Switched On: The musical mesh for the moneyed
posted August 17th 2005 2:50PM
Over the past few years, more than 20 products have sought to bridge the gap between the growing libraries of PC-based music and the rest of the home. Most of these have been point solutions that lump music in with photos and videos for delivery from computer "A" to television "B". Some, like Slim Devices' SqueezeBox, focus only on music and even come with server software that can serve the same music to multiple devices simultaneously. But the Sonos Digital Music System takes a fundamentally different approach, using a mesh network to deliver music to multiple rooms. Sonos does this using shoebox-sized receivers called ZonePlayers that connect to off-the-bookshelf speakers.
The hallmark of the Sonos system is simplicity. Music can be stored on a PC, Mac, or – since the system doesn't require any server software - network-attached storage volume. Setup is straightforward, although you may have to do some running back and forth between the hefty (they include an amplifier) white ZonePlayers if you're doing it alone. Once it is up and running, the Sonos system is surprisingly responsive. Music starts playing instantly, even faster than it would from a local CD that required spin-up time.
The star of the Sonos system is its wireless remote controller, which acts as just another node on the Sonos network. Its illuminated buttons and large color LCD display steals attention from just about anything else on your coffee table while its white scroll wheel steals from something else. Unfortunately, the scroll wheel doesn�t have the same acceleration sensitivity as Apple�s, but it improves upon the iPod�s interface with dedicated volume buttons.
Because the remote is a full peer in the network, you can do anything with it that you can do with the PC or Mac software, including updating the entire system. Indeed, after identifying an update from the remote, the Sonos system downloaded it and in turn seamlessly updated both ZonePlayers in sequence without intervention. This demonstrated Sonos�s hassle-free and network-centric design impressively.
Keeping the control of music close by is a hands-down improvement over the limited LED and TV-based displays of many less-expensive competitors. However, using the remote is a two-handed commitment, queue management is a bit Paleolithic (and by that I don�t mean that it excels with rock music), and the system could do a better job of providing more context around songs in a playlsit.
There are other Sonos �Oh no�s�. Because the company uses a proprietary wireless networking technology, the first ZonePlayer is supposed to be connected to your router or a PC via a wired connection. For those without twisted-pair Ethernet running through their walls, that�s a waste of a $500 component. Sonos could rectify this by creating a less expensive proprietary wireless bridge between the router and other ZonePlayers. While Sonos hosts a Web forum in which to discuss various third-party Ethernet bridges as workarounds, none are officially supported.
Second, the ZonePlayer doesn�t support powered audio. At one time, this would have been a non-issue with the low quality of many multimedia speakers. However, today�s high�end offerings now include such products as Logitech�s 200-watt THX-certified Z-300, which would make a compact companion for a ZonePlayer in many a bedroom. Unfortunately, this is probably the kind of revision that would require upgrading hardware, but Sonos says it is very high on the priority list.
Finally, when it comes to remote controls, one is the orneriest number. Wireless remotes can easily get misplaced or spark family feuds that would frighten Richard Karn more than a visit from the ghost of Ray Combs. Sonos should consider creating stationary remotes that could offer a simplified interface; these could accommodate other family members or provide a backup while the wireless remote was charging.
Despite these Version 1.0 gaps, Sonos� approach offers many lessons for a flagging home audio market that has lost its midrange support like a broken speaker. At $1,200 for a bundle that includes two ZonePlayers and a wireless remote, it is hardly a budget offering and over time the advantages offered by a proprietary network may be outweighed by liabilities. However, Sonos has executed very well in its first offering with a philosophy and focus that is turning the company�s customers into fans.
Ross Rubin is director of industry analysis at NPD Techworld, a division of market research and analysis provider The NPD Group. Views expressed in Switched On, however, are his own. Feedback is welcome at fliptheswitch@gmail.com.
Hey, look, it matches the other advertisements!
Looks kinda nice. Maybe I'll get one as a gift.
I've had two Sonos ZonePlayers for six months now.
Outstanding -- that's all I can say. It has changed the way i listen to music at home, and allowed me to avoid a massive investment in a built-in system.
I've got a turntable and a satellite radio hooked into the system as well.
One obvious caution -- your sound is only as good as your source, so if you're rocking high-end speakers use a lossless formatt.
They also need to intro a non-amplified unit that costs less. If you have a major system you're wasting money on an unneccessary amp.
"the ZonePlayer doesn’t support powered audio."
Not true -- Sonos has line-level outputs, and works well with ampflied speakers, or even a separate power amp. They don't offer a box without an amp, though, so this means the built-in Sonos amplifier would be idle.
Also has a line out for a powered sub. That works fine except the audio level is much lower than other components.
I'm incredibly insulted that anyone would accuse us of selling out our editorial to an advertiser. I don't have any thing to do with selling ads for Engadget and we have a strict separation between editorial and ad sales. Also, I don't tell Ross what to write or not write, and this column was entirely his idea. I didn't ask him to write about Sonos and I didn't edit ONE word of his piece.
P.S. - If you want to act like a troll, we're going to post your email address.
Wait a minute! Why would anyone want to buy a Sonos system for over $1000 when you can get a Squeezebox2 unit for $279 each with 24-bit Burr-Brown D/As, 802.11g, and open source server software?
I don't get it.
I just got my Sonos system this week and it is a *beautiful* thing. It does have line outs, and when I hooked everything up the software was updated to ver. 1.2. I would like to see Sonos market a zoneplayer with line outs only and no amp. Overall it is very well engineered and in my opinion, worth every cent.
Peter, it is an ad. You can act insulted if you like, but this isn't news. It's the same as a PR release from Sonos masquerading as news.
I will absolutely vouch for what Peter says. This column, as all my columns, was written without any input from the Engadget editorial staff, nor was it edited for content. I had interest in the Sonos system months before I even started writing for Engadget.
The existence of an ad or two on a Web site does not mean that a company is paying for editorial coverage. If that is what one assumes, it says a lot more about his or her puerile views of editorial integrity than it does about those who, like Engadget's team, exhibit it at the highest level.
Just because a site has a positive review of a product that they also have advertisements for doesn't mean anything. Should every magazine or online publication that reviews products not review products from its advertisers or, in the reverse, refuse advertisements from products it chooses to review? Come on folks, be realistic.
I guess in the Sonos case, the fact that it has been well reviewed just about everywhere doesn't count for much. beyond that, most product forums have more than a few negative and/or angry comments from users about the company or the product. You hardly see any of those on the Sonos forums. It seems to me that the Sonos system is pretty well liked by reviewers and users alike. Even if you don't care about any of that, Ross' column points out some legitimate shortcomings of the system, so it's not all roses.
Jeff
Peter: I have to say, I never realized I was "trolling". I'd thought all of my comments were generally in line with others made on Engadget by others readers and posters. I've never meant to derail the topic of conversation and have generally kept my comments restricted to editorial content, and I've also pretty much always commented on topic (with rare exception).
Anyway, "trolling" had never been my intention.
I also want to note that I was not the one who (falsely) alleged a connection between the editorial and advertising content of this column. It's rather plain to see that the ads of this site are randomly generated upon visit, and the fact that some Sonos ads appeared with this column is completely coincidental.