Question Multi-Room Advice (Audio Pro vs Sonos vs Naim)

bayareabars

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I'm looking to start fresh with a new multi-room setup. I do not have speakers or a TV yet.

Some requirements:
  • Great sound. I listen primarily to Hip-Hop, R&B, and Electronic. I care a lot about hearing background sounds.
  • Easy to connect. I have Apple Music and Spotify. I also have an iPhone and MacBook Pro. I'll be purchasing a TV as well. I want to be able to easily stream music from any device (iPhone, MacBook, TV). The app doesn't matter, I'm fine with streaming straight from Apple Music.
  • I want to start with speakers in the living room and bedroom.
  • Budget: I can go up to $1,500-$2,000.

I am leaning towards the Audio Pro right now. There's a sale going on where I can get the Drumfire ($500), Addon C5A ($250), and Link 1 ($100) for under $1,000.

Based on my requirements, does the Audio Pro route make sense? Should I pay more for the Naim Mu-So 2nd generation? Or should I stick with Sonos, which seems to be what every review site recommends (I'm sure they pay a good affiliate commission)?

Lastly, would combining the B&W 606s (or KEF LS50) with a Sonos Amp produce a better sound than any of the other options?
 
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I've got Sonos multiroom and couldn't be happier. I cannot comment on Audio Pro. When I demoed Sonos Play:5 with Naim Mu-So, I found Play:5 to be superior sounding. Sonos are the masters of multiroom music and you can't go wrong there. You'll need to demo the B&W and Sonos amp combination. Personally, I would go for 2 Sonos Fives in stereo mode. It sounds stunning.

Sonos doesn't really need to pay anyone for positive reviews; their quality speaks for itself.
 
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bayareabars

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Great to know, thanks for the feedback! I do feel more comfortable going to Sonos route now. How would you compare the B&W speakers to the Play:5 in terms of sound quality?
 
A speaker can only be as good as the amp driving it. I haven't compared them directly, but some opinions online suggest comparable performance, with Play:5 edging it. I would recommend a couple of Fives and see how they perform. If you don't like it, return it for the B&W.
 
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Another option would be phantom reactors.
Pair up to literally everything and require no extra boxes. If you don’t want too. Though there is a hub thing and a central volume control which I believe works with them as it dose there bigger brothers.

Just another option to think about, Sonos aren’t the only game in town anymore. But they do give an enjoyable sound.

Think you need a Sonos bridge to connect your tv
 
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John Duncan

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I've got Sonos multiroom and couldn't be happier. I cannot comment on Audio Pro. When I demoed Sonos Play:5 with Naim Mu-So, I found Play:5 to be superior sounding. Sonos are the masters of multiroom music and you can't go wrong there. You'll need to demo the B&W and Sonos amp combination. Personally, I would go for 2 Sonos Fives in stereo mode. It sounds stunning.

Sonos doesn't really need to pay anyone for positive reviews; their quality speaks for itself.

This. Sonos do multiroom user experience better than anybody. And I say this as somebody who had all of Naim's equipment in my living room to write their networked music guide ;-)

Of course you can make a top end Naim system (Uniti ++ etc) sound better than Sonos but that's going to cost you big bucks. If you want to keep cost down and keep it flexible, you can't beat it (especially if you want to create a neat surround system with a Playbar/Base or Beam).
 
I just thought about this. Would I be able to connect my TV and Xbox One to the Sonos Five? Or would I also need to purchase an Amp, Beam, or Arc?
The Sonos Five has an analog connector (3.5mm input). You can easily connect it to the headphone output of your television with a 3.5mm cable. Do check if your television has this connector, as this isn't the case with every TV.

Of course, the Arc or Beam is purpose built for TV. In my house, I've got the Sonos PlayBar in the family room which is used for both TV sound as well as providing music for that room. The sound quality is very good and I don't feel the need for a separate Play:5. I've got Play:5 in my bedroom.
 
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Think you need a Sonos bridge to connect your tv
No you don't. Sonos Boost (Bridge is the older version) is optional which connects via ethernet cable to the router. This is useful of you're experiencing audio dropouts. Sonos runs on Mesh network. They all connect wirelessly to the router in the absence of a Boost and create their own Mesh network.
 
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Deleted member 116933

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No you don't. Sonos Boost (Bridge is the older version) is optional which connects via ethernet cable to the router. This is useful of you're experiencing audio dropouts. Sonos runs on Mesh network. They all connect wirelessly to the router in the absence of a Boost and create their own Mesh network.

I thought it was one or the other thanks for correcting me
 
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Deleted member 116933

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This. Sonos do multiroom user experience better than anybody. And I say this as somebody who had all of Naim's equipment in my living room to write their networked music guide ;-)

Of course you can make a top end Naim system (Uniti ++ etc) sound better than Sonos but that's going to cost you big bucks. If you want to keep cost down and keep it flexible, you can't beat it (especially if you want to create a neat surround system with a Playbar/Base or Beam).

Ok, But I can guarantee all the OP wants to do is play TV and stream straight from a Music app from there phone negating the need for half of what Sonos can do. Very few actually require music in every room playing at the same time (i know it's not all it can do).

I was just pointing another option that may be more attractive. and actually does fit the needs that he/she has listed out.

But hey ho pick your poison they all sound good.
 
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