Quote to Install Sonos Home Audio System

[Amethyst]

Diplomacy is always my chosen road, until it no longer works and I am angry. Then, what I think of as my "cold stone self" comes out, and I either walk away, or say just what I am thinking.

In this case, I prefer to think the man really wasn't paying attention, rather than padding the estimate on the off-chance that the old folks won't know any better, or are too rich to care.

I' can't tell you how paranoid we are about computer generated labor costs. You always want to think it's an oversight and not someone out to rip you off.

 

[db79]

Get at least another quote if you’re not wanting to do the install yourself. I would have an issue with their equipment markups considering you can purchase directly from SONOS saving hundreds of dollars. My WIFI mesh system was a lot less than just one of their listed access points and my spouse had no issues setting it up herself in short time.

[EDIT - didn't see that this was answered in last night's post]
I’m confused with some items listed under Studio and WIFI sections. They are installing an access point in the studio and pulling 60 feet of CAT6. Where is the access point and 75 feet of CAT6 listed under WIFI being installed? [EDIT]

What non-SONOS speakers are you looking to power with the amp and how are they powered now?

Assuming you already have a wall mounted TV that needs to be pulled to attached the Beam mounting bracket? Labor seems oddly high for the Great Room vs the Studio where they are pulling 60 feet of CAT6.

 

[ERD50]

... I' can't tell you how paranoid we are about computer generated labor costs. You always want to think it's an oversight and not someone out to rip you off. ...

Funny how these 'oversights' are almost always in their favor!

-ERD50

 

[Aerides]

It's good that you were able to talk them down from the double-dips. I'm sure most companies do something similar. Now, I'd say something like "I'd like to see a X% reduction in the entire price" and go from there.

A lot of these quotes are put out expecting people to haggle a bit. They are a starting point, not always a firm price.

 

[ivinsfan]

Funny how these 'oversights' are almost always in their favor!

-ERD50

Oh yes and they conveniently blame the computer

 

[Amethyst]

There are ceiling speakers on the lanai and in the kitchen-sitting area. The intent is to tie them into the Sonos system, especially on the lanai where wind sometimes pushes in the rain.

The TV sits on a piece of furniture, as we did not like the wall placement options that the house presented - we hate looking up over a fireplace, which is the only reasonable place to put TV and associated furniture. The Beam bracket will put the Beam right over the TV. The SUB can then sit on a small table, in line with the TV and the Beam.

Incidentally, I looked up the ARC vs. the Beam. In addition to costing much more, the ARC is 45 inches wide, whereas our TV is only 42 inches wide. So the Beam seems a sensible choice.

What non-SONOS speakers are you looking to power with the amp and how are they powered now?

Assuming you already have a wall mounted TV that needs to be pulled to attached the Beam mounting bracket? Labor seems oddly high for the Great Room vs the Studio where they are pulling 60 feet of CAT6.

 

[Musica40]

I love Sonos! Let me say that again, I love Sonos. For as much as I love Sonos, I think you should get another quote to see how they compare. I am updating my system in our condo for $1400. Here is what I was offered:

1pr Sonance VP-62R In-ceiling round speakers 399.00
1 Sonos Amp (For the rear speakers) 649.99
1 Sonos Mount (Playbar) 79.99
1 Sansus Soundbar Mount Bracket 59.95
Installation 225.00
Pre-wire for Rear speakers and HDMI 135.00

Subtotal 1548.93
Tax 127.79
Total 1676.72
Discount -200.00
Grand Total 1476.72

 

[WWDog]

I haven't read the entire thread but the selling point of SONOS is supposed to be the ease of installation and the quality of the sound. I have an older SONOS that I use for the TV and to pipe music through the house. It took me about an hour to set it up and the set up was all done by the equipment. All I needed to do was tell it what my wifi was and the password to get into it.

 

[kgtest]

Do they offer a warranty on the work? After recently entering the realm of non DIY and cutting checks for work being done (I don't have the time with work and family obligations) I realized timelines and warranties are nice things to not worry about.

How much do you make an hour? Multiply that by 2 and then see if the contractor is making more than you per hour...

IF they are, they are overrated and over priced. I've had contractors quote me more than I earn in my high-flying IT career and I'm like yeah right buddy.

Ask if they offer a cash discount or a discount for a google review. And I always ask if there is anything I can do to knock a little off, pickup supplies at store, clean up the site etc.

Otherwise, I would pay someone about $5,000 for a premium sound system if I didn't have to touch a thing. I have 22 speakers in our home movie theater...that was DIY before kids. It was the first thing I touched after moving in. A little dated now after 7yrs but it is still mind blowing to anyone who listens and I recently updated to add 2 Atmos overhead speakers. So again, maybe take some of the work and DIY?

 

[Old Microbiologist]

Just my 2 cents. First, the Sonos system uses really cheap quality components and yes, you could do it yourself a lot cheaper. I have done something similar in our home using ESP8266 or ESP32 boards (less than $5 each). That is not for the technically challenged and after having done it IMHO not worth the effort. The fantasy of having music that follows you around the house sounds great but is very infrequently used. But if you have $6k to blow on a sound system who am I to argue?

My brother (a retired symphony musician) has a Sonos system installed in his home in Indianapolis and he is very unhappy with it. It is a never-ending pain in the butt. I studied this system after seeing his setup on a visit back to the states. I discivered the specs for them and found that Ikea sells speakers with the exact same components at a lot less price. It is not hard to set up and doesn't require spending thousands to do it. But, people are baffled by apparently simple concepts like WiFi setups (my brother is a good example) so seem to be ready for fleecing by companies that are more than willing to take your money.

All that said my wife who is the endpoint user and the final arbitrator for what works doesn't use my fancy wifi speaker setup ever. What she likes best is her portable JBL speaker (hers is a Phase 4 but that has been replaced now with the Extreme 2). She just carries it with her wherever she is working and it is connected to her iPad or iPhone. I am responsible for keeping it charged. It sounds absolutely fantastic, lasts for hours, is easy to carry around, and is simply convenient. I use something similar out at our pool to do Yoga despite having a full 200 watt 8 speaker setup out there connected to the wifi system. For us, this is what works best and is very inexpensive in comparison. I have the big system that more or less sits unused except when we have a lot of guests which happens maybe every 10 years or so.

 

[airbornesapper]

Neighbour is a big Sonos fan… I built my system based on Google Speakers and the use of Chromecast Audio’s for two sound systems and on my garage tv sound bar. We also have Google displays which to be honest audio wise see the most use indoors. All of it can be played at once or in various groups.

A powerful Google home max is used outside.

I have a very good mesh wifi system and run two routers…. One for all the smart home stuff, and the other for media.

The neighbour thinks my system is more versatile…. and with way less cost…

 

[target2019]

I purchased a more powerful BT portable (JBL Charge 4) and that helped me put to rest the desire for reviving our outdoor speakers (probably installed in 1975). When I want to hear great music in a section of the yard I'm working, JBL and Spotify on the phone to the rescue. We've taken it on short trips and it is pretty amazing to be able to set up something that powerful and play whatever someone wants.

Another device is a Samsung soundbar in our living room. That is very easy to connect BT to, and it does quite well.

I think the various solutions and manufacturers have decent approaches, but the more devices and widgets, the more you have to understand the tech to keep things running well on WiFi. For myself, I've decided we're better off with less failure points. I've been through so much tech gone wrong since the 80's, and I want to minimize my troubleshooting and maintenance time on stuff that looks ancient in 5 years (or sooner).

 

[explanade]

Yeah if you really want to listen to music, sit down in the sweet spot and concentrate on the music, as opposed to just having it on in the background while you're doing something else, it might be worth having some fixed installation of an elaborate sound system.

Otherwise, if you're going to be moving around like preparing food or browsing the net while you have something playing in the background, there is little advantage in having an expensive system.

You can get enough volume from even these small rechargeable speakers which last at least a week between charges.

Again if you're dedicating time to listening to music every day or nearly every day, then nice speakers would be worth it. You get to sit in the sweet spot and actually get a good sound stage.

But if you're going to run it in the background and moving around while it's playing, you won't notice the sound stage, probably won't matter as much if you're even getting stereo output.

 

[ivinsfan]

Miss A have you decided what to do? Curious if any posters here have changed your plans.

 

[Amethyst]

Thank you for asking. I have called a halt to the project for now, as I'm very frustrated with the sales process. They may be competent audio technicians, but their sales methods leave a lot to be desired. At this point, I've gotten three different "contracts," all with different prices for everything. If there was another audio place within reasonable distance, I'd call them.

Posters' insights have been extremely valuable. In fact, I'm cooking up a new/related set of questions to ask you all, based on some information that came to light during discussions with the salesman.

Miss A have you decided what to do? Curious if any posters here have changed your plans.

 

[ivinsfan]

Thank you for asking. I have called a halt to the project for now, as I'm very frustrated with the sales process. They may be competent audio technicians, but their sales methods leave a lot to be desired. At this point, I've gotten three different "contracts," all with different prices for everything. If there was another audio place within reasonable distance, I'd call them.

Posters' insights have been extremely valuable. In fact, I'm cooking up a new/related set of questions to ask you all, based on some information that came to light during discussions with the salesman.

Don't you hate it when you want to spend money and the stars are aligned against you?

 

[Amethyst]

I'm confident we'll get a system eventually, one way or another. I just hate wasting time with people who can't communicate in a professional way. He made a snarky comment to the effect that most clients don't read the sales contract line by line. The thing is, he clearly doesn't read it either before sending it out. I don't believe he is dishonest - merely lazy.

So he's on the back burner and I'm working in another direction.

Don't you hate it when you want to spend money and the stars are aligned against you?

 

[tulak]

If you’re still considering a Sonos system, this could be a good reason to separate the Sonos install and improving your Wifi network.

I suspect that you can find more people to help
with the Wifi install. Once that it is done, it’s a lot easier to install Sonos gear. You can even try parts of it yourself: buy a single Sonos Five, install the app, and see if it’s easy enough to hook up by yourself.

If that works out, then you’d only need to hire somebody for the harder parts, such as wall mounting the sound bar, etc.

 

[explanade]

For a minimal investment, you could try out portable speakers, see if the sound is good enough for your listening patterns.

See if you think recharging requires too much time, time waiting for it to recharge.

See if taking portable wireless speakers from room to room works for you.

See if the pairing and unpairing process, having to start playing music from a phone or another device, maybe switching devices, works for you.

We're talking less than $100 or even less than $50 but also time and effort to see if you can make things work.

 

[Amethyst]

Thanks, explanade - can you recommend any?

For a minimal investment, you could try out portable speakers, see if the sound is good enough for your listening patterns.

See if you think recharging requires too much time, time waiting for it to recharge.

See if taking portable wireless speakers from room to room works for you.

See if the pairing and unpairing process, having to start playing music from a phone or another device, maybe switching devices, works for you.

We're talking less than $100 or even less than $50 but also time and effort to see if you can make things work.

 

[Scrapr]

How much do you make an hour? Multiply that by 2 and then see if the contractor is making more than you per hour...

IF they are, they are overrated and over priced. I've had contractors quote me more than I earn in my high-flying IT career and I'm like yeah right buddy.

Frankly what you earn & what a contractor earns has no relation to each other. You see a guy pull up in a van & do some stuff. Then charge you $$$. While you go into an office (or WFH) and everything is all ready to go for you. You get PTO, vacations, HI, maybe a car allowance, etc. The contractor has all those costs & more.

The contractor is pricing to the market. Just like you can jump around jobs to earn a higher salary. When I was running our business we were always 20% over our competitors on price. I used it as a selling point. We were that good. If the contractor schedule goes soft then he might have to drop his price. I imagine AV is booming when times are good & awful in recessions. Times might be good now.

Sounds like you have AV skills. OP may not want to F with it.

 

[explanade]

Thanks, explanade - can you recommend any?

I have this one.

It’s about the size of a large hot dog roll but has big volume. I can hear it over my shower.

But this brand makes bigger ones.

You do need to use a USB-c cable. It includes a short one, no charger but you can plug the other end to a regular USB plug.

At worst you might have to spend $20 more for a USB-c to usb-a cable and a charger you’d use only for this speaker. Otherwise if you have say an iPad charger or phone charger may also work if it has a uSB female plug.

I go 2 weeks between charges because most of the time I use HomePod mini to listen but if I go to bathroom or bedroom upstairs, I just turn on this speaker and then switch it back. So maybe 15 minutes of using a day and it lasts a couple of weeks.

 

[Amethyst]

Did you mean to attach a link?

I have this one.

It’s about the size of a large hot dog roll but has big volume. I can hear it over my shower.

But this brand makes bigger ones.

You do need to use a USB-c cable. It includes a short one, no charger but you can plug the other end to a regular USB plug.

At worst you might have to spend $20 more for a USB-c to usb-a cable and a charger you’d use only for this speaker. Otherwise if you have say an iPad charger or phone charger may also work if it has a uSB female plug.

I go 2 weeks between charges because most of the time I use HomePod mini to listen but if I go to bathroom or bedroom upstairs, I just turn on this speaker and then switch it back. So maybe 15 minutes of using a day and it lasts a couple of weeks.

 

[target2019]

Portable bluetooth speakers with long battery life and big sound found here:
https://www.jbl.com/bluetooth-speakers/

I have the Charge 4. Mentioned that earlier.

 

[explanade]

Did you mean to attach a link?

https://www.amazon.com/Tribit-XSound-Bluetooth-Speakers-Built/dp/B07594HZ6Y