise when it shouldn't??
Edit: I mean specifically some sort of test track that will let me know that, for example, only front left will play next, then play a sound....
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If the OP wants to watch bu rays is that going to work in 5.1 if the Sonos only decodes vanilla Dolby Digital via optical?
Ive never really done down mixing but with the vast majority of Blu Rays being in DTS HD i know the stream can be down mixed to DTS but not aware if it can be made into Dolby Digital and hence no 5.1 ?
Ive never really done down mixing but with the vast majority of Blu Rays being in DTS HD i know the stream can be down mixed to DTS but not aware if it can be made into Dolby Digital and hence no 5.1 ?