Otherwise, setup of the One is pretty streamlined, and adding Alexa to your account is performed automatically. Be aware that it virtually forces you to do a TruePlay setup when you install it, which involves waving your phone around the room for 60 seconds. Also, you may want to check the EQ as by default the Loudness control is set to "On", and I found it sounded better with it off.
As tempting as the wireless speaker developments have been recently, I'm also not going to jump on the Sonos bandwagon. Too many compromises and not enough cutting edge features...for such expensive speakers. Going to sit tight and wait (and this is from a guy who always gets the latest Apple gear etc.).
Sonos vs. Echo vs. Google Home
I had thought about getting the playbar set up but there are two issues for me. While I admit, you can spend more, you can spend less as well and still get fairly decent sound. I purchased my 5.1 theater because I knew that all I had to do was on occasion purchase a new receiver and just hook the same speakers up to it. I will be the the first to admit that my system is getting a bit long in the tooth but I haven't had any trouble yet getting sound through. Of course, you can buy a simple Sonos One or Sonos Move if all you want is lots of music.
Within just a couple of seconds it’s clear that this is a massive improvement over even the most impressive-sounding flatscreen TV. The width of the soundstage that’s created is mighty impressive, and there’s detail, weight and tonal balance that a TV on its own simply can’t deliver. If you want all the convenience of Alexa , along with Sonos’ intuitive system and excellent sound quality, the Sonos One remains one of the best you can get. Say a command like, “Alexa, play my jazz playlist in the kitchen,” and the Sonos speaker in your kitchen will begin playing your music in seconds. Ask the speaker to “play the Trends with Benefits podcast in the den,” and you’ll soon be listening to DT’s Greg Nibler and Ryan Waniata cutting it up over the latest tech in an entertaining half-hour podcast.
Set-up
Like other Sonos speakers, the Playbase uses Wi-Fi to stream music from dozens of services and network devices using Sonos' proprietary whole-home system. While Sonos was one of the first such systems, it now has plenty of competition from the likes of Bose's SoundTouch, DTS Play-Fi, Samsung Shape, Google's Chromecast Audio and more. The Sonos Playbase is a home theater component first and foremost -- one that just happens to integrate with Sonos' excellent multiroom music system. It connects via an optical cable to your TV and will decode Dolby Digital but sadly not DTS as well. You can also increase or decrease the power of the surround speakers, the sub, introduce an audio delay if necessary, and, of course, manage any music services you might be using with it.
This is a really nicely made and minimally styled unit that blends in neatly. It can be wall-mounted using an optional mount or laid flat in front of your TV, with the built-in accelerometers automatically sensing the orientation and adjusting the sound accordingly. Despite the fact plenty of other players have entered the wireless, multi-room market, the Sonos proposition remains a very compelling one, thanks to a slick interface and a willingness to support new features and services. We've always applauded and respected Sonos for being different. But there now are plenty of similarly priced rivals, including from the company itself, so it's time to reconsider. Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you.
Play:1... or Play:3
Love my Sonos System, the Air Play issue bothers me, but given that Sonos can play whatever is on your iPad or iPhone I get around it ok. Apple TV 4G just added the Synology DS Video App so it is great having acess to my Video Collection on the TV and hence Sonos. Also, while I'm being all complaint guy, HomeKit for full-on Siri control would make things even better. I'd be willing to buy a new Playbar or Connect just for that. I've heard there's some issue with multi-room licensing, but whatever the reason, it's beyond frustrating.
Now that we’ve logged some time with the Beam, we can vouch for that claim. While watching Planet Earth II,we noted Sir David Attenborough’s voice sounding almost suspended in midair just in front of our LG E8 OLED TV’s screen, even while the film’s soaring soundtrack swelled in and out among myriad nature sounds. The fact that the Beam has new competition from the Fire TV Cube – unveiled just a day after the Beam – only increases the likelihood that both of these devices will continue to improve with updates over time.
Not only that, the Playbase projected a wide, nearly wall-to-wall soundstage. Plugging right into the TV also eliminates the need for a separate amp, though it has advantages and disadvantages. On the negative side, it means your TV needs to have enough HDMI ports to support all your video gear. Since I cut the cord years ago, I have no cable or satellite box to worry about, and since I'm not much of a gamer anymore, I have no consoles, new or old, to plug in. That just leaves my main video source, an Apple TV and my occasional source, a Blu-Ray player, and my TV can fit both just fine.
I will say the Amp sounds more effortless than the Connect Amp, but that’s about it. Distortion seemed lower as well, but again, the difference was small. Although there is only a $100 price gap, I feel this represents just a minor revision of the Connect Amp, not an upgrade or serious improvement in sound and volume. The Amp is more squarely aimed at the custom integration market with its rack mount and cooler running temperature, but that’s where the differences end. Like other speakers of its kind, the Sonos One is a mono design, but as expected the sound got much better when I paired it with a second One.
Another interesting reason to use the Amp is it can handle two speakers per channel, for a total of four speakers driven. Both of those features are more useful to a custom integrator and most homeowners won’t have to drive four speakers or drive a 4-ohm load. For custom integrators, the Amp is a good successor to the Connect Amp and as an integrator myself, I welcome the new Amp to Sonos’s lineup for large whole house audio projects. Setup is easy, like any Sonos product; unbox it, connect all the wires, then open the Sonos app and follow the instructions. The unit is designed to work right out of the box with banana connectors, you just slide them into the slots.
As much as we love Sonos, the Riva Concert recently forced us to reconsider our expectations of a compact, connected smart speaker. With full Alexa support and fantastic sound, plus Bluetooth, aux-in, a USB port, and an identical price to the Sonos One, well, what can we say? It’s the first speaker to give Sonos some serious competition, and you owe it to yourself to check it out before making your decision. Just over 2 inches tall, it's squat enough to nestle beneath larger splayed-leg TV sets.
Plug the Sonos One into a wall outlet, pull the Sonos app up on a smartphone or tablet, and let the app walk you through the process. It will begin by having you create a Sonos account if you don’t already have one. The app's ability to add "favorites" to the first screen is nice but too many common controls, such as adding new streaming services or adjusting the EQ, are hidden behind the "..." button.
That's too bad, because the Playbase is the best home theater component Sonos has created. With gorgeous looks and vista-like sound, it's the kind of do-everything all-in-one speaker the Playbar never was. While the sound bar really needs the optional Sonos Sub, the Playbase does perfectly well without it. Apple TV finally supports 7.1 surround, and iTunes content is starting to go 7.1.
The LeEco "clawfoot" TV fit over the top of the Playbase just fine. Ty Pendlebury is a journalism graduate of RMIT Melbourne, and has worked at CNET since 2006. He lives in New York City where he writes about streaming and home audio. Prior to the latest Apple TV, you could just hook the optical directly to the Playbar, but of course they dropped the toslink.
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