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We have an old Panasonic bluetooth/DAB/CD player which I want to replace. It's at one end of a combined kitchen/living area in an old stone cottage. It sounds 'OK' but the bluetooth, which is what we mostly use is very flakey. Pairing is nightmare, it struggles to connect to devices it's already paired with and even when connected often drops out during streaming. I actually have 2 of these, the second is in my garage/workshop and that has the same issues and is also on borrowed time.
It seems streaming over WiFi rather than bluetooth might be more reliable? We have a fairly bullet proof and reliable MESH network with good coverage everywhere. I have been looking at the Sonos S2. Primary use will be radio, podcasts and Spotify streaming. I don't currently use any kind of smart assistant but note it has Amazon Alexa so I'm tempted to dip my toe into smart devices with a few smart bulbs and plugs. I'm not looking for Hi Fi, just crisp, room filling sound and a voice assistant that will let me turn a few things on and off.
Will the Sonos S2 do that? A few online reviews say the sound is good but the Alexa function isn't implemented very well. Any STWer experiences of this? If not the Sonos - what else?
Sonos will do that fine (especially as they have finally implemented BBC Sounds).
I'd also consider the 'premium' speakers from Google and Apple (Apple best if you have some other Apple hardware).
The software updates from Google and Apple should give you a smoother and enhanced experience over the lifetime of the speaker. Sonos are a tad slow to add improvements (see the Sounds point above which has been many, many years).
But broadly, Sonos is reasonably bulletproof, if expensive.
Google Nest Speaker (£75 on offer)
John Lewis Google Nest Speaker down to £75
Apple Homepod
Apple Home[pod £249 from JL
@andrewreay thanks. I don't use any other Apple products so would probably avoid the homepod. The nest speaker is definitely worth considering though at that price as I could get two for the price of the Sonos with enough change to buy some smart plugs/bulbs. Do you know how the sound quality compares?
Quality is (very) good for the price, especially at £75.
Simply put, the Sonos doesn't sound twice as good.
The reviews below show ranges of 5/5 to 3/5, so opinion is mixed.
If you go with expectations of a £75 speaker, you won't be disappointed.
@andrewreay & apologies for slightly thread hopping. I currently bluetooth into an amp and set of old/decent speakers i think like the OP. Can I replace the bluetooth amp with a Google Nest speaker and get a noticeable improvement?
The jump from that to SONOS has always been too much, but at £75 I might be tempted. Thanks
@Hb70, I would doubt it.
There's lots going on, not least the compression used on the original files. If those files are high compression, they won't sound better on any speaker really. If you have great quality files, then they will sound better through your existing set up I'd imagine - assuming you have a decent Bluetooth converter.
In short, these one box speakers (including Sonos) are not really about great quality sound - they're merely adequate. But they are all about convenience.
So I'd not advocate 'better' quality from the Nest speaker, BUT you'll probably listen to more music once you get one because you simply have to say "Play xxx' and away it goes - no connecting, selecting or whatever.
Which Sonos speakers are you looking at? S2 is just their new series of speakers.
The One is the cheapest, at £200.
As an alternative, how about the Ikea speakers? The bookshelf ones are £90 each, they don't have an assistant built in but the Alexa/Google basic speakers/controllers are under £20, so you can get a pair of speakers for the price of a single Sonos One. Also they run on the Sonos system...
https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/symfonisk-wifi-bookshelf-speaker-black-80357557/
I've got a pair in my office and sound quality wise (bear in mind I have about £600 worth of headphones/DAC's so I 'enjoy' my audio) they're fine for streaming over spotify.
Thanks, I will have more of a look round but very much leaning now towards a pair of Nest Audios instead of one Sonos. On the basis that paired in stereo mode at either end of the room they will get closeish to a single Sonos in sound quality? And that the Google voice assistant will work far better than Alexa on the Sonos, based on all the reviews.
@ta11pau1 yep, it was the £200 Sonos one gen 2 I was looking at. Will look at the Ikea option, thanks.
Also bear in mind once you start down the rabbit hole of Google home, it never stops!!
I have a Lenovo smart clock bedside clock, hue colour bulb in the bedroom (with a morning sunrise routine), another desk smart clock, 2x sono/ikea speakers, sonos/ikea remote, hue desk strip light, hue main office light, hue filament lamp, TV with google TV so can control/ask for stuff on there. Oh and a Google Pixel, Android Auto (in car voice commands are simply brilliant, replying messages, asking for navigation, asking to play something on spotify...). If I could have gotten a smart blind for my office in the right size I would have one too.
Ikea also do a lamp style speaker, and picture frame speakers. Oh and as they're just a sonos speaker you can use them as rear surrounds if you have a sonos sound bar.
Thanks @andrewreay very helpful
Sonos speakers are is a bit like bikes: n+1. They have a good range of different speakers and pairing modes so it becomes tempting to add multiroom sound in varying configurations of mono/stereo/surround. If that sounds like something that appeals then I’d start with a Sonos speaker.
Weve been happy with the Sonos stuff we have - tv speakers plus a couple of ones
Maybe worth keeping an eye on https://www.sonos.com/en-gb/shop/certified-refurbished
Recently picked up a Sonos 1 SL (no voice control, but was being used in a pair anyway) for £120
Same 1year guarantee and nothing to indicate it's a refurb and not-brand new.
As a serial buyer of Apple Homepods, and having recently invested in an Sonos package (Arc, Sub, 2x S1's) for the TV, I'd happily recommend either (well original Homepods anyway rather than the minis). I would definitely go with a system that allows forming of stereo pairs of speakers as that in my experience take all of these things from good to amazing.
For bang for buck I'd be surprised if two of the Ikea Sonos speakers wasn't the best option.
I’ve had Sonos and AudioPro speakers. Much prefer the sound quality on the AudioPro offerings and some of the newer models work with Alexa and Google
I have a Sonos 1….
It’s a pain in the backside. Every time I power it off to move it I need to go back through the configuration again.
Sometimes it’ll find Wi-Fi, sometimes it won’t.
It’s honestly a bit of a lottery as to whether or not it’ll just work when I go to use it…..if I use it all the time it’s fine, just when it’s bad a break or powered off.
The sound is very good to my non audiophile ears though.