The Best Ways To Setting Up A Sonos System
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If you read our previous blog on multi-room audio with Sonos, you know that we highly recommend it for anyone in the New Jersey area who wants to enjoy music throughout their property. We’ve talked a lot about how the intuitive user interface and robust functionality are perfect for finding whatever song, streaming service, or radio station you’d like. But today, we’d like to talk about another key feature of Sonos: the ability to create the right music quality for each room in your home. If that has your interest piqued, then read on. We’ll outline how to take your Sonos system from good to great by choosing the right setup for each environment.
1. Different Levels of Music Quality Some rooms deserve a higher level of music quality than others. We like to think of rooms in terms of A, B, and C quality sound. You wouldn’t put ultra-high-end speakers in a laundry room or garage, but you still might want to enjoy music in that area of your home, right? On the other hand, in a dedicated listening room, the standard setup won’t deliver the full audio experience you want. So for an ideal multi-room audio setup, the first step is to identify what level of quality you need in each area of your home. From there, you can define specific audio zones and choose the equipment that makes sense for those rooms.
2. Three Ways to Deploy Sonos If you thought that all Sonos systems were created equal, then you’ll want to keep reading. There are actually three different ways to set up Sonos, each designed to achieve a specific level of music quality. Because Sonos has a modular design, you can customize it to fit your needs. Option One: Connecting Good Speakers to the CONNECT:AMP For areas where having ultra-high-end sound isn’t the top priority, consider using Sonos’ standard speakers and their CONNECT:AMP. Just connect the speakers and amp and enjoy! Option Two: Connecting Better Quality Speakers to CONNECT with Outboard DAC Amp Combo For better quality of sound, you can upgrade from Sonos’ CONNECT:AMP to a higher-end integrated DAC and Amp. Using the Sonos CONNECT, you can combine Sonos equipment with audio devices from other brands. That way, you get the same wonderful Sonos interface, but with better quality audio equipment.
Option Three: Connecting Excellent Speakers to CONNECT with High-End Audio Equipment In areas where you want top-quality sound, such as a dedicated listening room, high-end speakers are far more suitable than the standard speakers. Using CONNECT, you can control your high-end audio equipment through the Sonos app. Those high-fidelity speakers don’t have to stay separate from your whole home audio system. Instead, you get the best of both worlds: great interface and great sound. Sonos Options for Budgeting Everyone rightfully wants to know how much of an investment will be required to one of these multi-room audio options. The investment for this are broken to in to four categories:
Sonos Connect Amp or Sonos Connect
Electronics: DACs and amps
Wire
Labor
For budgeting, we will use round numbers. The Sonos Connect Amp is $500; the Connect is $350. To install 2 in-celling or in wall speakers, the labor is assumed to be $500. Given those numbers, here’s what you can expect for each option:
Good investment is $1,700 to $2,200
Better investment is $3,000 to $4,000
Best investment is $6,000 and beyond
For additional resources, please visit our page on Sonos with articles like this on everything you need to know. Additionally, you can check out our photo gallery on the same page to explore our previous work.
Bravo AV is proud to be an HTA (Home Technology Association) Certified Installation Firm and professional A/V experts. Tom Curnin, the owner of Bravo AV, is a CEDIA Professional Designer, a certified THX Level 1 home theater professional and a member of the Home Acoustic Alliance trained to Level II. You can contact Tom directly at (908) 953-0555 or through email at Tom@BravoAV.com.