How to Build a Hidden Home Theater System With Sonos

Back in the day, electronics blended in with the surroundings – and no, I’m not talking about those speakers that look like rocks. Television sets from the 1950s, 60s, and 70s were furniture pieces replete with wooden cabinets. While that trend dissipated in favor of unmistakable home entertainment equipment, it’s now returning. Inspired to give my living room a makeover, I created a discreet surround system. Here’s how to build a hidden Sonos home theater!

What is a Hidden Home Theatre?

Simply put, a discreet surround system or hidden home theatre is a speaker system that blends into the environment as much as possible. My home theatre journey has evolved greatly over the years. I started out with a Denon receiver and a pair of Infinity Alpha bookshelf speakers. Eventually, I found a matching center channel, then added a cheap Yahama subwoofer and a set of rear surrounds.

Because I moved around a bunch and became wary of running speaker wire around the living room of rentals every few years, I upgraded (or downgraded depending on your perspective) to a Vizio SB36512-F6 Dolby Atmos 5.1.2 true surround sound bar. I’ve now settled on a Sonos system consisting of a Sonos Arc, Sub Mini, and a pair of IKEA Symfonisk lamps which gives me better sound quality with improved aesthetics.

As you can see, I also made a few other upgrades including a lovely midcentury modern entertainment stand from West Elm. And while the Sonos Arc is unmistakably a soundbar, the rear speakers blend into the room’s decor pretty well as lamps.

Why Choose Sonos?

Sonos is an excellent choice for a discreet surround sound system. A partnership with IKEA means you can find speakers like the Symfonisk that double as lamps, bookshelves, or even wall-hanging artwork. Additionally, Sonos offers modular speaker systems – you can piece together a home cinema solution that fits your space.

Building a Discreet Home Theatre Surround Sound System

A surround sound system consists of three main components:

1. Front speakers: Left and right surround, center channel
2. Rear speakers: Left and right rear
3. Low end: Subwoofer

The Front: Picking Your Soundbar

Since we’re putting a surround sound system together with the Sonos ecosystem, the front speakers will be pretty simple: a soundbar. Sonos offers three different soundbars:

1. Sonos Arc: The Sonos Arc boasts eleven internal speakers including a pair of dedicated height channels for true multi-directional audio that works with Dolby Atmos. It’s best for folks with large rooms and hardcore audiophiles, but the most expensive Sonos soundbar of the bunch.
2. Sonos Beam (Gen 2): The Sonos Beam (Gen 2) is a good mid-range soundbar with Dolby Atmos support. While it lacks dedicated height channels as the Arc has, the Beam Gen 2 features audio processing capable of producing virtual height channels, which maintain Dolby Atmos compatibility. I recommend the Sonos Beam for smaller rooms and budget-conscious home theater enthusiasts.
3. Sonos Ray: The Sonos Ray is a wallet-friendly soundbar. Like the Beam, it’s compact and works well in smaller rooms, however, it’s not compatible with Dolby Atmos. Moreover, unlike the Arc and Beam the Sonos Ray doesn’t have an HDMI port with ARC or eARC support, so you’ll have to rely on TOSLink Optical audio when connecting to a TV.

For my home theatre, I opted for the Sonos Arc. I choose the Arc because of its:

• Wide soundstage
• Dolby Atmos capabilities
• 11 speakers and dedicated height channels

If you’re a true audiophile, I’d recommend the Arc, but the Beam Gen 2 is a solid runner-up. On a budget, the Ray is a good choice that still lets you add wireless Sonos speakers to cobble together a surround sound system.

The Rears: Choosing Your IKEA Symfonisk

Since we’re putting together a hidden home theatre (or at least a surround sound system that blends in as much as possible), I recommend going with IKEA’s superb Symfonisk lineup. You’ve got three main options:

1. Symfonisk speaker lamps: IKEA’s Symfonisk speaker lamps are available as table-top or floor-standing lamps. You can pick out a full lamp or select your speaker base and shade separately thanks to the modular design. I chose a pair of IKEA Symfonisk table lamps for my rear surround sound channels. When friends come over, I proudly explain “See the lamps? They’re speakers.”
2. Symfonisk bookshelf speakers: IKEA’s Symfonisk bookshelf speakers are neat options that can be mounted on a wall, placed on a shelf bracket, or connected to stands. You can find various mesh screen covers that look like book spines to help these stay hidden.
3. Picture frames: The IKEA Symfonisk picture frames deliver rich, full sound while hanging on a wall. It blends into your room’s decor masquerading as artwork – available covers include a portrait of a giraffe, tiger, or Van Gogh’s Starry Night.

The speaker lamps boast the best sound quality, which I found rivaled that of the Sonos One Gen 2. Plus, they’re arguably the most useful of the bunch since the lamps provide light. However, the bookshelf speakers are solid mid-range options, and the picture frame is an excellent alternative that doesn’t break the bank.

The Low-end Theory: Selecting a Subwoofer

Sonos provides two subwoofers:

1. Sonos Sub: The Sonos Sub is best for bassheads and larger rooms. If you’ve got a sizable living area, want to disturb your neighbors by rattling their windows while watching action films, or both, this is the Sonos subwoofer for you. You can even pair three Sonos Subs together.
2. Sonos Sub Mini: As the name suggests, the Sonos Sub Mini is a compact option that’s suitable for smaller rooms or folks on a budget.

Originally, I ordered the Sonos Sub, but ended up switching to a Sub Mini because 1) it was cheaper and 2) I realized that the modestly-sized living room of my rental house didn’t require the larger Sonos Sub.

Putting it All Together

Once you’ve selected your Sonos speakers, just install the app and connect your components to get started.

To add your soundbar, sub, and rear speakers:

1. Fire up the Sonos app for Android or iOS.
2. Head to Settings > System > Add Product.
3. Follow the on-screen instructions to hook up your soundbar.

Once you’ve added all of your Sonos speakers, you’ll need to group your surrounds and sub. Before you start, you’ll need to add the various speakers as separate rooms. To group your rear surrounds:

1. Head to the Sonos Android or iOS app.
2. Go to Settings > System > Products.
3. Tap Sonos home theater room.
4. Hit Set up Surrounds.
5. Complete the on-screen steps to add your surround speakers.

And finally, group your sub:

1. Launch the Sonos Android or iOS app.
2. Navigate to System > Group.
3. Select the desired home theater room.
4. Tap the checkmark symbol beside the rooms you want to add to a group and select Done.

How to Create a Sonos Hidden Home Theater: Final Thoughts

Ultimately, Sonos is an exceptional multi-room wireless audio solution. And its array of home theatre speakers makes it an excellent choice. With the IKEA Symfonisk roster, you can add rear surround channels to a Sonos subwoofer and soundbar to enjoy a multi-channel audio setup that doesn’t look like you’ve got speakers all over the room. Although your soundbar and sub will still remain easily identifiable as audio components, you can choose from lamps, a bookshelf speaker, or picture frame as the rear surround channels which blend into your room’s decor more so than traditional home cinema speakers.

Your turn: What Sonos speakers are YOU using?