[Closed] Alternatives to Sonos?

Denon Heos looks like a good alternative.

The Pure Jongo range is a more affordable version. I considered getting a couple of them, but the reviews mention iffy sound quality and set-up not being the simplest.

I got a Bluetooth speaker earlier this year, which is so handy I gave up on the wireless networked speaker idea for a while.

Sonos sound quality can be as good as you want depending on budget and setup, if you don't need an all in one box. Sonos Connect plugs in to your choice of amp and speakers.

A pair of Play 1s will probably surprise you and sounds great.

It's not cheap though.

If you have an existing good stereo, Google Chromecast Audio does similar to Sonos Connect but only £25. Reviews are promising.

For iTunes library, have a read about Google Play Music. Sync your library with their online service and chose a streaming device that supports Google. Sonos and Chromecast Audio will both do this.

Airport Express into an ordinary amp and speakers.

Google chromecast audio? It does[s]n't do[/s] multiroom[s] yet but will with an update in the future[/s]. Edited: See posts below

And they are cheap.

EDIT: Ah just seen gravity-slave has already said this!

I don't have one yet but will do once I have my Christmas money 🙂

ive got a [url= http://www.amazon.co.uk/Logitech-930-000089-Squeezebox-Touch/dp/B002N203SW ]squeezebox touch[/url] for sale if youre interested. for a lot less than the price on amazon thats for sure!! 🙂

I thought Chromecast Audio multi room support had been added as an update this week?

I thought Chromecast Audio multi room support had been added as an update this week?

So it has - excellent! - I'll edit my post.

The multi room update is out now, Sonos will be watching very carefully!

http://chrome.blogspot.co.uk/2015/12/even-more-to-love-about

Might add one to my Sonos line in and expand that way.

Edit - too slow! 🙂

Sonos Connect +1

Mine is hooked into a pair of AVI active speakers (via built in DAC) and subwoofer.

It sounds immense.

We use iTunes. Because we run it from an iMac I just use an Airport Express to stream to. This is then connected to the hifi amplifier.

We also have iPads and iPhones in the house, so can stream to those, stream from those and use them as remote controls for the iTunes library.

Naim Mu-So. Its big, heavy and expensive but the sound is awesome.

I have a B&W Zeppelin, when I bought it I listened to sonos, Bose etc and to be honest there's nothing to touch the B&W. They've just brought out the new version which is apparently better still.

If you want a freestanding audio player there are lots of devices around with Airplay built into them and they should all do Spotify as well (though there's a difference between things that play through your phone/iPad and things that play Spotify natively and are remote controlled by your iPad/Phone)

Airplay wont do different audio in different rooms from a server but you can play stuff from the server in one room and direct from your phone or iPad in another. It's a bit less responsive than Sonos but not by much and you can get much better sound quality for the money.

I've finally connected my Yamaha DAB AV amp to a network (needed a cable connection and wasn't worth it until I moved) - http://www.rgbdirect.co.uk/Products/Home-Cinema/Separates/YAMAHA/RXV500D Discontinued
The Airplay and Spotify functions work really well so I suspect any other Yamaha device with 'network' functions will be running the same software.

A load of manufacturers have their own Sonos competitor products now but then you're buying into another 'closed' ecosystem that locks you into their devices everywhere.

Google chromecast audio? It doesn't do multiroom yet but will with an update in the future. Edited: See posts below

Yep (Chromcast Audio does anyway).

I'm amazed by the quality of Google Chromecast audio for £25 though my 20 year old Denon amp.
Only works through Spotify though or anything through your browser - I can't get it to work with my iTunes for e.g.

iTunes - use Google as the middle man.

Upload/sync tracks from your computer to Google Play Music and then use the Google Play app with Chromecast Audio - works on the free account too.

https://support.google.com/googleplay/answer/1075570?hl=en

I went and listened to Sonos and the alternatives in John Lewis & Richer sounds and came away with a pair of play 1's. The sound quality is excellent when paired in stereo listening to Deezer in high quality...but they aren't that cheap (£299)..

I thought I'd take a chance on the pure jongo system.

It wasn't hard to set up, and it worked ok for a while, but then we were sent a new bt home hub, which it turns out doesn't work with the jongo system.

So for us, the jongo system doesn't work at all, if it worked badly, with terrible sound quality, that would be an improvement.

Yep (Chromcast Audio does anyway).

I got a couple of Cambridge minx - great sound.

Naim Mu-So. Its big, heavy and expensive but the sound is awesome.

🙂 Thanks for the plug, it is indeed awesome..

[img] [/img]

+ for the mu-so its awesome love mine. demoed a few its was a clear winner.

Firstly, thanks for all the comments. I've no idea what some of you are talking about, but appreciate the intention.

Secondly, why is this all so ****ing complicated? I'm really can't be arsed with hours of endless research, so I'll probably just take a punt on a Sonos 1 and hope for the best.

Do these tech companies not realise that their biggest barrier to sale is the fact that they've made it all so bloody complicated people are frightened to actually by their stuff? Obviously my kids probably get it, but they're still at school, so don't have the disposable income to buy this stuff. I'd happily spend 2 or 3 times the cost of a Sonos 1 but....

It wasn't hard to set up, and it worked ok for a while, but then we were sent a new bt home hub, which it turns out doesn't work with the jongo system

.....balls to that!

+1 for HEOS. I've got the 7 and the sound is awesome. I've had a play with some others including the Mu-So, but it was too expensive and not that much better, though this may have been down to the small room size.

Also worth considering is the JBL Authentics L8, sound scape on that is brilliant and will give a very clear two channel audio, was the only thing slightly letting down the HEOS.

SONY have got a couple as well, but the sound is poor on them depsite coming in more expensive.

I'll happily get another HEOS if i need to.

Legoman - the SONOS stuff is a doddle to setup, it really is simple. I bought a pair of play 1s recently and I'm really impressed; the sound quality is great, especially given the size of them.

Just go for the Sonos. It really is a good system. I have a connect linked up to my stereo amplifier and some kef ls50 speakers. The sound quality is amazing.
Yes there are plenty of other options but most just seem a bit rubbish and half arsed in comparison to Sonos.
Sonos just works and works well.

I'd happily spend 2 or 3 times the cost of a Sonos 1

they've made it all so bloody complicated

You asked for alternative to Sonos and a lot of answers aren't really that. Well, they might be once you get passed the geekery of it all.

There are numerous companies doing wireless systems, as I mentioned in my first post, the Denon Heos stuff looks to be a very credible alternative.
Panasonic do some too, as do LG and Samsung. The Panasonic ones seem to fare fairly well in reviews, the LG ones don't appear to have great sound quality.

My brother-in-law has got a Sonos 1 in the kitchen and a 3 in the living room. They sound pretty good to me. My brother has got a Sonos 5. It sounds good, but too my mind was a bit bass heavy and boomy. I suspect this is maybe something you can tune out with an equaliser setting.

The thing that puts me off Sonos is partly the cost, but also the connectivity. As far as I am aware, it's wi-fi or nothing. Most other options have a 3.5mm jack and/or Bluetooth as well.

Yes, SONOS is great very simple, imports iTunes library easily and keeps up to date on it's own. Good customer service I hear, never used them myself though. They are quite good at training their sales people in the outlets which they sell through. The SONOS rep was in John Lewis when we bought ours and he was training the JL chap up. We have a Play 5 and Connect through an old amp and speakers. We listen to way more music than we did when we had the Air play system the SONOS replaced. Air play was total cr@p in comparison.

I initially thought Sonos was expensive, but compared to similarly priced alternatives they really are not, not when you consider the quality. A Sonos 1 is £169 each (cheaper per unit if you buy as a bundle) which initially sounds expensive but you can spend that or not far off that for a Bluetooth speaker which is not even in the same league. I got a UE Boom to take on holiday - sounds great for a portable BT speaker but was £90 reduced from about £130 or something. It's really good as far as portable BT speakers go but not a patch on a Sonos 1 in terms of quality considering it's only about £40 cheaper.

I've always liked the Zeppelin, but is it really better than the Sonos 5 which is £50 less? and does it have all the features and flexibility of Sonos if you have other speakers dotted around the home?

Sonos is not the only gig in town, but pretty difficult to beat all considered.

I've got some Logitech stuff which took some faffage to get working and is now offline again, I CBA sorting it.

I too am confused as to why no one makes something similar that you can just use with a network drive thing that iant expensive.

"Air play was total cr@p in comparison."

Why? I'm genuinely puzzled. The Sonos App doesn't seem anything special, the sound quality is limited by your MP3 source. The SIL has some incompatibility between her Somos and Orange hub so it continually needs resetting.

What does Sonos actually do better than AirPlay?

I've got one of these and I'm amazed at how useful / easy to use it is for something so cheap*. It runs off Airplay, but will use other protocols (DLNA) if you're on PC / Android etc*. Plugged into my old Hifi separates which were sitting in a cupboard unused, it works with anything my PC or phone can throw at it. So it's not limited to my own iTunes library, it'll also play audio from any app (I use it for Deezer, or the iPlayer radio app, podcasts etc).

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00O0U37HO?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00

*It's inexpensive, it also feels very plasticky and lightweight. You can hide it though.
**I've only used it with Airplay

EDIT if you're having issues with Airplay / DLNA access / dropping out etc then try rebooting your router. My cheap Plusnet router can't seem to cope with too many things going on at once and Airplay is the first to go. This is also the case with my iPhone-->Apple TV so it's not an issue specific to the Neet hardware.

The thing that puts me off Sonos is partly the cost, but also the connectivity. As far as I am aware, it's wi-fi or nothing. Most other options have a 3.5mm jack and/or Bluetooth as well.

Mostly because if you have wifi you don't need the others, what device will you be using that doesn't have a wifi connection? When I get enough rooms the ones will be in them, the idea of plugging stuff into the speaker or connecting your bluetooth to the speaker direct rather than the group seems to be outdated.
If you really want it the Connect has a line in
http://www.sonos.com/en-au/shop/connect#panel2-2

Sonos has Ethernet as well which is what ours run off.

To the OP just get a Sonos. OK it costs a bit more and OK the sound quality isn't true HiFi (none of its competitors are HiFi either) but its a close miss and the Sonos system just works.

Sonos has Ethernet as well which is what ours run off.

To the OP just get a Sonos. OK it costs a bit more and OK the sound quality isn't true HiFi (none of its competitors are HiFi either) but its a close miss and the Sonos system just works.

I have the bose soundtouch 10. Very pleased with it.

Ah, TBF I had AirPort express, which didn't work reliably, ever 😳

I have Sonos throughout the house (pair of 1s in the dining room, pair of 3s in the living room, a 1 in the kitchen and bedroom and a Sony midi hifi through a connect box in the office), it is simple, expansive, and does sound exceptionally good, especially in pairs. You can subscribe to Deezer Elite with Sonos which is a 16bit streaming service, the same quality as cd. You can't stream 24bit through them but then I have read that the human ear struggles to pick up any noticible differences between 16bit and 24bit. The really difference in sound quality is in the compression of the source, MP3s compress a huge amount of data in order to 'fit' but by streaming a FLAC file (free lossless audio codec) through a hi def streaming service like Deezer Elite you lose very little. Get Sonos, get Deezer Elite or similar, you won't regret it.

Just for comparison in terms of streaming quality,
Spotify Premium - 160 or 320kbps.
Deezer Elite - 1411kbps.
£15 per month subscription charge against £9.99 for Spotify but 5 times the bit rate!

I had a play with the sonos kit in John Lewis earlier. The Soundbar was 'OK', but I suspect with the sub it'd be ace. The 3 a little dissapointing. The 1's seemed to be pretty good but the new 5 was bloomin epic. I'm getting myself one of those for the living room, with a 1 for the kitchen and another 1 for my bedroom (where the kids come to party every morning - sadly, no ephumism here, my 2 kids come to turn on the radio and dance each morning)
Once I build the extension, I think a playbar and sub for the 'Media Room' will be coming along as well.
Didn't think the LG or samsung stuff was as good, didn't try anything else.
Oh, and auditioned in John Lewis in Bristol so in a massive room, I suspect they'll all sound a damn site better ina real sized room.

As far as I am aware, it's wi-fi or nothing. Most other options have a 3.5mm jack and/or Bluetooth as well.

FYI the Play 5 has a 3.5mm input (which can play out of any/all the Sonos devices on your network) - or get a Connect, or a Connect:Amp and use your existing HiFi / speakers.

The beauty of Sonos kit is that it just works.

That Chromecast audio looks ace, it means my amp and speakers get a new lease of life !

I'm thinking of getting a couple of Chromecast Audios as I have a stereo I'd like to add to my Sonos but can't justify another Connect. A Chromecast Audio in to my existing connect and another on the stereo should let me group the Chromecasts and Sonos. But fiddly but much cheaper.

All you need for Sonos is a router, not necessarily WiFi. Wire one component into the router and you're done. Since the bridge became optional, these are cheap on eBay so it doesn't have to be a speaker. If you have music store locally on a PC or NAS then you don't even need internet.

Also worth noting Sonos creates its own very stable wireless network, with each component you add strengthening the links. Android phones can use the Sonos network as WiFi, so you have a range booster with every speaker, which is nice. Any other controller (Apple) would need WiFi access to the router to control the Sonos though.

Of course this means you do need a network, preferably WiFi, so speakers don't work stand alone, so no good for taking out and about, such as camping, bunk houses, holiday cottages with no router etc.

You could try this DIY project using a Rasberry Pi:

[url= http://www.expertreviews.co.uk/technology/1404017/best-raspberry-pi-projects ]Rasberry Pi multiroom[/url]

mikewsmith - Member

Mostly because if you have wifi you don't need the others, what device will you be using that doesn't have a wifi connection? When I get enough rooms the ones will be in them, the idea of plugging stuff into the speaker or connecting your bluetooth to the speaker direct rather than the group seems to be outdated.

Yeah. In most situations, you probably don't need another connection method.
But there are occasions when it's nice to have.
For example, my Brother-in-law has a Sonos speaker. I wanted to play some music through it while visiting him a while back, but the only way to do so from my phone was to download & install the SONOS app. Had there been a cable connection, or the ability to just stream direct to the speaker over Bluetooth it would have been a lot easier. As it was, I just didn't bother.

So, yes - not essential but (for me) it would be nice to have.

So as above, the play 5 and soundbar both have a line in.

I like Bose stuff, but there offering just doesn't quite tick the box. It's going to have to be Sonos for me.

PlayBar only has a single optical in (and 2 network ports), no 3.5mm

Play 5 has a 3.5mm in

Connect has RCA in

The line ins let you 'piggyback' in and play the source around your system, but you still need the app to select that source and group speakers.

PlayBar is good as you can then stream TV inputs round the house, so you don't miss the comedy when you go to the kitchen, or can enjoy YouTube music, for example.

Phone - Chromecast - TV - Playbar - SonosNet (your other speakers)

Another plus is the network ports turn the unit into a mini range extender/hub. My TV and Humax are wired to the PlayBar and stream HD on demand, no need for wireless dongles or wiring up the room.

I have bluetooth on one stereo, looking to replace with something wifi based as the range is crap, if I leave the room with my phone in my pocket it unpairs.

To that point, Sonos only really makes sense for a multi room system you want to expand. Once you have a couple of rooms set up it's brilliant and seamless.

Expensive as a single room solution and not portable, which is where you'd want a battery powered bluetooth unit.

stumpy - good point, it's a bit 'closed' but downloading the app is about as quick as pairing on Bluetooth, mates have it, it just hooks up when they are on my wifi. Just make sure you trust them not to fire up your tunes full blast on their way past your house back from the pub 😈

For example, my Brother-in-law has a Sonos speaker. I wanted to play some music through it while visiting him a while back, but the only way to do so from my phone was to download & install the SONOS app. Had there been a cable connection, or the ability to just stream direct to the speaker over Bluetooth it would have been a lot easier. As it was, I just didn't bother.

I reckon it's quicker to install the app and connect than to pair Bluetooth.

Certainly nothing in it after the first time setup.

I have a Cambridge Audio Mix XI - a fantastic bit of kit with superb sound quality. I stream Spotify Connect directly to the amp, using my phone as the controller. There's also a Cambridge App on my phone I can use to stream from a hard drive I leave attached to the router. It's connected to the Blu Ray & TV recorder digitally, and the turntable on analogue.

About the only gap is the loss of BBC radio Iplayer, but they're working on it apparently. You can still get it via a phone or tablet, and stream on Bluetooth.

I have a setup that is very similar to SONOS except a lot cheaper. I have a Logitech Media Server, on a server, and a Pi in most rooms connected to a speaker or the room stereo. Each Pi runs [url= https://sites.google.com/site/picoreplayer/home ]PiCorePlayer[/url], I then use the iPeng app to play music to all rooms, or a selection of rooms. Perfectly synced between rooms, no delay from room to room.

You can also use Spotify and all the other online streaming sites.

I'm still happy with streaming Apple Music from my iPhone to a bluetooth speaker (JBL Flip 2)

Enough for my needs, though might like a bit more bass every now and then. Can control it from my Apple Watch, which is the icing on the cake!

Plus I can move it to somewhere without having to plug it in, so the garden or a quick session in the garage

Where do people keep their music? I'm interested in reducing the shelves of CDs, but don't really want to spend a trillion hours converting, when I can collate from a selection of music stored on different devices into one USB drive, say, plugged into the back of a player.

a Pi in most rooms connected to a speaker or the room stereo

Getting rid of the stereo was the driver for Sonos in my house, but what speakers are you using? Might have a gap for some stylish active speakers as it happens, recommendations appreciated.

Where do people keep their music? I'm interested in reducing the shelves of CDs, but don't really want to spend a trillion hours converting, when I can collate from a selection of music stored on different devices into one USB drive, say, plugged into the back of a player.

If you've already got it ripped then it's a case of just shifting it all to a single hard drive that makes it available on the network somehow. I ran a NAS drive for my Squeezeboxes for a couple of years but then decommissioned it and ran the media server on an iMac. Power consumption of an iMac wasn't different enough to the NAS to make a significant difference, performance was better and there was far less faffing around when adding stuff to the library. (Changed back up practice at the same time - all documents went to Dropbox which was far easier in use than a shared folder and worked with laptops taken off the network. Photos and music got a reasonably regular Time Machine back up to an external hard drive).

http://www.sonos.com/support/onlineuserguide/en/SonosUserGuide/DCR/Chap05-DCR/Music_Sources_-_Controller_for_Mac_or_PC.htm

If you've not already ripped your music debatable whether it's worth it or just a lot easier to use a streaming service now (or download it all of filesharing services - which presumably isn't illegal if you own a CD copy) . What to do with the racks of CDs is another matter. Mine have just come out of storage - none of it's been in a player since it was ripped about a decade ago.

Where do people keep their music?

- Cupboard full of CDs
- Ripped and stored on a NAS drive for local access or copying to portable devices and sticks etc
- Music also synced to Google Play Music for access anywhere

A streaming service makes sense if you buy lots or explore new music, I'm tempted but still trying to move from 'one time purchase' to 'lifelong rental' model in my mind.

Where do people keep their music?

Mine are all stored on a NAS drive which is backed up to cloud storage. Being the uptight hoarder that i am the original CD's are all boxed and on shelves in the loft.

I can also access the files on my NAS drive from remote location via the plex app on my phone/iPad.

Getting rid of the stereo was the driver for Sonos in my house, but what speakers are you using? Might have a gap for some stylish active speakers as it happens, recommendations appreciated.

As previously mentioned, I run my Sonos Connect into a pair of piano white AVI ADM9s +AVI Sub. They sound [i]significantly [/i]better than my old separates. It's a bit of a leap of faith as you can't audition them easily as they sell direct, but I've not been disappointed. They offer a pretty good compromise between sound and not having the front room look like a hi-fi shop. The NAS and Connect live in the press, cables run under the floor.

The 9s have now been replaced by the [url= http://www.avihifi.co.uk/products.html# ]10s[/url], I'm not sure if they still do the gloss finishes (the website is a bit basic)

[img] [/img]

benp1 - Member

I'm still happy with streaming Apple Music from my iPhone to a bluetooth speaker (JBL Flip 2)

Enough for my needs, though might like a bit more bass every now and then.

Funnily enough, this has been the reason for me not adopting any of this wireless multi-room stuff yet.

I was intending to get a Bluetooth speaker for 'in the garden/garage/camping' and a multi-room set-up starting in the bedroom & kitchen, with a view to getting a module for the stereo in the living room so I could also stream to that. I was also considering a NAS drive to store all my music/photos/films on, but that is still in the pipeline.

But, the Anker Bluetooth speaker I ended up getting is so good for casual listening while in the bathroom/bedroom/kitchen/garage/garden etc. that I just use that and carry it around with me. Battery life is 20hrs which can be increased if I plug my phone/tablet into it and use the 3.5mm headphone jack as the source.
In reality I recharge it perhaps once a month.

If I want to listen to music for an extended period in the living room, or put some music on while eating dinner, I just plug my phone/tablet straight into the stereo in the living room which has a phono-3/5mm jack lead permanently connected to the aux input.

Listening 'multi-room' just means turning the dial on the amp in the living room up past about 2.5 notches & living in a detached house means disturbing the neighbours isn't an issue.

Hard to justify several hundred £'s on a Wi-Fi multi-room set-up at the moment - all down to a £25 Bluetooth speaker. 😀

Cheers vorlich, they look great and doubtless sound great too, but are wasted on me (too many small club gigs with a 135W Fender Twin, and an AC30 at the 'correct' volume :-)). That's exactly the sort of thing I'm looking for though, DM5 might be an option if the next project bonus delivers 😀

Recently bought a Bose solo 15 for use as a TV soundbar thing. It's fairly low key as just sits under the TV. Has Bluetooth so we can stream iTunes to it. Sounds good I think. It has a great universal remote too.

[quote=gravity-slave]Another plus is the network ports turn the unit into a mini range extender/hub. My TV and Humax are wired to the PlayBar and stream HD on demand, no need for wireless dongles or wiring up the room.

Great tip! The internet / streaming on my TV is now much improved!