I’ve been using a sound bar from Sonos with my TV for several years now, but in an effort to ditch the last appliances that unnecessarily require accounts and internet access, I am looking to ditch it in favor of something that is entirely contained within my own network.

What I think are my requirements:

  • No microphone
  • Ability to directly play audio from my Android (running Calyx OS), something I cannot do with the Sonos.
  • HDMI ARC-connection to TV so that it can be controlled by my remote
  • Sound must not be abysmal, but I am no audiophile. Preferably stand-alone without subwoofer
  • Maximum 90 cm in length so that it fits under my TV, preferably in black / dark grey with a clean look

So far I’ve found something like this, which I believe gives me enough flexibility with HDMI ARC, Bluetooth and 3.5mm, even though it comes with a subwoofer: https://www.tcl.com/eu/en/soundbar/p733w

In terms of software, I have long been considering something like balenaSound to replace the Sonos functionality, but I’ll soon be setting up Home Assistant to run my lights, and I see that there is a Snapcast integration that might work for me here?

Are there anyone here who have done something similar and have found setups that work well or that I should stay away from?

  • @[email protected]OP
    1•1 year ago

    Thanks for the reply, and sorry for seemingly ignoring it - been fighting off a cold and massive headaches the last couple of days.

    To answer your questions: no, it does not need to be an all-in-one solution (e.g. the draft solution I had pictured included an RPi connecetd to the speaker that runs balenaSound or Snapcast), but I hope to keep it simple and neat.

    My “homelab” (I realize now I need to start putting that in quotes 😅 ) consists of a dedicated mini-PC hosting some services through Docker and soon a Raspberry Pi with a Zigbee-receiver running Home Assistant and an MQTT broker. So I don’t have a very sophisticated setup, although I do hope to one day get there. So for the time being, your solution is a bit too advanced for me, but I have saved it in my notes for future reference!

    • @[email protected]
      4•1 year ago

      No need to put homelab in quotes, it’s whatever is your lab. We all have different setups that grow and shrink as we learn.

      Let me show you a smaller option than a full rack amp. I used this exact setup before except using an AirPort Express instead of the pi.

      I would do the Pi (your plan) -> this -> bookshelf speakers like these.