After a few weeks with a pair of Sonos S5 ZonePlayers and the Android app, here’s the short version: the Sonos S5 system is every bit as good as advertised. It sits at the top of the list of things reviewed here. The $399 price point, once a hesitation, now seems fully justified.
Before Sonos, a typical work day involved Pandora and Slacker Radio playing from the PC for maybe half the day. After Sonos, something is playing 100% of the work day. The speaker sits across the office, louder and clearer than any PC speaker setup.
The day starts with NPR Morning Edition in the kitchen, then Fresh Air and All Things Considered in the office, then Pandora stations throughout the afternoon. The Sonos Controller app manages all of it from the phone, making it easy to skip around and stumble on new music. The only gripe at the time of this review: the app was not available for Honeycomb tablets.
Sonos supports a wide range of sources including Napster, Last.fm, SiriusXM, Rhapsody, Rdio, and iHeartRadio. The auxiliary input on the back of each S5 also allows direct connection from any device with a headphone jack, which can then be piped to other units in the house. Music from one S5 also plays through other units on the network.
The first real “A-Ha” moment came on the second night with the system. With a thunderstorm rolling in while a 7-year old was sleeping next door, classical music was pulled up from the couch, volume set just right, then turned off later, all without getting up. The other ZonePlayer was playing something entirely different down the hall at the same time.
Merging both ZonePlayers and pushing the volume gets a “wow” from visitors every time. The units are light enough to move from room to room, making them genuinely flexible.
Setup is fast. You’ll be playing music in minutes without the user manual, though good online resources are available if needed.
UPDATE: Sonos reports that approximately 20% of new customers come back and purchase an additional room of music within 30 days. Given the nearly unlimited access to music sources, simple management, and overall sound quality, the Sonos S5 is worth every penny. Of all the accessories reviewed here, this will be the hardest to part with.
