Sonos port to replace connect

Sonos replaces connect with new port: Port: The Streaming Music Stereo Upgrade | Sonos
Specs look very similar the old connect at first glance.
If there's no Hi Res support €449 seems a bit steep to me.
What do you guys think?

 

Seems really steep to me when you consider that you could pick up a Bluesound NODE 2i for nearly the same price.
I prefer BluOS over Sonos enjoy it being a Roon Ready endpoint.
If someone is deeply invested in Sonos though and doesn't use Roon then this product is likely to be excellent regardless.

 

This really pisses me off. I use the current Sonos connect. I was hoping for a Hi Rez upgrade..... nothing. Way too expensive, they've ditched the Optical out (duh) and left the coaxial(what, why?). It does apple airplay 2..... and does any one use airplay? probably loads of people actually, I don't know .
Basically, they've added voice control (yawn), removed a very useful digital connection, stuck it in a smaller black box, charged more money for it and all that in 10 years development. please tell me I'm wrong ?

 

I like Sonos a lot. Recommended and/or installed a couple for friends.

But they aren't EVER gonna do hi-res.

They know their market. And it ain't SHF.

Get a Bluesound. Same deal, with hi-res.

 

Totally get where you're coming from, but I'd have thought TIDAL would force their hand. Seems the same kind of person drawn to Sonos is also the target customer for TIDAL. Not being able to play the "latest/greatest" MQA seems like a marketing misstep. Sonos has long maintained that the wifi overhead for hi-res is the limiting factor, but that's exactly the one thing that MQA is good for! Again, Bluesound is the answer.

 

I ditched my Sonos Connect for two reasons, they didn't support Tidal and the wireless only worked on the 2.4ghz network. Looks like they support Tidal now, and Qobuz, can't tell about wireless. However too little too late for me I am a happy owner of an Auralic Aries Mini for several years now.

 

The Sonos Connect came out in 2008, it seems like a hardware refresh was in order.

More interesting to me is they went back to offering a version of the Play 1 speaker without a microphone.

 

I ordered one today, I'm not currently a Sonos user.

The appeal to me is the ability to use it as a Plex endpoint (I have all my music in a Plex library/server) plus the ability to use Apple Music via AirPlay 2. Sending both cloud and local library music files out a digital/coax connection to my pre-amp/processor makes for a unique audio-only listening experience.

But drats - I just realized it doesn't (?) support hi-rez. I knew the old Connect did not. I guess I assumed anything released in 2019 would at least support 24/96. May have to cancel.

 

I listened to an interview with the Sonos CEO. He said there was a segment of their user base that absolutely doesn't want any microphones "listening" in their house, and Sonos wanted to respect that.

 

I always amazed me how so disconnected from the real world so many here are. Sonos has Spotify and Apple Music. Tidal and Qobuz are a blip by comparison as is HiRes. Bluesound certainly has advantages for audio, but they are missing significant pieces as a system - basic, small speaker for one. And then there is the Playbar and Sub - I can’t speak to the newer ones, but the original Playbar and Sub are just simply brilliant devices. I heard Bluesound’s first attempt at a soundbar and it was not close.

 

I actually think the portable replacement for the Play3 is the killer in this release. Folks been clamoring for a portable and an outdoor Sonos speaker for years.

 

BluOS does have a small speaker, the PULSE FLEX 2i, but it has fairly mediocre reviews.

My biggest problem with the Blusound speakers compared to the Sonos speakers is that they don't include room correction. Sonos Trueplay is excellent... it extracts so much more quality out of all their speakers. It would be amazing if all BluOS products included some simplified version of Dirac Live... possibly a mobile only version. I'd put their speakers all over my house if they included Dirac.

With that said, I currently have a full 5.1 Sonos setup in our master bedroom and am a very happy customer... just wish it supported HDMI ARC/CEC.

 

Thanks, I did not realize they had added that. I got out of BluOS long ago as the Gen1 stuff I had was not up to snuff compared to Sonos at the time. Slow hardware, stuttered on 192K, and app was very buggy. I had heard the big Pulse and it was great but was $800. I was already invested in Sonos for the TV and patio so two systems did not make much sense. The Gen2 system is much better and I will probably add a Node 2i as a Roon endpoint at some point.

Sonos has also felt the sting of the cheap devices from Amazon and Google as the Play3 was the only speaker that had growth in sales (up 50%). This was attributed to both cost and voice activation. Hopefully new products will improve this, but other than the portable, I don't see much very compelling but the platform is still compelling for many, and I think they have some good things cooking such as partnerships to license to other speaker manufacturers.

 

I have Bluesound Node 2 in my main rig, plus a repurposed Apple TV 3rd generation for AirPlay needs, but Sonos for the rest of the house. Very happy with both.

I suspect that this new product is driven more by the need to add AirPlay than anything else. It’s nice that Sonos had a partnership with Apple Music, but their app did not include access to the personal playlists that Apple adjusts weekly. At least Tidal, Spotify and others allowed direct streaming from the app to Sonos.

 

Bah! I called Sonos tech support today, and they confirmed the Port only supports "up to 16-bit audio" as described on their tech support page: Sonos Support

I pointed out that that page ^^ hasn't been updated since August, and the Port was brand new. Didn't change their answer - so I cancelled my Port order.

From my perspective, it seems a bit ridiculous to not support at least 24/96 audio, especially in 2019. I realize there were hardware limitations in the old Connect, but this Port is a totally new box!

 

Hardly surprising that it doesn't support hi-res. Never been their thing. Disappointing, but not a deal breaker for me for general around the house usage. What's disappointing is the exclusion of:

- toslink out
- HDMI CEC in

would otherwise have loved to use together with a proper amp for my TV set up. I'm loving the Sonos Amp for my second living room setup, but would have loved an amplification upgrade.

 

Yes, the lack of Toslink does seem like an oversight... and why in the world would you need dual Ethernet ports??
HDMI CEC seems like a headache waiting to happen. Not to mention the costs/licensing involved in HDMI certification.

Since I was planning on the Port to be my main digital transport, 16/44.1 support is just too amateur in this day and age. I listened to their CEO go on and on about how much they focus on delivering the best audio experience (which is apparently why they avoided Bluetooth for so long). So the lack of hi-rez support in 2019 seems fundamentally at odds with the impression I get that delivering great audio and video sound performance is their top priority.

 

I have to sort of gently chuckle at somebody so invested in Apple products getting mad at a walled garden that doesn’t support the latest trends.

 

I think you have to consider how rare the demand for high res is outside of enthusiast communities. Sonos is the ultimate Normie audio product. I’d be surprised if the primary source for most Sonos users at this point isn’t compressed Spotify streaming.

 

Not sure what you mean. Apple's not going after the home audio market in the same way Sonos is. I'm trying to play back my own/owned media files in their original format/resolution. Supporting that has never been Apple's MO. They don't even sell hi-rez, so I wouldn't expect them to support it

 

Right, I’m just saying there’s lots and lots of precedent for this in your life already. I don’t think Sonos is aiming for customers Apple isn’t, though. Both are going for casual non-audiophiles who don’t want a complex setup.

 

Just the need for a "Port" type product is rare in itself. Seems like they could give a bit of extra effort to at least get the audio specs up to par with competitive offerings.

 

If you (or anyone!) knows of any audio component that supports local audio streaming (including 24/96) in addition to Apple Music/Spotify, I'd be interested in hearing all about it

 

they do have the hdmi cec on Sonos Amp which actually works pretty well. makes it real easy for my wife to switch between tv viewing and audio playing without even having to think about it. if they had that (and toslink), i'd immediately sell my Amp for a Port + Dac + proper amp.

 

The Bluesound Node is the High res equivalent of Sonos, should support all services.

My guess as to why Sonos doesn’t bother with hi res is most of their stack is the monopod speakers that wouldn’t really benefit from it. The fact the Connect (now port) took 11 years to see an upgrade as the speakers saw about three in that time period is telling. It’s the only product that could benefit from high res, but it doesn’t seem they sell many.