play1
Latest
Apple will start selling Sonos speakers today
Sonos still offers one of the best experiences for those who want to keep music in sync throughout their home. But it's not a brand that everyone knows, and in a place like Best Buy or Target it has to fight a lot of other competitors for shelf space and attention (that's not the case in its massive NYC retail store, of course). Today, the company's retail presence is getting a boost thanks to a new partnership with Apple. Starting this afternoon, you'll be able to buy the Sonos Play:1 and Play:5 speakers on Apple's website in the US. By October 5th, the speakers will be on sale in 468 Apple retail stores around the world, and they'll be coming to more markets online in the following weeks.
Sonos upgrade gives you Google radio and better-sounding speakers
If you regularly rely on Sonos gear to kick out the jams, today's a big day. Sonos is rolling out its promised controller update, and it's offering more improvements than you might have expected a couple of months ago. For a start, the company's devices are now much better Google Play Music companions -- you can play radio stations (curated or otherwise), fire up automatic playlists and modify your library. You'll also get noticeably improved vocal response and Sub compatibility on the Play:1 speaker, and it should be easier to both see upcoming tracks as well as navigate TuneIn radio streams. Apple Music isn't here yet (that's coming later in the year), but there's still more than enough to merit a speedy upgrade.
Sonos presents Play:1, a pint-sized wireless streaming speaker for $199
Uncle Sam tipped us off that it was coming, and now, Sonos' latest wireless streaming speaker, the Play:1 has finally, officially been revealed in black and white. How much? $200 gets you into the Sonos ecosystem, and from today until the end of 2013, that price nets a wireless Bridge (normally $50 sold separately) as well. So, while the last new Sonos was the largest and most expensive in the company lineup, the Play:1 is the smallest and cheapest member of the family. It's available today in the US, but will make its way to the rest of the world on October 29th. Functionally, the Play:1 the same as its elders, meaning that you connect to your network and control the thing using the Sonos app and/or the buttons on top. Speaking of, Sonos fans with a keen eye will note that a play/pause button is where the mute button should be on the Play:1, and that same button can be pressed twice to advance to the next track. (A forthcoming firmware update to all elder Sonos's will bring them the same functionality.) The Play:1 also packs an active seal design that allows its drivers a much longer throw than a normal desktop-sized speaker and a lower frequency tweeter. The company claims that combo delivers a richer sound field and deeper bass than other similarly-sized speakers. As with every other Sonos, the Play:1 packs technology that adjusts its output to fit in seamlessly with other devices in the network, so you can hook it up with another as a stereo pair or deploy it in a 5.1 home theater setup with a Playbar and Sub.
