Customer Reviews: Read 3 more reviews...
  Spectacular product December 29, 2008
We've had our Sonos system for just over a year, and it's fantastic. Not perfect, but darned close. I've had to call support twice since we installed it, and both times was really amazed at how good the support was. Last time, it stopped communicating with our server computer (a Mac), at which point the tech support guy told me they didn't support wireless networking with Macs, only hard-wired networking, due to some tech issues. However, even though it wasn't officially supported, they could usually get it to work (ours had worked trouble free for a year at that point). He then took the time needed to solve the problem and get the system running again. That's right, he fixed a system that was not supported by the company, that's how good their support staff is.
Let me back up and explain the basic concept here. Wireless speakers suck. The sound is just awful. We were going to wire our house for sound and the installers suggested this system instead. It cost a bit more, but we are able to take it with us if we ever move. Basically instead of sending audio to wireless speakers, the Sonos sends digital music files from its "base station" to any of its "satellite" units. The satellites are, in turn, hard wired to speakers nearby. In our case, the main system is in our living room, the satellite is in our son's bedroom. From there, we ran the speaker cables to a switcher, and then one set to speakers in our son's room, the other set goes through the wall to speakers in the next room. One satellite, two speaker sets. Much cheaper that way.
We can play music from our computer, our stereo, or internet radio (I love the Radio IO stations, lots of variety and great sound quality for internet streaming). The wireless controller lets us run the system from anywhere in the house, or you can use the free software from any computer on your network.
In addition, there's a free app for the iPhone that allows your phone to act as an additional wireless controller. That free application saved me the $400 needed to buy a 2nd controller! We're doing some work on our house and will eventually buy one more satellite, which will integrate seamlessly into the current system.
Now, the downsides. Other than cost.
Ours is hooked up to our Mac. So, if we want to access our iTunes music, the computer has to be in awake mode. Eventually I'll get an external drive, put our music on it, and hook that up to our network, at which point our computer can be asleep or off and not affect the Sonos. Easy fix.
However, due to DRM issues, the Sonos can NOT play music you PURCHASE via the iTunes store. Most of my music is ripped from my CD's, so not a big deal. There is a workaround to iTunes music though, and I've used it successfully. Take the purchased music, burn it onto a CD, then re-import the CD into iTunes. Voila. No more DRM.
Note that tracks downloaded from Amazon's mp3 store work fine, no DRM on them.
We also use the Sonos with [...], at the amazing price of $[...]/year. Not month, year. Worth every dime. The unit also works with Napster and Rhapsody, we've used the free trials successfully, but I don't pay them monthly fees due to limited Mac functionality (I'd be paying the fees for Sonos use only, without being able to play the tracks on my iPod, etc).
The Sonos ain't cheap, but it's really an amazing system that I'm still in love with after a full year of use. If you can afford it, it's a no-brainer.
Sonos Is The Best, Hands Down! December 11, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
We went from LPs and 8-Tracks, to Cassette Tapes and CDs, and now we live in the age of portable digital music. We walk around with portable digital music players (aka, "the iPod"), use cellular phones that double as digital music players, and even many portable GPS devices have built in MP3 music players. It's no wonder that technology has driven us in the direction of streaming digital music into several rooms of our home, from one central music source. Many manufacturers sell devices to stream music, via an Ethernet or Wi-Fi network, to multiple rooms in your home, and I have tried many of them. I have tested systems by Philips, Logitech, and Roku, but none can compare with the top-shelf Sonos Multi-room Music System. Sonos has been around for a few years now, and they have produced a few different device models. This review is for the fairly new BU150 model.
This package includes a Sonos self-amplified ZonePlayer 120, a ZonePlayer 90, and a beautiful Sonos controller. If you order this system directly from the Sonos website, they include a free charging cradle for the controller, which is normally sold separately. The entire Sonos music system utilizes a peer-to-peer mesh network, which they call "SonosNet 2.0." This wireless network is completely separated from your typical wireless b/g/n networks in most homes today, so streaming music across the Sonos network will not clog up your regular Wi-Fi network. SonosNet 2.0 also utilizes AES Encryption, so it is extremely secure. The SonosNet mesh network is designed to allow each individual ZonePlayer to work as a wireless repeater, so for every ZonePlayer you add to the system, your wireless range is expanded. Each ZonePlayer has 3 integrated antennas and Wi-Fi radios, and incorporates MIMO (Multiple Input, Multiple Output) technology. This makes for a rock-solid wireless music network that will surely reach every corner and floor of your home without any signal strength issues. The best part of this network is that you don't have to go through the frustrating process of configuring SSID and encryption codes to each device you add. Adding a new ZonePlayer is a one-touch setup, and the automated process takes only a couple of minutes to complete. You can add as many Sonos ZonePlayers as you want (up to 32), so that you can have music streamed to each room of your home. And yes, you can stream different music to each ZonePlayer if you wish, or you can pipe the same music to multiple rooms as well. The versatility of the Sonos Music System is almost endless, and yet installing and managing this system is about as easy as anyone could hope for.
When first opening the Sonos BU150 bundle, it can seem a little overwhelming. Not to fear, Sonos has made the entire process simple enough that anyone can handle it. The first thing I would recommend is that you plug in the Sonos Controller and get it charging, as this will be an important tool for getting the rest of your system up and running. You can perform most (if not all) of the configuration on your PC as well, but the remote controller really makes the process more fun and easy. The controller takes roughly 2 hours to fully charge. Now then, once your controller is ready you will need to connect one of the two ZonePlayers to your broadband router, via an Ethernet cable. You can then connect a set of regular speakers to the ZonePlayer 120, or a set of self amplified speakers to the ZonePlayer 90. The ZonePlayer 90 can be connected to any stereo receiver as well, using either the analog RCA outputs, or the digital fiber optic output. The ZonePlayer 120, which has a built-in 55 watt per channel amplifier, has a set of left and right speaker outputs, as well as a non-amplified subwoofer output (for those wishing to connect an amplified subwoofer for deeper and more powerful bass). Once the ZonePlayer is connected to your router and powered on, you then pop in the Sonos System Setup CD, and follow all of the easy to understand prompts to finish configuring your Sonos music system. If you haven't already installed the second ZonePlayer for your system, you can do so after the software is loaded, and simply use the "Add a ZonePlayer or ZoneBridge" selection from your PC software or using the remote controller. To add an additional controller, in the future, you simply power up the controller and follow the instructions that automatically come up on the LCD display. It's really that simple! Adding ZonePlayers for different rooms, and/or additional remote controllers could not be any simpler. The entire process is almost completely automated. Within a few minutes, and a few button clicks, you are finished and will have successfully expanded your Sonos music system.
Now I will not ramble on about all of the features and music services this Sonos system has to offer, but I do want to touch on just how fun and easy the system is to use. As I mentioned earlier, you can link multiple zones together to stream the same music to each room, or you can create separate zone playlists, and stream different music to each room. If you've ever used an iPod before, then creating playlists on the Sonos will be a walk in the park. Simply select which room (or actually which "zone") you want, then select the music you want (from your collection or from an online music service, like Rhapsody), and hit play. You can save these as Sonos playlists, or just let the selections play out without saving it for later. The Sonos controller really makes the entire process a fun and easy experience. It has a 3.5" color LCD display, scroll wheel and well placed buttons, which make navigation a snap. There is even a motion sensor in the controller, so it lights up as soon as you pick up the device. Of course the controller gobbles up power pretty quickly, so it will need to be recharged regularly. For this reason I highly recommend purchasing the optional Sonos Controller Charging Cradle (unless you bought the bundle from the Sonos store, which comes with a cradle in the package). Sonos can access your digital music collection from any PC, or from a dedicated NAS (Network Attached Storage) drive in your home. It can link up to your iTunes playlist as well, but is not capable of playing the DRM protected iTunes music. You can also access free Internet radio stations, as well as music services like Rhapsody, Pandora, Napster, and Sirius satellite radio. Of course those music services all require a paid subscription, but Sonos gives you a free 30-day trial for each of them to get you started. If you already have an account with one or more of these services, Sonos makes it very easy to login to your account and access the features of your paid subscription. Of course album art, song title, album title, and artist name are displayed on the controller's color LCD display, when available. Browsing for online music, creating playlists, and selecting tracks from your music collection couldn't be easier, due to the brilliant functionality of the Sonos Controller. The entire Sonos system is honestly quite thrilling to operate and enjoy.
Sound quality of the Sonos system is simply excellent. My only minor complaint is when using speakers with the self-amplified ZonePlayer 120, the sound seems a bit thin to me. Although there are tone controls for this ZonePlayer, the sound just isn't as full bodied as you get with the ZonePlayer 90 connected to a home stereo receiver. I guess it is just a matter of equalization, and hopefully something that will be improved with a firmware update sometime in the future. The ZonePlayer 120 is capable of driving both 4 Ohm and 8 Ohm speakers. If you attach 8 Ohm speakers, be sure they are able to handle at least 75 watts of power. If attaching 4 Ohm speakers then be sure they are able to handle at least 150 watts of power. Another interesting note is that if you do connect 8 Ohm speakers, rather than 4 Ohm models, then the Sonos is capable of driving 4 instead of just 2 speakers, if you so desire. Both will just be left and right stereo, so please don't expect a surround sound setup. There are only two sets of speaker outputs (for left and right, positive and negative wires), so to connect two sets of 8 Ohm speakers you need to hook two sets of wires up to each set of outputs.
I could literally go on raving about this system for several more paragraphs; it is really that great. However, there are a few things that one should consider before purchasing a Sonos Multi-Room Music System. First of all, if it carry's the Sonos name then it is going to cost you a small fortune! This is certainly true of the BU150 bundle. Depending on where you purchase it, you are surely going to spend upwards of a grand on this system. The BU150 bundle is only going to provide you music in two different rooms, so you may very well wish to expand this system with another ZonePlayer. The amplified ZonePlayer 120 can run up to $500, while the non-amplified ZonePlayer can still cost a hefty $350. Now an item that I recommend is the Sonos ZoneBridge (model BR100), which you can connect to your router instead of a ZonePlayer. The ZoneBridge is NOT a music player, but rather just a Network Bridge, which allows you to expand the wireless signal in your home. I prefer to purchase and install a ZoneBridge for connecting to the network router, since the router is in the same room as my primary computer (which is already hooked to a stereo receiver and speakers). This way I don't waste a ZonePlayer in an area where I don't really need one. Now you can use the two ZonePlayers (included in the BU150 bundle) in rooms where you want to stream music. The BR100 ZoneBridge will cost you roughly $100, at the time of this review, but it could save you the extra money of purchasing an additional ZonePlayer. Adding another controller to the system, which would be extremely handy when playing music from multiple rooms, will run you another $400. However, if you have an iPhone, Sonos and Apple have now teamed together and released a software application for the iPhone, which allows this mobile device to be used as a wireless controller for the Sonos music system. I can attest that this application works wonderfully, and is certainly a cost effective way to add another controller to your music system. However, I still much prefer the genuine Sonos Controller, and will probably shell out the bankroll to order one when I am able. So overall, just getting started with the BU150 bundle will set you back between $900 to $1000. I think most people will end up expanding their system (by at least adding a ZoneBridge) over time, so the cost of this system is not for the faint of heart. When you consider the high music system cost, in addition to the cost of your speakers and stereo equipment needed to enjoy this system, and finally add the cost of potential music subscription services (like Rhapsody or Sirius), you can clearly see that streaming music through your home with the Sonos system can be a substantial financial investment. However, as one that has tested many streaming music systems, over the past couple of years, I can honestly tell you that Sonos is the only system that has given me excellent results in every aspect. While other systems can be very difficult to install and configure, and offer far less capabilities, features, and overall music sound quality, the Sonos Multi-Room Music System has really stepped up to the plate, providing you with the very best streaming music system on the market today; and so they proudly charge you a small fortune for it. It is easy to install and use, is extremely reliable, provides a huge range of features and music sources, and offers up beautiful sounding music. So if you can afford it, the Sonos music system will definitely give you your money's worth, and then some.
For those interested, here are some of the system specifications of the Sonos hardware in this bundle:
Sonos ZonePlayer 90 (ZP90)
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* Package Contents: ZP90 ZonePlayer, power cord, flat Ethernet cable, Sonos System Setup software CD-ROM, System Set-up Guide, 1 RCA stereo audio cable, 1 stereo mini to RCA Y-audio cable.
*ZP 90 Dimensions: 5.4 x 5.5 x 2.9 in.
*Weight: 1.5 lbs.
*Power Supply: AC 100-240V, 50-60Hz
*Front-Panel Buttons: Volume and Mute
*Front-Panel Lights: ZonePlayer status indicator and Mute status
*Product Finish: High quality polycarbonate (light gray)
*Multi-Language Support: English, French, German, Italian, and Spanish
*Sound Quality: 20-20 kHz (THD+N<0.009%)
*Audio Line-Out Connections: Analog L&R (RCA x 2), Digital (optical x1, and coaxial x 1)
*Audio Line-In Connections: Analog L&R (RCA x 2)
*Ethernet Connectivity: 2-port switch (10/100Mbps)
*Wireless Connectivity: MIMO integrated 3-radio design, for SonosNet 2.0 AES encrypted peer-to-peer mesh networking.
*Supported Audio Formats: MP3, WMA, AAC (MPEG4), Ogg Vorbis, Audible (format 4), Apple Lossless, Flac (lossless), WAV, and AIFF.
*Supported Music Services: Best Buy Digital Music Store, Napster, Pandora, Rhapsody, Sirius, Internet Radio, any other streaming music service offering DRM-free tracks.
*Supported Album Art: JPEG, PNG, BMP, GIF
*Supported Playlists: Rhapsody, iTunes, WinAmp, Windows Media Player, MusicMatch.
Sonos ZonePlayer 120 (ZP120)
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* Package Contents: ZP120 ZonePlayer, power cord, flat Ethernet cable, Sonos System Setup software CD-ROM, System Set-up Guide.
*ZP 120 Dimensions: 8.15 x 7.3 x 3.5 in.
*Weight: 5.1 lbs.
*Power Supply: AC 100-240V, 50-60Hz
*Front-Panel Buttons: Volume and Mute
*Front-Panel Lights: ZonePlayer status indicator and Mute status
*Product Finish: Anodized extrusion aluminum case
*Multi-Language Support: English, French, German, Italian, and Spanish
*Amplifier: Class-D / 55W per channel RMS into 8 Ohms (TDN+N<0.02%)
*Speaker Connections: Spring binding posts w/banana jack connectors (L&R x 2)
*Audio Line-In Connections: Analog L&R (RCA x 2)
*Subwoofer Output: RCA x 1 (auto-detecting w/80Hz crossover)
*Ethernet Connectivity: 2-port switch (10/100Mbps)
*Wireless Connectivity: MIMO integrated 3-radio design, for SonosNet 2.0 AES encrypted peer-to-peer mesh networking.
*Supported Audio Formats: MP3, WMA, AAC (MPEG4), Ogg Vorbis, Audible (format 4), Apple Lossless, Flac (lossless), WAV, and AIFF.
*Supported Music Services: Best Buy Digital Music Store, Napster, Pandora, Rhapsody, Sirius, Internet Radio, any other streaming music service offering DRM-free tracks.
*Supported Album Art: JPEG, PNG, BMP, GIF
*Supported Playlists: Rhapsody, iTunes, WinAmp, Windows Media Player, MusicMatch.
Sonos Controller (CR100)
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* Display: 3.5 in. transflective color LCD with LED backlighting (240 x 320 QVGA)
*Controls: Touch-sensitive scroll wheel w/ center-mounted selector button, 9 backlit function buttons, 3 soft-selector buttons below screen
*Indicators: Wireless signal strength and battery charge indicator (on-screen), battery status LEDs
*Battery: High density rechargeable Li-ION Polymer
*DC Charger: Input 100-240 VAC / 50-60 Hz; Output 6 VDC, 3.8A
*Battery Life/Charge Time: 2-5 days (depending on use) / 2 hours for full charge
*Dimensions: 6.5 x 3.8 x 0.95 in.
*Weight: 12.5 oz.
*Product Finish: Metal cladding on light gray enclosure, with rubber grip
*Package Contents: CR100 Controller, AC adapter, power cord, user guide.
So even considering the high cost, the lack of iTunes DRM music support, and the somewhat thin sound (lack of bass) produced by the amplified ZonePlayer 120, the Sonos BU150 Multi-Room Music System is a true 5-star product that is easy to install and use. It is one of the most reliable and fun to use streaming music systems on the market today, and I highly recommend it to anyone that can afford the investment.
Very good product, just a couple caveats November 17, 2008
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
The wife surprised me with this early gift to the both of us for the Holiday season. This sort of functionality/cool factor something the both of us have always wanted, so we saved and, at this price, it'll be the only gift given out this year...for either of us.
The setup is stupid simple. You plug-in and wire the boxes where you want them, power up the controller, press a few buttons on the boxes and you're set. Windows Media Connect sharing works perfectly through Windows Media Player 11 (WMP11), and this includes all the DRM wma files we've downloaded from the Zune Marketplace using our ZunePass. Unfortunately, WMA lossless files are not supported, so I needed to transcode my library to ~320kbps mp3 (yay dbpoweramp).
The controller utilizes an iPod-like interface, so it should be familiar to most people, and very intuitive to those who aren't (though I feel the Zune interface is superior in all respects).
I definitely give it a thumbs-up. Just be ready to drop some coin for the starter bundle, and cry if you ever want to expand in to more rooms.
Probably the best thing I have ever bought! November 15, 2008
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
I love music. I'm always singing a song or listening to one in my head. And I love all types of music. Rock, classic rock, classical, punk, some rap, opera, drumming, bluegrass, country, hard rock, metal, international, etc. I love it all. But, even with multi-CD players, you can't play them all and it's somewhat cumbersome. I was always jealous of friends who built their house and put in speakers to all the rooms, but my house was pre-owned and was not wired. Running wire to everywhere would require lots of demo; wasn't an option in my mind. Enter Sonos....
I actually heard about it several years ago and knew immediately it might be the solution to my situation. However, as others have said I was reluctant given the price to buy it. Man, was I stupid. I bought my first bundle earlier this year. I am so in love with this thing that I now have a combination of powered units and unpowered units in the following places: master bedroom, master bathroom, dining room, kitchen, outdoor patio (unit sits in kitchen, ran speaker wires to outdoor speakers), workout-room, family room and home theater. Yes, I have 8 zones. I have my CDs burned to a NAS that Sonos "looks" to. I also subscribe to Napster. I can literally play almost any song you can name, all at the touch of a button. It's like a gigantic, neverending jukebox. I live alone, so I just link all the zones I want to include and the music is just present in every room that I normally spend time in. I also use the alarm clock function on the controller; I wake up to my favortite rock playlist instead of an alarm. It has a sleep function too, so you can drift off to the sounds of your music in your ears. My friend's fight over the controller when I have parties. I truly consider this to be the best device I've ever bought, or a close second to my home theater which is also a big "wow" for people. But, I don't fire up my projector daily. This Sonos system I literally use every day for many happy hours. I can't recommend it highly enough!
one of the greatest things November 6, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I bought this and a synology server so I could reclaim the ability to listen to my digital music anywhere in the house. Now, I have it and with this server and the sonos ability to connect to radio stations around the world and the awsome pandora music station, I am just in heavan. Easy to setup, works with 4 different setups in my house, home theater reciever, stereo reciever, stand alone with speakers and many types of speakers. Well worth it
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