Sonos Connect AMP and six ceiling speakers

Olong

Looking for some advice...

We'd like to have ceiling speakers in every room streaming music from our iPad but also from a CD player and Record player. Someone suggested we go with Sonos. I'm wondering if anyone might know if using the Sonos Connect AMP and six ceiling speakers spread through four rooms would work?

Also, the AMP would be the biggest expense so would we compromise sound quality if we bought just regular none branded ceiling speakers...(the white one's you tend to see in commercial buildings)...

Thanks for your help!

Richersounds.ie: Kenny

Olong wrote: »

Looking for some advice...

We'd like to have ceiling speakers in every room streaming music from our iPad but also from a CD player and Record player. Someone suggested we go with Sonos. I'm wondering if anyone might know if using the Sonos Connect AMP and six ceiling speakers spread through four rooms would work?

Also, the AMP would be the biggest expense so would we compromise sound quality if we bought just regular none branded ceiling speakers...(the white one's you tend to see in commercial buildings)...

Thanks for your help!

Hi Olong.

Thanks for getting in touch.

The Sonos Amp is only designed to run 1 pair of speaker. If you ran 3 pairs from it chances are you would break it. Also if you only put 1 speaker in some rooms you would only get a mono sound as you would need two for stereo. Unless you purchased a stereo in-ceiling which start at £134.99 each but again running 2 of these and 4 others would kill the Sonos Amp.

You would also need to be careful which turntable you would connect as your would need one with a built in phono stage or use an external one as the Sonos amp does not have one on board.
The Amp only has one audio input so you would need to switch between turntable and CD player. You could perhaps add a switcher box that would allow this to happen without having to unplug one each time you wanted to change.

On the ceiling speakers, we tend not to do any unbranded products. 
Our most popular in-ceiling speakers are the Monitor Audio CT165 priced at £99.95 each
http://www.richersounds.com/product/installation-speakers/monitor-audio/ct165/moni-audio-ct165
I could offer 6 of these for £500 instead of £600.

Let me know what you think, any questions just drop me a post.

Richersounds.ie: John

Olong wrote: »

Looking for some advice...

We'd like to have ceiling speakers in every room streaming music from our iPad but also from a CD player and Record player. Someone suggested we go with Sonos. I'm wondering if anyone might know if using the Sonos Connect AMP and six ceiling speakers spread through four rooms would work?

Also, the AMP would be the biggest expense so would we compromise sound quality if we bought just regular none branded ceiling speakers...(the white one's you tend to see in commercial buildings)...

Thanks for your help!

Olong,

many thanks for the post & apologies for the delay getting back to you - the ZP120 Sonos amp is quite good but I wouldn't use it to r=drive 6 speakers as its only rated at 55watts a side - also if you want to connect both a CD player and a turntable the Sonos only has one local input which is a little limiting.

If it was me I'd have a look at the new Deon Heos Amp - it's newer tech than the Sonos as it was only launched late last year - its far more powerful at 100 Watts per side ( it really does sound pretty F A N T A S T I C) - it of course has an IOS and Android App which is really easy to use - but it does lots more than the Sonos - for a start of course its more powerful, next up it has lots of inputs including:

~ Phono / RCA Line level input for your turntable ( assuming that its ahs a built in preamp of course)
~ 3.5MM line level input for portable devices
~ Digital Optical input - which you can probably use with your CD
~ USB input - you can use this with a USB thumb drive or a USB hard drive

Best of all is that any input you put into ANY Heos amp or speaker anywhere on your network is available to hear on any other Heos speaker across the network - its a brilliant system.

Of course you can also stream direct from your Pad or Phone or direct from Spotify or Tunein-radio and it also has a Subwoofer output if you want to enhance the sound.

There is a whole range of Heos speakers and they will introduce a portable battery powered budget one and a soundbar in 2015 to complete the range ( I also hear that there is a Heos 'Superamp' coming that will power 4 zones from one box - I cant wait for that!)
http://euro.richersounds.ie/p-12835-denon-heos-amp.aspx?swapstore=1


On the speaker front - honestly some of the very worst quality audio I see daily is above me - I don't know how some manufacturers get away with what they call 'hifi speakers' it is completely essential that you get decent in-ceiling speakers from a decent brand otherwise you really are just throwing your money away.. if you are looking at buying a system, just drop us a line and we will do you a really competitive package including some decent in-ceiling speakers and you will enjoy the system for years rather than kicking yourself for 'almost' doing it properly!


Thanks again for the post and please don't hesitate to drop us a line if we can assist in any way,

ATVB,

John Mc & Crew