Sonos PLAY 1 in depth analysis

Sonos has just introduced in its catalog this new mini speaker wireless. It is the smallest of the brand and weighs less than two kilos. The Sonos PLAY: 1 is very compact, yet full sound room with two Class D amplifiers, plus a tweeter and woofer. It costs two hundred euros, a pretty tight for performance. To play the music the manufacturer uses its own wireless technology, SONOSNet 2.0, which requires that at least one element of the system, is connected to an Ethernet router. It is a more stable solution than Bluetooth, which is usually the predominant technology in that price range. With this product, the manufacturer aims to combine high sound quality with a robust connection.

It is very easy to use. The compatibility of audio sources is wide: online music services, Internet radio, PC or Mac computers, smartphones and Android tablets and iOS devices. It can be integrated quickly into a multiroom system of the same brand, to play the same music in multiple rooms simultaneously. It is simple to install, and all the music can be controlled from a single device.

Design

The Sonos PLAY: 1 is a compact wireless speaker, which is about sixteen inches high and with a base of around five inches. Its shape is halfway between a cylinder and a rectangle with rounded corners. Even being so small, they look no less elegant and give a feeling of being well built. It is available in two colors: white or black. The white model has a metal grill clear, while the black has a graphite grid.

It’s a pretty versatile loudspeaker, designed to be placed anywhere in the house. The design is moisture resistant, which can be installed in a bathroom or a kitchen, for example. Now the speaker is not waterproof and can be submerged, nor is intended to work outdoors.

The keypad is located on the upper side. It is simple. Some are to raise and lower the volume, and one for play / pause. Pressing the button once to play / pause starts or stops the music, but if pressed twice, then skips to the next song. There also is the LED light that shows the unit status. In the rear is the Ethernet port and the thread for wall mounting, and the base is the input for the power cord.

As a novelty, for all speakers of Sonos, the button Play / Pause, from now has other functions. Each time you press, there will be music, so it will sound the last playlist queued.

Sound and connectivity

Within the enclosure, the Sonos PLAY: 1 integrates two class D digital amplifiers. Also incorporates a woofer which handles media and serious, and a tweeter for high frequencies. It offers high-fidelity sound without wires. You can play songs from any part of the house, no matter where they are stored and even the Internet.

To play the music simply enter the menu and select Music in the team of Sonos application or use the Sonos Controller , installed on a PC or Mac, on an Android device, on an iPad or on an iPhone. You can work with various audio sources: computers, Internet radio, online music services, iOS devices and Android smartphones and tablets. First, these are the songs stored on a PC or Mac, or on a NAS (network storage device) within a home network.

Second, lets enjoy millions of stations Internet radio, streaming working with MP3 or WMA. It is also possible to access online music services such as Spotify, Pandora, Amazon Cloud Player, Napster, Rdio, Songl, Deezer and Rhapsody, among others. That includes downloads without copy protection (DRM).

One can also wirelessly play songs from iTunes from an iOS device (iPhone, iPad or iPod). Nor wires needed to hear the music from smartphones and Android tablets.

The Sonos PLAY: 1 has a port Ethernet 10/100 Mbps for connection to a router or the NAS. The wireless network is called SONOSNet 2.0, developed by the manufacturer, and is protected with AES encryption. This product also incorporates a SONOSNet Extender, to extend the reach and improve the strength of the wireless network in the house.

Requirements

Install the Sonos PLAY: 1 is simple. Inside the package there is an Ethernet cable and a power cable. To access the Internet radio to online music services or audio files stored on a computer or NAS need Internet connection speed. Simply one of the elements of the Sonos is connected with an Ethernet cable to the router, the rest can be added wirelessly.

The system requirements for PCs are Windows XP SP3 or higher for PC and OS X 10.6 and later for Mac smartphones and tablets, you need Android 2.1, at least. The compatibility with the iPhone or iPod Touch is from iOS 4.0. In the case of the iPad, you need iOS 5.0 or newer versions.

As for the location, the PLAY: 1 can be placed almost anywhere in the home. However, the manufacturer recommends placing it near a wall at a distance of more than 2.5 inches. This speaker is not magnetically shielded, so if placed near an old TV can distort the image quality. Moreover, one can install on a wall, as it includes a threaded one-quarter inch. The wall bracket which is sold separately must support a weight of 3.6 kilos. Keep in mind that the power cord PLAY: 1 is two meters.

Expandability

One of the strengths of the products of Sonos is the ease of expansion. It is really easy for the user to add new items to a multiroom system brand. You just need to press two buttons to enter a new wireless speaker in any room within the system. It is a modular design which can grow as necessary.

If the consumer purchases a pair of Sonos PLAY: 1 will be able to turn them into a stereo pair, so one should address the right channel and the other on the left. This provides a sound with greater breadth and depth. It’s a very affordable solution to enjoy music in true stereo. On the other hand, if the goal is to enhance the bass, just add a dedicated subwoofer (SUB Sonos).

Finally, the manufacturer brings out updates periodically to keep the system up to date. That includes application control Sonos Controller, which works with all products of the brand, including PLAY: 1. It’s free and available for Android, for iPhone, for iPad and PC and Mac computers. Users can use multiple controllers (PC, Mac, iOS and Android) at the same time.

In short, the Sonos PLAY: 1 wireless speaker is a very easy to use and install that provides high-fidelity sound integration capabilities within a multi-room system at an attractive price.