Entered CNET Catalog: 05/22/2007
SKU: 0080501000884
Manufacturer: Sonos, Inc.
Manufacturer description
The BU130 includes three of Sonos' key products - one Sonos ZonePlayer 80 (ZP80), one Sonos ZonePlayer 100 (ZP100) and one Sonos Controller 100 (CR100) - enabling customers to wirelessly stream music to two rooms and control all that music from anywhere. Now, in one package, you will find a ZP80 which can be connected to an existing stereo or home theater receiver to instantly make it part of a digital music system; a ZP100 which can be connected to speakers and placed in any room; and a CR100 providing wireless multi-room control of all your music from any room in the house.Product summary
The good: Two-room wireless digital audio system, expandable to as many as 32 rooms; wireless color-screen remote utilizes iPod-style scrollwheel; easy setup and installation; includes audio inputs for accessing third-party audio sources; streams the same audio to all rooms or different music to each room; excellent compatibility includes lossless file formats, Sirius, Rhapsody and Pandora premium streaming services, music purchased from PlaysForSure and Zune music stores, and free Internet radio stations.
The bad: Can't stream copy-protected music purchased from the iTunes Store; remote's rechargeable battery isn't removable; while the Sonos components are all wireless, one base station is required to have a wired network connection.
The bottom line: Recent firmware and feature upgrades cement the Sonos Digital Music System's position as the best multiroom streaming audio solution available.
Editors' review
- Editors' Choice: Yes
- Reviewed on: 06/22/2007
Editor's note: As of August 2008, Sonos has discontinued the distribution of this particular configuration of its Digital Music System. In its place, the very similar Sonos BU150 bundle is available instead.
In 2005, Sonos introduced its first multiroom digital music system to rave reviews and an Editors' Choice from CNET.com. The original bundle featured the ZP100 ZonePlayers, with built-in amplifiers that required nothing more than adding a couple of speakers. The company followed up a year later with a second bundle that included a new, smaller base station unit--the ZonePlayer ZP80--designed for connecting to existing stereo systems. Now Sonos has split the difference, offering a new two-room bundle (dubbed the "Bundle 130," or the BU130) that includes one ZP100, one ZP80, and--the key ingredient--the CR100 wireless remote. But while the hardware is essentially the same as it's been for the past year or two, Sonos has delivered several firmware upgrades that have significantly enhanced the appeal of the product, adding support for a wide range of digital audio formats and premium music services, including Rhapsody, Pandora, and nearly all online stores that use the Microsoft-compatible digital rights management (DRM). And while Apple continues to refuse to license its FairPlay DRM to Sonos (or any other third party), the newly available DRM-free music on the iTunes Store works just fine with the Sonos. In other words, the Sonos Digital Music System is better than ever, and while the $1,000 price tag is still a bit rich when compared to other streaming-music solutions, it's a downright bargain when stacked against competing multiroom audio offerings. The combination of easy setup and operation, excellent compatibility, smooth operation, and superior design makes the latest Sonos bundle another enthusiastic recommendation for digital music fans looking for a whole-house streaming audio solution.
The basic components
There are three main components of the Sonos Digital Music System: two ZonePlayer base stations--one ZP100, one ZP80--and one CR100 Controller (the remote control). Each one is available separately as well; additional ZP100s are $500, the ZP80 is $350, and the CR100 goes for $400--so the $1,000 price tag of the BU130 bundle represents a $250 savings versus buying them a la carte. Take one look at the silver-and-white color scheme (and that scroll wheel on the remote), and you get the idea that Sonos wants you to think that its understatedly sleek components would fit right into Apple's iPod line--and they would. We just wish a black option was available, as well.
The ZonePlayer ZP100 houses a full-fledged 50-watt-per-channel amplifier and weighs 10 pounds. Its die-cast, matte-aluminum enclosure feels far more solid and substantive than most of today's all-plastic consumer electronics. About the size of a couple of Stephen King hardcover books, Sonos designed the ZP100 to be smaller than a typical stereo component (it measures 10.2 by 8.2 by 4.4 inches), so it would fit into spots that a typical component won't. It sports two pairs of high-quality speaker binding posts, analog stereo inputs and outputs (plus a subwoofer output), and a built-in four-port Ethernet switch. On-board buttons are limited to three--volume up/down and mute--because the main functions are controlled either by the CR100 remote or by a Windows or Mac computer on your home network.
With its built-in amp and speaker terminals, the ZP100 needs only a pair of speakers connected to fill a room with music--no other audio equipment is required. (Sonos offers the SP100 speakers, but nearly any set of speakers will suffice.) But the ZP80 ZonePlayer is intended for those rooms where there's already an audio system in place. Just about anything will do--a tabletop radio, a mini-system, an iPod speaker system, or a full-fledged AV receiver--so long as it has an auxiliary line-in jack. Because it lacks the built-in amplifier, the ZP80 is a lot smaller than its big brother, measuring just 2.9x5.4 inches square and weighing a mere 1.5 pounds. As a result, it can fit in plenty of tight spots that the larger ZonePlayer can't. The front panel offers the same sparse volume controls, but the ZP80's tiny backside is chock full of jacks: in addition to analog stereo inputs and outputs, there are also two digital audio outputs (one coaxial, one optical) for single-wire all-digital connections. Two Ethernet jacks provide network connectivity.
The CR100 Sonos Controller is what really sets the Sonos system apart from the competition. The wireless remote control is 4x6.5 inches and just an inch deep, and its front face is dominated by a 3.5-inch color LCD screen and a scrollwheel that looks as if it was ripped straight off an iPod. The remote is designed to be operated with both hands, but the scrollwheel necessitates only eleven buttons--volume controls are on the left, three context-sensitive keys are under the LCD, and six keys (play/pause, track up, track down, zones, back, and music) flank the scrollwheel on the right. Unlike the ambidextrous iPod, the right-side orientation of the control wheel might bother lefties. Likewise, some users will initially fight the urge to let their fingers do the walking, but the LCD is not a touch screen. But those are quibbles with an otherwise excellent remote that combines the ease of use of an iPod with a larger and easier-to-read screen. Navigation is simple and intuitive, and the screen displays album art for files and music services that support that function.
The biggest issue with the remote is battery life. The remote conserves power by automatically "sleeping" after a few minutes of inactivity, then reawakens as soon as it's picked up. The battery is rechargeable, of course, with an the included AC adapter (a more convenient cradle charger, the Sonos CC100, is available separately for $50). And you'd be wise to keep the remote attached to the charger when it's not in use--for instance, after we frequently used the remote for one day, its battery charge was nearly halfway depleted. But the battery isn't removeable, and--like all other rechargeable batteries--it will eventually struggle to keep a charge after a few years of rigorous usage. (In the unlikely event that it dies during the 12-month warranty period, Sonos will replace the remote for free; thereafter, it'll cost you $100.)
Setup and installation
First, the bad news: one of the ZonePlayer base stations needs to have a wired (Ethernet) connection to your existing home network. If your router is on the other side of the house, a wireless-to-Ethernet bridge or powerline adapter will do the job--in two different instances, we used a pair of Netgear HDX101s with equal effectiveness. The Ethernet link allows the Sonos system to access digital music stored on your home network (Windows PC, Mac, or network attached storage drive) or--in the case of Internet radio, Rhapsody, Sirius, and Pandora--pull it straight off the Internet. And because each ZonePlayer has a built-in Ethernet switch--one extra port on the ZP80, three on the ZP100--it can act as a network hub for one or more other wired network devices (such as an Xbox 360, a Slingbox, or a TiVo).
Once one ZonePlayer is connected to your network, the second one can be wirelessly linked to the first via a secure peer-to-peer mesh network dubbed SonosNet. You simply press two buttons--no need to wade through the wireless networking configuration steps that can bog down the process of setting up competing digital media receivers. As many as 32 ZonePlayers can be linked to each other, and you can mix and match ZP100s and ZP80s as you see fit.
To have the Sonos system access your digital music collection, you install a wizard on your PC or Mac--we tried both--which, in turn, guides you through a short setup process to build the system's index of playable computer-based tracks. Even relative tech novices should be able to get the system up and running in a matter of minutes. If you're already using networked directories, you can even point the Sonos straight to them, without using the setup software. It's clear that Sonos spent a great deal of time trying to achieve the level of user-friendliness that Apple is known for, because setup was a breeze.
Features
The Sonos Digital Music System can stream a wide range of file formats: MP3, Ogg Vorbis, FLAC, Apple Lossless, WAV, and AIFF files are compatible, as are Audible audio books. Sonos will also stream compressed (but not lossless) WMA files and non-copy-protected AAC files. The latter caveat means--like most non-Apple products--the Sonos can't stream copy-protected, DRM-encoded AAC files purchased from Apple's iTunes Store. However, the new "iTunes Plus" DRM-free AAC files now available via iTunes will work just fine.
As for other online stores and services, Sonos has nearly all the major bases covered. Recent firmware upgrades have added compatibility with the Rhapsody, Pandora, and Sirius premium services--each charges a monthly fee, but (after the initial setup) they can be accessed from the Sonos Controller without the need to have the PC powered up. The same is true for free Internet radio services--you need only a URL to add any WMA or MP3-based station. From a Windows PC, the Sonos system can also stream music files purchased from the Zune Marketplace, as well as those from a wide selection of PlaysForSure-compatible online stores: AOL Music Now, Napster, Urge, Wal-Mart, and Yahoo Music Unlimited.
As if all those digital music options weren't enough, the Sonos can also tap into any audio source. The input on each ZonePlayer can accept any analog audio source--a CD changer, a satellite radio, an iPod, or anything else--and stream it to any or all of the other ZonePlayers on the system. The only drawback is that these external sources can only be toggled active or inactive by the Sonos remote--additional control will require using the device's own remote or front-panel controls.
Recent firmware upgrades have also added a few other niceties to the Sonos system, most notably an alarm clock that lets you wake up to music; you can also set a timer to automatically shut down the system as you fall asleep. Additionally, the system now supports as many as 50,000 tracks in your local library (for those of you who have massive music collections) and the automatic indexing of podcasts, Audible content (audio books), and new music that's been added to your library.
Using the Sonos Music System
The most impressive aspect of the Sonos system is the fact that you have your entire music collection--and the ability to distribute it throughout your house--at your fingertips. The advantage of the Sonos CR100 controller is a big one: instead of having to squint at a small LCD on an audio receiver or use your TV to navigate tracks and settings, the screen is in your hand--and it's in color. Yeah, Crestron makes some pretty nifty remotes, but those are usually part of expensive high-end systems that have been put together by a home installer who runs cables behind walls and builds speakers into them--expensive, custom jobs that make Sonos's price tag seem like a serious bargain. All of the ZonePlayers in a system can also be controlled with the Sonos Desktop Controller computer software interface--Windows and Mac versions are available as a free download from the Sonos Web site--and you can always purchase additional CR100 wireless controllers.
For our tests, we set up the ZonePlayer ZP80 in our living room (connected to an Onkyo AV receiver) and the ZonePlayer ZP100 in our master bedroom, with just a set of speakers. Once everything is connected, you can choose to stream the same music in each zone (the music is synchronized) or stream different tunes in different rooms. To toggle between rooms, you simply hit the Zones button on the remote and select the room you want; Sonos offers dozens of room labels from which to choose.
You can opt for standard playback modes such as Shuffle, Repeat One, and Repeat All; fire up playlists created by other applications such as iTunes and Windows Media Player; or listen to playlists you've created by using either the Sonos software or the remote to save a song queue. Obviously, the more meticulously you've organized your music, with the correct ID3 tag information and the like, the better the user experience you'll have. And if you have album art in your database, it will be displayed on the remote when the song plays. That's also true when playing music from the Rhapsody, Pandora or Sirius streaming services. All three are pay services, of course, but free trials of each are available through Sonos, so you can try before you buy.
Don't want to pay for your music? The Sonos system comes preconfigured to play nearly 300 free Internet radio stations and can be configured to play additional stations broadcast in both the MP3 and WMA streaming formats. It also bears mentioning that the Sonos can stream from any networked, attached storage device that supports the CIFS (common Internet file system) protocol, such as the Buffalo LinkStation or Maxtor Shared Storage drives. In fact, this setup is ideal, because your computer doesn't have to be powered up for you to access to your music collection.
Performance
In general, the Sonos music system is zippy, with little or no lag time when accessing music and switching from room to room. Click the Enter button at the center of the touch wheel, and a selected song typically plays within a fraction of a second. In fact, thanks to the circular ribbon controller that scrolls through track lists, the experience of using the Sonos remote is very similar to using an iPod to navigate and play your music, except that the Sonos's color screen is bigger and easier to read. To help navigate through large music libraries, Sonos added a quick-scroll function that allows users to jump through lists alphabetically. As with any networked system, you'll eventually run into some problems with your network going down, but all in all, we rarely lost the wireless connection to SonosNet--Sonos says you can roam as far as 150 feet from any ZonePlayer before a connection is lost--and the times that happened, it restored itself quickly.
Sound quality was also impressive. With the first ZonePlayer connected to our AV receiver's coaxial digital input, tracks such as Placebo's "Follow the Cops Back Home" and "Because I Want You" sounded multidimensional and clear. The sound difference between the analog and digital connections will really be noticeable only to audiophiles, especially if you're dealing with compressed MP3 files, but any time you can preserve an all-digital connection, it's preferable. Basic bass and treble tweaks were easy enough to make with the remote.
User opinions
Select a User Opinion to view: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25out of 25 user reviews
I bought 3 of the speaker systems.
Pros: Can play same thing on all speakers or different music on each one, at different controlled volumes. NO SPEAKER WIRES! Just electrical plug. Great sound. Portability. You can even take it with you on trips because it has a 1/8 inch plug in the back
Cons: They are a little pricey.
out of 25 user reviews
If you are an audiophile you need one more thing
Pros: Great comapny tech support. All my freiends can hear any music they want and everyone has been able to quickly lean how to use the remote.
Cons: If you want better sound, you need to upgrade the ZP80 zone player buy adding the Cullen Circuits low jitter clock. Also, you need a quality DAC stand alone.
out of 25 user reviews
This really is the way to go for music.
Pros: Runs music from a HD server, son's computer, internet, and then... one of the coolest things ever: it incorporates RadioTime.
Cons: Yes, some protected formats will not run. For now.
out of 25 user reviews
Awesome system!
Pros: functionality, compatibility, flexibility, and options. very easy to set up and use!
Cons: none that I've found
out of 25 user reviews
Phenomenal Product...
Pros: Breeze to set-up and great fun to use!!!
Cons: Wish it had a touchscreen...
out of 25 user reviews
Superb - as good as it gets
Pros: Whole house perfection, Napster, Rhapsody, Pandora and all your own music in the palm of your hand
Cons: No con, it just works
Perfect synchronisation with up to 32 rooms in the house - who has 32 rooms? I wish I did.
Playback from music sources like internet radio, Rhapsody, Pandora, Napster, Sirius and of course your own back catalogue of music. You can ever connect an iPod, Tuner or CD player to it for playback all over the house.
Simple control with optimum wireless connectivity using patented SonosNet technology.
I've owned Sonos for over 3 years and it's still best in class.
out of 25 user reviews
Sound Quality/Playback = :'(
Pros: POTENTIAL is great.
Cons: PERFORMANCE is horrible.
And then there's playback...skips and stops. I tried all of the solutions they have posted and even tried connecting directly to the players via ethernet. Didn't help. Sill waiting for them to get back to me.
oh - should mention that a lot of the support pages are out of date.
out of 25 user reviews
Simply the best!
Pros: Easy setup, great interface, works flawlessly.
Cons: Expensive (but worth it).
The control unit works great and the UI is perfectly designed so you don't even need the manual.
Importing iTunes play lists is easy (simply copy the iTunes Playlist to the Sonos directory) or create your own playlist. In addition, you can use a playlist, genre, etc. as the play "queue" and add additional playlists/songs to the currently playing queue. Very cool. You can link zones to play the same list or have them play completely different songs (or internet radio) in different zones. And its very easy to do.
The desktop interface is also very nice and super easy to use. Setup is very straight forward.
The price is hard to swallow, but what the heck, you only live once!
out of 25 user reviews
A must for music enthousiastics
Pros: Great sound, easy setup
Cons: Charging craddle should be provided with the package
Setup was straightforward, about 20 minutes. Minor configuration issue with pc firewall which was quickly resolved from sonos online support. There after the sonos desktop controller software and zone players firmware were seamlessly upgraded to latest version and the system was ready.
Sound quality is excellent (192 kbps wma files)and remote controller very convenient. We now got access from home stereo and kitchen to thousands of music files that were previously locked on our home pc, and also get access to online music!
A very exceptional product.
out of 25 user reviews
Best in-house music distribution system
Pros: Distribute music throughout the house wirelessly, Hand-held controller is amazing, Internet Radio, Inline source, Easy installation, Excellent Customer Service
Cons: Not really a con, but touch screen controller would be a plus
I bought the famous bundle w/ the ZP80 conencted to our media room downstairs, which is hooked up to my 5.1 home theater system. Since this is a new house, we had ethernet ports in almost every room, so connecting to my computer in any room wasn't a problem. I then hooked up the ZP100 in my upstairs bedroom (which had two built in ceiling speakers). I also used the inline audio source to connect my TV to ZP100 and thus use the good speakers (Speakercraft xx model) in the bedroom.
I had some trouble initially setting up the system -- here's my advice: DO NOT use multiple routers in the house - it will create different IP's and then your sonos won't be recogized on your computer. I was amazed at the Technical Support that I got from Sonos - probably one of the best tech support ever. Special kudos to them!!!!! Once I got the IP thingy resolved, I had another problem w/ my computer -- something is going wrong w/ my deskptop and while I could play internet radio and Napstar and all, it couldn't play any of my mp3 files. Again tech support to the rescue --- in this case, after spending an hour or so w/ him, he said he was going to call back w/ his manager helping him out. Did you hear any tech support calling back??? I was impressed. Anyways, next time he called back, I was busy and didn't get to resolve this issue. However I used my backup laptop which also had all my songs stored and currently using that my source of songs for SONOS. Hopefully I will be able to get my deskptop working soon. Two amazing thing I found (for which I was not prepared) is the internet radio and the Napstar type Paid service. I probably won't use the paid Napstar service, but the internet radio is awesome. We get to hear all kinds of Indian music, NPR etc...My wife absolutely loves this system (and trust me all those married folks out there, if your wife's happy w/ some fancy gizmos... there's nothing like it)
In summary, I think if you are looking for distributed music system in the entire house, go for SONOS - you won't regret it. Price wise it's a little bit on the high side, but compared to any other custom installation (which my new house builder was offering) it's a bargain.
out of 25 user reviews
More than double the cost of squeezebox
Pros: Streams music throughout the house
Cons: Unnecessary built in amplifier, lack of support for WMA lossless, cost
out of 25 user reviews
Digital Musical Freedom
Pros: Function and simple to use
Cons: No touch screen
out of 25 user reviews
THE Solution for your music collection...
Pros: User Interface, wireless streaming, easily expandable...
Cons: None - it's that good.
RAID Array:
A big selling point for me was a RAID array hard drive. ReQuest and Escient aren't RAID arrays, Kaleidescape is but a system starts at $12K, Apple TV requires a PC or Mac to be running to transfer files and wile it’s a great product it didn’t fit my needs, and I don't want WMC anywhere in my house. My PC gives me enough trouble even when it's working right. One great feature about the Sonos system is the ability to choose any storage system that you like – so long as it’s NAS. I went with the Buffalo TeraStation NAS. It has 1TB of storage (4 x 250GB drives) that can be configured in any RAID 0,1,5,etc. In full RAID mode you have 700GB of safe storage - one drive fails you replace it and no data is lost. Oh, and the Tera goes for $600. If I want more storage I just go buy another one and place it on the network. Try to do that with any of the other solutions...
Sound Quality:
It was really important to me that the server not destroy the sound quality of the recordings and that it let my processor do the D/A. The ZP80 allows you to take a digital out via Coaxial or Optical. It's worth mentioning that the ZP100 does not - no worries, it’s fine for the office system. The next step was to rip all of my CD's down to the hard drive. I used iTunes for ripping and chose Apple Lossless to maintain premium quality. Stereophile magazine did this same thing on their test bench and achieved bit-for-bit throughput. I have done several listening sessions and I am really happy with the quality. Compared to the original CD it's almost impossible to discern a difference. Running an analog cable and using the D/A from the ZP80 is an immediate and noticeable degradation in sound quality. Let a better D/A or surround processor do the work and you won't be disappointed.
User Interface:
Escient, ReQuest, Kaleidescape, and WMC all need a display device of some sort. I don't want to turn on my TV to listen to music. Sonos has a very slick, iPod-like, interface in a small wireless controller. If you have never seen one of these, go to a store and pick one up. This thing is so simple your grandma can use it. You'll be navigating your music, looking at the cover art, moving from room to room and someone will tell you to wipe the grin off of your face (my girlfriend did).
Wireless Streaming:
With one unit on the LAN you can place up 32+ units around the house wirelessly (or wired). This is a very simple process. In each of the zones you can play the same source in party mode or select a unique stream for each. You are limited by total bandwidth and this is made worse if you use larger and less compressed files (as I do). In my system I don’t have any issue running two apple lossless files with one wired (Living Room), and one wirelessly (Office). I may add another zone or two (Bedroom and Kitchen).
Other:
It’s a shame this is all the way at the end as these are really great features. You can stream Sirius, Pandora, Rhapsody, and Napster. All of the services are available free for 30 days and then cost $10-$15 per month. They all work over the wireless controller, too. There’s also a PC interface that let’s you run the entire system. It’s a great GUI and my only complaint is that I have a ZP100 at work, too, and you can only have one system tied to the GUI at a time. You can get around it, but it’s a few extra clicks when I go back and forth. I’m sure they’ll address it in a software release at some point.
I can’t recommend this product enough!
Happy Listening,
Chris
out of 25 user reviews
Outstanding!!
Pros: Easy to set up; flexible; expandable; very responsive support team; fun to use!
Cons: None that I've come across yet
out of 25 user reviews
Awesome! The system is exactly what I was looking for.
Pros: flexible, millions of songs, simple to setup
Cons: It is not cheap...
out of 25 user reviews
Just about perfect
Pros: Ease of use means you will use it every day
Cons: touchscreen would be nice
I thought a long time about buying a sonos - just wasn't convinced it was worth the money. Given how much use it gets in our house (2 adults, 2 teenagers), its probably one of the best values (cost/use) I have ever purchased.
I thought I would use it primarily to stream my music on my pc, but since subscribing to rhapsody (for about the costs of two lunches a month), I'm addicted to sonos/rhapsody.
The most recent software upgrade allowing rhapsody searches made this a 10.
What makes this so nice, is that anyone can use it, its not tied to a location (i.e., I don't have to turn on the TV (as with rhapsody through TIVO) and the stero, and set the right input source...etc.
out of 25 user reviews
Fabulous product, does what it's supposed to and does it well
Pros: Ease of setup, support for lossles format, Streaming services, support for NAS drives, Controller funtionality, new Zonebridge
Cons: None really - It's white and there are no component sized units for matching with stereo setups
I can't recall the last time I was so excited about a new gadget I got - it would probably be something that came from Toys R Us when I was a kid!
I bought a BU130 bundle at a local dealer, brought it home and it was up and running in about 10 minutes - it is amazingly simple to setup. I was grinning from ear to ear as the first tracks from my NAS drive a floor down queued up and began playing through the Sonos system. Since then the system has worked flawlessly and I have added another bundle to the mix to provide audio in a couple add'l rooms. This is another real plus for the Sonos system; if you don't have the access for, or desire to try to retrofit wiring throughout your house for whole house audio, this product solves your problem (and I found nothing else that even comes close in this regard).
My system is only a couple months old and has worked without a hitch so far. It's great for getting deeper into your music collection, which becomes so easy once it's all digital, though it does take a serious time investment to rip all those CDs. It's also great for exploring new and different music through one of the many services like Pandora, Napster, and Rhapsody. In short, this a truly remarkable product, highly recommended!
out of 25 user reviews
Best Technology Ever Purchased
Pros: Your music, the world's music in your hand, without downloads & complexity.
Cons: Recent upgrades leave virtually none, but the product is not inexpensive.
I wanted something to control my iTunes collection wirelessly; I learned Sonos would do this, but then: depict the album art, allow me to wake up, sleep timer, advance selections, create playlists. THEN, I learned I really didn't need my iTunes collection! For $12 month, I could get virtually any album (including artists from all over the world in exotic subgenres) from Rhapsody. The system installed easily and I could control music in my office differently than my wife in the rest of the house.
You walk around the house with the controller, you go to bed with the controller, you wake up to music, you EXPLORE tunes easily from wherever you are. You create new "channels" (continuous streams) from new artists you like -- all without buying the music, ripping it, and managing it. It is simply awesome.
Then, every so often, without any cost, they spring upgrades on you with amazing product improvements (like search of the whole universe of content, from the hand controller).
I am not a shill. I am an avid devotee of this product. A bit of an investment for multiple zones, but for about $700, you can do all of this, piping sound throughout your whole house (add another $350 to have two zones).
Tech support (at least when purchased from Sonos) is fabulous as well.
Sonos quite simply rocks!
out of 25 user reviews
Simply Awesome! It's like having an Ipod with 2 Million Songs.
Pros: Access to virtually any song via Rhapsody
Cons: Units are clunky and expensive.
The system was suprisingly easy to set up. Basically plug it in and it works. I expected a host of compatability problems but there were none. Worked right out of the box. The sound is incredible, the network works flawlessly. I expected there to be some lag times when loading and searching for songs but there was none. I also expected there to be drop outs from being attached to the internet but again it works as though you were playing them from and Ipod. Speaking of that, the Sonos system found my MP3's from Itunes on my computer and added them to the menu. Not that I needed them as every MP3 I have is already on Rhapsody.
Sonos stated that there there would be compatibility problems when running a PreN network at 108MPS with Sonos. However, I'm running that specifc config and it works perfectly, there was no tweaking needed.
We love the sound of the system and plan to add modules all over the house. The equipment is of high quality and very heavy duty. The controller is even water resistant. Perfect for our pool stereo.
This system works better than the $15K system I was about to have installed in my house. In fact my installer noted that he could not set up a system that could play different songs in different rooms from the same source, let alone 32 rooms. His system only had 6 zones. So when you measure that against a hard wired system the Sonos is a steal. It works flawlessly. You can creat playlists, add songs to a que save fav artists etc. serch by albums, set up seudo radio channels via artists and genre. There was also the ability to add local radio stations that are streamed to the Sonos controller. As well as add purely internet radio stations.
The only suggestions I would make for Sonos is to add a more advanced search engine for Rhapsody as well as a graphic equalizer instead of just treble and bass controls.
I also wanted to note that I have a Sirius radio and was bummed I could net get it through the house, but With Sonos you can stream Sirius to all rooms. Problem solved!
Any possible music sources I could want is available via Sonos. I never thought I could get it all in one system.
There are very few products that blow me away but this definately one of them!
out of 25 user reviews
Almost a perfect 10 - A modern day marvel
Pros: Ease of use, functionality, style, practical application
Cons: firewall setup
I'll start with the only problem I've had with the system. During initial setup it took me about a day to get it past my firewall setup on McAfee.
Since then however this is a modern day marvel. I have to give disclosures to people as the walk into my home. If you pick up the remote you're going to want one. And without fail I have people then asking me where they can get it and how much did it cost.
It's so easy to use I just leave out the remote and people pick it up and just start playing music in any room that they want to.
I have had no problems with music compatibility. I am actually putting more and more music on my PC just so I can have a bigger library to choose from.
out of 25 user reviews
Doesnt get any better
Pros: As good as it gets - digital music throughout the house
Cons: None - A little expensive but worth it
out of 25 user reviews
Getting this up and running is simple.
Pros: Multi room flexibility, Rhapsody and Pandora supported
Cons: It's expensive.
out of 25 user reviews
best system ever for audio and video
Pros: wireless streaming for audio and video simultaneously
Cons: DRM but itunes plus has minimised that issued
out of 25 user reviews
Be forewarned - NO WMA lossless
Pros: Easy interface
Cons: no WMA Lossless support, no Music Giants compatibility
out of 25 user reviews
Sonos Rocks our House
Pros: Drop plug and play
Cons: Protected itunes files can't be played, but there is a work around
Setup within a wireless router environment took some troubleshooting by having to establish specific IP addresses for each device. After that, clear sailing!
The controller is the "heart" of the system, allowing you to surf your music files or the internet radio stations at your command.
Sonos operates on 2.4Ghz... so ensure you alter the "channel" range to be outside of your router channel, if its also 2.4GHz... or just upgrade the router to Wireless N, which is what I did due to having wireless speakers running as well.
Applie itune files that are protected (.m4p) cannot be streamed onto the system... WORK AROUND IS AVAILABLE: from itunes you can make backups to a CD, which converts the file type into a playable format... just reload the backup file from CD back onto hard drive.
I looked hard at other music bridges and other streamers... SONOS was the only solution, in my opinion, that provided the ability to run music throughout your house and change music from where you were sitting... rather than running back to your desktop to change what you wanted to hear.
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