Grouping Sonos and non-Sonos speakers

[Juan_H]

Hi guys, and first of all: sorry if this has been discussed. I've searched through and through for an answer to my problem and couldn't find it.

So here it is:

I've a Google Home speaker I use to cast music to a 5.1 stereo hooked up to Chromecast Audio grouped with a Google Mini in the bedroom. I also have a Sonos Play:1 in the kitchen I can use to well.. have music in the kitchen.

My plan has always been to cast the same music throughout the house, and I've been waiting for Google Home integration from Sonos to do this (essentially turning the Sonos Play:1 into a network speaker).

Integration finally arrived, but adds Sonos to Google Home in the form of a device rather than a speaker. This allows Google Assistant to control Sonos, but prevents Google Home to see the speaker in a way in which it can be grouped with the rest.

Can this be done with SoCo?

I ran out of options and this is my last attempt to make it work before I sell this speaker and buy one that would integrate.

Thanks in advance!

[DPH]

Hi,

I don't think you can use Sonos in that way. 

Sonos speakers can be grouped with each other, but not with non Sonos speakers. 

You could play the same source onto a non Sonos speaker and to the Play1 but they would not necessarily be in sync.

This is a Sonos limit and SoCo is there to control Sonos speakers. 

Cheers David

[Juan_H]

Thanks for your answer.

I keep searching the internet up and down for a creative way to achieve just this.

I'm technically savvy enough to understand it should be possible, and dumb enough not to understand how to make it happen.

I've even searched around for any possible way to "root" Sonos (so to speak) to turn it into just a network speaker, but came back empty handed.

Finding a way to use any form of service (locally or cloud base) that can target both Sonos and Chromecast would also do, but again.. no cigar so far.

I'll keep searching around.

Thanks again!

[Grzegorz Wierzowiecki]

the whole point is that syncing music across speakers with fines precision to not have wierd interefence effects is art by itself, that's why the whole brand Sonos exist. They do really magic by keeping them in so fine sync.

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[Juan_H]

Yeah, you're right about the complexity involved in synchronizing music across speakers; but I gotta say Google does a fantastic job at it as it is and all that's required is a cheap dongle to transform any device with a 3.5mm jack input into a smart speaker.

The only time I had problems with sync was when I tried to cast music through WiFi as well as Bluetooth. That was a mistake.

I ditched the BT dongle, replaced it for a Chromecast Audio and problem solved.

I do believe Sonos could just allow its speakers to be discovered by Google Home and used as speakers running on chromecast. All in all the Play:5 can be used that way.

Sucks that I have a Play:1

On Friday, May 17, 2019 at 2:45:14 PM UTC+2, Grzegorz Wierzowiecki wrote:

the whole point is that syncing music across speakers with fines precision to not have wierd interefence effects is art by itself, that's why the whole brand Sonos exist. They do really magic by keeping them in so fine sync.

On Fri, 17 May 2019, 12:36 Juan_H, <mr.ske...@gmail.com> wrote:

Thanks for your answer.

I keep searching the internet up and down for a creative way to achieve just this.

I'm technically savvy enough to understand it should be possible, and dumb enough not to understand how to make it happen.

I've even searched around for any possible way to "root" Sonos (so to speak) to turn it into just a network speaker, but came back empty handed.

Finding a way to use any form of service (locally or cloud base) that can target both Sonos and Chromecast would also do, but again.. no cigar so far.

I'll keep searching around.

Thanks again!

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[Grzegorz Wierzowiecki]

you can buy Sonos module that has chinch output, but simple chinch to jack 3.5 adapter and connect speakers as well.

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[Juan_H]

You mean the Sonos Connect?

If that were the case, not a bad idea but far too expensive just to be able to cast to a Sonos Play:1 too.

Might as well sell the Sonos and buy a compatible speaker (like a Marshall Multiroom) which in itself, brand new and out of the box works and is cheaper than the Sonos Connect.

Thanks for the idea though =)

On Friday, May 17, 2019 at 2:55:59 PM UTC+2, Grzegorz Wierzowiecki wrote:

you can buy Sonos module that has chinch output, but simple chinch to jack 3.5 adapter and connect speakers as well.

On Fri, 17 May 2019, 14:50 Juan_H, <mr.ske...@gmail.com> wrote:

Yeah, you're right about the complexity involved in synchronizing music across speakers; but I gotta say Google does a fantastic job at it as it is and all that's required is a cheap dongle to transform any device with a 3.5mm jack input into a smart speaker.

The only time I had problems with sync was when I tried to cast music through WiFi as well as Bluetooth. That was a mistake.

I ditched the BT dongle, replaced it for a Chromecast Audio and problem solved.

I do believe Sonos could just allow its speakers to be discovered by Google Home and used as speakers running on chromecast. All in all the Play:5 can be used that way.

Sucks that I have a Play:1

On Friday, May 17, 2019 at 2:45:14 PM UTC+2, Grzegorz Wierzowiecki wrote:

the whole point is that syncing music across speakers with fines precision to not have wierd interefence effects is art by itself, that's why the whole brand Sonos exist. They do really magic by keeping them in so fine sync.

On Fri, 17 May 2019, 12:36 Juan_H, <mr.ske...@gmail.com> wrote:

Thanks for your answer.

I keep searching the internet up and down for a creative way to achieve just this.

I'm technically savvy enough to understand it should be possible, and dumb enough not to understand how to make it happen.

I've even searched around for any possible way to "root" Sonos (so to speak) to turn it into just a network speaker, but came back empty handed.

Finding a way to use any form of service (locally or cloud base) that can target both Sonos and Chromecast would also do, but again.. no cigar so far.

I'll keep searching around.

Thanks again!

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[Kenneth Nielsen]

Just a thought. The Sonos speaker can play a "stream", so if the Google system allows you to "broadcast" what it is playing as a stream, you could play that on the Sonos 1 BUT you would probably still have sync issues.

\Kenneth

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[Juan_H]

Thanks Kenneth

See... therein lies the root of my curiosity.

This Sonos speaker has a MAC as well as an ip address, and sits in the same network as all other speakers (Google Home and Chromecast). 

I figured that, technically speaking; there should be a way in which music is "cast" into the network (using any one media server which could do the job) and then all devices would pick up the music being cast and reproduce it at the same time.

I understand that all devices being stock won't do that, but I wondered if there was a way to "root" Sonos to allow me to incorporate it into the ecosystem as if it were a Chromecast enabled device that plays nice with everything else.

On Sunday, May 19, 2019 at 9:47:38 AM UTC+2, Kenneth Nielsen wrote:

Just a thought. The Sonos speaker can play a "stream", so if the Google system allows you to "broadcast" what it is playing as a stream, you could play that on the Sonos 1 BUT you would probably still have sync issues.

\Kenneth

Den fre. 17. maj 2019 kl. 14.50 skrev Juan_H <mr.ske...@gmail.com>:

Yeah, you're right about the complexity involved in synchronizing music across speakers; but I gotta say Google does a fantastic job at it as it is and all that's required is a cheap dongle to transform any device with a 3.5mm jack input into a smart speaker.

The only time I had problems with sync was when I tried to cast music through WiFi as well as Bluetooth. That was a mistake.

I ditched the BT dongle, replaced it for a Chromecast Audio and problem solved.

I do believe Sonos could just allow its speakers to be discovered by Google Home and used as speakers running on chromecast. All in all the Play:5 can be used that way.

Sucks that I have a Play:1

On Friday, May 17, 2019 at 2:45:14 PM UTC+2, Grzegorz Wierzowiecki wrote:

the whole point is that syncing music across speakers with fines precision to not have wierd interefence effects is art by itself, that's why the whole brand Sonos exist. They do really magic by keeping them in so fine sync.

On Fri, 17 May 2019, 12:36 Juan_H, <mr.ske...@gmail.com> wrote:

Thanks for your answer.

I keep searching the internet up and down for a creative way to achieve just this.

I'm technically savvy enough to understand it should be possible, and dumb enough not to understand how to make it happen.

I've even searched around for any possible way to "root" Sonos (so to speak) to turn it into just a network speaker, but came back empty handed.

Finding a way to use any form of service (locally or cloud base) that can target both Sonos and Chromecast would also do, but again.. no cigar so far.

I'll keep searching around.

Thanks again!

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[Grzegorz Wierzowiecki]

Actually the "stream" idea is what I do for different reason:

I capture my laptop audio output and rebroadcast using cvlc via http server flac format, to have e.g. YouTube lecture speaking in all my house, so I can listen lecture when e.g. cleaning house.

However I am concerned that synchronizing Sonos and non sonos speakers to play it in sync would be a challenge...

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[Juan_H]

I'd be willing to try anything and see if it works, sure. Can you educate me as to how to do this, or maybe point me in the direction of a tutorial or guide?

Thanks for chiming in!

On Sunday, May 19, 2019 at 10:17:27 AM UTC+2, Grzegorz Wierzowiecki wrote:

Actually the "stream" idea is what I do for different reason:

I capture my laptop audio output and rebroadcast using cvlc via http server flac format, to have e.g. YouTube lecture speaking in all my house, so I can listen lecture when e.g. cleaning house.

However I am concerned that synchronizing Sonos and non sonos speakers to play it in sync would be a challenge...