Outdoor speaker recommenation for Sonos Amp?

R

roofust

Audiophyte
’m looking to connect 4 speakers to my Sonos Amp (i can do that, right?) for around my pool area. I can’t afford the high end stuff so I’m looking for any feedback on the following:

OSD RX640

OSD RX550

Theater Solutions 2RG8

Theater Solutions 4R6G



Any feedback/input would be appreciated.

I did search around the forum but the posts were either old or for speakers that cost 300+/ea.

I’d prefer the rock speaker and could probably go to $300-$400 total.

Thanks in advance for your help!
 
lovinthehd

lovinthehd

Audioholic Jedi
Why do you want four speakers? It is only a 2ch amp, so could be an impedance issue depending on speakers (and I don't see but an 8 ohm rating for the amp).
 
R

roofust

Audiophyte
Why do you want four speakers? It is only a 2ch amp, so could be an impedance issue depending on speakers (and I don't see but an 8 ohm rating for the amp).
Thanks for your reply!!!
Ok maybe I don't need 4 then … I'm more than inexperience in this area. There are instructions in the manual for how to connect 4 so I didn't think it would be an issue. Please explain if you don't mind (and so I don't get the wrong stuff!)
 
lovinthehd

lovinthehd

Audioholic Jedi
Four in mono might spread audio around a larger area, but competing stereo pairs isn't something I'd do. Not a fan of rock speakers either, prefer them up around ear level myself rather than sitting on the ground....but placement options vary from house to house. I'm not sure I looked at the same amp model, but the one I saw only had two speaker terminals. Got a link to what you're looking at for four speakers? Try this article for starters though https://www.audioholics.com/loudspeaker-design/loudspeaker-impedance-series-parallel-connection-basics
 
R

roofust

Audiophyte
Four in mono might spread audio around a larger area, but competing stereo pairs isn't something I'd do. Not a fan of rock speakers either, prefer them up around ear level myself rather than sitting on the ground....but placement options vary from house to house. I'm not sure I looked at the same amp model, but the one I saw only had two speaker terminals. Got a link to what you're looking at for four speakers? Try this article for starters though https://www.audioholics.com/loudspeaker-design/loudspeaker-impedance-series-parallel-connection-basics
My mistake, I have the Connect:Amp (https://www.sonos.com/en-us/shop/amp.html). The speakers I was considering were these OSD RX640.

Thanks for the link, I'm trying to absorb it ...

So if I want 4, they should be mono speakers (and sure what that is) not stereo? Clearly another area I do not understand.... explanation or link appreciated...

Thanks again for your replies!
 
lovinthehd

lovinthehd

Audioholic Jedi
My mistake, I have the Connect:Amp (https://www.sonos.com/en-us/shop/amp.html). The speakers I was considering were these OSD RX640.

Thanks for the link, I'm trying to absorb it ...

So if I want 4, they should be mono speakers (and sure what that is) not stereo? Clearly another area I do not understand.... explanation or link appreciated...

Thanks again for your replies!
Well, that still appears to be a 2ch amp with just a pair of speaker terminals. I do see this section in the manual for connecting speakers:

Attach desired speakers

Your speakers’ power rating should be at least 125W for 8 ohm speakers, and at least 200W for 4 ohm speakers. Do not connect speakers rated at less than 4 ohm.

Note:Amp can drive speakers with nominal impedance above 4 ohms. Two pairs of 8 ohm speakers wired in parallel are also supported. Don’t wire your speakers in series because it will result in poor sound quality.

  1. Remove the cap from the banana plug to reveal the connection hole.
  2. Insert the stripped end of the speaker wire into the hole, then return the cap to the banana plug to secure the connection.
  3. Note:Connect the red (+) and black (-) terminals from each speaker to the corresponding banana plug and terminal on Amp. Mismatching of polarities will result in weak central sound and a distorted sense of sound direction.
  4. Insert the banana plug into the proper speaker terminal on the back of Amp.
  5. Repeat to install the other speaker wires.
While it is stupid to say that the speakers power rating should be at least 125W/200W (it's like they don't know how it works....). If you do connect four speakers in parallel they are only recommending 8 ohm impedance speakers....which the speakers you linked are rated at, so should be okay (altho many speakers can dip well below their stated nominal impedance....impedance varies with the frequency being reproduced).

Mono is where all the audio information is in one channel--monophonic. A 2ch stereo signal has slightly different information in each channel. Your amp seems to have a mono mode so no problem.
 
R

roofust

Audiophyte
Well, that still appears to be a 2ch amp with just a pair of speaker terminals. I do see this section in the manual for connecting speakers:

Attach desired speakers

Your speakers’ power rating should be at least 125W for 8 ohm speakers, and at least 200W for 4 ohm speakers. Do not connect speakers rated at less than 4 ohm.

Note:Amp can drive speakers with nominal impedance above 4 ohms. Two pairs of 8 ohm speakers wired in parallel are also supported. Don’t wire your speakers in series because it will result in poor sound quality.

  1. Remove the cap from the banana plug to reveal the connection hole.
  2. Insert the stripped end of the speaker wire into the hole, then return the cap to the banana plug to secure the connection.
  3. Note:Connect the red (+) and black (-) terminals from each speaker to the corresponding banana plug and terminal on Amp. Mismatching of polarities will result in weak central sound and a distorted sense of sound direction.
  4. Insert the banana plug into the proper speaker terminal on the back of Amp.
  5. Repeat to install the other speaker wires.
While it is stupid to say that the speakers power rating should be at least 125W/200W (it's like they don't know how it works....). If you do connect four speakers in parallel they are only recommending 8 ohm impedance speakers....which the speakers you linked are rated at, so should be okay (altho many speakers can dip well below their stated nominal impedance....impedance varies with the frequency being reproduced).

Mono is where all the audio information is in one channel--monophonic. A 2ch stereo signal has slightly different information in each channel. Your amp seems to have a mono mode so no problem.
Ok so it sounds like I can connect the speakers I listed in the manner described in the manual .... do the question is should i?
or should i connect 4 mono speakers? is that even a thing? and how does that differ in sound?
 
lovinthehd

lovinthehd

Audioholic Jedi
Ok so it sounds like I can connect the speakers I listed in the manner described in the manual .... do the question is should i?
or should i connect 4 mono speakers? is that even a thing? and how does that differ in sound?
All speakers on their own or one at a time are mono. It's a recording method that used to be the norm :) So if you're listening to audio recorded in 2ch stereo, you'd use the mono mode in the amp to sum that information to be the same in each channel, which is normally recommended for distributed audio of this kind.

You can hook them up but I'd be careful of high volume sessions as that could stress the amp depending on the true impedance profile of those speakers and just how 4 ohm capable that amp actually is.
 
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