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Sonos Play:3 compact streaming media Hi-Fi gets official for $299, we go ears-on
Chances are you've already seen the Sonos Play:3 thanks to the leaktacular thing we call the internet. Now the tiny streaming Hi-Fi system is official and ready to start beaming that shiny new Spotify account you just scored all around your home. Inside the relatively compact chassis is a trio of digital drivers, one tweeter and two mid-range, as well as three Class-D digital amps. Unlike its big brother, which has been rebranded the Play:5 (instead of the S5), there's no active subwoofer on board, but it does sport a passive bass "radiator" that adds a surprising amount of depth to this little shelf speaker. The $299 streamer requires a Bridge ($49) to actually kick out the jams but, once you've got the basic system in place, you can tack on additional Play:3s and even combine them as a stereo pair for better separation of those all important right and left channels. There's even an accelerometer built in that automatically switches from standard to mono and tweaks the EQ settings when the speaker is turned on its side. We only spent a brief period of time with the Play:3, but it was surprisingly loud and quite clear even at neighbor-annoying volumes -- though, we're reserving final judgment until our review unit shows up. In the meantime, check out the galleries and the PR below. %Gallery-128643% %Gallery-128645%
Sonos adds new hardware and lowers the entry cost to whole house music
The very popular Sonos whole house music system has announced a new wireless music player and lowered the price on its Zone Bridge device making the cost of getting into the Mac compatible system significantly cheaper. Sonos is now offering the Play: 3, a US $299.00 compact stereo speaker system small enough for a kitchen counter-top or a nightstand. The Play: 3 consists of 3 integrated speakers and 3 digital amplifiers. An interesting feature of the speaker is what Sonos calls 'smart directional design', which means the equalization of the speaker changes depending on whether the unit is horizontal or vertical. Although the speaker is stereo, the unit is not very wide, and a second Play: 3 can be added to the system to provide a wide stereo pair. If you are just starting with a Sonos music system, you will need what Sonos calls a Zone Bridge. The Zone Bridge has been cut 50% in price to $50.00. It plugs into your router, and connects to your iTunes library, and gives you access to more than 100,000 internet radio stations and music services like Pandora, Rhapsody, SiriusXM and Spotify. Some music services require a subscription. You can add more speakers to create a multi-room system, and Sonos offers other players that can be connected to existing audio setups. Once the system is up and running, everything can be controlled from a free iOS app for your iPad, iPod touch or iPhone. You can also control the system with a free OS X app. An existing wireless network is required. I think the only thing missing from the Sonos product mix is a battery powered wireless speaker for use outside or anywhere in the house where AC is not available. Sonos is not the only way to get a whole house music system up and running, but it is one of the easiest to deploy and expand. The Play: 3 goes on sale today, and I'll be testing one soon to hear the quality of the sound. Important note to current Sonos users: The Sonos software does not work with your iTunes library if it is on your Mac. A fix is on the way, but it is surprising that Sonos was not ready for this update. Music streaming services work just fine, but not your local iTunes music share.
Sonos S3 / Play:3 all-in-one speaker system pops up at Amazon for $300, gets yanked post-haste
Sonos has proven to be quite the tease in its handling of the Sonos S3 (or is it the Play:3?). The wireless all-in-one speaker system made its first clandestine appearance at the FCC earlier this month, but gave little in the way of details, and now it's popped up in an (already pulled) Amazon pre-order page. This latest lift of the curtain hasn't given us much more to go on, but at least now we have a price -- $300 -- and confirmation that the speaker system is indeed rocking a "trio of drivers and amplifiers," as we previously speculated. Specifically, it's got one tweeter, two mids, and a single bass radiator on board. Amazon lists the system as PLAY3US1BLK, leading us to believe that we were also right in assuming that the S3 will come in the traditional black and white. As of now, we don't have anything confirming a shipping date, but you can bet we'll blast it your way when Sonos finally decides to give up the details. [Thanks, Charlie]
Sonos S3 / Play:3 wireless all-in-one speaker system leaked by the feds
Look what the FCC dragged in: it's a brand new, unannounced all-on-one speaker for inclusion in your Sonos wireless audio system. A mini S5, if you will, that goes by the name "Play:3" according to the black and white FCC labels -- a hint at black and white offerings just like the S5. Curiously, the FCC docs also refer to the Play:3 as the "S3" in keeping with Sonos' S5 nomenclature. Our friend Dave Zatz speculates that the diminutive size and name is a good indicator that the S3 / Play:3 will feature a trio of drivers and dedicated digital amplifiers, akin to the S5's five (two tweeters, two mids, and a subwoofer). And you know what? We'd have to agree. Now, given the S3's size and Sonos' proven ability to use software to perfectly synchronize audio across dozens of Sonos boxes, you'll have to forgive us for wondering if Sonos has a wireless 5.1 home theater solution up its sleeve. Well Sonos, do ya? Evidence of the Play:3 vs S3 naming conventions can be found after the break.
Sonos now streaming MOG music at 320kbps
If you live in the US and own a Sonos whole-home audio system then the world of streaming audio truly is your oyster. You'd be hard pressed to name a single major domestic audio service not available to your S5 all-in-one or ZonePlayer setup. Today Sonos adds the MOG music service with high-quality 320kbps streams available on-demand or via customized artist-only radio stations. Better yet, you can sample the 11 million song library for free over the next 14-days before being asked to subscribe to the $9.99 per month Primo offering.
DoubleTwist upgrade features AirPlay support for more Apple / Android miscegenation
Add another notch to DoubleTwist's Apple ecosystem integration belt, now that its Android app has added AirPlay streaming to the list of features. As of version 1.4 it will stream music, videos or pictures to the Apple TV or other compatible devices while also claiming beta support for Sonos hardware. The DoubleTwist player is free, but using AirPlay means purchasing the $4.99 AirSync add-on that also enables wireless sync with your media library (iTunes) and streaming to DLNA or uPnP compatible devices. Twonky Mobile is a free alternative that's also AirPlay-compatible but without the tight iTunes integration; you can check them both out in the market.
Testing the Sonos-AirPlay solution
AirPlay is a very cool technology, but it's limited to the second generation Apple TV and a few receivers. Sonos, as I reported last week, has come up with its own way to integrate AirPlay into a multi-room music system, and the company was nice enough to lend me an Apple AirPort Express to try it out. Since I already had a Sonos music system, the AirPort Express was the only missing piece. You plug AirPort Express in, connect it to one of your Sonos ZonePlayers with an Ethernet cable, and run a stereo mini-plug to stereo RCA cable from the AirPort Express to your Sonos unit. From there, you open the AirPort Utility (it ships with OS X, and you can download a Windows version) and configure it in a couple of easy steps. You then move to your updated free ZonePlayer software version 3.4 to let the Sonos system know that the AirPort Express is there. That's it. From that point on you can wirelessly stream audio from your iPhone, iPod touch or iPad into your Sonos system. The Sonos is smart enough to auto switch to the correct input, and then you can hear the music on any individual ZonePlayer or on all of them at the same time. Of course, since the playlists on my iPhone and iPad are subsets of the music that Sonos normally has access to from my Mac, there's not much advantage there. On the other hand, I went out running yesterday listening to a podcast, and when I got back to the house, I was just a couple of taps away from hearing it on any or every audio system I had in the house. When the audio switched, not even a word was dropped.
Ask TUAW Video Edition: Airport Breakdown!
Happy Tuesday!!! Dave is a nice boyfriend who purchaed an AirPort Extreme for his girlfriend's birthday in order to help her. While the Extreme solved her printing/backup issues, he wanted to know about playing music through it. Today we discuss the different AirPort base stations and show Dave his options. Any questions? Please leave them in the comments or email us. Read on for the video.
Sonos adds AirPlay support as Android Controller app hits the Market
For months we've been wondering aloud how Sonos would respond to Apple's September AirPlay announcement. After all, Apple's promise to "stream music throughout your entire house" steps all over Sonos' reason to exist. Would Sonos start building its systems with BridgeCo chips? As it turns out: no. Instead, Sonos is opting for a rather ingenious solution, at a cost of $99. Rather than licensing BridgeCo technology at additional expense atop Sonos' already costly components, the company has instead devised an approach that links Apple's own AirPlay-compliant AirPort Express into Sonos' proprietary wireless mesh network. The solution (illustrated after the break) works by first shutting off the WiFi on the AirPort Express base station and then stringing a cable between its audio-out and the line-in jack on any Sonos ZonePlayer, including the S5 all-in-one speaker. You then run an ethernet patch cable between the two and you've just enabled your iOS devices to play AirPlay audio to any (or all) Sonos device in the home from any compatible AirPlay app. Naturally, the Sonos solution does not integrate with AirPlay speakers like those from iHome, JBL, B&W, Klipsch, or Philips and the AirPlay audio won't be synced with video; but it's a start. The new functionality requires a software update to your system in the form of Sonos System Software version 3.4 -- available now -- which also adds iOS multitasking amongst a few other goodies. Today also marks the official release of the free Sonos Controller for Android app in the Android Market making it a pretty good day to be a Sonos owner.
Sonos music systems now support AirPlay, but there's a catch
Sonos, creator of a well-reviewed, multi-room, wireless music system, has updated its software to support Apple's AirPlay. It means a Sonos music system owner can wirelessly send music from an iPad, iPhone or iPod touch to any room that has a Sonos Zone Player. The catch is that you have to buy a US$99 AirPort Express to plug into one of the Zone Players to get it working. It's understandable that Sonos has to do this. AirPlay support is a hardware and software solution, and Sonos is not building AirPlay hardware into its Zone Players. I'm not sure this will be a big deal to many Sonos owners. The company already provides a wireless dock with iPhone support that allows the phone to stream to any Sonos device. That dock needs to be plugged into AC power, but the connection into the Sonos system is wireless. The Sonos software update also includes support for multitasking for its iPad and iPhone app. That means it will run in the background and not force a relaunch, which will speed up operation of the system from any iDevice. Those updates are available on the App Store for free. The Sonos system has become very popular over the years, and feature updates have included even the earliest devices the company has made. Supporting AirPlay is a nice addition to the feature roster, and for those who already have an AirPort Express to dedicate to this task, it will be welcome.
Sonos Controller for Android delayed until April, heartbreak available now
Is it really the end of March? That's debatable, but if you've been wondering where Sonos' Controller for Android app is, well... wonder no more. Rather than cutting it loose within the next week (as promised earlier in the year), the outfit's vice president of quality has informed the world that it won't be available until next month. The exact quote? "We know you're anxiously awaiting the Sonos Controller for Android. Unfortunately, testing the app is taking a bit longer than we anticipated. The latest addition to our free controller line-up won't arrive until April, but when it does, it is going to rock." But will it rock as much as the image above? Time will tell, friends.
Sonos Controller for Android with voice search will blow you away (video)
You can exhale Sonos fans, it's finally happening. The Sonos Controller for Android is official. After almost a year in development, the free WiFi music remote finally gives Sonos owners control over their whole-home audio system from any Android 2.1 and above device with a screen size of HVGA 320 x 480, WVGA 480 x 800 or WVGA 480 x 854. At least it will when it hits the Market at the end of March. Better yet, it trumps the Sonos iOS controller with music controls mapped directly to the buttons on your Android hardware. As such, you can control the volume of your Sonos system with the physical volume rocker on your Desire Z or use the search button on your Droid X to forage for that certain artist, track, or album. Oh, and the Sonos Controller for Android also supports voice search -- take that iOS app. Sorry, Sonos isn't announcing anything related to an Android tablet-equivalent of the Sonos controller for iPad today as the company is waiting to see how that market develops and which screen sizes and resolutions gain the most traction. Nevertheless, we'll be getting our first hands-on opportunity of the handset controller at Mobile World Congress next week. So, until then, why not wipe the tears from your $349 Sonos CR200 controller and watch the video preview after the break.
Sonos nabs streaming support for XM Radio, Lithium listeners start a minor mosh pit
Look, we get it. You sunk $87,342.12 into a Sonos whole-home streaming solution, and your buds won't stop pestering you about its inability to stream XM Radio. Thankfully, the stars have aligned just in time for your impending Super Bowl bash, and it's just about time for you to start fantasizing about what their faces will look like when they're ushered into your adobe by Heart-Shaped Box. Thanks to the eagle-eyed Dave Zatz, it looks as if some sort of final blending has gone down between Sirius and XM, with a merging of accounts (presumably) making it possible for Sonos to now stream XM Radio; if you'll recall, the system has had the ability to stream dedicated Sirius channels for a good while now, but particular XM stations have been left out of the mix prior to this weekend. Hit the source link to find out what password changes are needed to get things in sync, and be sure to try it all out before bragging to said buds -- wouldn't want to eat crow after taking all of that flack, now would you?
Sonos adds Rdio to its streaming music repertoire
If you live in the US or Canada then you can add the Rdio social music service to the long list of streaming music options available to your Sonos whole-home wireless audio system. We're talking eight million tracks that you can search, browse, and play on-demand with an Rdio bonus that lets you follow the musical tastes of your friends and idols for $9.99 per month. Get back to us in 46 years and let us know if your $5,514.48 was well spent, ok?
Sonos recounts its successes, dishes on future plans but not Android support
Amid the doom and gloom of the economic... whatever it is we're stuck in at the moment, it's nice to look at a success story. Sonos is such a tale and GigaOm has taken the time to profile the upstart, which started in 2002 and has gone on to produce a series of high-end docks, networked audio players, and an iOS controller app that ties it all together. Sadly, users of non-Apple devices have been left out in the cold and, while Sonos VP of Sales Tom Cullen wouldn't say when other versions are coming, he did at least say "We can see a handful of other potential platforms, and we want to see which one has the biggest concentration of music lovers." We say why choose one? Plenty of music lovers exist on them all. Moving back to hardware, Cullen indicated that a person's music largely moves with them these days, and so the company is looking to moving into the car and personal audio areas, meaning we could see some Sonos-branded headphones and head units in the not too distant future. This could be in addition to what looked to be a potential move into proper home theater. These are crowded spaces compared to the world of wireless audio that the company currently plays, but another quality option is certainly not a bad thing. Update: Just got a note from Sonos indicating that "at no point in the near future does Sonos plan on moving into cars." So, it looks like you're stuck with any of the dozens of other alternatives for now.
iHome gives further details on AirPlay-ready speakers
iHome's first AirPlay compatible wireless speaker system didn't make it out for the holiday season as expected, but they have just released further information on the system, now known as the iW1. We first got wind of the iW1 last September. Back then we simply knew that it would be a wireless speaker that incorporates Apple's AirPlay technology, and that it runs off of a rechargeable battery. It streams digital lossless audio from your iTunes library and compatible device (using Apple's Remote app or iHome's own custom app). Today, iHome has shared some additional tidbits, including: Multiple iW1 speaker support -- enjoy music streamed all around your house simultaneously with AirPlay and multiple iW1 speakers Built-in rechargeable li-ion bettery with included charging base Studio Series speakers -- high performance audio featuring Bongiovi Acoustics DPS with specially tuned woofers and tweeters with a clean, efficient Class-D amplifier iPhone / iPod / iPad docking, charging and local audio playback via USB cable A capacitive, backlit, touch-sensitive control panel Electricpic reports that the iW1 will retail for £299 (roughly US$465 as of this writing) and should be available around February or March of this year. That's quite a steep price, but just slightly undercutting Sonos ZonePlayer 120 at US$499 (we recently reviewed the $399 Sonos S5). [Via MacRumors]
Sonos job opening signals entry into wireless home theater audio?
Well now Sonos, what's this? A job opening for a Senior Product Manager to help the company "re-invent home theater sound for the digital age." More specifically, the position will be responsible for leading "new product creation teams." Hard to say for sure, but sophisticated wireless audio for home theaters certainly sounds like a safe refuge now that Marantz, Denon, JBL, iHome, B&W, and countless others will soon be competing with Sonos' whole-home distributed audio solutions just as soon as Apple's new AirPlay technology can gain traction. Besides, just picture a fully synchronized wireless 7.1 channel surround speaker system that requires just a few minutes to setup and works as robustly as Sonos' other streaming audio gear. We imagine that it wouldn't take too many tweaks to Sonos' existing software and hardware (you can already convert two S5 all-in-one speakers into a more powerful stereo pair) to pull it off. And anyone who's ever tried to cleanly wire a home theater for multichannel sound will surely understand why the prospects of going wireless have us more than a little intrigued.
Sonos adds slick wireless dock for iPods and iPhones
Sonos music systems are showing up in a lot of homes. They put music into any room of your house without hassle or wires. There are other solutions, including a good one from Apple, but the Sonos system is elegant and it "just works." Now Sonos has added a wireless dock. Plug it into the wall, put your iPhone or iPod on it, and your device charges. You'll then have audio books, music, and podcasts broadcast to every room of your house that has a Sonos equipped entertainment system. Even better, you can control your iPhone or iPod from your usual Sonos controllers, including the free iPad and iPhone apps. Installation was easy. Using the Sonos app on my iPad I added a new device. I was instructed to press the little button on the back of the dock; within seconds my iPhone appeared on the source list, and I could play music or assign the audio to one room or any combination of rooms. It's that easy. I was thinking how great it would be for out of town guests. I have a Sonos system in the guestroom -- all they need to do is plunk down their iPhone or iPod, and all their content is available. Sonos has always been very Apple friendly, and this new wireless dock makes it even more so. The device sells for US$119, but when it was announced I thought it might cost more. Sonos owners who have iPods, iPhones or iPod touches should take a look at this product.
Sonos Wireless Dock for iPod and iPhone is out now for $119
And now we're at a crossroads. Apple is about to start hitting the wireless media streaming game hard with AirPlay and an armada of third party manufacturers. Meanwhile, Sonos is improving its already impressive streaming ecosystem with a now-shipping Sonos Wireless Dock (WD100) for your iPod or iPhone that can stream your device's music digitally to any of your Sonos ZonePlayers. It's not that bad a buy at $119, especially if you already have a big investment in Sonos. Plus, Sonos has plenty of other perks (like great support for online streaming music services) that it would be happy to point out to you. Still, we can't help but wonder what this sort of product will look like in an AirPlay-contoured market, say, one year from now.
Win a Sonos ZoneBridge and ZonePlayer S5
If you've read our reviews of the Sonos ZonePlayer S5 or their iPad and iPhone remotes, you may have said, "I'd like to get a Sonos system but I can't afford the price." Well, today may be your lucky day as we're giving away a Sonos ZonePlayer S5 and a Sonos ZoneBridge to one fortunate winner! The ZonePlayer S5 allows you to play music through a plug-and-play 5-speaker device, whereas the ZoneBridge hooks into your router and creates a wireless zone for the S5. Now all you have to do is plug the S5 into an outlet anywhere in your house and easily stream your music using free control apps (and yes, there's a Mac app). Sonos allows you to stream not only your iTunes library, but also music from services like Pandora, Napster, Rhapsody, SIRIUS and Wolfgang's Vault plus Internet radio. To enter, leave a comment on this post telling us the last song you played (on any device, Mac, iPhone, iPad, iPod or AM transistor radio). To learn more about the S5 and ZoneBridge, check out this Sonos page here. Full rules for the giveaway are here, plus the short version of the rules are listed below. Open to legal US residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia and Canada (excluding Quebec) who are 18 and older. To enter leave a comment telling us the last song you played. The comment must be left before Monday, October 18, 2010, 11:59PM Eastern Daylight Time. You may enter only once. One winner will be selected in a random drawing. Prize: One Sonos ZonePlayer S5 and one Sonos ZoneBridge (Value: US$500) Click Here for complete Official Rules.
