Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Audio, Hardware, Multimedia, Music
Sonos adds a portable music player with room filling sound
Sonos, best known for wireless music systems that link to your iTunes library and internet services like Pandora, Rhapsody and Napster, is offering a one piece, 5 speaker system that can be placed in any room. It's called the Zone Player S5 and it's US $399 direct from Sonos or dealers around the country. Sonos shipped me a review system to try for 30 days, and I thought the sound was great. I already had a mutli-room Sonos system so adding the new portable player was just a matter of plugging it into AC power and pressing two buttons on the S5.
If you don't already have a Sonos system, you have to plug your unit into a router to connect to your music library and the internet. If that doesn't work in your home layout, you can buy what Sonos calls a Zone Bridge (US $99) that plugs into your router and lets the S5 make a wireless connection. Once that basic pairing is made, you can add as many other Sonos music systems as you like, all connecting over a wireless mesh network.
The system sounds quite good, given the limits of the small desktop-friendly size (8.5 x 14.4 x 4.8 inches). There are 5 speakers, two tweeters, two 3" mid-range drivers, and one 3.5" woofer all driven by individual amplifiers. The woofer is a ducted port design and the rear port serves double duty as a carrying handle.
A small system like this can't work miracles in a large room, but the sound was robust and fulfilling. Even playing the Saint Saëns Symphony #3, with large orchestra, pianos and a pipe organ did not cause the system any distress. Rock and jazz sounded fine. Separation is limited because of the size of the unit, but there was a suitable stereo image.
There are several ways to control the S5. There are buttons on the top for volume and mute. Sonos also supplies desktop control software for PC and Mac, allowing you to create playlists, listen to your existing playlists, or tune in any of the thousands of internet radio stations or services like Pandora. The company also offers a free app for controlling the Sonos from your iPhone or iPod touch. You can also get a dedicated controller for $349 but buying an iPod touch is cheaper, and it functions as much more than a Sonos remote.
Happily, you can also plug in an external source like a DVD player, TV set, iPod, or other device and listen from either the S5 or another Sonos system elsewhere in your home of office. Sonos also provides a headphone jack for private listening.
Any downsides? A couple. On my review unit the headphone output was defective. Lots of static and noise, with just a hint of music coming through. More serious is what happens when you unplug the unit and take it to another room. In a perfect world the unit would log back into the network and be ready to go. In my testing, the S5 was part of a group of other Sonos players all in sync. When the S5 was plugged it, it established itself on the network, but not as part of the group I had set. That meant I had to go back to my computer and re-set the S5. For a unit that prides itself on plug and play ease of use, that shouldn't happen. My guess is it will be fixed in a software update.
I like Sonos products. In many ways, they exemplify the gestalt of the Mac; easy to use, minimal controls, and good value for money.
There are many other ways to get music around the house. There's the Airport Express with AirTunes, and solutions from Logitech and others. The Sonos approach, however, is elegant and highly satisfying. If you are just looking to buy a single piece system with easy expansion capabilities, Mac friendliness, and have access to almost unlimited music, this is the system for you.
TUAW policy is to return or donate all hardware provided for review. For more details, see our policy page.
There are several ways to control the S5. There are buttons on the top for volume and mute. Sonos also supplies desktop control software for PC and Mac, allowing you to create playlists, listen to your existing playlists, or tune in any of the thousands of internet radio stations or services like Pandora. The company also offers a free app for controlling the Sonos from your iPhone or iPod touch. You can also get a dedicated controller for $349 but buying an iPod touch is cheaper, and it functions as much more than a Sonos remote.
Happily, you can also plug in an external source like a DVD player, TV set, iPod, or other device and listen from either the S5 or another Sonos system elsewhere in your home of office. Sonos also provides a headphone jack for private listening.
Any downsides? A couple. On my review unit the headphone output was defective. Lots of static and noise, with just a hint of music coming through. More serious is what happens when you unplug the unit and take it to another room. In a perfect world the unit would log back into the network and be ready to go. In my testing, the S5 was part of a group of other Sonos players all in sync. When the S5 was plugged it, it established itself on the network, but not as part of the group I had set. That meant I had to go back to my computer and re-set the S5. For a unit that prides itself on plug and play ease of use, that shouldn't happen. My guess is it will be fixed in a software update.
I like Sonos products. In many ways, they exemplify the gestalt of the Mac; easy to use, minimal controls, and good value for money.
There are many other ways to get music around the house. There's the Airport Express with AirTunes, and solutions from Logitech and others. The Sonos approach, however, is elegant and highly satisfying. If you are just looking to buy a single piece system with easy expansion capabilities, Mac friendliness, and have access to almost unlimited music, this is the system for you.
TUAW policy is to return or donate all hardware provided for review. For more details, see our policy page.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Zanorath said 10:55PM on 11-14-2009
I'd take in Airport Express and a set of speakers, well, in-fact I have. AE route is better because you can upgrade the actual speakers without throwing away the networking part, not to mention you could hook it up to much bigger ones too.
Reply
Craig said 5:58AM on 11-15-2009
Apparently, you don't know anything at all about Sonos...
http://www.sonos.com/whattobuy/zoneplayers/
motech said 12:18AM on 11-15-2009
sonos needs to add an ipod dock that in turn adds two way communication
between the ipod and the sonos controller.
they have to add a way to play whats on your ipod and see whats playing.
Reply
Bob S. said 4:49PM on 11-15-2009
I don't get the point. What's on your iPod started out in iTunes, and the Sonos system sees everything that's in iTunes.
motech said 4:55PM on 11-15-2009
yes,
but what about multiple users, and guests?
think about homes with 6-8 people living in them,
with guests over all the time.
thats the type of home sonos is marketed to,
homes with high traffic flow where you would
want music in every room . .
Craig said 6:02AM on 11-15-2009
You can essentially do what you're describing with an iPod touch/iPhone, except Sonos' solution is even better:
http://www.sonos.com/whattobuy/controllers/iphone/default.aspx
Reply
snugs said 6:19AM on 11-15-2009
I like rivet. It's a lightweight donationware app that streams all your media to the xbox.
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Timm said 2:06PM on 11-15-2009
I love my Sonos system. But this piece of hardware misses the mark for me. I want something I can plug my iPhone in to and access my playlists from.
Besides, who really needs a portable sterio in a household situation anyways?
I guess this is just a cheap way for iPhone/iTouch owners to start their own Sonos system.
Reply
motech said 12:20PM on 11-15-2009
craig i think u misunderstood me ..
i want to plug an ipod in to the sonos system
and be able to access the music thats on the ipod
via the sonos controllers.
currently this is possible,
but in a very limited way.
sonos allows you to plug any audio device
in to the LINE IN port of any of the zone players.
this lets you choose the source via the sonos controller/software,
but does not let you see whats actually playing.
i want a dedicated ipod dock that will let you play whats on the ipod,
and will let you see all the artists, playlists, etc that are on your ipod
from the sonos controllers/software.
i hope that made more sense,
they have to be working on it.
so many companies offer two way ipod play/control . .
i also wish sonos let other 3rd party companies hook in
to the control aspect of the system . .
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Graybaby said 1:19PM on 11-15-2009
I think you may have glossed over a few of the negatives in your review, or at least things that are negatives in my use of the S5. While I'll be the first to admit that I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THE S5, there are a few things that work in a less-than-ideal fashion:
1) Doesn't played DRM'd songs purchased from iTunes. I've upgraded some of the tracks to iTunes Plus, which solves the problem, but it should be acknowledged somewhere that it doesn't play the DRM tracks.
2) Host computer needs to be connected, at all times, to the router via ethernet. Not really a problem if you have an iMac or non-mobile computer that lives near your router, but in this age of wireless, shouldn't it over wifi?
3) When the computer isn't present, it should be able to access Sirius or Pandora over the net without the computer. It's plugged into the router, so it's got a net connection - why need the Mac?
Even more ideally, and this may in fact be possible, it would be optimum to hook up an external hard drive to my Airport Extreme and not need my MacBook Pro to be present (after initial setup) to hear music.
Just my thoughts.
Enjoy...........G
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Mitchell Scott said 3:24PM on 11-15-2009
Sonos is way too expensive by the time you get all the components, for what it's used for.
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fm said 3:46PM on 11-15-2009
Graybaby, you shouldn't have a problem playing the various music services without your computer connected to the system as long as you have one zone (or the Sonos bridge) connected to your router. The only thing you need the computer for is to stream your iTunes library, or you can backup your library to an external hard drive and not worry about needing the computer at all.
Motech, since you have access to your iTunes library and your playlists through Sonos I'm not sure why you'd want an iPod dock. The only reason I can see is if a friend brought their iPod over and you wanted to listen to a song they had that you do not.
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motech said 4:19PM on 11-15-2009
fm: "The only reason I can see is if a friend brought their iPod over and you wanted to listen to a song they had that you do not. "
exactly.
sometimes its just easier with so many people in a home to plop in an ipod and be able to access it over the sonos system, same with guests that come over.
its also quite a pain to connect multiple libraries . .
its such a simple feature, and so many companies
make two way docks (sonance iport over rs232 etc)
sonos makes it easy for people to play music in their home,
managing libraries is not easy for most people.
pandora, sirius radio, and fm streaming really helps,
but most parents have their kids load ipods up for them
and dont even have an itunes library of their own.
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Steve said 10:24PM on 11-15-2009
Graybaby, one of the main advantages of the Sonos system is that your computer does not need to be powered up and connected to your network. Sonos actually works best when your music library is on a NAS, and the same library can be used for both Sonos and iTunes.
Also, those who suggested Airport Express as an alternative clearly have, as others have said, absolutely no idea about Sonos or how it operates...
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Kenny Ye said 10:26AM on 11-16-2009
Another product that I don't get and probably will never get.
Reply