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Sonos Play:1 - Compact Wireless Smart Speaker - White
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Purchase options and add-ons
Brand | Sonos |
Model Name | Play:1 |
Speaker Type | Wireless |
Connectivity Technology | Wi-Fi, Wireless and not Bluetooth Compatible |
Special Feature | Wireless |
About this item
- This speaker has been discontinued and replaced with the Sonos One SL speaker
There is a newer model of this item:
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This Item Sonos Play:1 - Compact Wireless Smart Speaker - White | Recommendations | dummy | dummy | dummy | dummy | |
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Price | $174.95$174.95 | $449.00$449.00 | $249.00$249.00 | $506.00$506.00 | -14% $344.99$344.99 List: $399.00 | $488.95$488.95 |
Delivery | Get it May 16 - 20 | Get it as soon as Friday, May 17 | Get it as soon as Friday, May 17 | Get it as soon as Friday, May 17 | Get it May 15 - 20 | Get it May 15 - 17 |
Customer Ratings | ||||||
Sound quality | 4.6 | 4.7 | 4.3 | 4.6 | 4.6 | 4.6 |
Bluetooth connectivity | 3.6 | 4.5 | 4.1 | 4.6 | 4.3 | 4.6 |
Value for money | — | 4.2 | 3.7 | 3.2 | — | 3.2 |
Battery life | — | 5.0 | 5.0 | — | 4.2 | — |
WiFi signal | — | — | — | 4.8 | 4.4 | 4.8 |
Sold By | CellularStream | Amazon.com | Amazon.com | Group Usa | Woot | Ucs Deals |
power source | AC | Corded Electric | Corded Electric | AC | AC & Battery | AC |
connectivity tech | Wi-Fi | wireless | Wi-Fi | Wi Fi | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, USB | Wi-Fi |
speaker type | Wireless | Multi Room | Multi Room | Outdoor | Portable, Outdoor | Outdoor |
mounting type | Play | Tabletop | Shelf Mount | Table Top | Table Top | Tabletop |
weight | 4.08 pounds | 4.5 kilograms | 3 kilograms | 8 pounds | 6.61 pounds | 1600 grams |
control method | voice | application, voice, touch | voice | voice | voice | voice |
What's in the box
Videos
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Watch Before You Get This Sonos Player Smart Speaker
Andrew and JJ
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1:08
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Key Differences Between Sonos One SL and Play:1 #thisorthat
Justin
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2:03
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One Big Problem With This Speaker! Watch Before Buying
JB Reviews
Product information
Recommended Uses For Product | Music,Home Theater |
---|---|
Mounting Type | Play |
Unit Count | 1.0 Count |
Controller Type | vera, Amazon Alexa |
Surround Sound Channel Configuration | 1.0 |
Color | White |
Included Components | Sonos Play:1, power cord, flat Ethernet cable, Sonos QuickStart Guide, and Legal/Warranty information |
Product Dimensions | 4.69"D x 4.69"W x 6.36"H |
Audio Output Mode | Stereo |
Speaker Maximum Output Power | 200 Watts |
Item Weight | 4.08 Pounds |
Is Waterproof | FALSE |
Warranty Type | 12 |
Number of Items | 1 |
Control Method | Voice |
Wireless Communication Technology | Wi-Fi |
Speaker Size | 3.5 Inches |
Power Source | AC |
Package Type | Standard Packaging |
Number of Batteries | 1 Lithium Polymer batteries required. |
Connectivity Protocol | Wi-Fi |
Manufacturer | Sonos |
Item Weight | 4.08 pounds |
ASIN | B00EWCUK98 |
Item model number | PLAY1US1 |
Batteries | 1 Lithium Polymer batteries required. |
Customer Reviews |
4.3 out of 5 stars |
Best Sellers Rank | #143,327 in Electronics (See Top 100 in Electronics) #3,635 in Portable Bluetooth Speakers |
Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
Date First Available | October 14, 2013 |
Warranty & Support
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Product Description
No other smart speaker packs so much deep, crystal clear HiFi sound into such a compact design. PLAY:1 features two custom-designed drivers with dedicated amps for pitch-perfect music. Its sleek, versatile design easily fits anywhere your home needs music and its humidity resistance means it will even work in the bathroom. PLAY:1's standalone HiFi sound makes it amazing alone; or pair two PLAY:1s together for immersive, true stereo sound. The Sonos music system has a powerful wireless network that is 100% dedicated to streaming music. A single app lets you play your entire music library, stream all of your favorite Music Services and tune in to more than 100,000 Internet Radio stations and podcasts. Play the same song in every room, in perfect sync—or play different music in every room—from any source. Control your favorite music sources and listening experience with a free app for iOS, Android, Mac or PC. And since it is a modular system, you can easily add music to more rooms with the simple press of two buttons. Speaker Features: Multiroom Capability No. of Speakers Included: 1 Model Compatibility: iPhone 4/4s, Android Phones, iPod Touch, iPad 2 Includes: Owner's Manual, Power Cord ||Speaker Features: Multiroom Capability ||No. of Speakers Included: 1 ||Model Compatibility: iPhone 4/4s, Android Phones, iPod Touch, iPad 2 ||Includes: Owner's Manual, Power Cord ||Battery no battery used: ||Assembly Details: no assembly required ||Warranty Information To obtain a copy of the manufacturer’s warranty for this item, please call Target Guest Services at 1-800-591-3869. ||Imported
Customer reviews
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers like the sound quality, ease of use, performance, and quality of the speakers. They mention that it has excellent sound, covers an incredible range, and is easy to pair. Some are happy with the music, and appearance. However, some have mixed opinions on value, and connectivity.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers like the sound quality of the speakers. They say it has excellent sound, is happy with the volume it generates, and covers an incredible range. Some say the speakers have more than enough power to fill their 18' x 16' living space.
"...o Play 1’s sound just fine individually but they really come into their own as a stereo pair. The sum of the parts was better than imagined...." Read more
"...Don't get me wrong, the play1 sounds pretty good and it is a well made, solid little speaker, but holistically speaking Sonos' thing is not to..." Read more
"...components, and a very elegant, compact powered speaker that sounds quite nice. Set up is so easy your four year old could do it. Power the bridge...." Read more
"...Pros: Setup is incredibly easy, sounds great, easily controlled from any device, can be grouped with other speakers to create zones or whole home..." Read more
Customers find the speakers easy to use. They mention that the SONOS app and interface is super easy to set up and use from their iPad. They also say that the speakers connect very easily and are easy to mount. Customers also say the app connects to the system very easily, and that playlists can be easily built from the list of songs playing in a room. They say that installing the app and performing the firmware update was straightforward.
"...Ease of Pairing...." Read more
"...o Powering these on, installing the app and performing the firmware update was straightforward...." Read more
"...Set up is so easy your four year old could do it. Power the bridge. Plug it into the ethernet port on your router...." Read more
"...Pros: Setup is incredibly easy, sounds great, easily controlled from any device, can be grouped with other speakers to create zones or whole home..." Read more
Customers like the performance of the speakers. For example, they say it works great, seamlessly, and exudes quality. Some are impressed by the sound, function, and possible future expansion. The system sounds good and works well controlled by their iPhone 5S. The Sonos app works great and they are still able to control all music with it. The sound was excellent, there were no issues, and the set-up was easy. Overall, most are happy with the performance and recommend it to others.
"...Their products have a definite “Apple Feel”. They work seamlessly, exude quality and the packaging is elegant in that “Apple Way”.•..." Read more
"...The button layout on the top is simple, yet very effective and intuitive. We control our Sonos system exclusively through the iOS app...." Read more
"...Not in the basic sense, mind you. As a wireless speaker system, it is phenomenal...." Read more
"...with the app and all the software updates is absolutely right, its not worth it...." Read more
Customers like the quality of the speakers. They say it's heavy-duty, built to last, and made from premium materials. They also appreciate the solid form factor and the overall fidelity. Some customers say the speakers are pricey but well worth it with the quality.
"...Their products have a definite “Apple Feel”. They work seamlessly, exude quality and the packaging is elegant in that “Apple Way”.•..." Read more
"...me wrong, the play1 sounds pretty good and it is a well made, solid little speaker, but holistically speaking Sonos' thing is not to provide you..." Read more
"...They are made from premium materials that not only look great, but feel great to the touch as well...." Read more
"...The SONOS app has a great search feature (by artist, album, track, etc) that easily gets me to music I want...." Read more
Customers are mixed about the value of the speakers. Some mention that it's well worth the price, cheaper than wiring the house, and a wonderful purchase. Others say that it is pricey and the Connect is certainly not worth the money.
"...It came out cheaper than wiring the house, and I get to control my music from any of the mobile devices. That's neat...." Read more
"The Sonos system is fantastic, and worth the money in my opinion...." Read more
"...It's good, better, best sound quality, with cheap, mid, expensive prices. It is true, on both counts...." Read more
"...I'm sure it meets Sonos's standards of quality and elegance, but it's pricey, so I've never sprung for one...." Read more
Customers are satisfied with the built-in music options, radio stations, and wide variety of music services offered by the speakers. They say it's the most ideal music system for the home, making it easy to play music from sources such as Pandora, SiriusXM, Amazon Prime, and others. They also appreciate the ability to play the music uninterrupted even when they receive text messages or calls.
"...You can have up to 32 separate groups. You can also individually control each speaker from the app...." Read more
"...app connected to my Pandora and Sirius accounts and played directly from the phone itself with no skips or delays of any kind...." Read more
"...tone down the low midrange to upper bass range, it is a very acceptable music producer...." Read more
"...You can also create SONOS playlists which could be useful if you were pulling music from many different sources and making combined playlists...." Read more
Customers are satisfied with the appearance of the speakers. They mention that it blends in perfectly with contemporary furnishings and modern or retro design. The white units are a nice addition to any living room or bedroom and are able to produce crisp, clear sound.
"...Design. The PLAY:1 and BRIDGE are beautiful devices. They don't look out-of-place in my home. I bought the White ones.CONS..." Read more
"...Heck no. But what you get, in a small, neat and unobtrusive package about the size of a tin of Chock Full o' Nuts, is very acceptable sound,..." Read more
"...They are made from premium materials that not only look great, but feel great to the touch as well...." Read more
"...The screens are graphically appealing, but lettering not bold enough on dark background to be easily read...." Read more
Customers are mixed about the connectivity of the speakers. Some mention that they connect with no problem at all, have perfect synchronization with other Sonos speakers in the house, and sync play between rooms. However, others say that it could no longer connect, would not connect to their wireless network, and has unreliable connectivity.
"...Even then, the CONNECT doesn't support SPDIF/Optical input...." Read more
"...I've had no issues with the connection and I'm going to give credit to the BOOST for that...." Read more
"...The sound is really good but the app is wonky. And the connectivity needs massaging...." Read more
"...network; my sonos speakers have mostly become useless bricks, i cant connect to them, or even see them most of the time from the horrible Sonos app;..." Read more
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NOTE: a Sonos BRIDGE is NOT needed to use the PLAY:1. See the INSTALLATION section of this review.
PROS
- Hi-Fi. Speakers sound better than the multi-room, wired systems I looked at for less than $500.
- Resale Value. Wired speakers don't add much resale value to your house. So, why spend $1000s, only to leave the audio system behind when you sell the property or move? With wireless, I could take my expensive speakers with me to my new home.
- Freedom to move around.
With wireless, you are free to take the speakers anywhere you want throughout the whole house. For neighborhood block parties, I could even hook up the speakers to an extension cord out to the street, and stream music from my home. Or take it outside to your backyard. They are moisture-proof, but I wouldn't use them as permanent outdoor speakers unless you enclose them in protective casings.
NOTE on wireless: each SONOS component is its own wireless client and repeater. Sonos wireless is a private, wireless "mesh" system, separate from your home WiFi. What does that mean to you? It routes music through its own wireless, leaving your home WiFi untouched. There's an additional benefit for that, as I'll explain after the installation note below. Most of the Sonos components (PLAY:1 is NOT one of them) have 2 network ports. This means, you can plug in the component into the network jack, and use the 2nd one on the speaker to connect your laptop.
INSTALLATION: First, the tech talk. You need 1 Sonos component to be plugged in to your home network (any of the PLAY speakers, Soundbar, Bridge, etc.) So, as an example, you must plug in either the BRIDGE or the PLAY:1 to your network with a network cable. This turns that component into a wireless access point (or as consumers tend to call it, a "Wifi router".) All other Sonos components will now be able to wirelessly talk to that plugged-in device. No other Sonos component has to be plugged in, as long as it's within wireless range of the plugged-in one. Should a component in your house be too far away (say, your garage) from the plugged-in one, you can connect it to your network via cable, if available, or set up a Sonos BRIDGE (or any other Sonos speaker) wirelessly somewhere between the plugged-in one and the Garage speaker. The BRIDGE or other speaker strengthens the wireless from the plugged-in one, and extends the range to the one in the Garage. Each Sonos component is both a wireless client, and a wireless access point/repeater. Each component talks to each other in a mesh network. Think of a spider net. Any part that is touched vibrates to the rest of the net.
Tech-talk aside, think about this: One person (Person 1) is at a corner of the house. When he shouts, the person in the garage (Person 2) can't hear Person 1. The only way Person 1 can talk to 2, is to pick up the phone (talking over a wired connection, or plugging a distant Sonos component to the wired network) or having Person 3 stand between them (having a Sonos component physically be between both speakers) and relaying the information back and forth (what WiFi mesh would do). So, with each Sonos component/speaker, the Sonos wireless range gets extended.
With the Sonos wireless mesh, you could humorously place a few speakers into each house in the neighborhood, and suddenly play the same music through each home. Try that with Bluetooth speakers. You wouldn't be able to.
WiFi mesh TIP: if you have an Android device, you can Google "Android devices on SonosNet", and you will see instructions on how to use your Sonos wireless network ("SonosNet") to connect your Android phone/tablet. This allows you to use your mobile device further away from your home WiFi. This has disadvantages and advantages out of the scope of this review. I decided not to use SonosNet for my tablets.
NOTE: a Sonos BRIDGE is NOT needed to use the PLAY:1. Just plug in the PLAY:1 to the wired network (ie your router), and it will work just fine. You still control it with the Sonos App from your mobile device. Once the PLAY:1 is plugged in, you can add other Sonos components to the system. A BRIDGE is NOT needed for that either. It's only needed if you want to extend the Sonos wireless range to a farther part of your house or yard for $50 vs buying another PLAY speaker for $100+)
- Small size. The BRIDGE is about the same size as an Apple TV/Roku/WD TV Live. The PLAY:1 is about 2-3 of them stacked on top of each other. The PLAY:1 has a fairly hefty weight, a good sign of the good sound coming from its components.
- Ease of Pairing. To pair other Sonos components (or with the Sonos Controller App), simply hit the Play/Volume Up button on the speaker, and the same combination on the other speakers. If pairing with the BRIDGE, hit the pair button on that component.
- LED. The Bright LED can be configured to turn on/off via the Sonos app.
- Ease of music sync.
You can use the free Sonos app for your Android, iOS (iPhone/iPad/iPod), Windows Phone, Mac/Windows laptop/tablet (sadly, no Windows Store app yet) to control how the speakers play: you can easily choose which speakers to pair/unpair into groups. Grouping the speakers allows you to play the same music on those speakers. You can have up to 32 separate groups. You can also individually control each speaker from the app. Each group's volume is controlled by the Sonos app. So, if Speaker 1 is set to 50% volume, and Speaker 2 is set to 25%, lowering the volume by 5% will lower Speaker 1 to 45%, and 2 to 20%.
Once music is playing, you can leave the house, and it will continue to play -- as long as the music source is not coming from that mobile device (meaning: if you're playing MP3s from your phone, and your phone leaves, it will stop playing. But if you started Pandora from your phone, or you told the speaker to play music off one of your network shares, it will continue playing since the source is coming from a device that's still at home.)
PARTIES: one cool feature is that once you download the Sonos Controller app and pair it to one of the Sonos speakers (which authorizes the app/phone to talk to your Sonos system -- this prevents unauthorized people outside your home from controlling your speakers), each device can control the playlist. So, if you have guests coming over, and each guest downloads and authorizes the Sonos app to your system, each guest can now add/remove songs from the queue. Everybody can now be a DJ.
- Stereo pairing for PLAY:1.
You can take two PLAY:1 speakers and set them up as Left & Right channels for stereo output.
- Expandability.
Sonos did a smart thing. They released the less expensive PLAY:1 to wet your/my appetite. As you use the system, you will likely buy more Sonos components to expand your sound system, resulting in more revenue for the company. You can add any Sonos component to your system, and they will all work in harmony. You can set up a complete home theater system that way too. I know, sounds pricey. It is. But it still is cheaper than having your whole house wired with nice speakers.
- Alarm/Sleep timer.
You can set up each speaker (or Group of speakers) to play music at a specific time, day, and volume (Alarm) from a specific source for a specified amount of time. Or you can also set a Sleep timer to play music for a specific number of minutes to ease you into sleep. I love getting waken up by mellow music (ie. Norah Jones) in the morning, and when I leave the home, I don't have to worry about turning off the speakers. It'll automatically turn off after the 45 minutes I set up for the alarm.
- Sound. Sound quality is quite good. I will leave you with the reviews by others to read more about that. With the Sonos app, you can control Bass, Treble, and volume. I have the speakers play between 15% to 25% volume in each room -- they are plenty loud enough. Setting them to 100% can be heard through the whole house -- and the potential for your neighbors to complain. Even at low volume, the sound is very good. It's definitely better than most Bluetooth speakers. If you put the PLAY:1 in the corner of a room, the sound seems a bit more muffled due to the amplification of the Bass by the walls on both ends. You can fix this by adding more Treble, or by moving the speaker away from the corner.
- Design. The PLAY:1 and BRIDGE are beautiful devices. They don't look out-of-place in my home. I bought the White ones.
CONS
I couldn't find many cons with the PLAY:1. But here are some that have annoyed me.
- Cost. The Sonos system is expensive. Just look at the price of the other components. Holy moly. Still, if you were to wire your house with Bose speakers, the Sonos system is comparatively inexpensive. Again, I chose Sonos because wiring the house won't add much resale value. I like the idea of being able to take my Sonos with me to my new home.
- Sonos App Interface. The app is clunky and looks outdated. It took me a while to figure out where to go to do what (and I love gadgets/toys. I'm a technology tinkerer!). It's not very user friendly.
- Music sources. Not all apps can play to the Sonos speakers. You have to use the Sonos App, add the approved source to it, then you can play from that source. I wish you could re-route any audio from any device to the speakers. Pandora, network shares (NAS), iTunes, TuneIt Radio (built-in), iPod/iPad/iPhone, media files on your own Android/Windows device are all possible sources. At one point (if I remember correctly), my not-so-tech-savvy dad was able to beam his iPad's YouTube sound to the speakers without using the Sonos App. I didn't get a chance to verify how he did it, but I did see the PLAY:1 being available as a target on his iPad. Perhaps it was playing via the DLNA protocol. Either way, that was neat.
- Input source. I wish that the PLAY:1 had a Line-in/Aux port so that you can connect any music source to it for playback, such as your TV or existing home entertainment system. Yes, the Sonos CONNECT takes care of that, but look at the price of that component! Even then, the CONNECT doesn't support SPDIF/Optical input.
Weren't it for the Amazon/Target promotions on Black Friday, I would have been EXTREMELY hesitant to buy these expensive speakers. I bought two PLAY:1 during the promotion. With that said, overall, I'm quite pleased with the purchase. It came out cheaper than wiring the house, and I get to control my music from any of the mobile devices. That's neat. Lower the prices of your other components, Sonos! I hope for increased competition in the market to drive the prices down -- as of today, I'm not aware of any good, alternate, wireless HiFi solution.
I have the BRIDGE installed downstairs in a 2-story home. One PLAY:1 is upstairs, and one PLAY:1 is downstairs. I may purchase more PLAY:1s in the future. The BRIDGE is not needed at all for my home since one of the PLAY:1 can act as the wireless access point for the other.
------
EDIT 5/12/14: Almost half a year later, and I'm still enjoying the PLAY:1. By the way, Sonos is working on making it unnecessary for any Sonos component to be connected to the wired network/router. From their blog post, titled, "Our Vision for Rock-Solid Wireless, Evolved" (April 17, 2014), "We've found a way to deliver all the benefits of SonosNet without a product directly connected to your router... Start with a speaker and your smartphone, enter your WiFi password and Sonos takes care of the rest."
I've also updated my review with the clarification, "Most of the Sonos components (PLAY:1 is [NOT] one of them) have 2 network ports." (Thank you, JOEKC, for pointing out the original review's error)
EDIT 6/16/14: Clarified that SonosNET is a proprietary, wireless network
Primary considerations were quality of sound, stereo pairing, wireless stability, and application functionality. After looking at Raumfeld, Bose, Yamaha, Harmon Kardon and Samsung, I decided it was a choice between the Sonos Play 1 and Yamaha Music Cast WX030, which have similar price points.
Background:
Sonos-A year ago, I set up a pair of Sonos Play 5’s at the office in a recreation room and a Sonos Connect with a (surprise) Yamaha receiver and Bose bookshelf speakers in our Fitness Center. The Play 5’s in the Rec Room are placed on shelves and never require any touch of the actual device once they are set up. Just open the app. They power up immediately and are linked as a stereo pair. For this reason, I felt a high placement was possible in my bathroom on a ledge above the closet.
Yamaha-I’ve been a Yamaha fan my entire adult life. I rode a Yamaha XS750 Special motorcycle over 100K miles in 6 years. My first stereo system was a Yamaha (CR-620) and my current AV receiver is also a Yamaha. The CR-620 in particular is still alive in my garage and playing vinyl records on the same turntable I bought with that receiver in the 70’s. It’s attached to a set of Bose 301’s from the same era and a pair of Pioneer 3-way tower speakers with dual 8” woofers. With the advancement of wireless speakers, I anticipate my next AV receiver will be wireless too. The MusicCAST system looks like it may fit the bill some day.
Setup-I placed these speakers side by side in stereo pairs in each room of the house. Placed in corners of the same wall on tables at shoulder level with a clear line of sight. They landed in my bedroom for a few days after an evening of moving them about the house. Using their individual apps enabled me to toggle between brands with various music genres and sources all from my iPhone.
Sonos Play 1…
• Technology
o Initial setup of these units and connecting them as stereo pairs was just plain simple. They connected to my iPhone 6, then the house WiFi, and finally paired when I was ready.
o TruePlay is an interesting feature. It sends a loud note from the speakers while you wave your mobile device around the room for a minute. (I felt like I was clearing the bad spirits away with burning sage) It really did the trick. I could hear it chasing the bad sound spirits away. Running the TruePlay setup in each room tuned them for the best stereo image possible.
o The equalizer in the app is limited to Balance, Bass and High only, but I really didn’t care.
o The Sonos app connected to my Pandora and Sirius accounts and played directly from the phone itself with no skips or delays of any kind.
o A wonderful feature when paired as L-R speakers is, you can turn them on and adjust volume using the controls on either speaker without the app. Either, controls both!
o Over the days I tested the Play 1’s, I never had to mess with settings or even touch the buttons on the speakers. It just worked on demand through the Sonos app.
• Audio:
o These little speakers really surprised me. Fabulous mid range and highs, which made vocals jump out at you. Bass was ok but not pretentious. It’s like Sonos knew the limitations of a small package like this and didn’t try to fake it.
o Play 1’s sound just fine individually but they really come into their own as a stereo pair. The sum of the parts was better than imagined.
o When I listened to these, the term “bright” (in a good way) seemed to fit. At high and low volume levels, the sound transitioned nicely across the frequency range. At high volume I wondered what a small subwoofer would add to a pair of these speakers. Placed on wooden night stands, the Play 1’s bass improved noticeably.
o With the dial at max noise, these speakers strained too much with some loss of quality.
o The Play 1 speaker has high fidelity sound from the pre-subwoofer era. Sonos has recreated that sound with two small drivers and packed it all in an acoustically enhanced housing. I wish my old Advent Loudspeakers put out this kind of midrange.
o Perfect for smaller rooms and I bet, as surrounds on a larger system.
Yamaha WX-030…
• Technology:
o Powering these on, installing the app and performing the firmware update was straightforward. The app is intuitive to use although it’s not “fluid” in the way you move around. I felt it took more clicks than the Sonos to perform the same function.
o They connected to my house WiFi just fine and reconnected on demand.
o Connecting the WX’s as a stereo pair and linking for use in one room, took some time with multiple button gymnastics required on each speaker. Over time, I noticed I had to relink these speakers in the app when turning them on after they’ve been sitting on standby for a while.
o The equalizer has midrange in addition to high and bass adjustment, which was good. I wish adjusting one speaker would have adjusted the other but you had to do each speaker separately. When adjusting volume in the app, a slider for both speakers pops up to show you they are moving in unison. You can adjust them individually in the app too.
o Making adjustments using the controls on the speaker itself was awkward at best. One doesn’t control the other so you have to adjust both speakers separately. The problem is, there is no indication that you are on “volume 7” or “Pause” since the controls don’t have lights. Nor do the (elegantly executed) buttons have anything resembling a tactile feel. I found it easier to just use the app.
o The app has some delay in response to adjustments. The slider controls lag our finger movement by a split second you can see.
o I have a very robust wireless system in the house and stream HD movies with no trouble to the TV and mobile devices simultaneously. The audio connection of the WX’s skipped a few times making me wonder about the file size of the source running over WiFi. It seems to be worse when using airplay, which is a much-desired feature to have regardless.
• Audio
o Now here’s where the Yamaha shines the most, as it should. Very full sound with great bass. Whether used as a pair or individually, the Yamahas had fantastic acoustics.
o At lower volumes, the bass seemed to overwhelm the midrange frequencies but it wasn’t annoying. It gave the sound a relaxed quality.
o At high volumes, bass makes an impact. They still can’t move enough air for exceptional lows when pushed to the max but they do a fine imitation. Like a sports car, these speakers just want to run fast and much louder than the Sonos with little strain or distortion. Medium to loud volume puts these speakers in their sweet spot.
o Sound-wise, these speakers are first consideration for medium and open plan rooms or as a supplemental pair to a larger system in a huge room.
Summary
• Sonos Play 1-This turned out to be the best choice for my intended use and as a system I would want to expand on in the future. Sonos has owned this part of the market and for good reason. Their products have a definite “Apple Feel”. They work seamlessly, exude quality and the packaging is elegant in that “Apple Way”.
• Yamaha WX-030-I really wanted to love these speakers. It is a great disappointment to see Yamaha release a product that isn’t quite ready for prime time. The sound is really good but the app is wonky. And the connectivity needs massaging. These drawbacks give this product a “Symbian or Windows feel”.
• Conclusion-If I was to choose, just for myself, I would deal with the technical challenges of the Yamaha just for that sound. Considering my wife and other family members who will also operate this speaker system, the Sonos hits it out of the park for me.
o Sonos Play 1 Bon Jovi, Hendrix and Supertramp
o Yamaha WX-030 Guns & Roses, AC/DC and Bowie.
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Como mencioné antes, este es un producto que apunta a ese segmento del mercado que es apasionado de la música. La Play 1 es una bocina que funciona con la red WiFi del domicilio y te permitirá reproducir principalmente servicios de música en streaming como Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, etc. Aunque también podrás reproducir tu propia biblioteca musical con algunos ajustes extras. Tras desempaquetarla, deberás conectar la Play 1 a la corriente eléctrica y bajar la aplicación de Sonos (android/iOS) a tu teléfono o tablet, crear una cuenta en el sitio de Sonos y dar de alta tu producto, hecho esto, deberás conectar la bocina a tu red local y si tienes un dispositivo apple podrás usarlo para calibrar la acústica de la habitación en donde vayas a poner la Play 1 para que esta suene lo mejor posible, todo esto guiado de una forma muy sencilla a través la app. Es de destacar que si decides cambiar de lugar la bocina es recomendable volver a calibrar la acústica para que esta tenga mejor desempeño. Como podrás ver, la Play 1 es un dispositivo estacionario, que siempre está conectado a la corriente eléctrica y a la señal WiFi.
Una vez hecho lo anterior podrás anexar los servicios de streaming a los que estes suscrito. Sonos admite muchos de ellos, pero si quieres más información puedes darte una vuelta a la web de Sonos por si quieres saber si tu servicio esta soportado por sus productos. Dos situaciones importantes, una vez que hayas anexado tus servicios, la gestión de la música será a través de la aplicación de Sonos, con ella podrás acceder a tus álbumes y listas de reproducción pero únicamente por esta app. Afortunadamente su diseño es muy bueno y fácil de usar y con ella podrás controlar todos los aspectos de la bocina (reproducción, volumen, equalización, y control de otros productos Sonos que tengas) Ahora bien, si eres una de esas personas que tiene una cuenta gratuita de Spotify, déjame decirte que no funciona con la Play 1, deberás ser usuario premium para poder reproducir música, lo cual se me hace una auténtica patada en las bolas, pero ni hablar. Los usuarios de paga o que tengan un periodo de prueba no tendrán mayores problemas.
Por otro lado, si eres de las personas que no paga suscripciones por escuchar música pero tienes una biblioteca musical digital propia también podrías reproducirla en la Play 1. Pero para ello deberás hacer uso de tu computadora y de la aplicación de escritorio de Sonos, (Mac y PC) que aunque es funcional, debo decir que es bastante fea, pero con ella podrás anexar archivos que tengas almacenados en tu computadora para que sean reproducidos vía WiFi. El problema es que yo no pude hacer funcionar esta opción, si llegase a ser esta tu situación déjame decirte que tiene solución, pero para ello deberás usar aplicaciones de terceros, como Plex, gracias a este servicio que está soportado por sonos, puedo reproducir cualquier archivo de música de mi biblioteca personal, incluyendo archivos Lossless de mejor calidad que los mp3 de toda la vida, y aquí no hay límites. Gracias a Plex soy capaz de reproducir archivos FLAC de 24/96 de más de 1000 kbps, aunque para que se reproduzcan correctamente estos ocupan un ancho de banda mayor que el de un mp3 a 320 kbps, por lo que deberás tomar en cuanta la velocidad de tu red local.
Ahora. dejando de lado los aspectos técnicos, pasemos a lo verdaderamente importante, el sonido. Todo lo que escribí antes puede ser interpretado como complicaciones, pero una ves que escuches la Play 1 con tu canción favorita todo vale la pena. Lo primero que se nota es la potencia. Es increíble que un dispositivo tan pequeño y compacto tenga tanta potencia. Puede llenar una sala mediana sin problema, sin distorsiones y con un volumen lo suficientemente potente para amenizar cualquier reunión. Los bajos son potentes y profundos pero sin que lleguen a saturar los tonos medios que son muy definidos, aunque quizás los altos no llegan a ser tan sobresalientes, pero en conjunto, hacen que escuchar tu música favorita en esta bocina sea una experiencia muy satisfactoria. Pude hacer unas pruebas de sonido con una Soundlink Revolve de Bose y en cuanto a potencia, la Play 1 la deja muy por detrás, mientras que en calidad de audio, la bocina de Bose entrega unos bajos más definidos pero en conjunto, considero que la bocina de Sonos es superior, y eso que es apenas el producto de entrada de la marca.
La Play 1 es un gran producto, desde que la compré he estado escuchando mucha más música. Estoy muy contento con la compra. Ya que reproduce música directamente del WiFi no tienes que tener tu teléfono cerca de la bocina todo el tiempo, la música no se interrumpe cuando te hacen una llamada ni cuando recibes notificaciones, y en general, la conexión es mucho más estable. Además, tus amigos no pueden llegar y poner su horrible música sin tu permiso lo que le da un excelente plus. Como datos finales es de destacar que la Play 1 es uno de esos dispositivos “vampiro” que siempre está consumiendo electricidad, aunque sea muy poca, pero ya que la bocina esta diseñada para siempre estar conectada, no recomendaría desconectarla salvo que no la vayas a usar por un largo periodo de tiempo.
Ya para terminar, viendo los precios actuales, mi recomendación es que, si estás pensando en comprar esta play 1, inviertas un poco más y vayas directo por la Sonos One que incluye controles touch y soporte para asistente por voz, que aunque todavía no está disponible en México (a la fecha de esta reseña), es muy probable que lo veamos pronto. Pero si no quieres gastar más, la Play 1 es una excelente opción de la que no creo que te arrepientas.
Si bien los rangos medios no se escuchan tan bien como los bajos y eso le podría restar puntos, la calidad del sonido no los va a defraudar.
La configuración es muy sencilla: descargas la aplicación, conectas, presionas el botón y listo.
Le pongo 5 estrellas por la facilidad de instalación y por la forma como se integra al resto de las bocinas del ecosistema.
Contras: que contara con una opción con baterías recargables y así poder llevarla a todos lados completaría la experiencia. El sonido si bien es de una muy buena calidad no se compara a lo que te entregan un play 5 o 3. El precio también puede jugar en su contra ya que por el mismo precio pueden hacerse de unas bocinas bluetooth de marcas más conocidas en la industria, pero no se dejen llevar por la marca. He tenido oportunidad de poner a prueba esta bocina con una mas grande de la marca líder y la de Sonos se lleva de calle a la competencia y por mucho.
No se van a arrepentir de hacer esta inversión si son amantes de la música, buscan la mejor calidad por su dinero pero sin tener que empeñar un riñón en el proceso.