Volume control using Sonos Port with Onkyo Receiver

[ashwinmj]

Hi. I have a Sonos Port connected to an Onkyo AV receiver, using the "works with Sonos" integration. With this, whenever anything is played via the Sonos app, it automatically turns on the receiver and switches it to the input used by Sonos. When the Onkyo receiver is set to this input used by Sonos, the receiver's volume is also fixed to a preset volume. Trying to change the volume on the receiver doesn't do anything and the screen displays "Sonos Preset Volume". So when the volume is changed via the Sonos app, it changes the volume on the Sonos Port, not on the receiver. However, when the receiver is set to any other input, the volume control on the receiver works normally. This setup works fine while using the Sonos app for Sonos. 

Now when I try to play Sonos via C4 i see limitations. I have tried 2 options:

1. If I set the audio endpoint for the room as the receiver, I can't control the volume via C4 since it tries to control the receiver's volume. And when the receiver is on the input used by Sonos, the receiver's volume control is disabled with the message "Sonos Preset Volume"
2. If I set the audio endpoint for the room as Sonos, I can control the volume via C4. Basically C4 only controls Sonos, and Sonos controls the receiver via the Onkyo-Sonos integration rather than C4 controlling the receiver. This works fine, but has two limitations. First, when I stop playing music via C4 the receiver doesn't power off since the Onkyo-Sonos integration only controls the receiver's power on and not the power off. Second, if something is being watched via the receiver in the room when music is played via the Sonos app, both watch and listen are active at the same time despite both using the same receiver (since C4 incorrectly thinks that since the endpoints for watch and listen are different both can happen simultaneously). 

Looking for suggestions on how to handle this. I appreciate everyone's help. Thanks! 

[therockhr]

18 minutes ago, ashwinmj said:

Hi. I have a Sonos Port connected to an Onkyo AV receiver, using the "works with Sonos" integration. With this, whenever anything is played via the Sonos app, it automatically turns on the receiver and switches it to the input used by Sonos. When the Onkyo receiver is set to this input used by Sonos, the receiver's volume is also fixed to a preset volume. Trying to change the volume on the receiver doesn't do anything and the screen displays "Sonos Preset Volume". So when the volume is changed via the Sonos app, it changes the volume on the Sonos Port, not on the receiver. However, when the receiver is set to any other input, the volume control on the receiver works normally. This setup works fine while using the Sonos app for Sonos. 

Now when I try to play Sonos via C4 i see limitations. I have tried 2 options:

1. If I set the audio endpoint for the room as the receiver, I can't control the volume via C4 since it tries to control the receiver's volume. And when the receiver is on the input used by Sonos, the receiver's volume control is disabled with the message "Sonos Preset Volume"
2. If I set the audio endpoint for the room as Sonos, I can control the volume via C4. Basically C4 only controls Sonos, and Sonos controls the receiver via the Onkyo-Sonos integration rather than C4 controlling the receiver. This works fine, but has two limitations. First, when I stop playing music via C4 the receiver doesn't power off since the Onkyo-Sonos integration only controls the receiver's power on and not the power off. Second, if something is being watched via the receiver in the room when music is played via the Sonos app, both watch and listen are active at the same time despite both using the same receiver (since C4 incorrectly thinks that since the endpoints for watch and listen are different both can happen simultaneously). 

Looking for suggestions on how to handle this. I appreciate everyone's help. Thanks! 

I would lose the "works with sonos" integration and just set it up as a normal input and let C4 handle all the volume and switching.

[ashwinmj]

 

1 hour ago, therockhr said:

I would lose the "works with sonos" integration and just set it up as a normal input and let C4 handle all the volume and switching.

If I do that, I lose the ability to control the volume via the Sonos app. Given the Control4 - Sonos integration is quite limited (restricted to only playing playlists already favorited in the Sonos app), depending solely on the Control4 app wouldn't be enough. 

[therockhr]

3 minutes ago, ashwinmj said:

 

If I do that, I lose the ability to control the volume via the Sonos app. Given the Control4 - Sonos integration is quite limited (restricted to only playing playlists already favorited in the Sonos app), depending solely on the Control4 app wouldn't be enough. 

thats exactly what i do. I use the Sonos app to browse for the music but use Control4 for everything else. its never bothered me as I usually just set a playlist and forget or have Sirius channels set up as favorites and I dont even go into the Sonos app.

[ashwinmj]

9 minutes ago, therockhr said:

thats exactly what i do. I use the Sonos app to browse for the music but use Control4 for everything else. its never bothered me as I usually just set a playlist and forget or have Sirius channels set up as favorites and I dont even go into the Sonos app.

But you aren't able to control the volume via the Sonos App? I feel there should be a cleaner solution than to have to stop using the Sonos app to control the volume, because there isn't an easy way to have different audio endpoints for watch and listen. 

[RAV]

Create a second room.
First room normal, everything but Sonos.

Second room just Sonos, with Sonos as the end points and volume. Just as if it was a Sonos amp. No connections to the Integra etc.

[ashwinmj]

2 minutes ago, RAV said:

Create a second room.
First room normal, everything but Sonos.

Second room just Sonos, with Sonos as the end points and volume. Just as if it was a Sonos amp. No connections to the Integra etc.

I’m definitely going to try and see what I can do with this approach. 
 

If I do this, would that give me the ability to control the Sonos via C4 as well? I’m looking to have control via both the C4 app and Sonos app (including the ability to control the volume via both).

[RAV]

1 minute ago, ashwinmj said:

I’m definitely going to try and see what I can do with this approach. 
 

If I do this, would that give me the ability to control the Sonos via C4 as well? I’m looking to have control via both the C4 app and Sonos app (including the ability to control the volume via both).

Yes. Control4 will think it's just another Sonos amp, won't care about the theater stuff at all. If you want the "TV Room" etc to turn off when "Sonos Room" is engaged, you could custom program that aspect. Sonos doesn't care about the Control4 part at all. Integra is setup like there's no integration system, and responds as an amp.

You can control from either platform, the downside is you have to switch rooms in Control4.

[ashwinmj]

Got it. Is there any way to avoid switching the rooms? If there is, that would solve everything!