Source: Tom's Guide | Keywords: Sonos, wireless, music | Themes: Networking
- 1. Music Freedom = House Party
- 2. What's in the Box and Speaker Wiring 101
- 3. ZonePlayer Setup and Installation
- 4. Software Interface and Linked Zones
- 5. Controller Functions and ZoneBridge Explanation
- 6. Design, and What's New
- 7. Sonos Vs. The Competition
- 8. Tests
- 9. Conclusions: Free Audio From Your iPod
- 10. More on this topic
6. Design, and What's New
Visually, Sonos’ new hardware looks nearly identical to the devices the company released years ago. There’s no updated look, save from the fact that the larger, amplified ZonePlayer (the 120) is about 40% smaller than its former incarnation. Everything else looks just about the same. But that’s okay, because the Sonos look is pleasing in a very cottagey, Ikea-like way.
Personally, I’m not a fan of the Piano Black lacquer that’s taking over the home theater industry. Nearly all of the devices in my home theater are silver, which seems friendlier than black. Sonos’ style is silver and white. While white might stand out a bit in some living rooms, I think it would fit better in other rooms of the house where people might choose to put a ZonePlayer: the kitchen, dining room, or bedroom, for example.
The squat, square footprint of each ZonePlayer reminds me of an Apple MacMini, though if you check the timeline, Sonos created the design for its product first. The top of the 120 is covered in a white anodized aluminum panel filled with tiny round holes designed to help cool the system. All of the boxes—the 90, 120, and ZoneBridge—get rather warm, but not hot. There don’t appear to be any fans in either of the ZonePlayers, and they don’t create any white noise either.
Rather than visible changes, Sonos upgraded the hardware’s wireless networking powers. A new wireless mesh network technology is supposed to double the range of the entire system (though from what to what we are not sure). Using MIMO (multiple input multiple output), each Sonos appliance contains three wireless antennas.
New software has also been implemented: Sonos’ software now has support for Apple OS X Leopard, and new and existing Sonos customers get version 2.6 of the software. This upgrade includes $200 worth of music downloads from Classical.com, eMusic, and LiveDownloads.com. Sonos’ system now also supports music collections as large as 65,000 tracks.
Sonos Zone Player 120 Specs
| Dimensions | W 7.3 inch x H 3.5 inch x D 8.15 inch |
| Weight | 5.1 lb |
| Output | 55 Watts |
| Individual pricing | $499 |
Sonos Zone Player 90 Specs
| Dimensions | W 5.5 inch x H 5.4 inch x D 2.9 inch |
| Weight | 1.5 lb |
| Individual pricing | $349 |
Audio formats supported: MP3, WMA (including Windows Media DRM), AAC (MPEG4), Ogg Vorbis, Audible (format 4), Apple Lossless, Flac (lossless) music files, as well as uncompressed WAV and AIFF files. Native support for 44.1kHz sample rates. Additional support for 48kHz, 32kHz, 24kHz, 22kHz, 16kHz, 11kHz, and 8kHz sample rates.
- Previous page Controller Functions and ZoneBridge...
- Next page Sonos Vs. The Competition
A couple of tips:
1) When scrolling through the artist list on the Sonos controller, push the soft button labelled "PowerScroll". This will allow you to skip straight to any letter in the alphabet, like the W you mentioned in the review. This function was added by Sonos a couple of years ago following customer requests.
2)Sonos can actually play some DRM protected files from stores that use MS Play for Sure technology.
3) Get your microwave checked out, the magnetron really shouldn't leak that much interference and may be unsafe. Getting a unit with better shielding won't just improve your wifi signals, it will help protect your husband's fertility more than getting that laptop of his thighs!
A couple of tips:
1) When scrolling through the artist list on the Sonos controller, push the soft button labelled "PowerScroll". This will allow you to skip straight to any letter in the alphabet, like the W you mentioned in the review. This function was added by Sonos a couple of years ago following customer requests.
2)Sonos can actually play some DRM protected files from stores that use MS Play for Sure technology.
3) Get your microwave checked out, the magnetron really shouldn't leak that much interference and may be unsafe. Getting a unit with better shielding won't just improve your wifi signals, it will help protect your husband's fertility more than getting that laptop of his thighs!
On the price comparison: With Logitech yet get two unamplified Zones for $599, to compare with the Sonos bundle you need to figure in the cost for an amp as well, which is included in the ZP120
Another note: Sonos does offer a "jump to" option to jump to a certain letter. It is on the left soft button (below the screen).
A couple of tips:1) When scrolling through the artist list on the Sonos controller, push the soft button labelled "PowerScroll". This will allow you to skip straight to any letter in the alphabet, like the W you mentioned in the review. This function was added by Sonos a couple of years ago following customer requests.2)Sonos can actually play some DRM protected files from stores that use MS Play for Sure technology.3) Get your microwave checked out, the magnetron really shouldn't leak that much interference and may be unsafe. Getting a unit with better shielding won't just improve your wifi signals, it will help protect your husband's fertility more than getting that laptop of his thighs!
Thanks Ro53ben, great advice about the microwave. It is likely an old machine.
The powerscroll function worked for me, but it still requires the gesture of scrolling, which can get tiresome, I found, If I was making a long list of songs.
On the price comparison: With Logitech yet get two unamplified Zones for $599, to compare with the Sonos bundle you need to figure in the cost for an amp as well, which is included in the ZP120
Thanks Avee. If you do another read of my review, you'll see that I did factor the amp into the price comparison. I said you'd need to pay (at the absolute least) $200 for an amp for your extra SqueezeBox unit, which would bring the price difference down quite a bit. I am assuming the consumer owns at least one amp (Sonos makes the same assumption with its bundle).
-Rachel
I know that this is a Sonos review, but since you brought up SB and Roku, I would like to see a more detailed comparison between them. SlimServer is a very powerful piece of (free!) software that is open source and has several plug-ins available for it. I haven't used SqueezeCenter yet. I don't know how the Sonos server compares. Also, since Roku can connect to SlimServer, it can reap all the rewards of it *at a much lower cost*...
I agree, you are giving Slim Devices the short end of the stick when overlooking its openness. There are alot of plugins. At least a year ago, this was not the case with sonos. This along with price is why I choose it over the Sonos. I am using a wireless PDA to control the slimserver. You can use your cell phone too. Why bother carrying another control when you cell is always right there?
Get your microwave checked out, the magnetron really shouldn't leak that much interference and may be unsafe. Getting a unit with better shielding won't just improve your wifi signals, it will help protect your husband's fertility more than getting that laptop of his thighs!
I have yet to see ANY microwave(high and low powered) not have some amount of impact on wireless B and G. A would have been a better choice(unless I missed it in there somewhere). We have gone through many a microwave so I can confirm that this is a normal behavior for a 2.4 GHZ device. 2.4 GHZ phones will static if they are analog skip if they are digital unless they are extremely powerful units.
Even the manual on many wireless routers warns about 2.4GHZ interference from phones/bluetooth and microwaves.
I can sit my laptop between 2(Yes 2) microwaves running and music is fine, but video is a lost cause. The router is fairly high powered.
Bottom line, you should have have to worry. Getting your access point higher may help. Changing the channels and seeing whats best is also a good idea.
Oppsy
you should NOT have have to worry
Just realised that you never mention how the Sonos controller is splash proof. I took the testing of this to the extreme...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqHdxVK9cvI
I have had Sonos for three years now. I have two Russound whole-house audio systems that are tied together giving me 12 zones throughout the house. I added a Sonos zone controller and have four hand held Sonos units. I could not be happier with the setup. I have Siruis radio and it streams in all 12 zones if I want. Also, I have found Sonos' customer support to be one of the best. It will be interesting to see if they keep it up as they grow.
Software in Sonos is pretty boring. eJukebox is better for parties.