Wireless wireless outdoor speaker integration question. Please help.

[Stefmatt1]

I have Control4 system and I’m not super techy. I play music list through iPhone/Apple Music and have lots of playlists there. Because of this, I use shairbridge to play My library/playlists.... like a dj. Recently, I wanted more music/louder in backyard for a party. I figured I could buy Sonos move (or 2) and airplay them in conjunction with my Control4 shairbridge. Unfortunately that did not work. Control4 doesn’t let anything else share airplay when it’s in use through shairbridge. My question is this : how do I add wireless /movable speaker(s) to the Control4 system I already have AND SPECIFICALLY USE THEM WITH AIRPLAY SO THAT ALL SPEAKERS ARE IN UNISON AND I CAN ALSO DO PLAYLISTS?

I don’t want to create new plays lists. I I want to use the ones I karats have on my phone /Apple music.

any help would be appreciated ...

[Cyknight]

Sonos Amp with a C4 controller feed, then Sonos speaker selecting the C4 feed. Airplay to C4

Or reverse it, get a Sonos amp to feed audio into the system, and Sonos speakers for extra zones and use C4 to select sonos as a source.

Or get a triad One and some passive speakers to connect to it.

 

[Stefmatt1]

I think I am understanding what you are saying here but the setup I’m imagining allows me to take these portable Sonos in and out of backyard and just add when I want to. The yard is already done. I don’t have ability to run speaker wires nor can an amp be in outside area. So question is, does the amp (if installed inthe rack with all the rest of components) allow the wireless Sonos (like a Sonos move) connect to it and then in turn, connect to C4 rather than air playing the Sonos move speaker directly to Apple Music?

[Cyknight]

So if you add a Sonos zoneplayer/connect/port or what ever they are calling them now, and feed it into the system, from a C4 perspective you would simply select 'Sonos' as your input, then use the Sonos app to select apple music/whatever you want on both the wireless speaker and the 'connect' feeding into your C4 amp/matrix (details there depend on your setup)

Point of the Triad One is that it's wireless capable amp, so you would bring that out when you want to (along with wired speakers to connect to it) and you can do it all within C4 - but yes you'd still be using airplay. Just an alternate option

[RAV]

The Sonos system is one of the best wireless speaker options. To use wireless Sonos outside, you need to group them with another Sonos product, that would be a Port.

Now the choice is, which is the boss. Sonos or Control4?

If Control4, then the audio line output from Control4 (usually a matrix switcher) goes into the port, You create another Zone in Control4, "Outside" and use sessions to group it with what you're doing now. Than use the Sonos app to group Port with the Moves, and control the volume of the moves. Control4 app for music choice, Sonos app to group and for Move volume.

If Sonos is the boss. Than the output of the Port goes INTO the matrix for Control4 as a source. Select Sonos as the source for the inside rooms. Than use the Sonos app to select music to play, and group the Port and the Moves. Sonos app for music choice and Move volume, Control4 app for selecting Sonos as input and inside volume.

Messy either way, but reliable and decent sound.

The Triad One is a wireless amp that wires to real speakers of your choice, it helps get closer to where the speakers will get installed. Then all control is in Control4. But there's speakers to mount and wires to run to the amp inside somewhere.

[Cyknight]

7 hours ago, RAV said:

But there's speakers to mount and wires to run to the amp inside somewhere

Not in the scenario I had as such - the point being that, like the Sonos wireless speaker, the amp isn't normally sitting outside, you bring it out and plug it in when needed.

His other post clarifies this a bit, where the issue is adding a wireless speaker outside and not allowing airplay to both the C4 system and the Sonos speaker.

 

That said, I'd lean towards the other options. Personally in the situation described, and adding the info from his other post where the issue is airplay not being allowed between the Sonos and C4 at the same time for his Airplay music, i'd suggest feeding the Amp into C4, making the 'once in awhile' outside speaker scenario easy to do, and allowing use of Apple music normally when desired while leaving the overall existing C4 system intact.

[Cyknight]

7 hours ago, RAV said:

The Sonos system is one of the best wireless speaker options.

Well....I'd say it's usually the easiest for DIY to setup and use.

I'll take several other options over them for sound quality as well as reliability.

[Stefmatt1]

Uuughhhh.... none of those options sound good. Why can’t Control4 just update its “shairbridge” to airplay2 . Can anyone riddle me this? Maybe because no one has asked?? Because IM ASKING!!! No, IM BEGGING!!! Does anyone know someone on the inside that can make this happen??? 

[Cyknight]

No-one has asked obviously - and the inside man has refused to listen

 

/sarcasm

 

 

It's been regualrly requested and will continue to be. C4 wont have 'an inside man' that can 'make it happen' - that's just not how that works.