- Built-in 55W per channel digital amplifier powers any speakers
- Unlimited music, wirelessly play iTunes, free Internet radio, Pandora, Napster and more
- Wireless control with free apps for Android, iPhone, iPod touch and iPad
- Simple setup and wireless expandability to play different songs in different rooms
- Requires speakers, high-speed Internet connection and wireless router
A few months ago, I decided to upgrade my music system. I began looking at CD "jukeboxes" that could load my entire collection. Along the way, I discovered the world of wireless music systems, and began researching them. Sonos seemed to be well-received, so I finally made the decision to purchase a ZoneBridge and a ZonePlayer 120. This setup has fulfilled every expectation I had for a new music system, and more. It's an easy and pleasant way to listen to music you already own, and to discover new music.
Below is my review of all the main benefits I see to this amazing system.
1. System Setup
Sonos offers many hardware options, but they all have a few things in common. A Sonos ZoneBridge connects to your computer it "indexes" music on your hard drive and connects to the Internet for music services (more on that later), then it beams all this to a ZonePlayer, which is hooked up to speakers somewhere else in your home. It creates a wireless network dedicated just to music and does not interfere with other wireless devices. You can add more ZonePlayers, and they all pick up the same wireless signal and allow you to listen to your collection in multiple locations throughout your home.
The ZonePlayer 120 has standard jacks for directly connecting speakers. You can also hook up an ethernet cable, if you want to stream music through a wire instead of using the wireless signal. Finally, the ZonePlayer 120 allows you to connect an analog device using standard RCA cables. For my setup, I just hooked up two speakers.
To get ready for this system, you must rip all your physical CDs into a music library. This is the most time-consuming part of the process. But there is nothing unusual here. You can use iTunes to rip CDs into your library, just as you normally would. To get the best sound quality from the Sonos system, you should rip everything using "Apple lossless" format (instead of MP3). This is really easy to do in iTunes. Lossless is not required (you can use MP3s if you want) , but it's better because you'll get CD-quality sound.
After you rip all your CDs into an iTunes library, you run the Sonos "Desktop Controller," which comes free with Sonos systems. This is one of the easiest and most intuitive software applications I've ever used. Just tell it to set up your music library. It finds your iTunes collection and "indexes" it in the Sonos system. Depending on the size of your collection, this may take a little while. With my collection of about 400 CDs, indexing takes about three minutes.
After that, there is an automated process where the software "locates" your ZoneBridge and ZonePlayer. On your computer screen, it literally shows a picture of the devices with arrows pointing at the buttons you need to press. In less than five minutes (seriously) the Sonos Desktop Controller can have the whole system done and ready to go.
Other than that, you just decide whether you want to use one of Sonos' remote controllers, or get the free Sonos app which runs on the iPhone or iPod Touch. I use the free app, and it it works great: I turn on the iPod Touch, click the "Sonos" icon, then scan my entire music collection and play anything, within a few seconds.
2. The Listening Experience
Of course, easy set up does not matter if the system doesn't sound good. Well, Sonos sounds great. The music that plays through the ZonePlayer is CD quality (remember to rip in Apple lossless format). It's as simple as that.
There is about a three-second wait time when you first click on the icon on your controller, as the Sonos systems starts up. But after that, you can run through your collection without delay. I like how my music collection is suddenly organized alphabetically by artist, album, or track names. If you're like me and have a large collection, this indexing of your music is itself a great improvement over looking through hundreds of CDs for the one you want! Of course, the accuracy of your index relies on the album and artist data you provide when ripping your CDs into your iTunes library.
Once the music starts to play, it just works. I've never had interruptions due to wireless connection problems. While the music plays, you see album artwork on your controller, plus the standard play/pause/forward/rewind functions we're all accustomed to. You can also create playlists.
3. Music Discovery
Of course, having your entire music collection easily accessible is great. But the Sonos system goes much further. I was pleasantly surprised after I started using my Sonos system to see some excellent music discovery options I had not known about before.
Through the Sonos system, you can access Pandora (the free Internet radio service) and play it through your stereo speakers.
You can also access radio stations from around the world and play them live over your stereo system. I've enjoyed cruising my local radio stations, or stations from around the world. You can find stations in obvious places like the US, Europe, Africa, and South America. But you can also find them in remote areas of the South Pacific, Asia, Antarctica (I'm not kidding), and places you may have never heard of before. It seems as though almost every corner of the globe is represented in this system. If you find a station you like, you can bookmark it as a favorite. It is important to point out that when you play a radio station through this system, it is not a canned pre-recorded program. You're hearing the actual broadcast, exactly as it would be heard by a "regular" radio.
You can also take out a subscription to an online music service. I chose Napster for $60/year. At any time, in about a minute or so, I can locate artists, albums, or tracks and play them on my stereo system. The sound quality of Napster is not quite the same level as the lossless files ripped from my CD collection, but it's very good. You can bookmark your favorite albums or artists to play them easily each time you start the Sonos system. Napster even has some interesting spoken-word "albums" like poetry readings and stories. You cannot create CDs from Napster music, but I use it all the time to hear enough to decide if I want to buy the actual CD, which I then rip into my library.
There are numerous other music services available through the Sonos system. All of them show up right on the main menu of your controller.
4. Product Support
The Sonos system often feels overwhelming when you're first looking into it. When I began reading about it, I was confused about all the different ZonePlayers, could not tell what I really needed, and did not know about the sound quality of the equipment. For me, it was great having the Sonos user forum, a group of customers helping each other. There are a lot of patient people there who are willing to help you understand what the Sonos system is all about. After purchasing the system, you may have a question or two about options and possibilities, and the user forum is great for all of this.
5. Conclusion
As you can see, I'm a big fan of what Sonos has done with their music system. It really has opened up all kinds of listening possibilities. I can play music easily and at high quality levels, and I even see my own collection better now sometimes noticing CDs and songs I had forgotten about!
I recommend this system strongly to people who want to modernize their music library but keep the same music quality they are accustomed to with CDs.
Buy SONOS CONNECT:AMP Wireless Streaming Music System with Amplifier for Speakers (ZonePlayer120) Now
Recently Sonos announced a FREE iPod Touch/iPhone application which allows your iPod Touch or iPhone to become a Zone Controller for the Sonos system. I've been looking at the Sonos system for a while and the ability to now use an iPod Touch as a Zone Controller was what did it for me. You now no longer need to spend $399 on a Zone Controller to be able to control your music wirelessly.
Overall the system was simple to set up and performed flawlessly. I give it 5 stars and won't elaborate further as this sort of thing is covered in many online reviews. What I will cover in a little more detail is the use of the iPod Touch as a controller.
I purchased a ZoneBridge to plug directly into my router and one ZonePlayer 120 to receive music wirelessly in my family room. I used an existing set of Bose bookshelf speakers. I downloaded the Sonos application to my 2G iPod Touch.
Here's the brilliance of the system...you don't actually need a PC/desktop/laptop computer on to listen to music. A PC is needed to initially set up and configure the system. And if you are using an iPod Touch /iPhone as a controller, there are some obscure set up /adjustment features that are only available from the PC (or a Zone Controller). However for day to day use, the iPod Touch is all you need your PC is not needed ASSUMING you set it up right.
In order not to need a PC to use the system, you need to have your music library saved in a shared folder on a Network Attached Storage device hooked up to your wireless network. I use a Buffalo LinkStation NAS. It works beautifully. I can access my complete music library using my iPod Touch and stream music from my NAS. Wonderful.
Note: Even though the Sonos Application is running on the iPod Touch, it does NOT use your iPod Touch as a source/input for the music. Music comes from the music library on your NAS.
A PC is also not needed to listen to Internet Radio. I listen to Pandora. Once you point your Sonos system to your Pandora account (or other internet radio or even Sirius subscription), everything can be controlled from you iPod Touch without the need for a PC.
By allowing consumers to use an iPod Touch / iPhone as a Zone Controller using a FREE application, Sonos has really made a huge step forward. I look forward to buying a few more Zone Players to distribute music to other rooms in my house.
Hey Sonos....how about a wireless boombox I can carry out to my deck?
Read Best Reviews of SONOS CONNECT:AMP Wireless Streaming Music System with Amplifier for Speakers (ZonePlayer120) Here
When we built our house, we installed speakers throughout (~45 speakers counting indoors and outdoors), but (long story short) we never setup a sound system. So, we've had these speakers in the ceiling with nothing coming through them. I've wanted to setup whole house audio for a long time, but wasn't sure what to use. I'm the type that researches and researches before I buy, and I've been researching this for a couple years, but I couldn't get comfortable with a solution. I've looked at SONOS a couple times, but just wasn't sure. I finally pulled the trigger and bought SONOS. To give you some background on my house, it's a 2-story with about 5,000 SF of conditioned space. I have a central closet with all my phone, TV, network/Internet and other communications wiring. I've heard so many concerns about setting up SONOS with a central closet such as mine, but it's really worked out great. I initially thought about trying to minimize the number of SONOS ZP120 units (to save money) by utilizing other amplifiers and volume controllers and I'm so glad I didn't do that. It was a little more expensive to have SONOS everything, because it resulted in more SONOS zones (i.e., more SONOS ZP120s), but I have no regrets. It's really just amazing how easy this is to use, how much music you have access to, and how well everything works together.
We setup 12 zones. 11 of the zones are ZP120 and one zone is an S5. The 11 ZP120s are in the central closet. The S5 is in the study and I also put a ZP90 wireless bridge upstairs near an outside wall to extend the wireless signal (to the upstairs and the outdoors). I have 5 CR200 controllers (we keep one in the kitchen area, the bedroom, the study, and each of my kids has one that they keep in their bedrooms (both kids are under 10 yrs old and they have no trouble using SONOS)). Each of their bedrooms is a separate zone so they can control their own music.
SONOS changed our lives. My wife thought I was crazy installing SONOS, but she's told me on several occasions that she really likes SONOS and loves having music in the house. My kids are also enjoying it. The TV now spends more time 'off' and the SONOS replaces it with music. How many times do you have the TV on in your house for 'background noise'? Yep, that's what we used to do. We now listen to music in the morning, afternoon, during dinner, etc. It's great. We primarily use SONOS to stream Pandora (Pandora Basic comes built into SONOS). I was introduced to Pandora through SONOS and it's just great. Everyone in the family has separate Pandora 'lists' so we can each listen to our own music.
The reason I like SONOS so much: (1) the time from arrival to setup is very short (it's super easy to setup), (2) it's easy to use and is very functional (my young kids use it), the linking and separating of zones is simple and you can transfer your music from one zone to another (by going into Zone Group for the zone that's currently playing the music you want to transfer, selecting the zone your going to (e.g., Kitchen) and de-selecting the zone you're in (e.g., Study)), (3) the sleep and alarm clock features (you can fall asleep to music and wake to music or a SONOS chime) (4) the touchscreen controller is great, (5) the SONOS wireless network works very well, and it's easy to extend the network with a ZP90 wireless bridge if you need additional coverage, (6) the access to music is easy (Pandora, music stored on your hard drive, local radio, etc.), (7) SONOS' ability to modify the administrative settings on your PC or firewall on the fly to make everything work (it prompts you for permission before doing this), (8) it's easy to add additional SONOS components and you can rename them to what you want (e.g., I renamed the standard SONOS 'Bedroom' to include my kids names), (9) the 'crossfade' option so you can have the next song start just before the prior song finishes to create continuous music (not sure if this only works in Pandora, but you can disable this feature if you don't like it).
I simply can't say enough about this product. It has surpassed my expectations. We've gone from a house with 45 speakers doing nothing, to a house brimming with music and a family (including young kids) enjoying music.
If there are two things I wish were different they are: I wish it were less expensive (but I honestly I wish everything were less expensive SONOS is a good value for what you get), and I wish the contoller batteries lasted longer when out of the cradle (but I'm guessing it takes a lot of battery power to drive the color touchscreen on the controller). These are very minor nits. I love it!
I tend to be critical of products and their lack of features. SONOS is great! I bought all my SONOS on Amazon and found the prices to be as good or better than anyplace else.
Want SONOS CONNECT:AMP Wireless Streaming Music System with Amplifier for Speakers (ZonePlayer120) Discount?
Usually, I write pretty funny reviews, but I'll be dead serious when I tell you that my Sonos system is one of my favorite things in this world.
We've expanded quite a bit and I have 7 zones in the house. I have a few each of ZP120/Connect:Amp, ZP90/Connect, Sonos Controller (iOS versions and dedicated CR200), S5/Play:5 components. I've never used the iPhone dock or a Play:3. I store my library on a Synology DS410 NAS and have Rhapsody, Spotify, Pandora, Last.fm and Wolfgang's Vault services set up.
We listen to Sonos CONSTANTLY. If you're a music buff, now, wait until you have this system. It will, literally, change your perspective on music; my wife is my evidence I think she loves it as much as I do.
Why do we love it so much?
Mostly, it works. Perfectly. Period.
It's amazingly easy to use, regardless of whether you're using the PC/Mac controller, the iOS controller or the dedicated device. The experience is consistent, crisp and straightforward.
Combined with a Rhapsody account, you've got access to any and everything. Together, Sonos makes consuming that infinite catalog a genuine pleasure.
It solves the problem of how to get sound throughout your home, or in a single location, without requiring crazy amplifier impedance management and intensive physical wiring.
It sounds great. I have some ZP120/Connect:Amp on Klipsch CDT-5800's, some on Klipsch CDT-3800's, some on Klipsch AW-650's, and one on some cheap two-way, in-ceiling speakers from monoprice. They all sound great and as good as you'd expect any digital source material to sound. The big surprise is the S5/Play:5 this little "boombox" sized unit has INCREDIBLE sound.
Admittedly, it's not cheap. I stared at these things for years before I got the guts to drop this much coin. I've never looked back. It's been worth every penny. I've since encouraged several people to buy and have offered to buy their equipment if they didn't like it; I've yet to have to buy anything back. I wouldn't change a thing about the Sonos system ... well, I'd make it cheaper so that I could afford more of it.
Strongest possible recommendation!!
First let me say that I have no intention of returning my ZonePlayer 120 amp. I'm not sure I could replace it with something that performs nearly as well as it does. But it has not been a painless installation, by far. If you have a large music collection, especially classical music, you may be in for disappointment. Although the player is supposed to support 65,000 songs it cannot handle even my 45,000 songs, because of the amount of metadata that my collection contains. Metadata is the information attached to a particular track (ie. artists, title, album, etc.). Classical music, especially opera, is very heavy on metadata and as a result the system cannot accept my entire collection. I was then diverted to the Amazon Cloudplayer for Sonos as a solution, but after nearly 2 weeks of tedious uploading (Amazon's product is error-ridden, unreliable, slow and confusing) my music still cannot be played or accessed. Sonos customer support is great, but it has been unable to come up with a solution, which it has been working on for 3 weeks. Nor does Sonos apparantly have any plans to increase its memory capacity because doing so will prevent the oldest Sonos systems (10 years old) from working with new equipment. It seems strange that a cutting edge company would limit its product capacity based on equipment that should probably be replaced in the first place. Can you imagine being locked into technology for 10 year old phones, TV's or computers? I hope a solution can be found.
Pros:
Wonderful concept. Great for smaller collections that meets Sonos criteria. Awesome, knowledgeable technical support.
Cons:
Large music collections be warned. Metadata limitations. Alternative solutions (Amazon Cloudplayer/Windows Mediaplayer) presented by Sonos are not currently adequate. Sonos technical solutions slow in coming. No "hard" fixes for current capacity issues.
