There are a few ways you can connect a turntable to Sonos. Several Sonos speakers have a line-in design, allowing you directly connect your turntable with the proper cable. You can also connect Bluetooth turntables to Bluetooth-enabled Sonos speakers.
I’m Andreas, and I love everything about listening to and making music. I work as a producer and audio engineer and have a lot of experience setting up turntables. I know through first-hand experience how to connect them to Sonos.
This post will show you how to connect a turntable to Sonos. I’ll highlight several ways you can make this happen and provide step-by-step instructions for each. My goal is to help you get your Sonos and turntable connected as quickly and easily as possible.
Let’s get started.
Key Takeaways
- Some Sonos speaker models have a line-in feature that allows you to hard-wire your turntable directly to the speaker. This is the easiest way to connect your turntable and will deliver the best sound quality.
- You can also use other Sonos products, like the Amp or Port, to connect your turntable and then broadcast to other speakers you have in the setup.
- Another option is to purchase a Bluetooth Turntable and a Bluetooth-enabled Sonos speaker. This is easy and convenient, but you will experience a noticeable loss in audio quality, and it kind of defeats the purpose of listening to music on vinyl.
Initial Thoughts
Before diving into the details of connecting a turntable to Sonos, I want to provide you with a quick audio-focused reminder on the difference between digital and analog music. This won’t apply to everyone, but it’s still good for you to read.
If you want to listen to a turntable because you love the rich, warm sound of vinyl, I do not recommend using a wireless speaker setup like Sonos. Any wireless setup will degrade the audio quality and won’t be as good as a hard-wired connection.
Sonos does offer a few speakers that allow you to hard-wire your turntable to your Sonos system. That’s great and will give you good audio quality. But if you broadcast that to other Sonos speakers in your home or listening room, the sound won’t be nearly as good.
Some of you reading this might not know about this or even care. And that’s totally fine. Not everyone who wants to listen to vinyl is an audiophile, and connecting a turntable to Sonos is a convenient way to listen to records.
How to Connect Turntable to Sonos
If you are still trying to connect a turntable to your Sonos system despite my audiophile warning above, this is the section of the post for you. There are a few ways to go about doing this, depending on what type of turntable or Sonos speakers you are working with.
In the sections here, I’ll give you a few different instructions for connecting a turntable to your Sonos systems. You have a few options, and I’ll start with the one that will give you the best sound quality.
Remember that you’ll need to have a preamp in your setup for a turntable to work. You can get a turntable with a built-in preamp to make things easier, buy a stand-alone option to connect to in your audio chain or use the Sonos Amp to function in this way.
How to Connect Turntable to Sonos with Direct Wiring
Using one of the Sonos speakers with a line-in input is the best and one of the easiest ways to connect your turntable. This is basically as easy as plug-and-play, and you just need to have the proper cables to make it happen.
Here are all of the current Sonos speakers that have a line-in feature:
- Sonos Era 300
- Sonos Era 500
- Sonos Five
- Sonos Play:5
If you have any of those speakers, you can plug your turntable directly into them, play a record, and you’ll get sound from the speakers.
For the Era 300 and Era 500, you’ll need to get a Sonos Line-In Adapter. This is a dongle that functions as an RCA to USB-C converter. You plug the RCA lines from your turntable into one end and the USB-C end into the line input on the speaker.
For the 5 and Play:5 speakers, you’ll also plug the turntable directly into the speaker, but you’ll use a different adapter. These speakers have a single RCA line input, and you’ll use a Y-splitter plugged into that to connect the RCA output lines from your turntable.
If you use an amp with your turntable, you’ll plug the RCA outputs into the corresponding adapter rather than directly from the turntable.
Quick Tip: You need to change the input source in the Sonos app for it to recognize that a turntable or other line-in device is connected. Open the app and go to the Browse section. Then choose Line-In, and you’ll be all set to listen to your turntable.
How to Connect Turntable to Sonos Using Sonos Amp
If you already have a Sonos system and use the Sonos Amp, you can also hard wire a turntable to that. You can use Sonos Amp like any other preamp to get the proper sound from your turntable.
Just plug an RCA cable into the line-in RCA inputs on the Amp and the other end of the cable into the corresponding RCA inputs on your turntable. You can pair the Amp with other Sonos speakers or use connected third-party speakers from there.
Remember that the Sonos Amp is an amp and not a speaker. You won’t be able to hear your turntable with just the Amp and need to have it in line with other speakers.
How to Connect Turntable to Sonos Using Sonos Port
The Sonos Port is another helpful piece of equipment that you might be working with if you already have a Sonos system set up. This is a good option if you already have a stereo system in place but want to connect that to Sonos speakers.
The Port has a similar design to the Amp and comes with left and right line-in inputs. All you need to do to connect your turntable is plug the RCA inputs from the record player into the corresponding inputs on the Port.
The Port can then send a signal to all of the other Sonos speakers you have set up. You can play your turntable as usual, and the audio should playback from the Port. You still need to have a turntable with a preamp or use an in-line amp for this setup.
How to Connect Bluetooth Turntable to Sonos
If you have a Bluetooth turntable, you can also connect to Sonos that way. You also need to have a Bluetooth-enabled Sonos speaker for this to work. Not every Sonos speaker has Bluetooth capabilities, so you should check before purchasing a Bluetooth turntable.
These are the Sonos speakers that have Bluetooth capabilities and can connect to a Bluetooth turntable:
- Sonos Era 100
- Sonos Era 300
- Sonos Roam
- Sonos Move
Follow these steps to connect your Bluetooth turntable to a Sonos Bluetooth speaker:
1. Plug in and turn on your turntable and Sonos speakers.
2. Press the Bluetooth or pairing button on the back of your Sonos speakers.
3. Connect the turntable to the speaker or speakers using the app or specific instructions that come with the turntable.
Most Bluetooth turntables have a built-in preamp, so you don’t need to worry about connecting an amp for proper playback. But you typically need to manage your Bluetooth connections through an app on a mobile device to connect the speakers.
Since the exact process for pairing a turntable can vary from device to device, you just need to follow the pairing instructions that come with your turntable once you have your Sonos speakers in pairing mode.
FAQs
Here are a few short answers to some of the most commonly asked questions related to how to connect a turntable to Sonos.
Can you pair a turntable with Sonos?
You can connect a turntable with Sonos through a hard-wired connection or by using a Bluetooth turntable with a Bluetooth-enabled Sonos speaker. Keep in mind that you need to have a preamplifier of some sort to run the turntable.
How do I connect my Sonos Port to my turntable?
The Sonos Port has an RCA input where you can directly connect your turntable. You’ll just need to plug the RCA cables running from your turntable into the corresponding inputs on the Sonos Port. Once plugged in, the turntable should play through connected speakers.
Can Sonos connect to a Bluetooth turntable?
Not every Sonos speaker is Bluetooth-enabled, so only some models are able to connect to a Bluetooth turntable. If you want to connect a Bluetooth turntable to your Sonos system, get a Sonos speaker with a Bluetooth feature.
How do I connect my Sonos Arc to my turntable?
Unfortunately, you cannot connect your Sonos Arc to a turntable. The Arc does not have a line-in feature or Bluetooth capabilities, and you need one of these to connect a turntable directly. However, you could connect using the Sonos Port or Amp.
Can I connect turntable and CD player to Sonos Amp?
The Sonos Amp only has one line in input, so you can only connect a single turntable or CD player. You can’t connect both of these to one Sonos Amp. You could use two Amps and have enough inputs for connecting both auxiliary devices.
Final Thoughts
Connecting a turntable to Sonos is pretty straightforward, as long as you have a Sonos speaker with line-in options or Bluetooth capabilities. Not every Sonos model can work directly with a turntable, so double-check that yours can before attempting the turntable install.
Keep in mind that a wireless connection is not ideal for listening to vinyl on a turntable. Transferring the analog signal from the turntable directly to a digital wireless signal will degrade the audio quality. Some people might not care, but I think this defeats the purpose.
What type of turntable do you have? How big is your record collection? Let me know in the comments below.
