How to Create the Perfect Sound System: Sonos Ceiling, In-Wall, Outdoor Speakers & Amp - A Complete Guide
About Sonos
Sonos are the leaders in multi-room audio & have been perfecting precise sound from room to room since 2002. They are one of the most popular brands for creating an immersive home system due to their user friendly App, which allows you to group across rooms to create the ultimate experience.
What we love at a glance
✓ Complete ecosystem - including portable speakers, bookshelf speakers, soundbars etc.
✓ Works with your TV or Sonos soundbar
✓ Can be used for surround sound (in conjunction with a Sonos Soundbar or Sonos Amp)
✓ Multi-Room
✓ Can support up to 3 pairs of ceiling speaker per Amp (most smart amplifiers are limited to 2 pairs)
✓ User-friendly App
✓ Future-Proof Technology - Sonos is constantly updating to ensure you recieve the best possible experience & latest technology
How is the Sonos App controlled?
✓ An easy to use App on your device (mobile, tablet, computer etc)
✓ Apple Airplay
✓ Spotify Connect
✓ Compatible with Google Assistant & Amazon Alexa
What’s the Sonos ecosystem like?
The great thing about Sonos is it has one of the most expansive ecosystems. For example, you can use one of their portable speakers and take that from room to room and to even fuel a garden party! Or you could use a Sonos soundbar for home cinema use, and double that up as a music speaker for your lounge - all of which will link with the App and therefore your ceiling speakers.
✓ Soundbars (for home cinema)
✓ Bookshelf speakers (for music or surround sound)
✓ Portable speakers (for around the home, garden or even taking out and about)
✓ Subwoofers (for that extra bass in home cinema use, or for music)
How does the Sonos Architectural range work?
You will need a Sonos Amp to power each zone of audio. But what is a zone? A zone is an ‘independent’ area of audio. Therefore, if you’d like to listen to different audio in your kitchen, from the audio in the dining room, you’ll need 2 Amps. Think about how many zones you’d like around your home and how many speakers you need in each room.
Each Amp can be ‘grouped’ to have audio follow you from room to room, or they can each work independently. You can ‘group’ the Amp with any other Sonos speakers around your home.
What are the Sonos Amp’s limitations?
You can fit a total of 2 pairs of non-Sonos branded speakers on one Amp, OR 3 pairs of Sonos branded speakers. You would need an Amp per zone of audio. (Please note, a single stereo speaker still counts as a pair so consider this when working out how many Amp’s you’ll need.)
I don’t want lots of Sonos Amps. Is there a workaround?
There are a few workarounds for this.
The first one is to use a speaker switch (we recommend Audio Flow). A speaker switch won’t allow you to play different audio at different volumes but it will allow you to turn off a set of speakers. So when can this be useful? Say you want to put outdoor speakers and your kitchen speaker on one Amp. You can use a speaker switch to turn off the outdoor speaker when not in use. Another example would be if you’d like to put your en-suite and bedroom speakers on one Amp. You can use the speaker to turn off the en-suite speaker when not in use and vice-versa.
The next option would be to use a bookshelf speaker in secondary areas. Sonos’s Bookshelf speakers look really smart, and can really fit into the decor in the right areas. They link seamlessly with your Amp and ceiling speakers and they work out a lot cheaper, as they don’t need to be powered by the Amp (the Amp is built into the speaker itself.)
Similarly, if you’d like outdoor speakers, but it would need another Amp, why not consider a portable speaker like the Sonos Move 2? You can wall mount the Sonos Move 2 in the garden, but the downside is, while it’s water resistant, it isn’t recommended to leave the speaker outside overnight. It would also need to be charged but a big benefit is you don’t just need to us it as an outdoor speaker and on rainy days or winter months, you can use the speaker around your home, or even to take on a picnic day out.
What does the Sonos App look like?
See for yourself! The App is super intuitive and you can add all of your favourite music services for ease of use. Choose from services like Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, Tidal, Deezer. You can even choose from the thousands of radio stations that are already on the Sonos App, making every day listening simple and easy!
FAQ on the Sonos Amp & in-ceiling system
Do I need a Sonos Amp?
If you want to power the Sonos in-ceiling, in-wall, or outdoor speakers you will need a Sonos Amp. All other Sonos speakers have an Amp built into the speaker itself, so they won’t need to be powered by the Sonos Amp.
How many Sonos Amps do I need?
You’ll need an Amp per zone of audio. Would you like separate music playing in the kitchen, dining room & lounge? Then you’ll need 3 Amps. You can fit a total of 3 pairs of Sonos branded speakers on one Amp, or 2 pairs of non-Sonos branded speakers (single stereo count as a pair). If you go over this, you’ll need another Amp.
Does the Sonos Amp have Bluetooth?
No, the Sonos Amp itself doesn’t feature bluetooth. A big reason for this is Bluetooth does have its limitations. It can drop out if you’re not within a certain distance of the Bluetooth device and thick walls, or certain devices can also cause dropouts. A lot of people keep their Amp’s in a central cupboard, so interference can cause drop outs too. Nothing is more frustrating than audio dropouts, so Wi-Fi provides a more solid connection.
I want to create a surround sound ceiling speaker system. How many Amps do I need?
The Sonos Amp doesn’t work like an AV Amp. This means you would need an Amp for the front channels of audio and an Amp for the back (surround sound) channels of audio. While you can fit 2 pairs of speakers on one Amp, all the speakers would then replicate the front channels of audio and you wouldn’t receive surround sound.
How many speakers do I need to connect to the Amp for TV audio?
The Sonos Amp creates a ‘phantom centre channel’ meaning you’d only need to connect 2 speakers for the front channels of TV audio, there is no input for a centre channel.
Can I use Amazon Alexa/Google Assistant to control the Sonos Amp?
The Sonos Amp doesn’t have a microphone built in, this is because the Amp is often kept in a central cupboard away from where the ceiling speakers are being used.
Don’t worry! Sonos has a feature in which you can use an Alexa or Google device to control the Sonos Amp.
Where can I put the Sonos Amp?
The Sonos Amp is very flexible, and you can really place it anywhere! As long as it’s accessible and in reach of the Wi-Fi you’re good to go.
What cable do I need?
For indoor speakers, we just recommend the 16 gauge 2 core speaker cable. When speaking to companies, they may try to upsell you on speaker cable, so watch out! You will need to upgrade the cable if you’re running super long lengths (longer than 32m) then check out 14 gauge 2 core speaker cable.
For the outdoor speakers, you will need something more robust! Weather proof cable will do the job.
Is there anything else I need to create a ceiling speaker system?
You may also need to consider Fire Hoods. Fire Hoods are legal requirements if you have habitable rooms above where you’re looking to install (like bedrooms for example.)
What ceiling speakers can I pair with the Sonos Amp?
You can pair any of our passive ceiling speakers on the website with the Sonos Amp just remember the Amp’s limitations
How far apart should I distance my ceiling speakers?
2-3 metres apart is the ideal positioning.
I don’t have room to position my ceiling speakers 2-3 metres apart, what can I do?
Not to worry, you can install a single stereo. A single stereo features a ‘twin tweeter’ - the left channel is sent through the left tweeter and the right through the right tweeter.
Can I install on a pitched/slanted roof?
Yes you can but you’ll also get a better experience if you install the speakers in the closest half of the ceiling to where it meets the wall so the speakers are not positioned too high up. We also recommend choosing a ceiling speaker with a pivot-table tweeter or driver so the angle of the ceiling can be offset by angling the tweeter or driver back downwards.