Question 1

Does anyone know how good the playbar sounds without the subwoofer?

Accepted Answer

It sounds pretty good without the subwoofer.  We have a small room and have the playbar....two Play 3's and one play 5 and it sounds great.  For our small house the subwoofer would be too much and that's saying something as my husband really likes to have some bass going.  If you had a huge area to cover you might want the subwoofer.  We used to have a bose system with a subwoofer and this sounds as good at that if not better.  If you are really into your sound you probably will want something in addition to the playbar like the play 3's and/or play 5's.  We went that route because we could move them into other rooms of the house easily.  FYI - the playbar is not a petite piece so make sure you have room for it.  I hope this helps!

Question 2

Is there a way to connect all my inputs to a Denon 1612, connect that to the TV, and have the soundbar play sound from all sources?

Accepted Answer

Yes and no. The PlayBar has only one input: fiberoptic. The Denon AVR-1612 does not include a fiberoptic output, so you cannot directly connect the receiver to the PlayBar. But your TV should have a fiberoptic output, so if you connect all the devices to the Denon via HDMI cables, then connect an HDMI cable from receiver to TV, then fiberoptic cable from TV to PlayBar, you should get sound from all sources connected to the receiver.  If you do it this way, make sure that HDMI Audio Output is set to ON in the receiver set-up menu.  However, connected this way, you will *NOT* get sound from the Receiver's built-in AM/FM tuner, nor will you get sound from any older devices that are connected to the receiver using analog audio/video cables (typically red/white/yellow RCA cables). There really is no advantage to using the Denon receiver in this set-up, unless your TV only has one or two  HDMI inputs and you're trying to add more.  But you could do that more simply (and inexpensively) with a simple HDMI switch.  For simplicity, I'd recommend connecting all devices to the TV with HDMI cables, and connect the fiberoptic output of the TV to the PlayBar.  This way the TV handles all source switching and whatever source is selected on the TV will play through the PlayBar. Hope that helps.

Question 3

Watching movies.. do you have the problem of having to constantly adjust the volume to turn down action and turn up dialog?

Accepted Answer

30 years I’ve never had a product which both sounds amazing and deals with this problem, and it is a big problem with a lot of content. Everyone has their own special setting but the only ones that truly work also degrade the great sound.

I don’t think electronics can solve this as well as having a sound-dampening room, because that’s what they are mastered for (curtained theatre) and most of us have reflective drywall.

Question 4

I already have a nice subwoofer.  Is there any way (even via wireless adapter of some type) that I can use it with the Sonos Playbar?

Accepted Answer

Paul,  not directly, there are a couple options..  if the subwoofer is powered then you need to buy a Sonos connect and plug the subwoofer into that and then pair that in your settings to your playbar the other option if your subwoofer is not powered you would have to purchase a sonos connect amp and do the same thing, I have done both of these options in my home and they work very well. The sonos connect is half the price Of the sonos sub,  you could look at it that way :-)

ASIN	B00AEMGGU2
Additional Features	Wireless, Multi Room Audio, Bass Boost
Antenna Location	For Televisions
Audio Driver Type	Dynamic Driver
Audio Output Mode	Surround
Best Sellers Rank	#226,896 in Electronics ( See Top 100 in Electronics ) #762 in Home Audio Sound Bars
Brand	Sonos
Built-In Media	TV and Power Cord
Color	Black
Compatible Devices	Television
Connectivity Protocol	Wi-Fi
Connectivity Technology	WiFi network
Control Method	Voice
Controller Type	Amazon Alexa, vera
Customer Reviews	4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars (1,939)
Enclosure Material	Metal, Plastic
Frequency Response	56 hertz
Global Trade Identification Number	00180501002847
Input Voltage	240 volts
Is Waterproof	FALSE
Item Dimensions D x W x H	5.51"D x 35.4"W x 3.35"H
Item Weight	12.1 pounds
Manufacturer	Sonos
Model Name	Sonos PLAYBAR
Model Number	PBAR1US1BLK
Mounting Type	Wall Mount
Number Of Circuits	1
Number of Audio Channels	3
Number of Batteries	2 Lithium Ion batteries required.
Number of Items	1
Power Source	Corded Electric
Processor Count	4
Speaker Maximum Output Power	200 watts
Speaker Size	8.64 centimeters
Speaker Type	Soundbar
Specific Uses For Product	Home theater and music streaming
Subwoofer Connectivity Technology	Wireless
Subwoofer Diameter	14 centimeters
Total Ethernet Ports	1
Tweeter Diameter	1 inches
UPC	180501002847
Unit Count	1 Count
Warranty Description	1 year coverage for labor, 1 year coverage for parts
Warranty Type	12
Water Resistance Level	Not Water Resistant
Wireless Technology	Wi-Fi

Sonos Playbar (2013) - Black

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