Target is offering some extra savings on this Sonos Play:3 Wireless Hi-Fi Speaker Setup for iPhone/Android!

Looking for some serious music playback? This Sonos Play:3 has you covered for not only that but also some intense and room filling sound from a small and portable unit. This device includes 3 integrated speakers all on 3 digital amps so regardless of the size it can pack quite a punch. It streams its music over the Internet or network so there’s no limits to what you can play, and thanks to integration with Apple and Android devices you can control it all on your smartphone which makes it even easier to program your sound track for the day. Better yet with more than one set up at a time you can swap between different tracks in different rooms, so no matter where you are the right music is playing for you. Streaming sources include Spotify, iRadio, iTunes, Pandora and more. It is also capable of XM and Sirius Satellite Radio playback.

Add this wireless speaker to your cart and the necessary Bridge ($50 value) will be included for free.  Then use this coupon (TGTHTT5Z) at checkout and the price drop to $269.99.  That’s about a 25% savings off the retail price.

Today, Sonos issued a software update that not only adds new music services, but now allows Android tablets to get in on the fun.

First things first.  To update your Sonos just navigate to the appropriate menu in your Sonos controller (we don’t have ours in front of us right now) and with one click the system will update to System Software 3.6.  Once the update is complete you’ll be able to control your Sonos player using your Android tablet running 2.2 or later.  This is huge, and needed, especially if you got yourself a Kindle Fire, which just started shipping a few weeks ago.

In addition to Android Tablet support, Sonos has also added Slacker Radio to the mix. Slacker radio provides up to 150 expertly programmed radio stations.  So in theory there should be a station for everyone, even you.  On top of that, Sonos is launching something called Sonos Labs, which allows Sonos owners to test out new music services before they officially hit their Sonos player.  We’re a bit confused about this latter offering since it’s not clear what the difference is between testing and officially sporting the service, but either way it’s a good thing, so no matter.

Those are the big updates to Sonos.  Some smaller additions include improved Spotify integration, allowing Spotify subscribers access to their inbox as well as play new releases and top tracks at a glance.  Lastly, Sonos now supports the AAC+ codec and languages Danish and Norwegian.

Don’t forget to checkout our Sonos Play:3 review.

There aren’t a whole lot of speaker systems that have me grinning from ear to ear.  But that’s anything but the case with Sonos.  Earlier this year, summer time to be more exact, the company introduced the Sonos Play:3.  At the time I didn’t think too much about the wireless speakers.  I tested out their Play:5, and while I was relatively impressed I just didn’t see the versatility.  However, after spending countless hours piping all my music through the Play:3 I can say that I’m no longer an Airport Express fan, but a converted, card carrying Sonos fanatic.

So what separates the Play:3 from the Play:5 is that it’s smaller; $100 cheaper ($399 vs $299); and sports 3 speakers instead of 5.  The latter caveat aside, they can now be easily be placed anywhere, such as the top of a cabinet, on a shelf, by a bedside or a variety of other places that the Play:5 may be have proved to be too large.  And while the Play:3 packs less speakers, which in turn means a bit less oomph in the sonic department, you can combine two of them and switch into stereo mode.  Furthermore, a built-in sensor can detect when they’re placed vertically, ideal for stereo speakers, and will adjust the sound accordingly.  But that’s not the only thing that makes the Play:3s one of the most convenient speaker packages for your entire home.

Like all of Sonos’ speaker offerings, the Play:3 is very easy to setup and operate.  As with the Play:5 you can plug the Play:3 directly into your home’s router using an Ethernet cord.  But if you’ve got more than one Play:3 or a desire to place it outside of the router’s general proximity, you’ll need to make an investment in Sonos’ Zone Bridge.  The Bridge, which now costs $49 ($50 cheaper since my Play:5 review), plugs into your router and wirelessly connects all Sonos players in your home to your network, allowing you to control each Play:3 independently or as one set of speakers.  On the converse, without the Zone Bridge you’ll be dragging Ethernet cords around your home and thus defeating the simplicty and ultra easy setup of the Sonos Play:3s.  However, keep in mind that you’ll need an electrical outlet to power each Play:3 so where you place them will depend on that.

Once the hardware is in place, it’s as simple as downloading the app to your computer, iPhone, iPad or Android device.  A step-by-step process instructs you how to add each Play:3 to the network and once each Play:3 has been added to the Zone Bridge, additional controllers (iPads, the Sonos remote) can control any Play:3 by pairing it with just the Bridge.  To do this you simply fire up the iPhone or computer app, hit the connect button on the Bridge and within seconds you’ll be up and running.  But, Sonos has been remiss to issue a lockout feature. And by that I’m referring to a master account that would allow you administer who can control what speakers.  So, as of now, anyone with access to the Zone Bridge can control any speaker in any room.  Take for example if you’ve got kids or roommates.  They can pipe tunes at any volume into your bedroom, living room – any where you’ve got a Play:3 – at any time.  Catch my drift?

Okay, so the chances of someone launching a malicious audio attack on you at an odd hour of the night will probably be few and far between, but if they do, consider yourself awaken.  The Sonos Play:3 sonic capabilities are solid, especially all things relative to their size.  However, they won’t produce the deep lows you might have come to enjoy from a standalone iPod dock, such at the Fluance or Beatbox, but again given their rather diminutive size and amazing versatility and simplicity, the Play:3 is the undisputed champ of wireless music.

Now, when it came to setting up music on the Sonos Play:5, at least as far as I recall, it seemed to be a bit more of a cumbersome process than compared to the Play:3.  Yes, you’ll still have to enable the same file sharing permissions on your computer if you wish to stream music from its hard drive to the Play:3.  And the same steps apply for adding a NAS to the setup.  But I skipped all that since I no longer use locally stored tunes on my computer or iPhone, and have now switched entirely to Spotify and Pandora.  To access any of these services, and others like it, you’ll have to register your Sonos device (make sure you do this otherwise you’ll be locked out of the music services as I discovered).  Once registration is complete, all the music services that your heart desires will be available.  You’ll also be able to define your location such that you can access all of your local radio stations, though you won’t need to register your Play:3 to do this.  And because one or all of your Play:3s are considered one device, you can stream different songs or albums to each Play:3 installed in your home, with, as far as I can tell, no cap from services that only allow one stream at a time, such as Spotify.

The Sonos Play:3s aren’t cheap; $300 a pop.  But when you consider your other options, such as Apple’s Airport Express and the cost of investing in self-powered speakers, you’re probably on par if not above the cost of a Play:3.  So fair to say, that the Play:3s are a cost effective measure when it comes to outfitting your home with music throughout.  And in the event you already own a number of speakers, I suggest that you take a look at Sonos’ other wireless offerings.

So, if you can’t tell, I’m not looking forward to returning the Sonos Play:3s.  I’ve fallen in love with their versatility, convenience and although they don’t kick out the deepest of bass, it easily a caveat I can overlook in light of their small size and heavy feature set.  The iOS app continues to be top notch, and is so easy to operate I’m confident my parents could even figure it out.  The $300 price tag might prove a deterrent for some, but when you consider the alternative, it’s actually an affordable, streamlined solution that won’t be beat any time soon.

Editor’s Rating:

5 out of 5 stars

Perfect

Bottom Line: The Sonos Play:3s deliver seriously good sound in a small package with an unparalleled feature set not seen by any other speaker company I’ve tested.  They’re a bit pricey but when you consider your other options, they’re actually affordable.

Pros:

• Ultra easy to setup and use – iPhone app is intuitive
• Easily add music to any room without the wires
• Great sound quality for their size

Cons:

• Don’t deliver room shaking bass
• $300 a speaker
• Still need to buy a box to connect them to your home’s wireless network

12►

There are more than a myriad of options when it comes to wirelessly streaming music to a set of speakers in  your home.  For instance, there is Audioengine.  They provide a simple solution that consists of a USB dongle that plugs into your computer and sends tunes to an accompanying receiver unit.  They’ve also got a iPhone/iPod compatible transmitter dongle, though it will put a significant drain on your device’s battery.  Alternatively, there is Airport Express, which is compatible with Apple’s Airplay tech and integrates nicely with Apple products.  Lastly, there is the more expensive, yet scalable Sonos system.  Sonos is available at a variety of levels depending on the home owner’s needs, ranging from stand alone speaker systems, to a fully integrated speaker and receiver system that can be mounted into ceilings and walls.

Entering the fray is a company called playGO.  At the end of the day their offering is effectively the same.  A transmitters plugs into the computer’s USB port, while a receiver unit can attach to a set of speakers or compatible stereo equipment thanks to your choice of optical or RCA connectivity.

The units themselves are made of a material Corian, which is used in the manufacturing of countertops – in other words these things should be able to take a licking.  A set of LED lights indicate activity and the receiver unit features play and volume controls, though were not sure on their level of compatiblity barring a software driver for your computer.  The max wireless range is up to 75-feet and the transmitter is compatible with up to 4 receiver units simultaneously.  Much like Audioengine’s offering, the receiver unit will require power, as in an AC adapter.

So we give them high marks for a trendy look and durability.  However, the catch is the price, which is $449.99.  Audioengine’s W1 USB system, which is extremely comparable in feature set (minus the controls) is just $99, as is Apple’s Airport Express.

Today, SONOS announced an all new, smaller, friendly home music player/speaker called the PLAY:3.

Much like their S5, it’s a single box that contains a set of speakers, an amplifier and can be controlled using a computer or smartphone running their compatible app.  Hidden behind the mesh grill are 3 integrated speakers (one tweeter and two 3” mid-range) and 3 dedicated Class-D digital amplifiers.  A special sensor detects if the speaker is positioned vertically or horizontally and modifies the speaker’s output accordingly to “ensure clean, balanced, room-filing sound in any position”.

Since there is no actually storage or drive on the PLAY:3, it connects to the Internet and can suck down music from a variety of locations include Pandora, Napster, Spotify, a NAS, your laptop, iPad, iPhone, iPod and 100,000+ Internet radio stations.  And it just wouldn’t be a SONOS if it wasn’t multiroom capable, which means that it can sync wirelessly with other players allowing you to enjoy perfectly syncronized music throughout every room in your home.  

But herein lies the rub.  You’ll still need to purchase SONOS’ wireless Bridge – it connects wired to your home’s router – which is necessary if you want to connect the PLAY:3, or any of their other players to the Net to stream music.  This is despite the fact that their players have built-in WiFi.  Fortunately, SONOS has seen fit to drop the price of the Bridge to $49 and you’ll need just one in your home, provided of course all of your players are within its wireless proximity.

So if you’re down with SONOS, you can pick up the PLAY:3 today for $299, which is the cheapest of their offerings.

Read

Don’t get us wrong, Sonos‘ wireless music offering is robust.  But one thing the company lacked was that ability to wirelessly stream tunes from the iPod or iPhone.

Good news, yesterday the company announced their Wireless Dock, the WD100.  It’s gonna need to be plugged in to function, but the upside is that it will charge your iDevice while streaming your tunes to a close by Sonos player. The downside is that you can’t carry it around.

Come the end of October the Sonos Wireless Dock will available for $119.

Read

Apple has sold a crap load of iPads (something like 3 million) so it’s only fitting that Sonos should be building a Controller app for their music systems that is compatible with the touchscreen device.  Much like the iPhone version, it will allow you to administer any connected Sonos players, but this version will display more information thanks to the larger screen.  Expect it to arrive this August.

Thanks to Sonos, we’ve got news today that their popular S5 Wireless Speaker system is now available in black. The acclaimed all-in-one system packs five digital speakers and five amplifiers into a small frame. It can be controlled via the Sonos Controller, iPhone, or iPod Touch via a free app.  And, in terms of totally unnessary and uninformative press videos, this one takes the cake:

The Sonos S5, in either black or white, is available now for $399.

Pick a color. Pick a room. Pick a song.
The Award-Winning Sonos ZonePlayer S5. Now In Black.

ALL-IN-ONE WIRELESS MUSIC SYSTEM CONTROLLED WITH AN IPHONE PRAISED AS “GADGET OF THE YEAR”

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – June 2, 2010 – Sonos®, Inc., the leading developer of wireless multi-room music systems for the home, today introduced the latest addition to its suite of products – the Sonos ZonePlayer S5 in black. Applauded by experts as one of the Gadgets of the Year, the Sonos S5 is an all-in-one wireless music system that can be controlled with an iPhone™, iPod® touch or any Sonos Controller. The Sonos S5 (in both black and white) has a suggested retail price of $399 and can be purchased at any authorized Sonos retailer or at Sonos.com. To view an introduction video about the Sonos S5, visit www.sonos.com/S5demo.

The key features of the Sonos S5 include:
• Room-filling sound: 5 integrated speakers and 5 dedicated digital amplifiers provide crystal-clear audio that fills any room with music.

• Unlimited music from iTunes and the Internet: Play way more than what fits on your iPod, including all your iTunes, free Internet radio and millions of songs and stations from the Internet, including iheartradio, Last.fm, Napster®, Pandora®, Rhapsody®, SIRIUS® Internet Radio, and more.

• Control with an iPhone or iPod touch: Download the free Sonos Controller for iPhone app and search for songs, choose the music and control the volume in any room from anywhere. Don’t have an iPhone? Use any wireless handheld Sonos Controller or the Sonos Controller for Mac or PC.

• Wireless expandability: Add more S5s wirelessly and fill your whole house with music. Then, play the same song in every room or different songs in different rooms.

“We’re thrilled to expand our product portfolio to include the S5 in black,” said Phil Abram, President, Sonos, Inc. “We felt it was important to offer our customers a choice when designing their perfect Sonos setup for different rooms of their home.”

To learn more about Sonos, locate an authorized Sonos retailer or make a purchase, please visit www.sonos.com or call 877.80.SONOS.

Sonos has long stood in obscurity thanks to its multiroom, multiparty system and hefty price tag.  Now the company is looking to break down the complexity barrier with the Sonos S5, introduced just this past October for $399. In a nutshell the S5 is a speaker system that can stream your computer’s stored music, Internet radio and a multitude of music services (Pandora, Last.fm, Napster, etc).

Inside the all white box – it has a Bose like aesthetic – are five speakers: two tweeters, two mid range woofers and a dedicated sub, each powered by their own digital amplifier.  On its rear is a 3.5mm line input, two Ethernet ports and a power plug.  Wireless is built-in, but won’t work with your home’s WiFi router right out of the box.  Instead you’ll need to purchase a Sonos ZoneBridge, a $99 tax if you want to unhinge your S5 from the wired proximity of your router (note: check their FAQ on router compatibility; some don’t work).

To control the Sonos S5 you’ll need either a computer, Sonos CR200 controller or an iPhone/iPod Touch.  As mentioned, if you have intentions of placing your Sonos S5 wire free (with the exception of the power) you’ll need to purchase a Zonebridge.  By Ethernet wire it connects to your router and using a proprietary version of 802.11n it streams music to the Sonos S5.  I found this to be a disappointing requirement since it not only increases the price tag by 25% but partially negates the turn-keyness I expected from the S5, especially seeing as its intentions are to be an all-in-one music box.

Initial setup of the S5 isn’t a simple plug and play, but with a bit of tinkering I was able to get it to play nicely with my computer’s music and Pandora’s streaming music service.  I suggest using your computer for initial setup, especially if you want to stream your computer’s music.  Plus you’ll want to register your Sonos S5 if you want to access Pandora and the other compatible music services, otherwise they’re not available (you can register from your iPhone as well).

In order to stream your computer’s music, at least on a Mac you’ll need to turn on file sharing and enable “Share files and folders using SMB” under your system preferences.  I performed this operation a few times, but after unplugging the S5 and moving it I had to ‘re-add my music library’, which is just a few simple button clicks, nonetheless an annoyance.  Each time you add a music library the Sonos S5 indexes the information and provides the info to any controlling devices, such as the iPhone or CR200 controller.

The iPhone is very well suited to control the S5 and Sonos has gone to great lengths to emulate the look and feel of the iPhone’s iPod menus.  There a wide array of music options to choose from including Internet radio, local Internet radio (you enter your zip code during registration) and more.  You can also set an Alarm to ring daily, weekends or Monday – Friday.  It can either play the Sonos chime, playlist from your computer or your music service of choosing.

It was a bit of a let down that you can’t stream your iPhone’s stored music to the Sonos S5, especially since this would make the whole system much more turnkey, but again, Sonos has chosen a proprietary version of 802.11n limiting its wireless compatibility.   Of note, Sonos’ iPhone app’s menus are very speedy and I experienced no lag when trying to access my music library (once loaded) or music services.

What I didn’t do, but would suggest, is connecting the Sonos S5 to a NAS, otherwise known a network attached storage.  Utilizing this setup will mean that the S5 will always be attached to your music library and won’t require you to wake your computer from sleep, especially if you depend on the built-in alarm system.

Now down to the meat and potatoes of the S5: the sound.  Unlike some other previous speakers that I reviewed in the past, the S5 is L-O-U-D.  Sound quality is pretty solid, though at times some tunes were a bit bright and lacking what I would deem a wide spectrum of sound.  Fortunately, Sonos tossed in a manual EQ allowing you to adjust treble, bass, balance and even turn on ‘loudness’, which increases bass at low volumes.

I tested the S5 with a wide variety of music including rap (50 Cent), classical (Bach) and pop (Michael Jackson).  The classical probably sounded the most balanced since the sounds are largely mids and highs, while the rap tended to sound a built hollow and lack solid mids and the deep lows.  Michael Jackson’s Thriller album was very well suited for the S5, though it was a bit ‘bright’ at times.  For the most part the S5 can handle any genre of music, but shines brighter with select genres.

As it often does, it comes down to price.  The $498 price tag (includes $99 for the wireless ZoneBridge, $399 without) makes the Sonos S5 ZonePlayer an expensive, but convenient resolve for all your musical audio needs.  And since it boasts it’s own Internet connection, it doesn’t require your computer or iPhone to be turned on to emit audio, unless of course you want to switch stations or songs.

You can buy the Sonos S5 ZonePlayer from Amazon for $399

Pros:

• Nice minimalist design
• Good audio range for small footprint
• Compatible with wide array of music services

Cons:

• Doesn’t play music from iPhone
• Not wireless out of the box
• Requires iPhone or computer to control

Sonos’ S5 wireless music system has began to ship in the US for $399.  In addition, Sonos has also issued a software update that enables Sonos controllers as well as their iPhone application to automatically Twitter what Sonos customers are listening to.  The Sonos S5 will begin shipping globally later this month.

Full feature list after the ‘leap’

SONOS ZONEPLAYER S5 NOW SHIPPING IN US: ALL-IN-ONE WIRELESS MUSIC SYSTEM CONTROLLED WITH AN IPHONE NOW AVAILABLE

· Wirelessly play music from iTunes® and the Internet in any room for $399 per room
· Enjoy room-filling, high-performance sound with all digital architecture
· Control your music experience with free Sonos Controller for iPhone™ app or any other Sonos Controller
· New Sonos Software 3.1 with Twitter functionality now available for all global Sonos customers

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – November 3, 2009 – Sonos®, Inc., the leading developer of wireless multi-room music systems for the home, today announced that the Sonos ZonePlayer™ S5, the all-in-one wireless music system you can control with an iPhone, iPod® touch or any Sonos Controller, is now available for purchase in the United States. The S5 will be available globally later this month. In addition, Sonos released Sonos Software v3.1, a one-button free software update for all global Sonos customers that includes Twitter functionality. The S5 has a suggested retail price of $399 and can be purchased at Sonos US retailers or www.sonos.com. To view an introduction video about the S5, please visit: www.sonos.com/S5demo.

“This is the best time in history to love music,” said John MacFarlane, CEO, Sonos, Inc. “The marriage of devices such as the iPhone and the Sonos ZonePlayer S5 connects consumers to an entire world of music and gives them an easy way to control it all from the palm of their hand, in any and every room of their home.”

Key features of the S5 include:

• Room-filling sound: 5 integrated speakers and 5 dedicated digital amplifiers provide crystal-clear, great-sounding audio that fills any room with music.
• Unlimited music from iTunes and the Internet: Play way more than what fits on your iPod, including all your iTunes, free Internet radio and millions of songs and stations from the Internet.
• Control with an iPhone or iPod touch: Download the free Sonos Controller for iPhone app and search for songs, choose the music and control the volume in any room from anywhere.
• Wireless expandability: Add more S5s wirelessly and fill your whole house with music. Then, play the same song in every room or different songs in different rooms.

Technical specifications of the S5 include:

• Amplifiers – Five Class-D digital amplifiers
• Speakers – Five driver speaker system includes two tweeters, two 3” mid-range drivers, and one 3.5” woofer
• Volume/Mute control – Quick-access controls on the top of every S5
• 2-port Ethernet switch – Ideal for connection to your router or bridging Internet connectivity. 2-port switch (0/100Mbps, auto MDI/MDIX) allows Ethernet devices to connect through SonosNet.
• Headphone connection – Built-in, auto-detecting connection
• Analog audio inputs – Auto-detecting connection for iPod, CD player, TV, and more to your S5 enables music or audio playback on all ZonePlayers in your home.
• Audio formats – Support for compressed MP3, iTunes Plus, WMA (including purchased Windows Media downloads), 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.
• Music services support – Last.fm, Napster®, Pandora®, Rhapsody® 3.0+, SIRIUS® Internet Radio, and downloads from any service offering DRM-free tracks, including iTunes, AmazonMP3
• Internet radio support – Pre-loaded 25,000 stations; streaming MP3, WMA support
• Operating systems (for stored files) – Windows® XP SP2 and higher; Mac OS X v10.4 and higher; NAS (Network Attached Storage) devices supporting CIFS
• Wireless connectivity – SonosNet 2.0, a secure AES encrypted, peer-to-peer wireless mesh network
• Power supply – AC 120/240V, 50-60Hz, auto-switchable
• Dimensions/Weight – 8.50 x 14.40 x 4.80 in (217 x 365 x 123 mm)/ 9.15 lb (4.15 kg)

Sonos Software v3.1 software integrates Twitter into the Sonos Controller interface enabling customers globally to send the name and artist of the track playing on Sonos to their friends and followers. Sonos makes it easy to send tweets about what you’re listening to by auto-populating a variety of messages with the name of the song and artist. The Twitter functionality is available on the Sonos Controller for iPhone*, the Sonos Controller 200 and the Sonos Controller for Mac or PC. Other features of Sonos Software v3.1 include:
Ø Full support for the S5 allowing it to work seamlessly with all previous generations of Sonos products
Ø Graphical Music Menu featuring icons and logos makes finding music easier and more fun. Available on the Sonos Controller for iPhone and Sonos Controller 200
Ø Unicode metadata for music libraries in the following character sets: Cyrillic, Greek, Japanese, Korean, Simplified Chinese are now displayed on the Sonos Controller 200

To learn more, locate an authorized US Sonos dealer or make a purchase, please visit www.sonos.com/S5Demo or call 877.80.SONOS.

*Sonos Controller for iPhone 3.1 is currently awaiting approval from Apple.

I’m loving Sonos’ new Sonos ZonePlayer S5.  It’s a tad on the pricey side, but what is lost in affordability is gained in pure simplicity and quality.  The device connects to your Internet and can play 1000s of Internet radio stations, stream the most popular of music services (Pandora, Last.fm, Napster, etc) and pull music directly from your computer’s iTunes library.  It’s also compatible with Apple’s wireless Time Capsule hard drive, which means your computer doesn’t even have to be turned on to access your tunes.

And like Apple’s commercial says, there is ‘an app for that’.  Sonos’ S5 can be controlled via the iPhone or iPod Touch.  In fact, that appears to be the only way to operate this WiFi infuzed, music streaming device (aside from other Sonos hardware or computer software).  So if you don’t have one of those, well, you can just forget about the S5.  The Sonos app let’s you control multiple S5s, allowing you to play different music through each speaker system or sync them all up and adjust volume individually.

Under the hood are 5 speakers: two tweeters, two mid-range drivers and a built-in single subwoofer – each individually powered by a dedicated digital amplifier.

The Sonos ZonePlayer S5 will be available October 27th for $399.

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – October 13, 2009 – Sonos®, Inc., developer of wireless multi-room music systems for the home, today introduced the Sonos ZonePlayer S5, an all-in-one wireless music system that can be controlled with an iPhone, iPod® touch or any Sonos Controller.  The S5 delivers crystal-clear, room-filling sound that rivals much larger, more complicated audio equipment.  Plus, the S5 provides instant access to unlimited music with control from the palm of your hand.  Now music lovers can find and play any song from an iTunes library, plus, a world of music and radio on the Internet, in any room of the house. The S5 will be available for $399 on October 27. To see the S5 in action, please visit: www.sonos.com/S5demo.

“Our customers tell us they listen to twice as much music after bringing Sonos into their homes,” said John MacFarlane, CEO of Sonos.  “The new S5 is our latest effort to simplify the Sonos experience so more people can enjoy more music than ever before.”

The S5 features a 5-driver speaker system that packs a big sound – filling an entire room with music.  Sonos uniquely designed the S5 with an all-digital sound architecture for precise sound reproduction.  The S5 includes two tweeters, two mid-range drivers and a built-in single subwoofer – each individually powered by a dedicated digital amplifier and optimized to deliver room-filling sound with smooth tonal balance and deep bass.  All filter settings, bass and treble controls, active equalization, and time-alignment are done in the digital domain through state-of-the-art DSP circuitry, so there’s absolutely no loss of audio quality or energy.

With the Internet-connected S5, you can listen to way more music than you can with a dock that only plays the songs that fit on your iPod. The S5 gives you instant access to a world of music, including 25,000 Internet radio stations, shows and podcasts —all free of charge and pre-loaded on Sonos. Sonos works seamlessly with the most popular music services to provide computer-free access to millions of songs and stations from the likes of Last.fm, Napster, Rhapsody, Pandora, SIRIUS Internet Radio, and Deezer.  The S5 also gives you instant access to any iTunes library stored on any computer or Network Attached storage, such as an Apple Time Capsule.  The S5’s analog audio input lets you connect to an external audio source (such as an iPod, CD player, TV, DVD, VCR, or radio) and play music or audio on all ZonePlayers in the system.

When it comes to controlling your S5, you simply reach into your pocket for your iPhone or iPod touch. With the free Sonos Controller for iPhone app (available on the iTunes App Store), you can search for songs and stations, choose the music and control the volume in as many rooms as you like. And because the iPhone is controlling the music, and not the source of it, when a text comes in or you need to make a phone call, the music doesn’t stop.  That also means you can keep your iPhone in your pocket, not stuck in a dock. The S5 also includes free Sonos Controller software for your Mac or PC. Or you can let everyone in the house share the control with the dedicated Sonos Controller 200 (sold separately).

As with all Sonos ZonePlayers, the S5 is simple to set up, easy to expand and 100% compatible with all other Sonos products. Just plug in the S5 wherever you want music. One ZonePlayer or Sonos ZoneBridge™ (sold separately) must be connected to your router and all the rest will work wirelessly. When you’re ready to play more music in more rooms, simply add S5s or other ZonePlayers without adding wires. Now you can play the same song in every room with perfect synchronicity or mix it up by playing different songs in different rooms.

The S5 will be available for purchase in the United States beginning in late October.  To learn more or to locate an authorized Sonos dealer, please visit www.sonos.com or call 877.80.SONOS.

About Sonos, Inc.
Sonos® is the leading developer of wireless multi-room music systems for the home. The Sonos Multi-Room Music System is the first, wireless multi-room music system that lets you play all the music you want all over your house – and control it all from the palm of your hand.  Sonos liberates the music stored on a computer so it can be enjoyed all over the house.  In addition, by partnering with audio services like Audible.com®, Last.fm, Napster®, Pandora®, RadioTime, Rhapsody®, SIRIUS® Internet Radio, and more, Sonos gives music lovers instant, computer-free access to millions of songs, thousands of radio stations, audiobooks and more.  The award-winning Sonos Multi-Room Music System is available at more than 4000 retailers in over 60 countries worldwide; or direct from Sonos at www.sonos.com.  Sonos is a privately-held company, headquartered in Santa Barbara, CA with offices in Cambridge, MA, Hilversum, Netherlands and Penang, Malaysia.  To find out more about the company or the Sonos Multi-Room Music System, please visit: http://pr.sonos.com.

© 2004-2009 by Sonos Inc. All rights reserved.  Sonos is a registered trademark of Sonos, Inc. in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Benelux (Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands), Japan, Mexico, Germany, Russia and Australia, and a trademark of Sonos, Inc. in other countries. Sonosnet, ZonePlayer, ZoneBridge and all Sonos logos are trademarks of Sonos Inc. in the United States and other countries. iPod and iTunes are trademarks of Apple Inc. registered in the U.S. and other countries. iPhone is a trademark of Apple Inc. All other products and services may be trademarks or servicemarks of their respective owners.

If the iPhone’s remote app doesn’t completely fill the remote void and you happen to be kicking it with a Sonos system, then you’ll be glad to know their recently leaked CR200 touchscreen remote is now available for order.  It’ll set you back $349, or if you purchase it with the Bundle 250 they’ll knock an uneven 17% off the purchase price.

Don’t get me wrong, I love the idea of music in every room, but just not at this cost.

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Sonos accidentally posted the product page for the newest remote yesterday, the CR200, ahead of schedule.  The product page has now been taken down but that didn’t stop Engadget from screen capturing all the leaked info.

It looks to be a scratch resistant 3.5-inch touchscreen (capacitive like the iPhone) encased in an all aluminum body.  Much like the iPhone it includes a built-in light sensor that detects the ambient light that adjusts the screens brightness accordingly as well as a motion sensor that automatically wakes the device when its picked up.  Battery life is variable depending on use, 2-5 days, is fully user swappable and takes 2 hours for a complete charge.  No word on a street date but it will be $349 or $290 if purchased with a bundle.

Personally, I’ll just stick with my iPhone’s iTunes Remote app and a few of Audioengine’s wireless dongles scattered throughout the house.

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Don’t forget 6ave’s coupon: AFLSOS897 (Expires: 10/15)

Features:

• Wireless stream music in 2 rooms
• Zoneplayer 90 and 120 with built-in AMP
• Easy setup and LCD remote

Buy it: Sonos BU150 Bundle Wireless Multi-Room Music System – $897