Sonos’ software and hardware ecosystem is simple enough that you can be up and running within 5 minutes, and yet so deep that I needed two nearly 10-minute videos to cover it properly!
Part 2 focuses on the wireless experience as well as grouping speakers, and using Sonos gear as a home theater speaker setup.
Sponsor link: http://linustechtips.com/main/topic/121686-intel-730-series-ssd-the-new-flagship/?hl=intel+730
Pricing & discussion: http://linustechtips.com/main/topic/168016-sonos-wireless-hifi-speakers-part-1/
Support us: http://linustechtips.com/main/topic/75969-support-linus-tech-tips-our-affiliates-and-sponsors/
Join our community forum: http://bit.ly/ZkLvE7
https://twitter.com/linustech
http://www.facebook.com/LinusTech
Intro Screen Music Credit: Adhesive Wombat – Check out his channel here: http://youtube.com/adhesivewombat
Outro Screen Music Credit: Approaching Nirvana – Sugar High http://www.youtube.com/approachingnirvana
Amazon Auto Links: No products found.
the sub is freaking awesome!
I approve of sonos
Myabe a little sound test for us?
I tried to find video where i can listen music to heard how they sounds like. Is impossible. So why you do review ? If you want to talk only you should name video ( talk only or no sound test ) so i don’t waste my time.
He sounds exactly like FRED in the movie.
WHY USE A ETHERNET CABLE? THAT`S WHY ITS CALLED WIRELESS?
I have the playbar and it sounds great. The play 1 and 3, I know they arnt the best but idk any better ones for the price point and their good. The play 5 gen 2 tho though is definitely worth the price
My Dad bought the play one. He was ashamed of the price when I educated him on good audio.
Why they just didint put an AUX to connect without wifi. Idk but i like to hear musica out of my house too, where i dont have Connection, it is so limitted….
Wife approval is the order of the day!!! Less clutter.
Is there anyway possible to use airplay with them ?
Would u recommend connecting airport express with Play 5 ? or connecting apple TV with my TV via HDMI and then playing it via playbar ?
Nice Video;) You can also test the Devialet Phantom!! It is also multi-room! And it Sounds much better than all of the sonos speakers.
Thank you for clarity on this
How do I connect it to my existing speakers and make my speaker system at home wireless?
who heard linus say automagicaly XD
lol! idiot
UPDATE: You don’t need to plug any of the pieces into your router.
I want to start off by saying that I appreciate your good review, and you bring up a lot of good points. That said, I think you glossed over the addition of the soundbar and rear 1 speakers. In all of the reviews I’ve read (CNET and Sound & Vision), the pairing of the sub to the soundbar greatly increases the clarity of the soundbar. In addition a 5.1 is going to be better than any sound bar in most all circumstances by virtue of the fact that there are more capable sound fields correctly spaced. This one is no different. I would have liked to have seen you test this with different source material. You should have maybe used something with a lot of dialogue, maybe a concert, and something with more challenging sound effects (i.e. Dark Knight). I would have also spaced your rears a little more correctly, as I think they were too close together. I think you could have also moved your couch up a bit as well to put the rears distinctly in back.
The system also sounds DRAMATICALLY better with a true Dolby Digital signal versus PCM 2.0. The system itself relies on matrix sound processing with the regular signal, which can get artificial sounding very quickly. Most tv’s do not pass Dolby through their systems so a switch or Oppo player (or a dedicated switch) may be in order. A lot of tv’s will broadcast in 5.1 but just not pass it through. The better the signal, the more the case for 5.1 over the sub+bar and certainly the bar itself.
I think the wireless setup is a selling point in and of itself, especially given the fact that it works well. I hear you on running the power cord along the baseboards, but Sonos is banking on most people having outlets close by. I for one only need to run these cords a short distance versus speaker wire to the playbar. In fact I don’t think there are a lot of active playbars capable of incorporating wired rears. If I were forced to run speaker wire, I might as well buy 5 speakers and a receiver (or a passive soundbar). As it stands, the Sonos 5.1 is an easy man cave setup with a small footprint.
Again, good review but I thought I would add some counterpoints.
WTF on the logo! Mind blown.
first off guys the sound is amazing and the surround sound is actually premium. and I don’t know what this guy’s listening to but the subwoofer dramatically change the sound of the sound bar the sound bar is awesome and does have a nice Bass but the subwoofer is awesome. also with the adjustments that you can make to the system it works great I will be posting the video so you can hear sound it is hard to hear Bass but you can tell but the system is awesome.
thas the sound bar have a USB entrance for the Hard drive,
Just bought 2 play 5s I have a very small room thinking about skipping the sub for the playbar to pair w my play5s your opinion on this trio combo? It’s mostly gonna b for music n some cable movies possibly a PS4 down the line
Sonos is crap as long they dont support DTS.
Can’t believe the comment re the Sub not making much difference. For low volume perhaps the difference is negligible, but fas you begin to crank it up it becomes whole different experience! I have my Sub setup with a pair of Play 5’s and the sound is on another level!
I have one sonos speaker and it really is great. Your review helped me understand the surround is good AND the Sonos Play1s each need power. I am about to begin construction on a family room and knowing this will help in the design for the speaker set-up. Thank you.
does it play blu ray? I heard it doesn’t
Will I be able to play an specific playlist from my iTunes library? (looped) via the Sonos app?
Great review. Thanks it helped a lot.
They do make an extremely expensive https://www.amazon.com/SONOS-CONNECT-Wireless-Amplifier-Streaming/dp/B001CROHU4
Check out the room calibration they now have. Changes the Sound of them.
Do i need a fancy TV to make this work? I really don’t care to pay for a ‘smart’ tv.
a fool and his money are soon parted
Heos by Denon is cheaper
How about the YAMAHA MusicCast? Is it same with the SONOS wifi system? I wanna buy a pair of wifi speaker but not sure YAMAHA and SONOS which one is better. Really hope u could take a review of YAMAHA NX-N500.
Sonos can’t play DTS
3:33
So if you want a 5.1 surround system you need a bar, a sub and two plays. Way too expensive.
They are Huuuuge !
intercom feature would be nice
could I use the playbar independently without a tv?
Recently bought a second Play 1 and made a stereo pair. Blew me away how much better it became. Nowadays Sonos isn’t the only company making these kind of speakers. Samsung, LG Heos by Denon, Bose and Harman Kardon also make similar speakers with similar performance and prices. Once you start with a certain brand you might as well stick with it since it becomes a very expensive hobby of changing brands etc. Like said in both videos you need to ask yourself what you aim is with a speaker system: the ease and simplicity of Sonos or the quality of a high-end sound system. Both aren’t cheap, but choosing wrong is worse.