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?
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.