Sonos were one of the first companies to introduce smart audio technology, creating a range of wireless speakers that were networked to a central device, allowing users to play audio anywhere in their home. Now, the company is a world leader in home entertainment systems, and could revolutionise the way you listen to music.
When Sonos was founded in 2002, home audio was still in its dark ages. By and large, every sound system had to be connected to its own set of speakers, limiting their range and the options available to home owners. Sonos’ founders John MacFarlane, Craig Shelburne, Tom Cullen and Trung Mai realised that digital and wireless technology offered a different way to deliver audio. In 2004, they introduced the first Sonos audio system, allowing owners to play audio anywhere in their home. Their so-called “Smart speakers” represented a huge step forward for home audio systems, and since then the company hasn’t looked back.
Since 2004, they have added three new speakers to their product range along with services like Spotify and Amazon streaming compatibility. They have added soundbars and subwoofers, pioneered automatic acoustic tuning and perfected the networking abilities of their speakers. Now, if audio fans want to optimise their home for music playback, Sonos is generally the first brand they look to.
The primary use of Sonos is to allow owners to play music wherever they want. With a Sonos system, there’s no need to own multiple audio devices. A single music library can be networked to speakers all over the home and be made available to use whenever you like.
Sonos uses an app as its main interface, making it easy to switch between different albums or tracks and to use affiliated services like Spotify or Pandora. The Sonos speakers simply connect to existing wireless networks and should be ready for use as soon as they are plugged in.
Users can then add extra speakers for different rooms, set up playlists and queues, turn devices on or off with their phone or another smart device and mix up tracks from different streaming services. It’s the most flexible way to play digital music, which is the major form of audio consumption among today’s music fans.
Sonos’ speakers don’t just have to be attached to audio players. They can also be hooked up to movie and TV streaming services and Blu-ray players, providing a surround sound home cinema experience. That’s basically it. Sonos is mainly an audio playback system, and a very advanced one at that.
Sonos have released a number of different speakers, as well as a soundbar and subwoofer. Here are their most popular products:
Sonos One – Sonos' flagship speaker includes voice-control via Amazon Alexa or the Google Assistant, so you can control your music by simply speaking to your speaker. Aside from this, it has breathtaking sound that fills rooms in all directions with whatever music your playing.
PLAY:1 – Subtitled the “Mini home speaker with the mighty sound”, the PLAY:1 is Sonos’ smallest speaker. It plugs into your Wifi network, allows you to play the same song everywhere or different songs in different rooms, and is controllable via the Sonos app which is frequently automatically updated by the company to keep the software up to date.
PLAY:5 – The largest speaker in the Sonos range, PLAY:5 can dominate even large rooms with its formidable sound levels. It has much deeper bass, and includes a handy top panel to control audio playback and six class-D amps to make the stereo sound quality even better. As with all the other Sonos models, the PLAY:5 also includes the TruePlay function, which automatically adjusts audio settings to fit in with the acoustics of the room where it is placed.
Playbar – Sonos’ soundbar is a great way to enhance the performance of their speakers. It can turn an ordinary TV into a true home cinema, is capable of streaming music on its own and is designed to work in synch with both PLAY speakers and the Sonos Sub (their subwoofer). It features nine speakers arranged in series along the bar and will deliver better directed, clearer sound from your TV.
Playbase – Sonos' another TV speaker series, Playbase is a two-in-one speaker that serves both your TV sounds and music. With its simple design and ability to withstand up to 35kg weight, it fits perfectly below your TV to create a home theatre or make you feel like you're at a concert. For additional sound effects, you can add Sub and Play:1.
Sub – The Sonos subwoofer is a great way to add extra bass capability to a Sonos speaker setup. It works in harmony with Sonos speakers to focus on the lower registers of your audio files, while the speakers deal with everything else and claims to do so with zero vibration.
Beam – The Sonos Beam is another easy way to upgrade your TV’s sound. Perfect for small to medium size rooms, the Sonos Beam provides premium sound quality and is easy to use, connecting automatically to your TV and remote. The Sonos Beam can also be used to play music and can even be combined with other Sonos speakers to fill every room of your house with sound. It also comes with compatibility for Amazon Alexa and the Google Assistant built in, allowing you to control the Beam with your voice! Whereas the Playbar and Playbase provide a louder sound with more width and bass and are capable of filling large spaces, the Sonos Beam is a more compact speaker, which can fit almost anywhere, and still produces amazing sound.
Additionally, Sonos also markets a series of products under their Connect brand. These small devices allow you to hook most older stereo systems up to major music streaming services so that you can hear Spotify tracks via your high-performance stereo. You can organise your music via the Sonos app as well, giving new life to tired old stereos.
Sonos’ speakers have some impressive technical specs, and some things that audiophiles should be aware of before they buy. For example, the highest spec speaker in their range is the PLAY:5, which has the following specifications:
Six Class-D amplifiers and three tweeters
Three mid-woofers to deliver the bass
A phased speaker array
Dimension: 203 x 364 x 154mm
Weight: 6.36kg
Capacitive touch controls
TruePlay tuning via two in-built microphones
3.5mm audio line-in
Power: an auto-switching 100-240 V, 50-60 Hz AC universal input
Uses a Wifi connection (not Bluetooth) and requires 802.11b/g, 2.4 GHz broadcast-capable routers
Also features a 0/100 Mbps Ethernet port
Dimensions and weight vary with smaller models. The PLAY:3 is 32 x 268 x 160mm and weighs 2.6kg, while the PLAY:1 is 161.45 x 119.7 x 119.7mm and weighs 1.85kg, so there’s a considerable difference.
OK, so that’s the main Sonos models and specifications dealt with, but which Sonos product should you buy?
If space is a major issue, the PLAY:1 will be the right option to go for. This compact, elegant little speaker can be slotted onto windowsills, bookshelves or cabinets. Wherever you have a sliver of space, the PLAY:1 should fit. However, none of the Sonos range are massive. Even the PLAY:5 is 36cm by 20cm, so it will hardly cramp most people. Both the PLAY:3 and the PLAY:5 can be wall-mounted or placed on stands as well, so you should be able to find a solution.
Sound quality is something that differs significantly between the various Sonos models, however. The PLAY:1 is nifty and compact, but it only produces mono sound and has one tweeter. Sure, it can be enhanced by adding more PLAY:1s or a soundbar, but by that point it’s probably preferable to have a PLAY:3 or PLAY:5 instead.
Both the PLAY:3 and the PLAY:5 feature multiple driver speakers and tweeters, as well as a bass radiator (on the PLAY:3) and multiple woofers (on the PLAY:5). Either of them should suffice for everyday music lovers, unless you have a cavernous room to fill. If that sounds like you, a couple of PLAY:5s arranged on either side of the room will be a revelation, but PLAY:3 speakers may struggle to generate enough oomph to do your music justice.
Versatility is a consideration for many people as well. If you have numerous other audio devices that you may want to hook up to your Sonos speakers, the PLAY:5 is the only real option thanks to its 3.5mm line-in port.
Some home owners will have aesthetic reasons for preferring one or other of Sonos’ models. All of them look the part, but there’s something more substantial and sleek about the PLAY:5, compared to the more modest PLAY:1. If you want your speakers to blend into your décor, go for the PLAY:1. If you like the look of Sonos’ creations and want to show off your audio tech, the PLAY:3 or PLAY:5 fit the bill. All of them can be bought in different colours, with options to suit any interior design.
It all depends on how you want to use Sonos’ speakers. If you are setting up a Sonos system all over your home, you’ll probably want a selection of different models. A PLAY:5 could be ideal for your open plan living room, while PLAY:1s could be right for the bedrooms. You can mix and match until you reach the right solution.
Of course, you don’t need to limit yourself to choosing between Sonos speakers. You might want to buy a couple of smaller PLAY:1 speakers and combine them with a soundbar attached to your wall. In some instances, where space is at a premium, and you want to combine home cinema and audio playback, this could be a great combination.
As for the Sonos Sub, you’ll either feel the need for rich, powerful bass or you won’t. If your music taste is heavy on bass riffs and beats, the subwoofer will make it much more satisfying to kick back and listen on full blast. It will also enhance cinema explosions and make dialogue clearer. But it’s not essential. It’s more of a tool for serious audiophiles who want to fine tune their Sonos set up as much as possible.
You don’t need to buy any Sonos speakers either. If cost is a major factor, why not go for a Sonos Connect box instead? That way, you can turn conventional stereos and speakers into wireless systems without buying bulky speakers or spending much money. It’s a good way to bring older systems into the streaming era.
There are also other accessories that are worth considering for technical reasons. If you don’t want to congest your wireless network with vast amounts of audio traffic or you just want to keep your audio and internet activities separate, the Sonos Bridge and the Sonos Boost might be for you. The Bridge sets up a separate Sonos Network in your home, while the Boost has a powerful antenna that makes your Sonos Network faster and gives it more reach.
The great advantage of Sonos is that it does away with the annoying wires and connectors used in old-style audio systems. Instead of worrying about finding the right jack or connecting speakers, woofers and amps together, you can just buy a Sonos speaker or two, install the app and have them hooked up to your home’s wireless network in minutes. Sonos products also look the part, deliver high-quality audio, are easy to customise to suit different rooms and family setups and connect neatly to major streaming services and smartphone devices. You can even choose whether to setup a separate Sonos Wifi network to reduce network clutter. It all adds up to a very versatile product range.
So, what about the cons? Well, the cost of Sonos products is an issue. While you can find great Sonos discounts at HotUKDeals most of the time, their speakers still command higher prices than conventional speakers. Then again, you can use Sonos Connect to enhance older systems at a much lower price. Sonos products can also be purchased in bundles which dramatically reduce the cost. Buying speakers individually is expensive, but bundles with the soundbar, subwoofer and various PLAY speakers are more affordable.
Another possible con is that Sonos does not have native YouTube compatibility. If you want to listen to music videos or other YouTube content, doing so via Sonos can be done, but its fiddly. There are new apps that claim to make the process simpler (if you have an iPhone) but it’s not built into the Sonos system.
If your home entertainment budget stretches far enough, Sonos offers an unrivalled way to create immersive home audio setups and home cinema environments. Their speakers genuinely do add a whole new dimension to music listening and cinema viewing.
If you’ve made the decision to join the wireless audio revolution and create a home audio system, where is the best place to get hold of Sonos products?
A good place to head to at first is the Sonos website at www.sonos.com. It’s a handy resource for checking out the various models and their respective specifications and you can purchase items online too. Just press “Add to basket” on the product pages, select your colour and proceed through the Sonos payment process.
However, going straight to Sonos isn’t the best way to find great deals on the company’s products. The good news is that major high street retailers sell the whole Sonos range and regularly cut the prices of individual speakers and bundles. Some of the merchants offering Sonos deals include Richer Sounds, Currys and John Lewis, and it’s worth visiting them to discuss your options with their staff. Before you do, be sure to check the Sonos HotUKDeals listings, as all of these retailers could be running Sonos promotions.
If you can’t find a good deal at major bricks and mortar retailers, the next stop is online retailers like Amazon and Smarthomesounds, both good places to pick up Sonos deals.
The best time to buy any home entertainment products is around Black Friday and Cyber Monday in November, when retailers kick start the Christmas season with big reductions. The New Year’s sales are also an excellent time to try bargain hunting for Sonos systems.
Any serious music or cinema lovers will adore the sound quality, flexibility and ease of use that Sonos provides. If you want to turn your home into an entertainment centre, their products will be ideal, but they often come at a high price. Save money on your home entertainment needs by regularly checking the Sonos hotukdeals listings.
