Sonos Play:5 hands on
MANHATTAN BEACH, Calif. - I’ve really been enjoying listening to Sonos’ new revamped Play:5 speaker.
Music sounds richer, deeper and lifelike.
The new speaker, out November 20th, will also cost $100 more than the previous edition--so you’ll have to decide whether you want to spend the extra money, but I can tell you this:
In A/B tests between the new speaker and the $299 Play:3 that I own--it was no contest. The Play:5 packs in way more sound.
The beauty of the Sonos system is that you can buy multiple speakers and put them all over the house, without having to worry about how to connect them. They operate via your home wifi system, not speaker wires.
You can control the speakers with one master remote--your smartphone or tablet. You can also use the app on the computer, but it doesn’t work nearly as well as the mobile app--since that’s where most folks are these days. (When you have multiple speakers attached is when the Sonos app really shows the magic--you can adjust the volume on all, within the app.)
Via the app, you play the music you want to hear from your computer or streaming service. Sonos can tap into your iTunes, and most of the popular services--including Spotify, Google Play and Pandora. Missing in action is Apple Music. Sonos says that will be fixed by the end of the year.
Sonos speakers come in a variety of sizes--the system starts at $199 for the Play:1, $299 for the larger Play:3, and now $499 for the top of the line Play:5.
Beyond the new speaker upgrade, Sonos also has a new app set to debut TruePlay, which autotunes new speakers to adjust to the room’s acoustics.
In tests I saw at Sonos headquarters in Santa Barbara, the app brought a speaker with muddy sound to a crisper, more full sound, but when I tested the app at home, it didn’t make much of a difference.
Perhaps that’s because the TalkingTech garage is a large, cavernous place with big ceilings and great acoustics. Who knows?
The new app is expected to be available around November 10th, while Sonos is taking pre-orders for the new Play:5 on its website now.
Follow Paste BN tech columnist and #TalkingTech host Jefferson Graham on Twitter @jeffersongraham.
.
Sonos fan? Tell me about it on Twitter, where I’m @jeffersongraham.