Building an audio setup is not the easiest thing. You’ll need to determine how much you’re willing to spend, what you’re going to use it for, etc. But especially with most TVs requiring at least one soundbar to boost their sound, almost everyone has to build their own audio setup at some point — no matter how simply.
Because of this, Sonos speakers are a great solution for many audio setups. No, they’re not the cheapest speakers — the “entry-level” Sonos One is $219 new — but they’re well made, have great sound quality, and are incredibly versatile. Add to that the newer offerings like One have built-in smart assistants like Alexa and Google Assistant, and there are plenty of reasons to choose Sonos speakers for your audio setup.
And while I’m not quite there yet to build a Sonos home audio system (which is my ultimate goal), Sonos speakers are still an important part of my audio setup. I currently have an old Sonos Play:1 (the predecessor to the Sonos One) connected to an Amazon Echo dot in the kitchen and a Sonos Beam soundbar for the TV in the living room, but the anchor of my audio setup is the small one black box doesn’t even have a speaker – the Sonos Amp.
The Sonos Amp is a game changer
If you go to our list of the best Sonos speakers, you won’t find the Sonos Amp. That’s because, as mentioned, there are no speakers. But that’s no bad thing, as you can bring your own hardware into your existing Sonos audio setup.
Our audio editor Lee Dunkley raved about the Sonos Amp last year for exactly this reason. While soundbars like the Sonos Beam (Gen 2) or the Sonos Ray produce great sound in compact packages, there are still better hi-fi speakers out there if you really want the best TV sound possible. The Sonos Amp lets you connect existing speakers and TVs to the Amp, effectively turning them into Sonos speakers. This also works with turntables – that’s exactly why I got the Sonos Amp.
How I use Sonos Amp in my audio setup
I’m a big fan of vinyl. As a former professional musician, I freely admit that digital audio is objectively better, but there’s just something about listening to an album without skipping and recording everything. One of my fondest memories from the past year was just plugging my Sony headphones into my turntable, laying on the floor of my DC apartment, and listening to Idles’ album Crawler from start to finish.
But sometimes I just want to lounge on the couch and listen to an album, or switch between my turntable and TV, or stream music, and the Sonos Amp lets me do that with ease. I just plug the turntable into my Sonos Amp, drop the needle, and I can control everything from the Sonos app. It’s incredibly convenient and allows me to play my record collection through my Sonos Beam soundbar, which is already connected to my TV. It’s a lot easier than having a separate audio setup for my turntable and TV in the same room.
(Image credit: Sonos)
Yes, there are now third party solutions that solve my problem. Victrola has launched the Stream Carbon (opens in new tab) and Stream Onyx (opens in new tab) turntables, which allow you to connect your turntable to your Sonos ecosystem without the Sonos Amp – but they don’t come cheap. The Onyx is the cheapest at $599, just $100 less than the Sonos Amp’s $699 price tag. If you already have your own turntable or speakers, the amp is probably a wiser investment than buying one brand new turntable just to connect it to your Sonos speakers (which you would still have to buy or own separately).
Even with these new products, I still recommend the Sonos Amp if you’re looking to add a turntable to your audio setup. It allows you to choose your own turntable and it’s the obvious choice if you already own a turntable. I got one almost five years ago and it’s still my favorite part of my audio setup.
Today’s best Sonos amp deals
Source: www.tomsguide.com
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