SONOS

[Peptdi]

So, am thinking of selling the NAIM kit and SONOSing the house! Have i lost the plot? maybe but i never get time to just sit and listen any more. I have a playbar so am looking at a sub and play 1's to complete the home cinema, plus the amp to drive the Concept 20's.

 

[iQ Speakers]

And the qustion is? I thought I'd lost the plot. see my other threads then you will understand the reply.

 

[Peptdi]

A bit new to the SONOS thing, so looks like if i get a SONOS connect i get the best of both worlds!

 

[TrevC]

Having heard Sonos speakers I am distinctly underwhelmed. The sound is adequate at best.

 

[matt49]

A bit new to the SONOS thing, so looks like if i get a SONOS connect i get the best of both worlds!

I'd certainly go this route if I were you, as you have an existing hi-fi system. Relative to the cost of that system the Connect is probably a small ticket item and a good way of dipping your toe in the water and finding out whether you like Sonos. (I think you will.)

You can then add other bits and bobs of Sonos stuff as your needs require. I think the speakers are ideal for kitchens, dining rooms etc, where an ambient sound is preferable.

 

[The_Lhc]

Having heard Sonos speakers I am distinctly underwhelmed. The sound is adequate at best.

a) Sonos makes more than just speakers.

b) "adequate" depends entirely on what you intend to use them for.

 

[andyjm]

I have recently installed a Sonos whole house system. Not quite the 'plug and play' that they advertise, but it has been relatively reliable and robust since installation.

Sound quality of the various players (1, 3, 5) is perfectly adequate for casual listening and background music in areas like bathroom, kitchen, conservatory, study and so on.

The connect has a middling reputation for jitter, and won't cope with HiRes, but used with a decent jitter rejecting DAC, there is no reason why it won't produce results as good as any of the other streamers or disc spinners available on the market.

 

[The_Lhc]

I have recently installed a Sonos whole house system. Not quite the 'plug and play' that they advertise, but it has been relatively reliable and robust since installation.

Do you have a particularly noisy wi-fi environment? Or did you set it up to connect directly to your own wireless network instead of using the Sonos mesh network?

 

[andyjm]

I have recently installed a Sonos whole house system. Not quite the 'plug and play' that they advertise, but it has been relatively reliable and robust since installation.

Do you have a particularly noisy wi-fi environment? Or did you set it up to connect directly to your own wireless network instead of using the Sonos mesh network?

If you search my posts, I wrote a long and involved summary of all the hassles I had installing a Sonos system (I am afraid this forum defeats me, or I would copy it here). In summary, if you want a complex Sonos install, its probably better to wire it, rather than using Wifi.

 

[The_Lhc]

Oh yeah I remember having this conversation before! I seem to vaguely recall your environment is a little out of the ordinary, for the majority of people the setup is every bit as simple as the hype suggests, although there is a certain irony in the fact that allowing users to connect their Sonos to their own wireless network has actually made the initial setup more complicated and prone to issues, all for the sake of ticking a box that idiots (including most reviewers) think is necessary to have in this marketplace.

 

[gowiththeflow]

....there is a certain irony in the fact that allowing users to connect their Sonos to their own wireless network has actually made the initial setup more complicated and prone to issues, all for the sake of ticking a box that idiots (including most reviewers) think is necessary to have in this marketplace.

I couldn't agree more.

The option of connecting via wifi should be seen as a last resort. Note that Sonos still recommend using a wired connection for the first point of contact to your router, either via one of the regular modules (Play, Connect, etc), or a Bridge, rather than the wifi option. The provision of the wifi option was indeed a response to magazine reviewers gripes.

 

[wilro15]

I recently switched from using a Naim streamer (ND5 XS) to a Sonos Connect, hooked into the remainder of the stereo. I haven't looked back.

I am not using Hi-Res audio so I don't lose anything there. Plus I am using a decent DAC on the end of Sonos, so the sound quality is unaffected too!

And it is a damn site cheaper.

However I have kept my Naim amplification, I didn't want to go THAT crazy.

 

[scene]

If you've got an amp and speakers your happy with, get a sonos connect to act as a source. It's DAC is OK, you might prefer it fed through the onboard DAC of your amp - it's best to experiment.
Plays are great for bedrooms, kitchens, etc. I.e somewhere you want music but don't want to have the complication of lots of components. I've got three connects and for play 5s and have never looked back. CDs get taken or of their cases, ripped to the nas and then stored away. I've found with the sonos I listen to much more music than I used to.

 

[Peptdi]

Nothing will replace my NAIM in the living room TBH, and the PlayBar is for movies only. But will get the connect and a couple of play 1's and a sub in time for the movies.