Sonos Amp to drive B&W 607

[Precision]

Will Sonos Amp have power enough to drive a pair of B&W 607, which have only 84 dB sensitivity?

Or would e.g. Marantz NR1200 be a better choice (in combination with a Sonos Port to access the streaming functions).

I have recently sold my Sonos Sub and Sonos Beam (but keep 2 Sonos One for the kitchen) and want to upgrade to better sound quality, but still use the Sonos app for easy streaming of ex Spotify. Will also supplement with a smaller sub in the long run, will mainly play TV/Apple TV sound and stream Spotify in a room of about 30 sqm.

 

[Deleted member 116933]

Think you have to ask your self why you moved away from the beam and subwoofer and what you didn't like about it.

You're largely going to get the same sound with Sonos amp, which to answer your question will make sound come out those speakers. How good it will be i don't know, but to my ears, the beam actually sounded pretty good to me and gives a very enjoyable sound.

But if your looking at the Marantz NR1200 why would you need the Sonos port? The Marantz NR1200 can do everything the Sonos can and a little more. And its all app-controlled

You also have the cyrus one cast good right ups

If you wanted to go a little more upmarket there's the naim uniti atom (very good app integration) and Cambridge audio offer some options and i believe Arcam have an option now.

If you wanted to go a little more traditional a rotel would be good with a cheap DAC like a Schitt modi and if you can still get hold of one a Chromecast audio.

All these options would allow you to get rid of the Sonos all together out of the chain. And arguably work better, they would certainly have better sound.

 

[Precision]

Thanks for your reply millennia_one and sorry for my radio silence until now. In the meantime have made some changes which I am very happy with.

The Sonos app is something that our family is used to, which works very well for our needs and which gives us both simplicity and flexibility in the home. Therefore, it was a basic requirement to keep it as a "hub" in our home. But I had more to wish for from both Sonos Sub and Sonos Beam, which made me look for a hybrid solution between partly Sonos and partly HiFi. And I found a perfect combo, for me/us at least 🙂

But first a little about the Sonos Sub / Beam ...

Sonos Sub is an excellent sub for movies where it gave enough punch for effects, explosions and thunder. It could easily make the interior shake. But for music, I often experienced it as mushy, indistinct and slow. In addition, it was easy to locate its location in the room.

Sonos Beam is also an excellent product that worked well for movies and daily TV watching where voices performed particularly well. But, again, I was not happy with it when it came to music. It could, like the Sub, fill a room of about 30sqm quite well, but I mainly lacked clarity in the upper registers, it gave no stereo separation and it had to struggle at slightly higher volumes, where the sound was experienced as quite mushy and confined.

For these reasons, I got rid of both Sonos Sub and Sonos Beam and have now replaced them with the following systems:

+ Sonos Amp
+ Bowers & Wilkins 607
+ Dali E-9F sub
+ (1 pair of Sonos One, kept from my previous setup)

How does this sound then?
First, I can answer my own question if Sonos Amp has enough power to drive the 607s... and yes it can, there are no problems, it works great and sounds very good! The B&W 607 standmounters are the smallest in B&Ws 600 series but deliver the clarity in the top notes, precision and warmth in the mid and lower regions and provides a real stereo perspective when listening to music.

Sonos Amp allows me to stay in their (according to me) excellent ecosystem, get a clear and excellent TV sound (via HDMI-arc and Amp) to the 607s, and also supplement with a third-party sub that possesses completely other qualities than the Sonos Sub does.

The Dali sub sounds magical to both film and music. It is powerful, creates a deep, full-bodied, warm and distinct base that is in no way perceived as mushy regardless of sound level. The interesting thing is also that I now experience the same bass quality and level no matter where in the room I sit, which was not really the case with the Sonos Sub as in my opinion/room was more sensitive to the listening position.

Am I missing something?
I'm really happy with how it sounds, looks and feels when handling the system. I have full flexibility to control all functions via any handheld device in the home, no matter where you are in the house. I can easily choose to play either "real" stereo by turning off the surround speakers in the Sonos app, or quickly turn them on again and then get full surround sound for movies.

Of course it is possible to achieve even better stereo sound, but then you most often have to give up, among other things, the flexibility (and scalability) that I now have. Therefore, I chose not to proceed with, for example, the Marantz NR1200 (which I mentioned in my first post) or with other separate amplifiers. But thanks again for all the tips you gave millennia_one they were quite interesting and might be something I explore in the future.

🙂

 

[Deleted member 116933]

Thanks for your reply millennia_one and sorry for my radio silence until now. In the meantime have made some changes which I am very happy with.

The Sonos app is something that our family is used to, which works very well for our needs and which gives us both simplicity and flexibility in the home. Therefore, it was a basic requirement to keep it as a "hub" in our home. But I had more to wish for from both Sonos Sub and Sonos Beam, which made me look for a hybrid solution between partly Sonos and partly HiFi. And I found a perfect combo, for me/us at least 🙂

But first a little about the Sonos Sub / Beam ...

Sonos Sub is an excellent sub for movies where it gave enough punch for effects, explosions and thunder. It could easily make the interior shake. But for music, I often experienced it as mushy, indistinct and slow. In addition, it was easy to locate its location in the room.

Sonos Beam is also an excellent product that worked well for movies and daily TV watching where voices performed particularly well. But, again, I was not happy with it when it came to music. It could, like the Sub, fill a room of about 30sqm quite well, but I mainly lacked clarity in the upper registers, it gave no stereo separation and it had to struggle at slightly higher volumes, where the sound was experienced as quite mushy and confined.

For these reasons, I got rid of both Sonos Sub and Sonos Beam and have now replaced them with the following systems:

+ Sonos Amp
+ Bowers & Wilkins 607
+ Dali E-9F sub
+ (1 pair of Sonos One, kept from my previous setup)

How does this sound then?
First, I can answer my own question if Sonos Amp has enough power to drive the 607s... and yes it can, there are no problems, it works great and sounds very good! The B&W 607 standmounters are the smallest in B&Ws 600 series but deliver the clarity in the top notes, precision and warmth in the mid and lower regions and provides a real stereo perspective when listening to music.

Sonos Amp allows me to stay in their (according to me) excellent ecosystem, get a clear and excellent TV sound (via HDMI-arc and Amp) to the 607s, and also supplement with a third-party sub that possesses completely other qualities than the Sonos Sub does.

The Dali sub sounds magical to both film and music. It is powerful, creates a deep, full-bodied, warm and distinct base that is in no way perceived as mushy regardless of sound level. The interesting thing is also that I now experience the same bass quality and level no matter where in the room I sit, which was not really the case with the Sonos Sub as in my opinion/room was more sensitive to the listening position.

Am I missing something?
I'm really happy with how it sounds, looks and feels when handling the system. I have full flexibility to control all functions via any handheld device in the home, no matter where you are in the house. I can easily choose to play either "real" stereo by turning off the surround speakers in the Sonos app, or quickly turn them on again and then get full surround sound for movies.

Of course it is possible to achieve even better stereo sound, but then you most often have to give up, among other things, the flexibility (and scalability) that I now have. Therefore, I chose not to proceed with, for example, the Marantz NR1200 (which I mentioned in my first post) or with other separate amplifiers. But thanks again for all the tips you gave millennia_one they were quite interesting and might be something I explore in the future.

🙂

Glad you got something you enjoy that's all that matters! have fun and I'm sure it will last you many many years!

 

[mro53]

Thanks for your reply millennia_one and sorry for my radio silence until now. In the meantime have made some changes which I am very happy with.

The Sonos app is something that our family is used to, which works very well for our needs and which gives us both simplicity and flexibility in the home. Therefore, it was a basic requirement to keep it as a "hub" in our home. But I had more to wish for from both Sonos Sub and Sonos Beam, which made me look for a hybrid solution between partly Sonos and partly HiFi. And I found a perfect combo, for me/us at least 🙂

But first a little about the Sonos Sub / Beam ...

Sonos Sub is an excellent sub for movies where it gave enough punch for effects, explosions and thunder. It could easily make the interior shake. But for music, I often experienced it as mushy, indistinct and slow. In addition, it was easy to locate its location in the room.

Sonos Beam is also an excellent product that worked well for movies and daily TV watching where voices performed particularly well. But, again, I was not happy with it when it came to music. It could, like the Sub, fill a room of about 30sqm quite well, but I mainly lacked clarity in the upper registers, it gave no stereo separation and it had to struggle at slightly higher volumes, where the sound was experienced as quite mushy and confined.

For these reasons, I got rid of both Sonos Sub and Sonos Beam and have now replaced them with the following systems:

+ Sonos Amp
+ Bowers & Wilkins 607
+ Dali E-9F sub
+ (1 pair of Sonos One, kept from my previous setup)

How does this sound then?
First, I can answer my own question if Sonos Amp has enough power to drive the 607s... and yes it can, there are no problems, it works great and sounds very good! The B&W 607 standmounters are the smallest in B&Ws 600 series but deliver the clarity in the top notes, precision and warmth in the mid and lower regions and provides a real stereo perspective when listening to music.

Sonos Amp allows me to stay in their (according to me) excellent ecosystem, get a clear and excellent TV sound (via HDMI-arc and Amp) to the 607s, and also supplement with a third-party sub that possesses completely other qualities than the Sonos Sub does.

The Dali sub sounds magical to both film and music. It is powerful, creates a deep, full-bodied, warm and distinct base that is in no way perceived as mushy regardless of sound level. The interesting thing is also that I now experience the same bass quality and level no matter where in the room I sit, which was not really the case with the Sonos Sub as in my opinion/room was more sensitive to the listening position.

Am I missing something?
I'm really happy with how it sounds, looks and feels when handling the system. I have full flexibility to control all functions via any handheld device in the home, no matter where you are in the house. I can easily choose to play either "real" stereo by turning off the surround speakers in the Sonos app, or quickly turn them on again and then get full surround sound for movies.

Of course it is possible to achieve even better stereo sound, but then you most often have to give up, among other things, the flexibility (and scalability) that I now have. Therefore, I chose not to proceed with, for example, the Marantz NR1200 (which I mentioned in my first post) or with other separate amplifiers. But thanks again for all the tips you gave millennia_one they were quite interesting and might be something I explore in the future.

🙂

Hi Precision, I've no idea if you'll get this reply to an old message but anyway - I have a query.

I am currently running a beam and 2 Ones and have been thinking of upgrading to the exact same system that you described above (Amp, B&W 607 and a similar small sealed sub that I already own). Are you still happy with the system? The only thing I'm concerned about is the 607 and Amp combination may be a bit bright and fatiguing but as listening is very difficult at the moment I may have to go for it. I was thinking about Dali Oberon 1 or Spektor 2's as an alternative to the 607's but I'm not sure if they would be better.

Thanks

 

[Precision]

Hi Precision, I've no idea if you'll get this reply to an old message but anyway - I have a query.

I am currently running a beam and 2 Ones and have been thinking of upgrading to the exact same system that you described above (Amp, B&W 607 and a similar small sealed sub that I already own). Are you still happy with the system? The only thing I'm concerned about is the 607 and Amp combination may be a bit bright and fatiguing but as listening is very difficult at the moment I may have to go for it. I was thinking about Dali Oberon 1 or Spektor 2's as an alternative to the 607's but I'm not sure if they would be better.

Thanks

Hi @mro53

I have now owned and listened to my Amp + 607's + E-9F + Play One's setup for almost 6 months and consumed a lot of different streamed music, different film genres and TV series (yeah, media and music makes life a bit easier during the pandemic...).

My answer to your initial questions is Yes, I am still very happy with how the system works and sounds. Unfortunately I haven't listen to the Oberon 1s or the Spektor 2s and can't advise on them. But the upside with having an Amp is that you easily can test and compare different setups.

If I'm forced to point at anything that could improve though, then I would say that listening to TV on really LOW volumes then the sound might come across as a bit too thin or hollow. If I remember how my old Sonos Playbar or the Sonos Beam for that matter handled that specific listening mode, then I think they did perform a bit better. It's nothing that really disturbs me, not at all. But maybe something you should at least test.

Good luck with your next step and please share some info on which route you select and what your impressions are.

Stay safe!

 

[mro53]

Hi @mro53

I have now owned and listened to my Amp + 607's + E-9F + Play One's setup for almost 6 months and consumed a lot of different streamed music, different film genres and TV series (yeah, media and music makes life a bit easier during the pandemic...).

My answer to your initial questions is Yes, I am still very happy with how the system works and sounds. Unfortunately I haven't listen to the Oberon 1s or the Spektor 2s and can't advise on them. But the upside with having an Amp is that you easily can test and compare different setups.

If I'm forced to point at anything that could improve though, then I would say that listening to TV on really LOW volumes then the sound might come across as a bit too thin or hollow. If I remember how my old Sonos Playbar or the Sonos Beam for that matter handled that specific listening mode, then I think they did perform a bit better. It's nothing that really disturbs me, not at all. But maybe something you should at least test.

Good luck with your next step and please share some info on which route you select and what your impressions are.

Stay safe!

Hi Precision, after your recommendation I went ahead and ordered the Amp as I could always send it back if it didn't perform as well as I'd like. But it really is excellent. It has replaced a NAD amp and I think it is just as good for music and obviously has all the extra Sonos features including surround sound which is the main reason I was interested in it. I have a pair of One's for the rear and they work fine for me, good music quality is my main requirement.

The only minor problem I've found is that I prefer different eq and especially sub settings for TV and music but that's not a great problem.

I haven't decided on speakers yet but I bought an old but nice pair of Cyrus 780's for £60 on eBay for another room and they are excellent with the Amp so they may stay there and save me a few hundred pounds which I'm sure I'll end up spending on more Sonos in other rooms.

Thanks again