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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.
Sean Hollister08.19.2010Sonos 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.
Darren Murph06.22.2010Sonos S5 all-in-one wireless speaker fades to black, like your career
The $399 black Sonos S5 is just like the original... only now it's a little bit older and a lot darker. Just like a former teenage popstar. Either is available to purchase now.%Gallery-94168%
Thomas Ricker06.02.2010Sonos 3.2 update and S5 stereo pairing put to the test
It's not a major update by any stretch. But Sonos owners are accustomed to regular software updates that extend or enhance the functionality of their distributed wireless audio system... for free. A good thing since a four room system can easily set you back a few thousand dollars -- a hefty price compared to some brute force solutions but relatively cheap compared to custom solutions offering similar functionality but with the additional burden of extensive in-wall wiring. Today's Sonos 3.2 update delivers crossfading to smooth the transition between songs and more sophisticated alarm settings allowing you to wake to any of Sonos' vast music delivery options at any time and in any room of the house. The gang from Santa Barbara also added Japanese and Simplified Chinese language support and tossed in access to the streaming iheartradio music service giving US owners access to exclusive content and some 750 national radio stations. But the flagship feature is probably the ability to join any two S5 speaker systems to create a stereo pair -- one S5 serving the left channel and the other serving the right. A union meant to achieve a balance indistinguishable from that of heaven and hell, yin and yang, or Nilay and Paul. Read our impressions after the break where you'll also find a spectacular press release using plain, bold, and italicized text!
Thomas Ricker05.17.2010Sonos update turns wireless S5 speaker into a premium 'stereo pair'
The ZonePlayer S5 launch was an important milestone for Sonos as it attempts to bring down the cost (and raise the appeal) of its excellent whole-home music delivery system. Now we've got a bit of good news for those of you who already picked up a few of the $399 all-in-one wireless speakers we reviewed back in October. A 3.2 software update for the Sonos controller and iPod touch / iPhone apps will be released sometime this month letting you assign left and right audio channels to a pair of S5 speakers. The result should be impressive since the portable units can already easily fill the average room with sound on their own. The update will provide owners of multiple S5s with a temporary option for parties, especially if you decide to take the show outdoors... assuming you can still celebrate knowing that you're listening to two-channel audio on $800 worth of speakers. Hey, at least the software update is free.
Thomas Ricker05.10.2010Switched On: Multi-room music's rocket ride
Ross Rubin (@rossrubin) contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology. Multi-room music has a long history as the province of the wealthy, the corporate, and those with the forethought to build or buy new construction with the structured wiring to support it. But over the past few years a number of companies have tried various wireless technologies to bring multi-room music closer to the masses. Some companies have used proprietary wireless systems while others have used WiFi, and yet others have tried both approaches in different products at different times. Those approaches, though, now face competition from a new ingredient brand called Rocketboost. While it may sound like a powdered nutritional supplement that Jamba Juice adds to smoothies, Rocketboost uses the second generation of a wireless audio technology dubbed AudioMagic 2G, which developer Avnera claims is the first multipoint to multipoint HD wireless audio platform. Indeed, AudioMagic 2G can support up to five sources and nine receivers -- significantly shy of Sonos's 32 zones, but enough to cover many homes. Each Rocketboost receiver has, at minimum, a button to cycle through active sources, and the standard also supports displays that would enable more flexibility in source selection, particularly AudioMagic 2G has a data channel for sending information about a source and the content it is playing.
Ross Rubin12.23.2009Sonos ZonePlayer S5 all-in-one speaker system now available
We managed to get a early hands-on look at Sonos' new S5 all-in-one speaker system last month, and if that got you intrigued you'll no doubt be pleased to know that the rig is now available in the US for the slightly premium price of $399. That will get you all the usual wireless connectivity you'd expect from a Sonos ZonePlayer (minus the need to purchase additional speakers), plus support for the Sonos Controller iPhone app (but no actual iPhone / iPod dock), and of course some "room-filling" sound, which we found did actually live up to its promise. Still confused about the whole thing? Head on past the break for a video.
Donald Melanson11.03.2009Sonos 3.1 software update out now, let the smug music tweeting begin
It's October 27th which means Sonos is pushing the 3.1 system software out to its distributed home audio systems. With it comes a slightly tweaked, user interface (color icons! heh) for CR200 owners as well Twitter integration for whatever that's worth to ya (don't worry, it's free). Still no sign of the iPod touch / iPhone app but it's expected to pop on iTunes shortly.
Thomas Ricker10.27.2009Sonos S5 ears-on review: a premium iPod speaker dock without the dock
We had the opportunity to hear a preview of the $399 Sonos S5 all-in-one speaker ahead of its 27 October US launch (November 10th in Europe). For comparison, we had it staged side-by-side with a pair of Sonos 100 speakers -- a setup that costs $678 ($499 for an amplified Sonos ZonePlayer Z120 and another $179 for the separate loudspeakers). Unfair, perhaps, since Sonos is actually positioning its five speaker (two tweeters, two 3-inch mids, and a built-in 3.5-inch sub) S5 with five dedicated amps against premium iPod speaker docks like the $600 Bose SoundDock 10, $600 B&W Zeppelin, or legacy $349 Apple iPod Hi-Fi. So how did it sound? About what we expected, which in this case is a good thing. Click through to find out why. %Gallery-75936%
Thomas Ricker10.20.2009Sonos offers new portable music system controlled by iPhone or iPod touch
Sonos has announced a portable wireless music system that uses an iPhone or iPod touch for a controller. The Zone Player S5 is a one piece, 5 speaker music player that can access your iTunes library or any internet radio station, as well as Napster, Rhapsody, Pandora, last.fm or Sirius if you have the required subscriptions.The physical unit has only volume controls and a mute button. Like other Sonos products, the S5 needs a wired router connection or a Zone Bridge unit, which is a U.S. $99.00 box that plugs into your router and then allows the S5 to be wireless anywhere in the house. You can add additional S5 units that only need AC power to work. The S5 looks a bit like the Bose audio systems that dock with the iPhone. The difference with the Sonos unit is you keep the iPhone with you, and the S5 gets your music from iTunes.The S5 will be available later this month for $399.00. If you already have a Sonos system in your home or office, or are just getting started with multi-room music, this system is worth checking out.Of course Apple also provides solutions to stream iTunes with the Airport Express Air Tunes hardware/software. Apple also offers Remote, [iTunes link] a free app to control Airport Express or an Apple TV from your iPhone and iPod touch. Logitech also offers the Squeezebox family of wireless music products, and there are other good solutions as well.Choice. It's a good thing.
Mel Martin10.13.2009Sonos ZonePlayer S5 all-in-one wireless speaker lowers cost of entry (video!)
For many, the perceived high cost of getting into a Sonos wireless home audio system has been a significant barrier. While you crave whole-home, distributed audio that just works without pops, hisses, or clicks, you simply can't justify dropping $350 on a ZonePlayer ZP90 and another $200 or so for a pair of decent amplified speakers. Even then, you're still only talking about a single room -- adding more rooms (or zones) and dedicated Sonos controllers jacks the price up even higher. Today, Sonos fills a significant gap in its product portfolio with the introduction of its $399 / €399 all-in-one ZonePlayer S5 speaker. The 217 x 365 x 123-mm S5 brings a decidedly Bose-like external design while packing a 5-driver speaker system (two tweeters, two 3-inch mids, and a built-in 3.5-inch sub) that's meant to fill a room with Sonos' wireless audio. And because the ZonePlayer is integrated right into the all-in-one chassis, it easily drops into your existing Sonos device network to extend audio into any room that needs it -- no wiring required. There's even a headphone jack for stealth listening in the bedroom. Of course, the beauty of Sonos is in the wide variety of audio sources available: freebies like thousands of internet radio stations, your iTunes library, CIFS NAS storage, or line-in devices like your home stereo or MP3 player; or subscriptions music services like Last.fm, Pandora, Rhapsody, Sirius, or Deezer depending upon your geographic location. If you already have an iPhone or iPod touch and the ability to easily network the S5 back into your router (via fixed Ethernet or close proximity), then $399 / €399 is what it now takes to get started with Sonos. Otherwise, you'll need to add a $99 / €99 ZoneBridge to link the S5 to your router over Sonos' proprietary SonosNet 2.0 (think 802.11n but optimized for distributed mesh audio) and another $349 / €349 for the dedicated CR200 controller if the free PC / Mac software controllers don't serve your need. We'll be getting our hands-on with a unit soon and will update you with our subjective listening experience. Until then, you can ponder the "end of October" and November 10th ship dates for the US and Europe, respectively. Video demonstration after the break. %Gallery-75378% Show full PR text SONOS INTRODUCES THE SONOS ZONEPLAYER S5: THE ALL-IN-ONE WIRELESS MUSIC SYSTEM CONTROLLED WITH AN IPHONE Wirelessly play music in any or every room of the house for $399 per room Enjoy room-filling, high-performance sound with all digital architecture Access your iTunes® library, plus thousands of radio stations and millions of songs from the Internet Control your music experience with free Sonos Controller for iPhone™ app or any other Sonos Controller SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – October 13, 2009 – Sonos®, Inc., the leading developer of wireless multi-room music systems for the home, today introduced the Sonos ZonePlayer S5, an all-in-one wireless music system that can be controlled with an iPhone, iPod® touch or any Sonos Controller. The S5 delivers crystal-clear, room-filling sound that rivals much larger, more complicated audio equipment. Plus, the S5 provides instant access to unlimited music with control from the palm of your hand. Now music lovers can find and play any song from an iTunes library, plus, a world of music and radio on the Internet, in any room of the house. The S5 will be available for $399 in late October. To see the S5 in action, please visit: www.sonos.com/S5demo. "Our customers tell us they listen to twice as much music after bringing Sonos into their homes," said John MacFarlane, CEO of Sonos. "The new S5 is our latest effort to simplify the Sonos experience so more people can enjoy more music than ever before." The S5 features a 5-driver speaker system that packs a big sound – filling an entire room with music. Sonos uniquely designed the S5 with an all-digital sound architecture for precise sound reproduction. The S5 includes two tweeters, two mid-range drivers and a built-in single subwoofer – each individually powered by a dedicated digital amplifier and optimized to deliver room-filling sound with smooth tonal balance and deep bass. All filter settings, bass and treble controls, active equalization, and time-alignment are done in the digital domain through state-of-the-art DSP circuitry, so there's absolutely no loss of audio quality or energy. With the Internet-connected S5, you can listen to way more music than you can with a dock that only plays the songs that fit on your iPod. The S5 gives you instant access to a world of music, including 25,000 Internet radio stations, shows and podcasts -all free of charge and pre-loaded on Sonos. Sonos works seamlessly with the most popular music services to provide computer-free access to millions of songs and stations from the likes of Last.fm, Napster, Rhapsody, Pandora, SIRIUS Internet Radio, and Deezer. The S5 also gives you instant access to any iTunes library stored on any computer or Network Attached storage, such as an Apple Time Capsule. The S5's analog audio input lets you connect to an external audio source (such as an iPod, CD player, TV, DVD, VCR, or radio) and play music or audio on all ZonePlayers in the system. When it comes to controlling your S5, you simply reach into your pocket for your iPhone or iPod touch. With the free Sonos Controller for iPhone app (available on the iTunes App Store), you can search for songs and stations, choose the music and control the volume in as many rooms as you like. And because the iPhone is controlling the music, and not the source of it, when a text comes in or you need to make a phone call, the music doesn't stop. That also means you can keep your iPhone in your pocket, not stuck in a dock. The S5 also includes free Sonos Controller software for your Mac or PC. Or you can let everyone in the house share the control with the dedicated Sonos Controller 200 (sold separately). As with all Sonos ZonePlayers, the S5 is simple to set up, easy to expand and 100% compatible with all other Sonos products. Just plug in the S5 wherever you want music. One ZonePlayer or Sonos ZoneBridge™ (sold separately) must be connected to your router and all the rest will work wirelessly. When you're ready to play more music in more rooms, simply add S5s or other ZonePlayers without adding wires. Now you can play the same song in every room with perfect synchronicity or mix it up by playing different songs in different rooms. The S5 will be available for purchase in the United States beginning in late October. To learn more or to locate an authorized Sonos dealer, please visit www.sonos.com or call 877.80.SONOS.
Thomas Ricker10.13.2009Sonos CR200 controller turns sentient, Tweets
If you've searched for "Sonos" in the Twittersphere recently then you may have noticed something odd. Tweets about the listening habits of Sonos users are on the rise. Why? Easy, Sonos just launched a private beta while here at IFA that gives a few heroes the ability to Tweet sweet nothings about the audio currently bouncing around their home audio zones. The beta adds a new "social services" (hint: that's plural) menu letting Sonos owners configure up to 5 Twitter accounts. Fortunately, it will not tweet every track you're listening to -- you have to purposely invoke the option from the "i" information icon off the now playing screen. The free update is coming "later this year" (read: Fall) for all CR200, iPhone, and PC/Mac controllers. Want it on the touchwheel-based CR100? Surely you can't be serious?
Thomas Ricker09.04.2009Sonos remote for iPhone and iPod touch does it all
If you're lucky enough to have a Sonos music system in the house, you've got lots of music everywhere. The Sonos is a deluxe, wireless distribution system that integrates beautifully with iTunes, and can get your music, Sirius Radio and Pandora, Last.fm, Napster, Rhapsody and Deezer to any room where you have a Sonos Zone player. It can also access more than 15,000 internet radio stations. Subscriptions are required for some of these services. It's an elegant, easy to set up (yet pricey) system. It is also very reliable and supports wake up and sleep alarms, sending music to every room at once, or letting each room have a choice of what to listen to. Sonos has a very strong iPhone app, [App Store] which is free. It's been recently updated to version 3, and gives you complete and easy control of your system. You can see album art, change the configuration of the system, adjust the volume, and even access artist information on Rhapsody and Last.fm. If you are running Pandora, as I am, you can create new stations, advance to another tune, or even rate what you are listening to so you can tailor your custom station to your taste. Sonos has recently offered a wireless handheld controller for US$349.00, but frankly, the iPhone is free [assuming you already have one –Ed.] and has the same capabilities. Even if you bought the cheapest iPod touch for $229.00, and ran the free Sonos app, you'd have the same features, plus you'd have an iPod touch. The Sonos system also comes with desktop controller software that lets you play and manage the system from a Mac or PC. I've had the system for years, and it really is great. I have also used and enjoyed the Squeezebox solution, and Apple can get your music moving around with Airport Express running Airtunes. If you have a Sonos system and an iPhone or iPod touch, the free app is a no-brainer. If you're looking for a whole house, state of the art music system, the Sonos should be on your list. Screen shots of the iPhone app in use are below: %Gallery-69788%
Mel Martin08.11.2009Sonos CR200 touchscreen remote now available
Well, here we are at last, at the tail end of a tear-filled journey across controllerland, CR100 finally in the trash, iPhone app getting a little love on the side, and the CR200 at last providing a true, elegant touchscreen interface for controlling a Sonos system. The CR200 is available as of today in a $999 system bundle or $349 all by its lonesome. Be sure to check out our review before you do anything rash.
Paul Miller07.28.2009Sonos CR200 review
It's here Sonos fans, finally. The new touch-screen CR200 controller is announced and ready for purchase. After making an appearance at the FCC on its way to being leaked in full, the new CR200 controller for Sonos' multi-room wireless music system is everything we heard including a 3.5-inch, 640 x 480 pixel (VGA) capacitive touchscreen with on-screen keyboard, beefier processor, and relatively tiny 2.9 x 4.5 x 0.7-inch / 6 ounce footprint with scaled-down charger to match. Those changes make the new CR200 pocketable, faster, and far more useful than the CR100 ever was. Not that the CR100 was a bad device, it wasn't, but the $399 controller (plus $40 for the charging cradle) was definitely beginning to show its age as the only dedicated handheld controller available since Sonos launched back in January 2005. What really made the CR100 archaic though, was the 2008 release of the free iTunes App Store controller for the iPod touch and iPhone. It was faster, more graphically rich, and offered an on-screen keyboard unlike the CR100. Fortunately, the price of the CR200 has dropped a bit to $349 / €349 list, a price that now includes the charging cradle. Still, we know what you're wondering: is it worth it when an iPod touch can be purchased new for $229, or closer to $170 refurbished? Having used the CR200 for a week now, we found that the answer's not as obvious as you'd think. Click through to find out why.
Thomas Ricker07.27.2009Sonos CR200 remote control's product page reveals capacitive screen, $349 price tag
Looks like Sonos has put up a staging page for its CR200 remote control along with all the specs you could ask for, and a handful of low resolution pics to boot. That 3.5-inch VGA LCD display indeed is a touchscreen, and better yet, it's capacitive. It's also a good bit smaller and lighter than its CR100 ancestor, only 2.9 x 4.5 x 0.7 inches in size and six ounces in weight -- you can probably give thanks to the aluminum case for at least some of that weight loss. Price is just a hair below $350 and that drops to $290 when you get it as part of the Bundle 250. The "add to cart" function doesn't quite seem to be working, but it can't be long now, right? Just in case the page gets pulled, we've taken the liberty of screencapping all the good parts and throwing them in the gallery below.[Thanks, Schmoop and Lowwie]
Ross Miller07.07.2009Sonos CR200 remote control has a touchscreen, at last
And here it is. After we unearthed the Sonos CR200 in a FCC filing, out comes the first pic. As we expected, it's a portrait controller and is said to include a touch-screen which makes an on-screen QWERTY keyboard a lock for searching by artist, album, or song titles. Goodbye scroll-wheel! If you own a Sonos, then you know this is the best thing to happen since, well, buying your Sonos... just so long as it's not priced for $399 like the CR100 it replaces.
Thomas Ricker07.02.2009Sonos CR200 controller outed by the FCC
Without a doubt, Sonos makes an excellent wireless distributed audio system. If we had to nit pick (and we do), then its massive controller, the CR100 is easily the first thing to complain about. For starters it's a $400 remote control that does one thing, it controls your Sonos audio system. Granted, the CR100 is rugged, splashproof, and turns on in an instant thanks to a built-in accelerometer; features that can't justify the price, however, in light of the solid Sonos did its user base when it released a free Sonos controller app for the iPhone and iPod touch. The app even one-ups the CR100 with its on-screen QWERTY since the CR100's scrollwheel isn't exactly the best interface for typing out the name of an artist search. So imagine our intrigue when we saw a new CR200 Sonos Controller pass through the FCC. The new controller appears to prefer a portrait orientation (instead of landscape like the CR100) and was tested across 802.11g WiFi frequencies with a 24Mbps fixed data rate. While that doesn't give us much to go on, at least it passed the tests meaning we could be close to an official announcement. Considering the controller's physical design hasn't changed since its launch in January of 2005, a few more days or weeks of waiting shouldn't be a problem.
Thomas Ricker06.20.2009mCubed's RipNAS Statement now available in Europe
mCubed's RipNAS Statement may be unique, but it isn't apt to be widely adopted -- at least not with price points like this. Hailed as the first SSD-based CD ripping NAS device, the product is also available in a traditional HDD form, though both handle automatic ripping, NAS duties and media streaming. Within, you'll find a dual-core Atom CPU, gigabit Ethernet, a TEAC DVD drive, four USB 2.0 sockets and a fanless design. The pain? €1,795 ($2,500) for the 3TB HDD version, or €3,295 ($4,590) for the 500GB SSD model. If you're unfazed by sticker shock, you can pick yours up right now over in Europe.
Darren Murph05.27.2009RipNAS Statement: world's first SSD-based CD ripping NAS device
We'll be perfectly honest with you -- the Atom-powered RipNAS definitely caught our interest when it launched with practically no major competitors back in February. Now, the RipNAS family has grown by two with the introduction of the Statement SSD and Statement HDD. We're told that the former is the world's first SSD-based CD ripping NAS device, and we've absolutely no reason to believe otherwise. The totally silent, all-silver box is based on the Windows Home Server OS and handles a cornucopia of tasks: CD ripping, media streaming and networked file storage. Internal specifications include a dual-core Atom CPU, 2GB of RAM and four USB 2.0 ports. The Statement SSD arrives in a 500GB configuration (2 x 250GB SSDs), while the Statement HDD holds 3TB by way of two 1.5TB drives; mum's the word on pricing, but don't bank on 'em being cheap.
Darren Murph05.03.2009