HELP: Save me from the Sonos !!

[WBChunx]

Guys,

First post, be gentle

I’ve been a devoted Sonos advocate for a very long time. With the latest debacle and their plans to be completely cloud integrate (functionality not music services)…..they can get funkt!

I currently have around a dozen Sonos speakers, in various configurations, but am keen to ditch the lot in favour of a multi room solution that stays on my LAN.

Having had a dig around, it seems WiiM is the answer

Would really appreciate some advice. I have an extensive local library on my Plex server. I’ve read Plex is very close to integration and if I’m honest would like a setup that stays local, is not dependant on ‘the cloud’, and will allow me to completely configure the platform on my LAN without internet interaction. Am I correct that the WiiM products do that??

If they do, I’m looking for recommendations for a multi room setup, purely music, not connected to TV’s or anything (soundbars can take care of that).

I would like the ability to stream my local music in 3 or 4 rooms and group together should I need to. Would prefer the rooms to sonically match and am guessing that will be speaker dependant as opposed to the WiiM product suite. WiFi is strong throughput the house but each room has structured cabling and if I have the option for an Ethernet connection, I’d much prefer to take that approach over WIFI.

If starting from scratch, which I am effectively doing, would I go a WiiM amp with passive speakers or one of the other products with powered speakers??

What’s the general consensus? I do want to keep to a budget, if I can get away with £600(ish) per room, that would be great. Part of me is hoping I only need one component as a hub and the cheaper products as spokes. Is that correct or am I way off???

I’ve been reading as much as possible on these forums (have been lurking ) but now I want to pull the trigger.

Apologies for a crazy long post but wanted to give some background in the hope you can give me your experiences and recommendations.

Thanks in advance

 

[WBChunx]

Admins, If I’ve posted in the wrong section, apologies. I wasn’t sure where was best placed for general shenanigans

 

[castalla]

Why dump your speakers? You can use plex to connect to them. Or use them as UPnP endpoints with Roon or LMS (LYRION Music Server).

 

[WBChunx]

Thanks for responding

I wasn’t aware I could use the speakers in a mode that didn’t require the Sonos App. I will check out the other software you mentioned.

The speakers are not all new and subsequently don’t all have BT or AirPlay.

Could you further expand on how to use Plex to connect to them? My understanding is that Plex needs to be connected via the Sonos app as a music service.

Thanks again

 

[Skull]

I have a WiiM mini plugged into my 5 line in and I use Sono+ to control volume and group my speakers
Not used Sonos app for over a month now but I am still on 16.1 app and firmware unsure if what I am doing will work with new version but it should
The WiiM software does appear to add external local servers though I just stream and play vinyl maybe worthwhile checking out as it costs 80 quid so cheaper option
I like you am moving away from Sonos but I want to get some use before I throw them away I will be going back to separates for my main music source
Oh and a sidenote you get a 10 bar eq and peq and it sounds way better than Sonos app does

 

[castalla]

Thanks for responding

I wasn’t aware I could use the speakers in a mode that didn’t require the Sonos App. I will check out the other software you mentioned.

The speakers are not all new and subsequently don’t all have BT or AirPlay.

Could you further expand on how to use Plex to connect to them? My understanding is that Plex needs to be connected via the Sonos app as a music service.

Thanks again

Yes, you need to use the Sonos app. If you use LMS or Roon then you'd be free of the Sonos app.

 

[simbun]

Yes, you need to use the Sonos app. If you use LMS or Roon then you'd be free of the Sonos app.

You'd still need the Sonos app for assigning groups or stereo pairs if using LMS, not sure about Roon.

 

[d6jg]

Guys,

First post, be gentle

I’ve been a devoted Sonos advocate for a very long time. With the latest debacle and their plans to be completely cloud integrate (functionality not music services)…..they can get funkt!

I currently have around a dozen Sonos speakers, in various configurations, but am keen to ditch the lot in favour of a multi room solution that stays on my LAN.

Having had a dig around, it seems WiiM is the answer

Would really appreciate some advice. I have an extensive local library on my Plex server. I’ve read Plex is very close to integration and if I’m honest would like a setup that stays local, is not dependant on ‘the cloud’, and will allow me to completely configure the platform on my LAN without internet interaction. Am I correct that the WiiM products do that??

If they do, I’m looking for recommendations for a multi room setup, purely music, not connected to TV’s or anything (soundbars can take care of that).

I would like the ability to stream my local music in 3 or 4 rooms and group together should I need to. Would prefer the rooms to sonically match and am guessing that will be speaker dependant as opposed to the WiiM product suite. WiFi is strong throughput the house but each room has structured cabling and if I have the option for an Ethernet connection, I’d much prefer to take that approach over WIFI.

If starting from scratch, which I am effectively doing, would I go a WiiM amp with passive speakers or one of the other products with powered speakers??

What’s the general consensus? I do want to keep to a budget, if I can get away with £600(ish) per room, that would be great. Part of me is hoping I only need one component as a hub and the cheaper products as spokes. Is that correct or am I way off???

I’ve been reading as much as possible on these forums (have been lurking ) but now I want to pull the trigger.

Apologies for a crazy long post but wanted to give some background in the hope you can give me your experiences and recommendations.

Thanks in advance

I would strongly advise waiting to see what the Plex integration turns out to be - it is reportedly due for beta testing this month.

I am an LMS user first and foremost but I do also have a Plex server pointing at the same music files. I have the DLNA support switched on in Plex and can see things via the WiiM app accordingly. However my experience with this is that browsing is awful but someone else reported that for them it is very fast. The difference as far as we can tell is that my library is 50k tracks and his is 20k. In my case things are improved if use mconnect as a controller. My point is that so far the DLNA server experience with Plex (and other DLNA servers) is patchy via the WiiM App.

WiiM have promised "Plex integration" but no one knows what that means. Plexamp as you probably know is a different thing and utilises a different protocol entirely but I note that Plexamp already supports playback to Chromecast and AirPlay devices. If the "integration" were to extend this to WiiM players natively then that would be great but at this stage we don't know what the plans are.

 

[castalla]

You'd still need the Sonos app for assigning groups or stereo pairs if using LMS, not sure about Roon.

But wouldn't that be a one off use to set up the pairs/groups?

 

[simbun]

But wouldn't that be a one off use to set up the pairs/groups?

I don't think they work like Chromecast groups where a speaker can belong to multiple groups, but yes, if those groups/pairs never change then it's a one off operation.

 

[castalla]

Here's an example - 2 Play1s as stereo pair in Sonos, and also in LMS

 

[WBChunx]

Thanks for all of the responses so far.

I definitely want to move away from both the Sonos speakers and the app. I have read far too much of late around technology changes, forcing you to the cloud, etc.

I’m really keen to jump asap. Good call on the Plex integration and it still being unavailable. I could use other options if necessary to feed WiiM. The library is effectively sitting on an unraid server that I can present differently if needed.

I guess my biggest questions now are do I go with amps and passive speakers or the other products and powered speakers?

Thanks again all

 

[WBChunx]

Regards LMS, can you confirm its full name? A quick Google search takes me to a law firm

 

[Mr Ee]

Regards LMS, can you confirm its full name? A quick Google search takes me to a law firm

It was Logitech Media Server.
Can't recall what the L stands for now, it was posted somewhere here just today iirc.

 

[castalla]

Regards LMS, can you confirm its full name? A quick Google search takes me to a law firm

Check out Lyrion.org

 

[d6jg]

Regards LMS, can you confirm its full name? A quick Google search takes me to a law firm

Recently renamed "lyrion music server" but previously "logitech media server"

 

[d6jg]

PS. The Material skin plugin is an absolute MUST for LMS.

 

[Mr Ee]

I guess my biggest questions now are do I go with amps and passive speakers or the other products and powered speakers?

For me, the amp's main drawback was that the only 'real' output (bluetooth isn't real ) was the speakers outputs, although it does have usb out now. As many say, that's probably only useful if you run it to a headphone dac/amp. Why would you run it to a dac and then a different amp!
Do you want wired or wireless?
Do you want the simplicity of a single box (the amp) where all you really need is the amp's power lead and some speaker cables? And some speakers, obviously!

For a cheap solution, minis with powered speakers with optical inputs would probably do fine, as long as wifi is good enough everywhere with the same ssid.

Decisions, decisions...

 

[Mr Ee]

...allow me to completely configure the platform on my LAN without internet interaction. Am I correct that the WiiM products do that??

I think this has been asked before, but I can't recall the answer.
Like most users (I'd imagine) the internet is just something that's always there, lurking in the background!
You might well need internet on first setup for the wiims to download the latest firmware, but after that...?
I would try, but the hordes might lynch me if I dare turn off the router.

 

[WBChunx]

Simplicity and WAF is crucial

I do have some 10” ceiling speakers in our lounge that I put in when we originally renovated. When I moved to Sonos to reduce the amount of hardware on the shelves, I left them in situ. I can’t for the life of me remember what they are but recall they cost about £350. I may have to take them out to get the details.

With them in mind, I assumed I need the amp. More than happy to get the ultra if it does the same with additional bells and whistles

Looking at cable runs, it may make sense for me to put an amp or ultra in the living rooms and mini’s with powered speakers throughout the rest of the house. WiFi is good but would always take wired if the option is there.