Admittedly, this post was intended for my Father-In-Law. He is a man of many talents. Sadly though, home theater and streaming audio installation are not one of those talents. Like many people, he struggles to find a simplified solution for enjoying his music and movies.

The intent of this post is to share two popular options in a face-off to provide you with just enough industry knowledge to make the best decision for your home audio needs.

Audiophiles aside, the following content will help demystify for most individuals the basic differences between the Sonos ecosystem and a home theater surround sound set up with an a/v receiver. Tighten up your gloves because this will be an all-out audio slugfest!

Sonos

Sonos was established back in 2002 in California and has focused on revolutionizing the music streaming market with various audio and speaker systems which connect wirelessly, allowing the user to stream their music from various locations in the home.

I would describe Sonos as a wireless audio streaming platform or ecosystem. The brilliance of Sonos is its capability to simplify the home audio experience by removing the speaker wires needed to connect traditional speakers to a stereo amplifier.

Sonos has a dedicated control app. This app is the brains for which this system operates.

According to sonos.com, the app allows one to: Easily manage your system from any room. Browse music, radio, podcasts, and audiobooks, adjust the volume, group speakers to play in sync, set custom alarms, and more.

All you need to achieve this is a power source, network connection and the Sonos app to have a functioning system. In Sonos’ 20+ years on the market, they continue to refine their ecosystem and product offering.

Speakers

There are several types of speakers to choose from to build out your Sonos system. There are smart speakers (voice enabled), portable & bookshelf speakers and sound bars. Sonos offers in-wall and in-ceiling speakers as well for a seamless look along with outdoor specific speakers for your back yard oasis.

Sub Woofers

Sonos offers a 3rd generation sub-woofer and the new sub mini. The ability to place the sub-woofer anywhere in the room (no component wires needed) is a life saver as all one needs is a power outlet.  

Amplifier

Do you already have wired speakers? Not a problem. The Sonos Amp will assimilate your passive speakers into the Sonos ecosystem, powering them with 125 watts per channel.

Sonos conveniently offers packaged systems for those of you wanting a solution for your home theater system set up. The setup allows one to experience an immersive 5.1 surround sound home theater experience. More on the meaning of this “5.1” below.

 Pros

-No speaker wires!

-Clean, minimalist appearance

-Simplified customization of your system

-Stream content from all your favorite services from one app

-Easy (I think I said this a few times above)

 Cons

-You exist in the Sonos ecosystem and these products command a price premium

-More “techie”. Some may enjoy the analog speaker experience.

-Internet connection required for most speakers

-Currently limited to 5.1 surround sound

 Home Theater Receiver

According to hometheateracademy.com, an a/v receiver is the central hub of your home theater system, and probably the most important part. It connects your input device (think DVD player, streaming stick etc.) to your output device (TV or speakers). It also allows you to switch between devices and can amplify signals for more intricate systems.

Check out crutchfield.com (link below) on “The Evolution of Home Theater” by Steve Kindig for a home theater history lesson. Crutchfield is a fantastic resource to research and shop for audio, video, electronics and more.

What’s the difference between a stereo receiver and home theater receiver?

According to lifewire.com, a home theater receiver (also called an AV receiver or surround sound receiver) is optimized to be the central connection and control hub for the audio and video needs of a home theater system. A stereo receiver is optimized to serve as the control and connection hub for an audio-only listening experience.

True purists will purchase a stereo receiver (like the one pictured below) and build out a multi-component system. You can spend as much money as you’d like here as the options are nearly limitless, as is the space for which you would house the componentry.

The a/v receiver is the body of your system

Think of your external inputs (TV, Content Provider), speakers and sub woofer(s) as the hands and feet of your system. The connection wires are the arms and legs bridging your appendages (analogy is officially getting weird) to the body. The receiver is the brains, power, and command center for your surround sound experience. 

The configurations of a home theater system are incredibly vast. One can create multiple listening zones, route power to massive speakers, and create an immersive theater-like experience for enjoying audio/video content.

The one caveat: you are tethered by speaker wire.

 Zoning Explained

Remember the picture of the backside of the Marantz receiver above? There is a plethora of ports to connect speakers and devices to. It’s a bit overwhelming to the untrained eye. These different ports allow the user to connect inputs like an Apple TV, DVD player (are these still around?) and create listening zones.

Consider this number “5.1”

The “5” represents the number of speakers.

The “1” represents the sub-woofer.

 A 5.1 channel surround sound set up looks like this (also pictured below):

5 Speakers Listed As

-Front CENTER channel

-Right and Left main FRONT speakers

-Right & Left REAR surround speakers

 1 Sub-woofer

-The sub-woofer provides the bass, or low rumbling boom to your sound field

5.1 is a simple standard for surround sound when enjoying a movie. As cinematic audio has evolved, so too has the home theater experience.

The latest in zoning incorporates Dolby Atmos, which is an immersive 3-D sounding format featuring ceiling mounted or up-firing speakers.

5.1.2 format would look something like this:

5 standard speakers (1st number)

1 subwoofer (2nd number)

2 ceiling mounted or vertical drivers (3rd number)

There are a multitude of sound fields and layout that one can create to provide an immersive audio experience right at home. See the picture below:

Pros

-A/V Receiver is the brains to seamlessly integrate you components

-Ability to power high end speakers and components from throughout the A/V industry

-Modern receivers provide the ability to stream content from multiple sources

-Variability for which to build a system

Cons

-Must run wires

-Equipment can be bulky & messy (wires all over the place)

-Cable and connections change with industry standards, possibly obsoleting equipment

-Setup can be tedious

-Limited by the number of external inputs on your receiver model

My personal experience

I have experience with both systems, though I run most of my audio through a home theater a/v receiver. I have a 9.1 setup. This 9.1 setup includes a 7.1 channel surround sound system in the living room with an additional 2 outdoor speakers as “Zone 2”.

It looks like this

There are three bookshelf speakers and 4 in-ceiling speakers that provide the audio for our system and it sounds fantastic. It’s clean, seamless and takes advantage of the 7 channels when watching an action movie. I geek out when a jet screeches by or a missile is about to hit a target and it sounds as if it has flown through the house, over my shoulder, right to the target!

However, I had to run wires through the attic, behind the gas fireplace (to code of course), cut holes in the drywall and mount speakers. Rinse and repeat for the outdoor speakers. Props to my Dad for the assistance.

I also have a Sonos One Smart Speaker in the kitchen. Man, it’s a joy. I ask it to play a song, set a timer or stream audio from my phone and it’s seamless. I can send audio from the app on my phone, right to my speaker at ease.

I have friends with full Sonos and they swear by it. Many times, I have pondered a world in which my entire A/V system was full Sonos, but there is one thing keeping me from that: the ability to have a true surround sound experience matching that capable of an A/V receiver.

So who’s the winner?

Sorry folks, but the answer is: It Depends!

 Choose Sonos if:

-You want a fantastic, seamless, simplified user interface from the comfort of one app.

-5.1 surround sound is all you need. The Sonos Arc can decode Dolby Atmos (3-D immersive sound) but a true 7.1 is not yet an option for Sonos.

-The ability to easily group your speakers and create zones without running wires.

-You are “tech capable”: it’s not coding wizardry, but you must be competent in basic app usage.

 Choose a home theater a/v receiver if:

-You want to take advantage of the latest audio format

-You value the flexibility of an open system for greater customization

-You home is pre-wired, or you don’t mind running the wires to place your speakers

So, back to my Father-In-Law

I’d suggest a Sonos system. He and my Mother-In-Law only use their current stereo system for watching tv and streaming music (both of which they do through their smart tv). They can create a 5.1 system in a home with one of Sonos’ packages that would provide a fantastic audio experience.

In addition, they can purchase additional smart speakers. The speakers may be positioned around the house or brought outside to enjoy separate zoned music without the hassle of running additional wires.

I’m looking forward to setting up my in-law’s new system someday, but not as much as I look forward to the time spent together!

https://hometheateracademy.com/receiver-home-theater/

https://www.crutchfield.com/S-JYTnnBLx5Fe/learn/home-theater-history.html

https://www.sonos.com/en-us/how-sonos-works

https://www.lifewire.com/separate-components-theater-system-setup-1846358

https://helpguide.sony.net/ha/strza5/v1/en/contents/TP0001110729.html