The affordable Play series of speakers from Sonos helps you fill your home with music, with a space-efficient design. Around the size of a pickle jar, the Sonos Play:1 Speakers differentiate themselves among competition in the world of music amplification. They don’t just stream music from your phone like a Bluetooth speaker, nor do they work from Wi-Fi. The speakers use state-of-the-art mesh network technology to deliver an incomparably crisp sound.
Sonos launched its namesake with a revolutionary home audio kit, constructed from wireless nodes that play music from a computer or Internet streaming. The speakers could be synced around the house for each speaker to play the same song, or different songs in each room. Although the older editions of Sonos home speakers were great products, they were quite cumbrous and out of the price range for many customers. The speakers demanded to be hooked up manually, and users had to change the music with a remote control.
Earlier this year, Sonos put Play:5 on the market for $399, followed by the Play:3 at $299. The PlayBar Speakers, at $699, were also introduced, made to sit on your coffee table or on top of your TV to play music to larger spaces. The new Sonos:1 Speakers, at $199, are like the intro set into the Sonos system that can accommodate many rooms.
All new available Sonos speakers work well with Internet-streaming programs like Spotify, Pandora, Rdio, and iheartradio, and are geared for people who love to stream music from their portable devices. You can essentially stream any audio from the Internet on these speakers.
Image: theverge.com
Sonos speakers can be controlled through the Sonos Controller app on smartphones and devices, so you don’t need to use a separate remote controller to change tracks.
The single-speaker capability of the Play:1 allows music to be heard in mono. A second speaker, like the Sonos Subwoofer ($700), can be added to the same room, for easy installation of stereo sound.
The controls located on the device allow you to monitor your sound system, playing/pausing and changing tracks even when the speakers are not near your tablet or phone. The water-resistant feature of the Play:1 is awesome. You can use it outside by the pool or indoors in the bathroom.
Since Samsung and Bose have announced some stiff competition in the speaker market, Sonos has stepped up its game for the holiday season. This month, Sonos will commence the Play:1 promotion, including a free network bridge — usually $49 — because when installing your first Sonos device, you must hook it up to your home network by wire. Sonos can then speak with your devices, and is wired through a separate wireless network for the music. Sonos Speakers are a stellar present for music lovers, a must-add to your holiday shopping list!
Advertisement
Learn more about Electronic Products Magazine
