My partner Gavin had been banging on about Sonos speakers for months and months. Potentially years and years, come to think of it.
As a tech head with a passion for all things electronic, he had been trying to convince me to curb my cushion spending for five minutes and put some of that money toward high-quality speakers.
I’m sure you can understand my confusion at my partner asking me to slow down on homewares purchases (he knows who he’s with, right?), but thankfully I got my hands on a speaker system thanks to Sonos recently and now own the title of Partner of the Year. I’ll take my breakfast in bed today, thanks Gavin.
But are Sonos speakers really worth the spend? That’s the question we’re answering on the blog today. Strap yourself in and hear from my tech advisor (that’s Gavin) below. He’ll give you the lowdown on what he think of them. And from me, on a purely aesthetic level, God they’re sexy!
Should you buy the Sonos Speaker System?
When Chris told me he was bringing home something tech related, I was a little confused. Normally through the blog we get to road-test candles, cushions and other decor pieces.
When he told me we were getting Sonos speakers, I understood. I understood, and then got excited. I wouldn’t leave him alone until they had arrived (“Chris maybe you should call them and make sure they haven’t sent it to the wrong address?”, “Chris, tell me again which speakers they’re sending?”).
For years I’ve been bugging Chris/Santa Clause with requests for Sonos speakers, even a Play:1, their smallest and most affordable model, would be enough to get me started. I could build my collection from there, I knew, since the Sonos speakers are both standalone and group-able; expandable to infinity.
You can have them set up all across the house, playing the same music or TV audio, or working independently. Just imagine a big house party with speakers throughout your home, all working together to blanket the rooms in great 90s hits! But for years I waited, languishing with my mediocre speakers, resentfully playing music and watching TV with my ears being treated as second-class citizens.
But no more! My auditory saviours have arrived!
The speakers themselves are beautiful; sleek curved design with a glossy, not-too-glossy finish. The cords are nicely tucked away, which I love. They’re weighty too – if you can judge the quality of a product by the amount of stuff inside it, then these babies are top-notch. The sub is especially heavy and required a bit of manoeuvring to get out of the box safely.
They sound AMAZING. If you’re interested in the technical specifications, follow the links to follow and click “View Product Specifications”. We have two Play:1s (2 x $299, a Sub ($999) and a Playbar ($999) set up in a home theatre arrangement.
The good news: you can start with the Playbar on its own and build your theatre over time.
Setting up the speakers was easy, but I did manage to make it harder than needed by getting a little overconfident. Don’t be a fool like me; follow the instructions and you’ll be fine. Download the Sonos App and off you go.
You plug-in one of the speakers to your modem or router and this starts to establish your Sonos home network. You then grab a different speaker, position it where you want it, and follow the app instructions.
Once all the other speakers are in place, you unplug the original from the modem and position it. Done! All speakers are now playing sound wirelessly. Other than needing power, they’re untethered.
The first night after plugging in and connecting to the wireless Internet, the cats, Chris and I were all spooked more than once when I was fiddling with the volume during a movie and turned it up a little loud, sending the sound of a car zooming past behind us through the speakers from left to right. I was managing the volume on my phone using the Sonos App, by the way. So cool.
Sonos speakers are not cheap, but that’s a relative term. They are value for money in my opinion. They’re expandable, look great, and sounds amazing. I’ve got my eyes on a Play:5 (there’s a great review here if you’re interested).
Find out more about Sonos speakers on their website here.
>>> Have you experienced the Sonos Speaker System? We’ve love to hear from you in the comments below!
We are thinking of adding to our home we are building. Would it be better for the in-ceiling speakers need to be installed before drywall?
Hey Sandi, the wiring for the speakers would go in when everything else is wired. Speak to the electrician and builder about this, they’ll manage the install.
This technology has on been on my wish list but I couldnt get my tight-wallet-partner over the line. One share of this post and I am now listening to my sonos! Cant wait to expand my collection.
Haha I love that this post got him over the line Alisha! That’s amazing. It does make a huge difference when you watch a movie, doesn’t it? So many awesome background noises I never knew were there before!
Hi Guys, I too have recently started investing in Sonos and I’m hooked! Any chance I get, I grab an extra Play 1 and hide it in another room! I just purchased my second play 5 for our outdoor area, and am saving for the playbar. Seriously the best investment yet, the sound is amazing, and I love that you can play different things in each room, or combine them all for the full experience. I cant rate them high enough!
That’s awesome Alisha – good to hear you’re loving the Sonos too. The sound really is second to none – and I do like that I can adjust the sound via my phone. I’m not very techy so for me that’s completely futuristic lol.
Agreed Alisha, they’re really versatile and sound amazing.