After having owned some fairly sophisticated systems over a 45 year period a change in living circumstance and move to a much smaller place I opted to go with two Sonos Play 5 Speakers with the Sonos Sub for my music playback. I use the Sonos Playbar for TV audio. Truthfully I have been absolutely happy with the sound quality and the architecture of the Sonos system and apps. I'm just curious are there any other systems you know of you believe to be comparable or better and more user friendly than the Sonos I am using and why would you recommend them. Thanks
KEF LSX are likely to have superior sound quality. As for user friendliness I have no idea. Bluesound Pulse would also be a competitor. But if you're happy with the Sonos (and it sounds like you are) I don't know why you'd change.
Which streaming services do you subscribe to? Unless your looking for Qobuz hi-res or Tidal MQA, stay with Sonos. Otherwise Bluesound is your most cost effective option.
Disclaimer: NEWB at this OK, so … I’d like to park a pair of wireless speakers when enjoying a backyard campfire. Right now a speaker is parked out a back window. Impractical ’cuz I have to disconnect it from the living room setup and then I’m left with one speaker in that room. Add winter to the proceedings and things get ridiculous. ( On that point I’d like to press that 40°F in New England outside with a fire going is comfortable, particularly when one is cooking and knocking down a pint. ) These are bookshelves; not portable but not too heavy. Still, a setup that needs improvement. Connection: To a LAN within 100’ ( tested, works ) and Airplay via an iPad. Therefore, the Sonos One ( 1st Gen ) vs Sonos Roam. To compare: Both have decent sound with similar connection capabilities but while the Roam is small enough to fit in a purse and is waterproof, the sound quality in the Sonos One is remarkably superior, to the point one can play music at quieter levels and not miss a thing ( yes I know there’s those who will disagree ). But then, there’s the Sonos Five, which sounds even better. Not my choice. Why not a Sonos Five? Much more expensive than either of the other two and quite a bit larger. The Sonos One is still small enough to be portable and a pair will easily fit most bags PLUS it can be taken camping. Gen 1 is only $20 more than the Roam and features a big bump up in sound clarity, MUCH more bass. The Sonos Five is second generation as is the Roam but as long as there’s no connection issues with Airplay on iOS 15 then I’d say my pick is the Sonos One. I have no plans to expand on the system at this time but I think I can grow to like all this, especially outside. At this time I could care less about control features, that’ll come. A permanent mounting setup is not preferred. I’ll probably look into a purchase after the holidays. Can anyone beat such a setup at a similar price point? The Roam retails at around $169 for a single unit, the Sonos One ( 1st Gen ) at $199, the Five at $539 ( too much price for too little improvement ) and a comparable Bluesound which retails at around $300 now. So the likely winner is the Sonos One for campfires. “Down by the River”, anyone? “More barn!” ( dodges tomatoes )
I had a large Sonos system at one point. Their UI is great and they connect to a lot of services. And, you can't beat the convenience. There are, however better speakers in the world. This can be addressed by using a Sonos Port with a good DAC, Amp and Speakers. Or even the Sonos Amp, although the SQ is not as good as I would like. Although I still use Sonos for places like my grill and garage, I have moved over to Roon which lets me use better powered speakers and still group them together. There are many 'short comings' with Roon, not the least of which is the price. But, I am getting much better sound quality.
The One will sound better than the Roam simply because it's a larger unit. The difference between the two is that the Roam is bluetooth capable and portable, while the One relies solely on wifi and AC for connection and power, respectively. If you have connection problems, or wish to take the speaker with you, go with the Roam. Otherwise stick with the One.
Thanks for that. “Wireless” has two meanings. I looked at the Move which is what I’d pick for the road, but ACK!!! the price. The dig continues …
