Speakers for a cafe/bar to go with sonos connect

If you're talking about passive speakers, you need a Connect:amp, not a Connect.

The_Lhc knows more about the sonos than I do and can advise whether you can connect two pairs of speakers like you want to, but I think in this context you can buy really quite good speakers with your budget.  Because of their positioning you probably want front-ported ones, and if you want small I'd suggest something like these:

http://www.richersounds.com/product/bookshelf-speakers/wharfedale/diamon...

or the good old:

http://www.richersounds.com/product/bookshelf-speakers/jbl/control-1/jbl...

or the rather nice Dali Lektor 1

(various stores for £225)

The old staple Diamond 9.1s are a bargain, but probably a bit big.

Hi there, yes sorry it is a connect:amp.  Cheers

That will only do one pair of speakers, as far as I can garner.  Have you got anything else in the mix?

How big is this coffee shop btw?

So is your total budget £1000 (£600 for speakers & £400 for Connect:Amp)? If so, why don't you buy 4 Sonos Play:3? That will solve your problem.

No, if both pairs of speakers are 8ohms the connect:amp can handle them in parallel, you won't be able to adjust the volume individually though, unless you get individual volume controls for each set but that's not something I know anything about.

As in both wired from the same speaker outputs?

Yup, very common setup, I'm doing it myself, with the dining room speakers and a pair of outdoor speakers, although I do have an old QED speaker switch so that I can turn on/off either or both pairs (although there's not much point in turning both of them off obviously). I got it from a boot sale but they still make an equivalent (much better looking as well).

Would money not be better spend on sonos connect:amp plus speakers as opposed to 4 x sonos play:3 in terms of sound quality?  Wiring is not an issue.  What are thoughts on ceiling vs small bookshelf speakers?

Independent volume control would be a bonus (as LHC noted)

for example near the till could be quieter

Matt

In terms of the 4 speaker thing, quite a few amps now run 2 pairs do they not? The Yamaha AS-500, Marantz PM6004? Two pretty good amps around the price range you'd be looking at if you're spending £300 a pair on speakers? Depending on whether or not you were thinking £600 total or just for the speakers . . 

Yeah happy to spend up to £600 on the speakers (£1000 including sonos connect amp).  Or £1000 total if it were worth looking at sonos connect and separate amp, although would prefer to keep it simple.

The Q Acoustics 2010i (and bigger 2020i) speakers are available with a tilt/turn bracket that fits neatly into their base:

http://www.qacoustics.co.uk/2000/2000wb.htm

Accordingly, the speakers are designed to sound good wall-mounted in this way - and you could mount them high and fire them downwards.

Various choices of finish (including white); in your budget; sound excellent for the money (review here)....

Thanks Clare, those certainly look worth considering.  Ideally I'd be looking at something smaller, but I guess that will sacrifice sound quality.  Someone else recomended the Mordaunt Short Alumni speakers.  Don't know if anyone has an opinion on these?

That aside, something like these would do the job, (if you were considering actives) obviously you'd save money on an amp. Then just wire them up to the sonos . . Look quite pretty too  . . 

http://www.istereos.co.uk/audioengine-powered-speakers-p-33.html?utm_cam...

(No idea whether this is a decent price for them nowadays, but I recall them sounding rather nice)