You begin to sit down in your recliner to enjoy those warm, rich tones.
But then you realize you want a drink. And you need to go to the bathroom.
So you head to the kitchen. When you get there, the same record is playing.
In the bathroom? Yup, still the same music.
That’s what the Sonos Amp and Port can do for you.
They allow you to connect any audio equipment you may have to the Sonos system.
So why are there two different devices to perform the same function?
Because there are a few key differences between the two.
Keep reading for a full comparison of the Sonos Amp vs Port. We will help you figure out which one is right for you. Good news: for most people, it’s the cheaper one.
Contents
Sonos Port Vs Amp
We will begin our comparison of the Sonos Amp vs Port by looking at each one individually, before comparing them directly. Then we will get into the advantages of each and help you figure out which one is right for you.
Sonos Port
Connect Port to your traditional audio equipment to stream music, radio, audiobooks, and more from all your favorite services. Control is easy with the Sonos app and Apple AirPlay 2. Expand your sound system any time by adding Sonos speakers around your home. Everything works together over WiFi.
The Sonos Port replaces the older Sonos Connect. The new Port features a simpler, more discreet design than the old Connect, with a lower profile, in line with the Amp.
The change also dropped a couple of things: the optical digital output (now only coaxial) and the front buttons. With them, you could raise or lower the volume, and pause the music, directly.
The new Port does not have any controls on it, not even the (perfect) tactile ones of the Amp. You need to have a mobile phone and the app at hand. It’s like that one music source to add network playback to any sound system.
The Sonos Port arrives for those fans who already have a stereo. That is to say: you have your speakers, your amplifier, maybe your turntable… and so on.
And you want to discover this “dematerialized” music, that is, listening to music without having to touch a vinyl or CD.
Actually, the Port opens the doors to a new dimension as there are thousands of radio stations on the internet, many specialized in types of music for any taste.
Then you have services like Spotify or Tidal (among others) where you can search for whatever you might want to listen to.
If you also have other speakers or Sonos products, or more than one device and a Port in each one, you can get multi-room play.
The Port is compatible with AirPlay2, so you can send music from any iOS device, like a Mac computer or Apple TV. And you can send something different to each room, if you want.
Because it has a standard RCA input, if you connect it to the output of the amplifier, you can share the music of the equipment.
For example, say you put a vinyl record player as the main equipment, and the signal reaches the Port through that input.
You can listen to that your vinyl record in the rest of the house, taking advantage of the connectivity of the Sonos. Surely that’s where its name comes from: it’s a “port” to access digital music on an old computer and vice versa.
Sonos Amp
Bring the Sonos experience to your floor-standing, architectural, outdoor, or bookshelf speakers, and connect your TV or turntable. Stream music, radio, audiobooks, and more from all your favorite services, and enjoy easy control with the Sonos app, Apple AirPlay 2, a universal remote or keypad, and your voice with a compatible device. Add Sonos speakers around your home for a more immersive experience. Everything works together over WiFi.
The idea of the Sonos Amp is to turn your speakers into multi-room sound sources. It’s about being able to enjoy all the benefits of a Sonos system, with speakers you may already have.
It can represent a saving (you avoid buying speakers and just add the electronics) or an evolution.
Despite its compact size, the Sonos Amp is powerful. It includes a very efficient internal Class D amplifier that can deliver 125 W per channel.
That’s more than double what the older Connect:Amp gave. And that one was bulkier. Furthermore, it is possible to connect not two, but up to four, loudspeakers.
Through the app, you can configure them as two stereo pairs, or as two (or four) monaural speakers. In theory, a Sonos Amp could then sound four rooms.
What’s more, it also has a subwoofer output if you want to use compact speakers combined with a bass box.
The most common source of sound in a Sonos is the network. Sonos is compatible with all online music services (and there are many) as well as any internet radio and Podcast options.
That gives access to millions of works or songs, from Spotify, Apple Music, or Tidal among others. But the Sonos Amp also has more conventional inputs, like other HiFi amps.
It has a standard RCA stereo input and also an HDMI connection. Using the NDMI, through the ARC (Audio Return Channel), you can listen to the sound from a television.
Like other Sonos devices, you can control it via mobile phone, using the powerful and intuitive App. And with iOS devices, you can measure and correct the acoustics of the room (TruePlay).
It is AirPlay 2 compatible, and it is possible to use it in combination with other Sonos devices to create a full home theater system that competes with Bose and other top sound equipment manufacturers.
Differences Between Sonos Amp And Port
Because the Amp has an integrated amplifier (imagine that), you can connect some passive speakers to it. With the Port, you will need an external amplifier (of any brand) or use self-powered speakers.
This is the primary reason that the Amp costs almost twice as much as the Port.
Similarities Between Sonos Port And Amp
By function and form, both pieces of equipment resemble each other. Both allow you to listen to streaming music and connect wired speakers. Both also make it easy to connect devices like turntables to your Sonos system.
Advantages Of The Port
- This Wi-Fi DAC component allows you to connect your traditional music system to the Sonos ecosystem, bringing features and control to your system through the Sonos app and Apple AirPlay 2.
- Its contained size of 1.6 x 5.4 x 5.4 inches (41 x 138 x 138 mm) and discreet design make it easy to place it just about anywhere.
- It will allow your “old” equipment to stream music from your favorite platforms.
- You can access multiple radio stations from the Sonos ecosystem.
- You can control the volume of your equipment through the app.
- You will be able to listen to your traditional HiFi equipment throughout the house, generating a multiroom system.
- It allows you to connect your players – CDs, turntables, etc. to the Sonos ecosystem.
- Only a tad less versatile than the Amp, but much cheaper.
Advantages Of The Amp
- Delivers up to 125 watts per channel for a high-fidelity sound.
- It allows you to enhance the sound of all types of speakers; you can listen to your favorite music anywhere in the house without losing quality.
- Enhance your entertainment system by connecting to the TV via HDMI with ARC support.
- To enjoy the home theater even better you should use the Sonos Amp; it has support for surround sound that can transmit audio to two stereo speakers.
- The unit’s design allows you to stack other Amps for more speakers to work with connected audio systems for better surround sound; you can adjust bass and treble sounds for each room or the whole house.
Why Get A Port?
The Port serves to open any stereo system to the universe of digital music. But it is a two-way port, because you can also use it to receive music from that equipment, and share it with the rest of the house through the Sonos network.
The most obvious application for our purposes is the one the brand uses in its catalogs: connect a turntable to listen to vinyl.
To do this, you must connect the Port to the amplifier to which the turntable is also connected, since the “phono” pre-amplification is required.
The sound arrives perfectly, with that warm touch of vinyl. Curious, because that “analog sound” has been converted to digital in the Port, has been sent over the network, and has gone from digital to analog in the other Sonos (an Amp).
Why Get An Amp?
An attractive possibility offered by this amplifier is to integrate it into a home theater installation, for example, so that it can drive the main speakers.
You can also use a second Sonos Amp for the effects cabinets, or use a single amp for the front speakers and wireless rear speakers for the effects channels.
This last option is attractive if you prefer not to use cables with the rear speakers, which usually force you to use quite long cables that you can not always hide effectively.
Finally, the Amp is the right choice if you already have passive speakers and you do not have another amplifier.
Sonos Amp Vs Port: Final Thoughts
Both the Sonos Amp and the Sonos Port are incredible pieces of equipment that allow you to connect standard music devices to your wireless Sonos system.
For most people, the Port is the better choice, since it costs a lot less.
But if you need the integrated amplifier in the Amp, you’ll want to go with that one. It makes more sense than buying a Port and then also a separate amplifier.
You will also need the Amp if you plan to use it to set up a surround sound system. The Port does not have that capability.
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