Advice on Sonos vs C4

[Evanston45]

Hi all,

we are a big Apple Music family, and are moving into a new home that has ceiling speakers in multiple rooms. I’m trying to figure out if the best option would be to get Sonos amps versus control4 with a bridge to airplay Apple music. We also have a Sonos arc sound bar which we would like to integrate such that when we play music in the family room not only will the ceiling speakers come on but the sound bar will also act as a speaker. Will control4 allow for this type of set up with the Sonos sound bar or is it better just to use Sonos amps and the native Sonos app for this type of control. Appreciate any advice, budget isn’t so much of a concern as long as it’s solid and easy for the family to use. We do plan on using automation for other things, so getting C4 isn’t the question, but rather if I should pay extra for Sonos amps or if C4 will do what I’m looking for.

[Bubben]

As i understand, your question isnt C4 vs Sonos, but best way to play Apple Music in C4-equpped home. 
My answer to that would be Bluesound. 
Ive been using Sonos for 12 years, and Control4 for 10. For music only, Sonos rocks. But combined with automation, video and all the stuff that C4 rocks, the two are not compatible in my opinion. 

[lippavisual]

I’d just get a Sonos Port per person that wants Apple Music and tie that into the audio system.  Name each port accordingly; Dads Sonos, Moms Sonos, etc.  then you can select these Sonos anywhere where available and can also do programming based on audio sensing.

Use the Sonos app when doing just music. 

[Evanston45]

Got it, so the C4 audio matrix is not a good solution if I intend to use the soundbar as one of the speakers?

[Bubben]

Correct, and that is because Sonos driver cant control the soundbar in a good way to change between inputs and use it with TV or music only. 
Its all about driverintegration, if the driver is holding you back, it wont be a pleasant experience. 

[RAV]

Do you want one app or two?
If you want the one app experience, than keep everything in the Control4 domain.

If Control4 is more of an oversee application for integration, and you're fine with using the Sonos app for most things music, than use Sonos as your music. Control4 can still do things like shut the whole Sonos system off, button activate a favorite station, volume, but browsing is limited to stations you've favorited in Sonos.

Apple Music is the monkey wrench, there's no native integration in Control4. You're using Airplay or some other player for Apple, which means two apps anyways. So if Apple Music is a must have, and two apps are needed anyway, might as well be Sonos as the second app.

[Evanston45]

Thank you to everyone for your insight…I really appreciate it! One more question that is probably silly…if I buy Sonos amps and connect to my wired speakers, can I also use C4 as another music option without integrating Sonos? Like do the speakers have to be plugged into either the Sonos or the C4, or can they share the two systems somehow so I can keep sonos app and also use C4 if I wanted?

[RAV]

You'd need to add relays, speakers can only be connected to one amp at a time. Sometimes we use relays to switch ceiling rear speakers between rear surrounds and house music for example.

I'm not sure why'd you want to connect speakers to Sonos and Control4 at the same time. Typically there's other better ways to combine if really necessary.

[Charlie Mackenzie]

On 10/2/2021 at 1:31 PM, Evanston45 said:

Thank you to everyone for your insight…I really appreciate it! One more question that is probably silly…if I buy Sonos amps and connect to my wired speakers, can I also use C4 as another music option without integrating Sonos? Like do the speakers have to be plugged into either the Sonos or the C4, or can they share the two systems somehow so I can keep sonos app and also use C4 if I wanted?

I went through a lot of this debate when I started this process. Apologies if you know some of what i am saying below. You likely figured out you will need a C4 Audio Matrix (to control the individual sources for various speakers) and the amps. C4 makes their own amps as well (Triad). If you go Sonos, your speakers plug into those amps. If you go C4, speakers plug into those amps. C4 can control the Sonos amps and send music to each room. The thing here is Sonos you need to buy one amp for each room (unless they started making a rack mount multichannel amp in the last few months) or a C4 amp which can come in a single 4 zone or a single 8 zone. 

Based on what you are trying to do for multiple rooms, i would think C4 is the better route. I am just not familiar with how to get apple music to C4 never having tried but assume there is a way.

[DanITman]

I use Sonos with Control4.  I have an ARC soundbar as well.  I think the Sonos integration works great.  The only thing you lose is the ability search for music from Control4.  You can only start playing your Sonos Favorites from the Control4 interface.  However, in my opinion, you gain a lot more functionality.  You can still use the Sonos app which is a wonderful experience.  When you trigger something in the Sonos app it shows up in the Control4 interface.  You get to use the Sonos Alexa integration which is way better than the Control4 integration.  You can tell Alexa to play any artist from any service in any room.  You also get a really great experience in app.  An example is Spotify and the sonos selection from it.  To me, Sonos is the best universal integration with Control4 and works well for my family.  Getting 5.1 setup on all TVs is dead simple on Sonos and it integrates well.  I also do audio announcements with Control4 and it works great. Sonos supports Airplay 2 and Control4 only supports Airplay 1.

 

 

[Gary Leeds UK]

35 minutes ago, DanITman said:

I use Sonos with Control4.  I have an ARC soundbar as well.  I think the Sonos integration works great.  The only thing you lose is the ability search for music from Control4.  You can only start playing your Sonos Favorites from the Control4 interface.  However, in my opinion, you gain a lot more functionality.  You can still use the Sonos app which is a wonderful experience.  When you trigger something in the Sonos app it shows up in the Control4 interface.  You get to use the Sonos Alexa integration which is way better than the Control4 integration.  You can tell Alexa to play any artist from any service in any room.  You also get a really great experience in app.  An example is Spotify and the sonos selection from it.  To me, Sonos is the best universal integration with Control4 and works well for my family.  Getting 5.1 setup on all TVs is dead simple on Sonos and it integrates well.  I also do audio announcements with Control4 and it works great. Sonos supports Airplay 2 and Control4 only supports Airplay 1.

 

 

We also have Sonos with playbars in 5.1set up  in two rooms and other rooms have play5 now, also have a Move which

is brilliant.

Works great and agree with comments above 

If you wish to search music and use only the C4 app - have a look at Roon Nucleus - bit pricy but 

this will give you the search function within C4 and lot more  

[Elvis]

VSSL A.6

[Topspin14m]

Sonos is your most reliable third party option to C4 and it is flexible.  It’s true that you can’t use the C4 software to search for music (you have to use the Sonos App or Airplay), but if that really matters, you could add Roon, which would then let you use the C4 app.  

[Evanston45]

Thanks. After reading the comments, I’m leaning on using Sonos and keeping C4 geared towards other stuff. Maybe one day it’ll all integrate and play well together

[chopedogg88]

I have some extra Sonos amps in stock if you need - PM me.  They are backordered till December 24th...

[therockhr]

I know it isn't really the market Sonos is going after but it would be great if they would have a dealer exclusive 4 or 6 zone rack mount system.

[msgreenf]

Sonos and channel exclusive isn’t going to happen…they want as many D2C sales as they can get.

[chopedogg88]

Just connect a sonos port to a triad matrix/amp and there you have it. 

[zaphod]

3 hours ago, therockhr said:

I know it isn't really the market Sonos is going after but it would be great if they would have a dealer exclusive 4 or 6 zone rack mount system.

How many different music streams to people typically use in their house.  My kids don't use  the C4 systems for music as they just use phones/tablets with headphones.  Do people typcially listen to more than 2-3 streams in their house at once?  I have a large house with a lot of zones and might have many different sources if you include TV, but rarely do we use more than a couple of music streams at once.

[South Africa C4 user]

1 hour ago, zaphod said:

How many different music streams to people typically use in their house.  My kids don't use  the C4 systems for music as they just use phones/tablets with headphones.  Do people typcially listen to more than 2-3 streams in their house at once?  I have a large house with a lot of zones and might have many different sources if you include TV, but rarely do we use more than a couple of music streams at once.

We regularly use 2 or 3 and this last week have had need of 4 (maybe even 5) but have had issues getting that many streams working!

[DanITman]

With only two people and one toddler we usually don't go over two audio sources.  That is if you don't count the TV as an audio source. 

[DLite]

4 hours ago, South Africa C4 user said:

We regularly use 2 or 3 and this last week have had need of 4 (maybe even 5) but have had issues getting that many streams working!

Well, seeing as how our kids rarely remember to turn off the music when they leave a room, we can easily have 6-7 different streams going simultaneously, especially on a weekend!  We are an all-Sonos household with one Sonos unit for each zone in the house.