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Sonos Sub review
More Info Sonos' wireless Sub adds extra thump to your Sonos system for $700 (ears-on) Sonos Play:3 review Sonos S5 ears-on review: a premium iPod speaker dock without the dock Every audio product Sonos has delivered so far has worked on the assumption that you would never need anything else after you bought it, whether it's linking to a sound system you already owned or an all-in-one system that Sonos built itself, like the Play:3 or Play:5 (born as the S5). The newly released Sub, by its nature, is entirely dependent on having one of the two Play speakers, and shows the company is becoming more of a traditional audio brand with a full ecosystem. A primary Sonos component can now be just the first step in a growing collection that improves as you expand it -- much as you'd buy a basic stereo, then better speakers, then more at a high-end audio shop. The Sub's $699 price certainly catapults any Sonos system into high-end territory, however, and sets some decidedly lofty expectations for how it will perform. We'll find out after the break if the sheer power and a few clever tricks are enough for the Sub to be an essential ingredient of a wireless home audio setup.%Gallery-158435%
Sonos' wireless Sub adds extra thump to your Sonos system for $700 (ears-on)
Although we generally raved about the performance of Sonos' Play:3 wireless HiFi speakers, one of our chief complaints rested in their slightly muddy bass output. Folks who've felt similarly should be pleased to know that the company has unveiled its first subwoofer, dubbed Sonos Sub. This $700 bass-dropper works wirelessly with your existing Sonos speakers, requiring a quick a setup within the app to ensure it's in-phase and putting out an adequate level of volume. You'll only find a single cable and switch for power on the outside, while looking through its center reveals a duo of "force-cancelling" drivers. Two internal air-ports also flow from top to bottom to aid in the unit's bass reproduction. We gave a pre-production unit a very brief listen with a stereo array of Sonos Play:3s and came out fairly impressed. The speakers are no slouches on their own, but there's no denying the extra power a sub can add to the HiFi boxes. Measuring in at 15.8 x 6.2 x 15 inches (402 x 158 x 380mm) the Sub dwarf's even the larger Play:5, but a Sonos rep let us know it ensures it'll cover a range of spaces -- not mention folks using the Connect:Amp with their own HiFi speakers (Sonos' Connect, ZP90 and ZP80 aren't compatible, however). We got pleasing results from our unit planted on a table a few feet away from any walls, and the system didn't show any signs or shaking or rattling. The Sub can thankfully rest sideways for placement under some couches, but you'll likely want to "set it and forget it" since it weighs about 36 pounds. Our only displeasure rests in the glossy finish -- a magnet for fingerprints and dust -- but we're told a non-gloss version will be offered later for $100 less. You'll be able to pick up this wub-maker come June 19, so check out the video and press release after the break for more info in the meantime. %Gallery-155914%
Sonos controller goes live for iPad (update: Spotify too)
It's been a long three months, but the Sonos app for iPad is finally here, joining your iPhone in a quest to easily serve up music to every one of your fancy mesh-networked rooms. It's a free 7MB download, so if you've obtained the requisite technology, what have you got to lose? And hey, once you get used to the extra real estate, the company has a nice resting place for your iPhone, too. PR after the break, iTunes link immediately below. Update: Europeans are also getting treated to Spotify access today with the release of the Sonos 3.3 software update. The Sonos Controller for the iPhone / iPod touch still hasn't been updated but it has to come soon -- those Spotify tracks won't change themselves.
Raumfeld's 2Raumfeld multiroom audio system reviewed, deemed sweet but no Sonos
Despite the bevy of multimedia streamers beating down your door, there are still few options available for high-end multiroom audio, and until recently the ones you'd likely consider would go by the name of Sonos. Judging by a recent UK review, that hasn't entirely changed, but a two-speaker WiFi-based setup by Germany's Raumfeld reportedly offers a reasonable challenge to the Sonos hegemony. PC Pro said the 2Raumfeld package "knocks the equivalent Sonos 250 into a cocked hat" when it came to quality sound thanks to a pair of Adam Audio-designed speakers, and praised the minimalist design and ease of setup even as minor annoyances (like the pairs of 'wireless' speakers that have to be strung together) popped up. It seems the only real flies in the ointment are the limited media browsing options available -- that sexy silver knob and touchscreen aren't enough -- and the fact that you can roll your own Sonos mesh network for less than Raumfeld's €1,225 (about $1,575) asking price, which kind of defeats the point. Read the full review at our source link.
Sonos Controller for iPad: multi-room music dictation, supersized
Got yourself a smattering of Sonos ZonePlayers in need of some direction? Still trying to figure out exactly why you ripped someone's arm off to buy that last local iPad? At long last, the turmoil in your life can be settled... but you'll have to wait till late August for complete peace. You know -- 'cause the gratis Sonos controller for iPad ain't hitting the App Store before then. Head on past the break for a video of how it'll all go down, or just scroll on down if you've got the world's greatest imagination.
Multi-room audio owners are all smiles with their purchase
The growing number of "zone 2" speaker taps on the latest generation of receivers is all the evidence you need that multi-room audio systems are big with consumers. Cynics might argue that 7.1 channels of sound pretty much saturated the living room, but a study from the CEA (Consumer Electronics Association) says that people with multi-room audio covering more than two rooms are happy with their setups. A whopping 85-percent of those folks would take the plunge all over again, and with more than half of them using their systems daily, it's easy to understand why. With prices on multi-room audio moving down -- especially with after-market solutions -- we're hoping lots more people jump into this product sector and join that happy 85-percent.
NuVo Technologies beefs up integration with Life|ware
NuVo Technologies and Exceptional Innovation have apparently found it within their hearts to team up in order to provide better integration between wares; after all, there's at least a decent chance that anyone with a remarkable home automation system is using kit from both of these firms. Starting now, NuVo Grand Concerto multi-room audio Control Pads now can also control Life|ware home automation scenes, meaning that Control Pads can now dictate Life|ware-connected lighting, shades, climate, security, etc. What's it take to bring the couple together? A $399 NuVoNet Adapter (NV-NNA) and Life|ware's Visual Project configuration tool, both of which are available now. Full release is after the break.
Sony intros iPod-friendly S-AIRPLAY multi-room audio system
You know how it goes with Sony -- proprietary just seems to rule the roost. Thankfully, the outfit is at least recognizing a trend in the market by trotting out an iPod-friendly version of its S-AIR wireless audio technology. The new S-AIRPLAY system (formally known as AIR-SA20PK) comes with one iPod docking station and a pair of S-AIR wireless speakers, though there is an AM / FM tuner built in should your stored jams get stale. Sony suggests that music can be beamed some 164-feet away from the dock sans cabling, and so long as your S-AIR speaker is plugged into a power outlet (and within the aforementioned range), it'll pick up the signal and start talkin'. Look for the kit to land next month for around $400, while additional S-AIR wireless speakers will set you back $130 apiece. Full release after the break.
NuVo Music Port integrates PCs with multi-room audio systems
If you've already dumped coin on NuVo Technologies' Grand Concerto or Essentia E6G multi-room audio system, you might as well cough up a little more to snag this puppy. The newly announced NuVo Music Port is a hardware / software package that enables "home desktop and laptop PCs to act both as sources and as controllers" in either of the aforesaid systems. Essentially, the device transforms a PC into a multi-output source for a NuVo system and enables any web-connected device on the home network to double as a media controller. The software end of the deal tosses in a swank browser interface that includes cover art and the like, and just so you know, it can be added to existing systems or installed with new ones. Hit the read link for all the gory details. %Gallery-26097%
Sony S-AIR hands-on
We sat down with Sony's new proprietary S-AIR wireless music distribution system and came away, well, what do you think? It's 5GHz, which is nice, but it's not mesh and the whole setup is pretty rudimentary, especially given its bulky interface cards. If you buy nothing but Sony products this might do, but we have a feeling unless they make a huge blitz in the market to get other companies to adopt S-AIR people will probably forget this thing as quickly as it came.%Gallery-16969%
Sony launches S-AIR multi-room wireless audio standard, gear
It's clear what we all need is yet another proprietary wireless standard for streaming media around our house, so thank God Sony swooped in to launch S-AIR, their new system for configuration-free multi-room audio. Just provide power to your redundantly-named S-AIR Air Station receiver speaker and new S-AIR enabled Sony audio gear can stream to it up to 164 feet away. Thankfully, Sony will also start selling S-AIR EZW-T100 transmitters, WHAT-SA10 wireless speaker kits ($150 -- wait, "what"?), and independent S-AIR AIR-SA10 Air Stations ($120) -- all due in March.
NuVo releases Wireless USB Syncing Device for NV-M3 Music Server
Those not deterred by the NV-M3 Music Server's rather steep pricetag may be interested in knowing that a hard-wired connection is no longer necessary, making the previously unattractive device a bit more palatable. NuVo's Wireless USB Syncing Device (NV-USBW) enables the NV-M3 (pictured) to be installed without regard for where the user's PC is, as the Wireless-G connection that is provided enables PlaysForSure tunes to be streamed sans cabling anywhere within the home. That being said, we sincerely hope you didn't expect this thing to be cheap -- otherwise, the $399 pricetag for the NV-USBW is likely to be a real stunner.
