Disappointed by Sonos

[Romulus]

Sonos is for people who want convenience and practicality a house full of music, but are not so fussed about the quality of sound.

 

[bigboss]

Sonos is for people who want convenience and practicality a house full of music, but are not so fussed about the quality of sound.

Not true. I certainly am fussed about the quality of sound.

 

[jonboywalton75]

Seen comparison reviews, never heard sonos but I DO recommend Audio Addon speakers for price/sound quality
I bought an Audio Addon C5a
£175 of audio goodness

 

[gowiththeflow]

Our neighbours have a single Sonos One as their only audio system, other than the sound bars, fitted underneath the huge TV's in both the longe and kitchen/orangery (posh name for a massive single story extension).
Despite the very large rooms and floor area, they think the Sonos One is all they need and the fact that it's easily portable, makes it brilliant in their eyes.

They can't see the point in the large PMC speakers, plus all the HiFi gear I previously had in our lounge, nor the B&W Formation Duo set-up that now resides in that room.

p.s. We have Sonos in the kitchen, dining room, my workshop and my study. It's great.

 

[AJM1981]

For hifi, we are not the general public and vice versa. Audio people care for example about room conditions, a degree of silence in the room, midrange and balance, the general public doesn't care at all and sees it as a purely functional thing.

For a reason most consumer systems are designed with background noise in mind. The idea that when you cook, talk to visitors, having playing children around, hoover or anything that there is still clear sound from a system. This way it also presents better in the store the product is sold where the midrange is often troubled by people speaking around or cars passing by. They demo very well in these condition, but of course sound thin when comparing them classic hifi. It is a different world of a market. .

If I would have a crowded house in wbich I barely had time to really listen I would have chosen sonos or anything similar for tbe background.

 

[Edbostan]

Sonos is for people who want convenience and practicality a house full of music, but are not so fussed about the quality of sound.

I have a Sonos One and Play 1 and find the sound quality balanced and good for their size. I stream music from my NAS or Amazon Music. To route the NAS and Amazon Music through my hifi I have a Sonos Connect. For me that is the perfect solution.

 

[Tinman1952]

I remember when Sonos launched at the Bristol show many years ago with their clever control app and wireless connect. Sadly they’ve not really done much development since….it’s only this year that they have finally relented to pressure and allowed above CD quality. And that meant a whole new system which rendered old models obsolete! Let’s remember their advice to ‘brick’ old devices as they didn’t conform to the new system 😖
They are well made little speakers but unless you pair them they are not even stereo…certainly not Hi-Fi.
Still the majority of their customers like them because most have not heard anything better and mags like What HiFi drool over them……”great soundstage” ”balanced sound” etc…… really? 🙄

 

[Edbostan]

I remember when Sonos launched at the Bristol show many years ago with their clever control app and wireless connect. Sadly they’ve not really done much development since….it’s only this year that they have finally relented to pressure and allowed above CD quality. And that meant a whole new system which rendered old models obsolete! Let’s remember their advice to ‘brick’ old devices as they didn’t conform to the new system 😖
They are well made little speakers but unless you pair them they are not even stereo…certainly not Hi-Fi.
Still the majority of their customers like them because most have not heard anything better and mags like What HiFi drool over them……”great soundstage” ”balanced sound” etc…… really? 🙄

I was worried about the obsolete factor regarding what Sonos call legacy products. I have three legacy products: a Bridge, Connect and Play 1 with the latest Sonos One. I have the Play One and Sonos One in our bedroom either side of the bed and alas as you say they can't be paired into a stereo pair but we listen at low volume so no issue. The Alexa facility is used though. Sonos has backed down over the app and all products still work with the S1 app. I don't consider them hifi but they provide background listening with an Amazon Echo providing Alexa controls in the lounge

 

[bigboss]

I remember when Sonos launched at the Bristol show many years ago with their clever control app and wireless connect. Sadly they’ve not really done much development since….it’s only this year that they have finally relented to pressure and allowed above CD quality. And that meant a whole new system which rendered old models obsolete! Let’s remember their advice to ‘brick’ old devices as they didn’t conform to the new system 😖
They are well made little speakers but unless you pair them they are not even stereo…certainly not Hi-Fi.
Still the majority of their customers like them because most have not heard anything better and mags like What HiFi drool over them……”great soundstage” ”balanced sound” etc…… really? 🙄

You can't have it both ways. On one side, you're criticising Sonos for "not doing much development" to get SQ above CD quality. The reason is to ensure people don't have to be left with obsolete Sonos devices. To support hi res, hardware change was needed which then wouldn't work in multiroom setup. They had to eventually relent to hi res support to keep up with competition. And so they had to make few devices obsolete.

My Sonos happily sits alongside my Monitor Audio speakers. I wouldn't say it's inferior.

 

[Edbostan]

Sonos is primarily for people that only listen to music as background noise and dislike the 'clutter' of a proper hifi stereo set up. Hugely overpriced IMO.

My Sonos One is voice activated by Alexa so I can request it to play music from my Amazon Music account or listen to radio via Tunein. It is horses for courses. Via the app I can stream music from my NAS.

 

[Romulus]

Also Sonos can integrate to many forms of delivery of music as the above posts confirm which will suit many people lifestyles. When no comparisons are made with different music systems the listener will not know any better or different, maybe ignorance is bliss and just relax and enjoy the system...

 

[manicm]

I keep reading about 'obsolescence'. If one is so worried about obsolescence don't buy streaming products. Fact of life you deal with or ignore. It's very simple. And also exaggerated. Yes some products will be poorly developed from the start - KEF LS50W mk 1 looking at you - but one must always make a reasonably informed decision - which often only takes 5 minutes of thinking.

Oh, but Linn offer upgrades. Yes. Can you afford a Linn streamer? Then by all means do so. But a single Linn upgrade costs the same as an entire premium Marantz component, or NAD or whatever - at a minimum of 2K I would guess.

So keep things in perspective.

 

[plastic penguin]

I can understand the appeal. They are good VFM but I don't agree with a previous poster, where he suggested Sonos aren't for the purist.

My own yardstick for budget set-ups was my old Arcam A65+, Monitor Audio RS6 and Arcam CD73. IMHO the A65+ is still one of the best pound-for-pound integrateds... incredibly underrated amp in its time. That all came to similar new price as the Sonos kit I heard. The Sonos probably edged out the Arcams with clarity (possibly). But it didn't set my music world alight, and I wouldn't class myself as a purist.

 

[Edbostan]

I can understand the appeal. They are good VFM but I don't agree with a previous poster, where he suggested Sonos aren't for the purist.

My own yardstick for budget set-ups was my old Arcam A65+, Monitor Audio RS6 and Arcam CD73. IMHO the A65+ is still one of the best pound-for-pound integrateds... incredibly underrated amp in its time. That all came to similar new price as the Sonos kit I heard. The Sonos probably edged out the Arcams with clarity (possibly). But it didn't set my music world alight, and I wouldn't class myself as a purist.

In my lounge is my hifi and Amazon Echo. If lazy I ask Alexa to play a certain artist, track or radio channel. It is not hifi but pleasant listening. Sometimes that is all I require to tap my feet

 

[plastic penguin]

In my lounge is my hifi and Amazon Echo. If lazy I ask Alexa to play a certain artist, track or radio channel. It is not hifi but pleasant listening. Sometimes that is all I require to tap my feet

We also use Alexa for certain tracks/stations. I think I could live with an-all Sonos set-up as a 2nd system.

 

[SteveR750]

FWIW I ditched my Hegel / ATC SCM40 mk2 system for a sonos 2 x play5 + sub and never looked back. I have an odd shaped room, and Trueplay compensates well for it, so that the SQ difference is nowhere near where it should be based on price. So my £2k Sonos system is almost as good as my £8k system with all of the connectivity benefits; I'm pretty confident that it's a better alternative than buying £2ks worth of passive separates.

I'm about to add more, but not sure if you have to have a soundbar to set up a 5.1 system? Could I add 2 x play1 to the rear of the current 2.1 setup, or is that not possible? I can't see that option currently in the app, so I think I know the answer, but don't want to buy a soundbar if i can avoid it. Using the aux in on the Play5 is not a permament solution either.

 

[Gray]

FWIW I ditched my Hegel / ATC SCM40 mk2 system for a sonos 2 x play5 + sub and never looked back.

That gives me 3 options to consider:
1) Hegel / ATC is a lot worse than I would expect.
2) Sonos is a lot better than I would expect.
3) 1 & 2 are true.

 

[Tinman1952]

That gives me 3 options to consider:
1) Hegel / ATC is a lot worse than I would expect.
2) Sonos is a lot better than I would expect.
3) 1 & 2 are true.

Or some people just get bored with their system and need a radical change! 🙂

 

[Gray]

Or some people just get bored with their system and need a radical change! 🙂

That's true.
And Steve there seems OK with his change.

 

[Tinman1952]

That's true.
And Steve there seems OK with his change.

Absolutely! Sometimes it needs a change to refresh those audio juices! 😀

 

[bigboss]

I'm about to add more, but not sure if you have to have a soundbar to set up a 5.1 system? Could I add 2 x play1 to the rear of the current 2.1 setup, or is that not possible? I can't see that option currently in the app, so I think I know the answer, but don't want to buy a soundbar if i can avoid it. Using the aux in on the Play5 is not a permament solution either.

You will need a Sonos soundbar for a 5.1 system.

 

[SteveR750]

You will need a Sonos soundbar for a 5.1 system.

Thank you BB, reliable as ever. The next decision is whether to buy a G1 Beam, or wait for the G2 with Atmos +. Given I'm going to put a pair os play1s at the back of the room, then I suspect former solution is better value (as I already have 2 spare play 1s)

 

[SteveR750]

That gives me 3 options to consider:
1) Hegel / ATC is a lot worse than I would expect.
2) Sonos is a lot better than I would expect.
3) 1 & 2 are true.

Easy to answer in my case, 2. Surprisingly so. Possible that it also demonstrates how ridiculously over priced audiophile hardware is, my sonos set up is better sonically than my old NAD 352 / B&W DM602. I honestly wasn't expecting much, as so many "it's just for easy listening non hifi types" , but I needed to downsize and add flexibility. Having said that, play1s are not hifi in the slightest bit, nor are the old play3. A Play5 on it's own isn't particularly exciting either, but a stereo pair + sub is greater than its parts. Works for me anyway, and that's what counts. I've had it now for 3-4 years, and no intention or desire to upgrade anything, as I continue to be impressed each time I use it, and spend the money on other things instead!

 

[bigboss]

It would depend on whether you want Atmos or not. I have Arc with couple of Play:1s at the back and Sonos sub for 5.1 system.

 

[SteveR750]

It would depend on whether you want Atmos or not. I have Arc with couple of Play:1s at the back and Sonos sub for 5.1 system.

I have such an odd shaped room (ceiling) that I'm not sure truplay could fix, and tbh my interest in cinema doesn't warrant the cost of an Arc. Not even sure it's worth adding the sub to the Beam, better off left as part of the music system. In the end, after months of dithering, I just bought a Beam. had a mare setting it up, but eventually it connected. It's pretty good, better than the CX55 built in, but so it should be. Not used truplay on it yet, so no doubt it can be improved. I like the Play 1s as rear speakers, they work quite well. A quick test of a couple of Prime / netflix UHD Dolby Digital films etc and I'm happy with the setup.

Thanks for your advice, appreciated as always.