Sonos Five. The high-fidelity speaker for superior sound (Black)

Product Information

Losing out on the microphone means you lose out on voice-activated controls via Alexa and Google Assistant. The Roam SL also does away with Sonos' Auto Trueplay and SoundSwap features, as both require a microphone.

The Sonos Era 100 has a sound architecture comprising three Class-D drivers, two dual-angled tweeters and a mid-woofer. The woofer is said to be 25 per cent larger than the Sonos One's woofer, and there is a 47 per cent faster processor too, future-proofing the Era 100 for software updates. The Era 100 also delivers stereo sound rather than mono and overall, the sound performance it delivers is absolutely excellent. We tested it in a room with a 20 foot (6 meter) vaulted ceiling and a nib wall behind the sofa, which makes it essentially impossible to bounce audio around behind you. The great thing about Sonos is not only its wide range of products, long list of streaming services, user-friendly app and set-up, and consistently impressive performance; it’s also that your system can constantly grow – whether that's through adding wireless speakers to your soundbar set-up or planting them in another room. And if you want to add voice control into the mix, it's a seamless process.If your WiFi devices often have low signal strength or slow network speeds, your Sonos products will likely encounter similar problems. If you plan on changing or upgrading your networking equipment to improve your WiFi performance, Sonos typically recommends a dedicated router or mesh networking system with WiFi 5 or higher.

Compatibility . Every device that ‘touches’ the audio (e.g. Blu-ray player, Apple TV, Fire TV) needs to be able to pass Atmos on to the next in line—from the source of the content to Sonos Arc. For Blu-ray, the individual discs need to have Atmos content and the player needs to be capable of sending Atmos as well. Inside are three class D amplifiers powering two angled tweeters with custom waveguides and a 25 per cent bigger woofer for a fuller low end. You can pair two Era 100s together, and they can also be used as rear speakers with the Arc, Beam Gen 1 and Beam Gen 2, and Ray Sonos soundbars.

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The lamp itself is not entirely unassuming itself – especially if you opt for the white finish of our test sample – resembling something of an Apple Homepod in a hot air balloon, but being half home furnishing the design is by definition something you would have to want to see in your house regardless of its sonic capabilities. Review our s ystem requirements article to ensure your wireless network is fully compatible with your Sonos system.

Classically understated, the Move’s robust build means it won’t conk out at the beach. Positioned vertically or horizontally, Auto TruePlay smarts adjust the sonic output based on where you place it. For a speaker of this size, sound quality is seriously impressive, easily matching its best competitors for bass impact and balance. Alternatively, the Ikea Symfonisk bookshelf speaker makes a good choice for the rear speakers. Once you’ve chosen your set of speakers, you can follow the wizard through in the app to add them to the Sonos Arc. As the speakers are all wireless, provided you can get a power cable to them, positioning shouldn’t be a problem. Likewise, adding the Sub is just as easy.For rear speakers, you’ve got a more limited selection of products. You can run any two identical products as the rear speakers, but choice is important.

Apps . Your app (e.g. Netflix, Disney+) needs to be capable of playing Atmos content via your particular TV.Sonos mixes and blends the sound perfectly. If you stop and get your ear closer to one of the surround speakers you can hear what it’s doing; but, when you’re engaged in the film, the rear speakers beautifully blend in. Ultimately, I think the Era 100 is a step up in sound over the Sonos One, but a smaller one than I expected once you factor in that the bass is a little loose – if you already have a pair of Sonos Ones and are wondering about replacing them with two of these purely to get richer bass, then I'd spend that money on adding a Sonos Sub Mini to them instead. What’s new with Gen 2? More memory, more processing power and Bluetooth Low Energy on-board. That’s pretty much it. Otherwise, it’s the same superb smart speaker as it was before. You can still combine two Ones to create a stereo pair, and you can still ask your digital helper for assistance as you need. Playing the bombing run scene from Unbroken and we’re immediately transported to within the fuselage of the B-24 Liberator. Our listening room is filled with wind noise and the whirr of the plane’s engines, and the incidental creaks and rattles are placed in specific spots, including right in the top corners of the wall we’re sitting against.