Sonos / the best mousetrap?

[DonH50]

I went SONOS a few years ago and still like it. A friend introduced me to it and let me play with one of his CONNECTs in my system for a while. I read some reviews saying bass output from the CONNECT was not the best and to use the digital outputs, which worked out well for me anyway. It did seem like the very deep bass was rolled off but I have never measured it. I have never played with an Echo and can't afford to rip everything out and restart... I have a new PLAY:5 in the box I need to set up (had it for a couple of months now, just no time for play).

I usually have my phone and/or notebook with me so the interface is not a big deal, and it's easy enough that (most) anyone can use it. And I'd be afraid of what voice control might do when I have an "oh, %$#%$#" moment...

Biggest time sink was ripping all my CDs to FLAC and getting them on my NAS.

 

[amirm]

I have never played with an Echo and can't afford to rip everything out and restart...

Echo is all cloud based so there is nothing to rip or copy. If you have Amazon Prime subscription, you get access to all their music library on demand for free. In addition, any CD that you bought from Amazon that came with 'auto rip' rights is already in your cloud library and you can play them directly. It is as easy to use as saying, "Alexa, play John Williams." Or saying, "Alexa, play Movie Soundtracks." Or any band or track name. You buy the box, download the app to configure it to your home network and you are done. It is the most effortless music playback engine there is. No app to mess with. Nothing to type. Superb voice recognition.

I recently bought their speaker-less version to hook up to my music system. The Echo is the most life changing technology for the home in a long time. Highly recommended product to glimpse the future of home electronics and automation.

 

[amirm]

I usually have my phone and/or notebook with me so the interface is not a big deal, and it's easy enough that (most) anyone can use it. And I'd be afraid of what voice control might do when I have an "oh, %$#%$#" moment...

I do too but it is a lot of work to pull out a phone, unlock it, go into the app, just to tell it to go to next track. This is one of those technologies that until you use it, it is hard to describe what it feels like to do so. There are over 38,000 reviews for it and almost all, very positive: https://www.amazon.com/Amazon-Echo-...1?ie=UTF8&qid=1468008446&sr=8-1&keywords=echo

 

[Ron Resnick]

Dear Amir,

That is interesting about Amazon Echo -- I have never used it.

 

[DonH50]

Echo is all cloud based so there is nothing to rip or copy. If you have Amazon Prime subscription, you get access to all their music library on demand for free. In addition, any CD that you bought from Amazon that came with 'auto rip' rights is already in your cloud library and you can play them directly. It is as easy to use as saying, "Alexa, play John Williams." Or saying, "Alexa, play Movie Soundtracks." Or any band or track name. You buy the box, download the app to configure it to your home network and you are done. It is the most effortless music playback engine there is. No app to mess with. Nothing to type. Superb voice recognition.

I recently bought their speaker-less version to hook up to my music system. The Echo is the most life changing technology for the home in a long time. Highly recommended product to glimpse the future of home electronics and automation.

I was speaking of the work entailed in ripping my personal CD collection. Fortunately done, for now, but it was a lot of work (or time, at least).

The Echo sounds intriguing, however.

 

[Hi-FiGuy]

I have install these systems in homes and businesses and everyone loves it. I have never had to teach anyone how to use it. I tell them about the app and a couple minutes latter they are streaming their favorites.
In one place each person gets there day to play music through the whole place.
The ease is what makes it so attractive.
Very easy to sell.

 

[NorthStar]

Alexa, a voice-assistant performing many duties @ home. ...A personal AI robot. ...And she can tune music too. ...Cool.

Hey Alexa, could you play the movie Tron: Legacy from Netflix please?
Alexa, could you please play John Coltrane - My favorite things from Tidal on my main sound system?
Alexa, good night, please turn all the lights off and the TV and sound system.
Alexa, good morning, could you please start the coffee maker? Thank you. And what is the forecast this morning?
Alexa, could you please call the Armstrong family and invite them for dinner @ the Casablanca restaurant, six sharp.
Alexa, call them back and make that for seven.
Alexa, we're leaving now for the restaurant, please lock the door behind us, and leave the light outside on, on intensity level two. And don't forget to close the garage door.

Yaah, I can adapt to that. Bye bye Cortana.

 

[BobShermanEsq]

Hi all,

I had my annual physical and my doc asked me about this product line.

Non audio types have raved about the quality but more importantly about the multi-room / multi-source capabilities in a wireless system.

Seems like a pretty darn good "life style" product for the money (reasonable sound quality for non-critical listening) considering cost of wiring / install in an existing home environment.

Any thoughts / experiences with this wi-fi based product and other products on the market that are similar in nature.

Thanks in advance for any comments.

GG

Chromecast audio is another possibility which seems to be a relatively inexpensive and viable alternative.

Having a digital output adds flexibility and more than likely improve sonics over the Amazon product. It also does 96KHz/24-bit.

Overall several interesting products, and I would think more advancements coming down the road.

 

[BobShermanEsq]

Alexa, a voice-assistant performing many duties @ home. ...A personal AI robot. ...And she can tune music too. ...Cool.

Hey Alexa, could you play the movie Tron: Legacy from Netflix please?
Alexa, could you please play John Coltrane - My favorite things from Tidal on my main sound system?
Alexa, good night, please turn all the lights off and the TV and sound system.
Alexa, good morning, could you please start the coffee maker? Thank you. And what is the forecast this morning?
Alexa, could you please call the Armstrong family and invite them for dinner @ the Casablanca restaurant, six sharp.
Alexa, call them back and make that for seven.
Alexa, we're leaving now for the restaurant, please lock the door behind us, and leave the light outside on, on intensity level two. And don't forget to close the garage door.

Yaah, I can adapt to that. Bye bye Cortana.

Comments have been made about the Amazon product that it might not necessarily hear its activation word over the music. I guess it depends how loudly you are playing, it will ignore you and you have to repeat yourself several times. I guess the same as talking to one's spouse after a while, people will probably end up screaming Alexa Alexa shut that crap off already. At least Alexa cannot make you sleep on the couch!

 

[Ron Resnick]

This morning we installed a Sonos Connect to an existing modest stereo in the bedroom. This evening we installed a Sonos Play 5 in the closet in our bedroom.

This Sonos stuff is absolutely amazing! The fact that I can play Spotify and songs resident on my cellphone through an existing stereo without having to connect anything to, or deal with, a computer is completely fantastic to me!

After the house is repaired we intend to install more Play 5s in hallways and guest rooms. Hopefully by then Sonos will offer an outdoor speaker for the deck.

 

[audioguy]

This morning we installed a Sonos Connect to an existing modest stereo in the bedroom. This evening we installed a Sonos Play 5 in the closet in our bedroom.

This Sonos stuff is absolutely amazing! The fact that I can play Spotify and songs resident on my cellphone through an existing stereo without having to connect anything to, or deal with, a computer is completely fantastic to me!

After the house is repaired we intend to install more Play 5s in hallways and guest rooms. Hopefully by then Sonos will offer an outdoor speaker for the deck.

My wife gave me a Sonos System for Christmas (Soundbar and Sub) that I had asked for. And I am blown away by a number of things: Room correction using an iPhone; wirelessly connected sub; easy-peasy setup; the ability to play all of my free Amazon music wirelessly via iPhone/iPad/PC/Mac apps; and how it improves the sound for our family room TV. We may add wireless surround speakers (for my birthday ) so that we have a 5.1 system in our family room. Amazing products.

 

[LL21]

absolutely great to see this thread...back in 2007 i started asking around for a DAC when 1-piece high end players was the rage. The audio dealers thought i was nuts...and i was looking for one SPECIFICALLY to use with a Sonos system. That was my ideal setup.

I looked at the DCS Elgar Plus and just could never convince myself to pull the trigger for the money. I came across a 2nd hand Zanden DAC (which i had never heard of before)...and was 90% to buying it after 20 minutes...a 1 hour audition that weekend, and i bought it for 2x the asking price of the 2nd hand Elgar.

The funny thing is...years later...i came across a fully up-to-date Zanden DAC WITH Transport...and i have NEVER ended up doing hard drives, Sooloos or Sonos or anything else for that matter. The one good thing about the DAC is that i can use the Oppo digital-out to drive movies through the Zanden as well.