rodnt
Novice Member
Active speakers can do a very good job, but you have to understand what you are getting. These tend to be Single Purpose speakers. That is, they typically have a single input, and they typically do NOT have a Remote Controls. So in a Music or Home Theater system, they need some type of generally expensive Pre-Amp to expand the number of inputs and give you remote control of the volume. Off the top of my head, the only Pre-Amps I can think of tend to run about £800.
Sorry I don't quite understand you. Except for the wireless inputs the SA Saxo 5 has 2 x optical, 1 x analog 3,5 mm stereo-jack and 1 x analog stereo-RCA. The Yamaha NX-N500 has optical, Ethernet, a 3.5mm mini-jack input and a Type-B USB port. I play from the laptop, my phone and maybe the TV, each with their own volume controls. Would that be a problem?
On the Sonos Website, the question was asked, which is better, TWO Play:1 or ONE Play:5? Sonos said 1 Play:5 is better, more and larger speakers with deeper bass.
I checked these out in the store today and man are they small! Can't judge them until I've tried it in my own home, but I find it hard to believe that a single Play:5 would provide enough bass in a normal sized living room. Actually I'm almost positive it won't. It's just too small.
But don't spend a fortune on something you will rarely use. How often will you really need the same music playing in every room? Chance are you son in his bedroom wants different music than you wife in the kitchen, and yourself in the main room. That probably represents how the system will most often be used.
I'm sure that's what it will be in a couple of years. But as of now, I'd play the same in both rooms. Flexibility is definitely a factor
There is a Sonos:Connect:Amp that has a decent amp built in. You could use this in the lounge on the main system. The Sonos:Connect:Amp does have an additional set of Analog Inputs, but it is meant to be a streaming device, so the Network connection is the main input.
That means if you intend to use this with your TV for TV/Movies, then you will need an additional DAC (digital to analog converter). Today most TVs only have Digital Output. These can cost anything from £25 up to £500 and more.
Ok, doesn't sound appealing at all.
Or for about £530 you could have the Yamaha RN602 Network Receiver with DAC and a decent pair of Passive Bookshelf Speakers.
If you have an existing main stereo system, and you want to upgrade incrementally, then adding Sonos Connect to the existing system, and later adding the Sonos Play in the kitchen and other rooms as needed, would probably be the best choice.
However, if you are starting with essentially nothing, then the Yamaha RN602 plus speakers, and a separate independent system in the kitchen is the best choice for limited money.
Yeah, this option is definitely alive. But if I go for the amp+passive option I'll probably skip Sonos and connect the different speakers with a Chromecast instead. I actually bought a nice bluetooth speaker for the kitchen today thats sound really good: Audio Pro Addon T5 review
If it's a temporary or permanent solution I don't know. But it fills today's kitchen needs. Living room's next.