How long have you used Sonos and why did you start

I’m really not that great at remember exact years when this or that happened, so I can’t give anything exact.

I remember reading/hearing about Sonos around the time it offiicially launched. I was pirating from Napster and ripping all my CDs, and the problem of getting these mp3s to play on my home theatre setup was very evident.  I even tried a 20 ft long RCA cable, which did not work very well.  However, I could not justify the cost of the ZP player and CR100 at the time, so it was a pass.

Skip a head many years. The iphone is invented and Sonos has a controller app, significantly reducing the cost of owning a Sonos system.  I’m having a house built with some prewiring, and plan on using a Connect with a receiver for the home theatre setup.  Works pretty well, and I end up  getting a Connect:amp + speaker switch to do a “poor man’s” whole home audio setup.  . This serves me well for probably around 5 years.  I do not get any Sonos speakers because the idea of integrated amp + speaker (active) doesn’t seem like a good idea to me...and I already have a lot of speakers.

Skip ahead again and I am buying a house again, this one used.  The current owner is getting married and decides  they don’t need their Sonos  anymore (along with TV, fridge, washer, and dryer)  so I now get a playbar, 2 play:3s,  sub, a play:1, and a Bridge.  I change my mind about having active speakers.  I soon add a couple more play:1s and start getting active on the Sonos forums.  That was maybe a year or so before Sonos One was released, and I’ve developed the habit of buying speakers I don’t need, or replacing speakers that don’t need to be replaced ever since.

The ‘buying speakers I don’t need’ resonates with me ☺️

2008.  Bought the ZP80/ZP100/CR-100 bundle.  Just seemed like cool tech.  Those are long gone now.

Late 2009 to replace a rather flaky Squeezebox set up. I was 4 months away from early retirement and figured that once retired I might have trouble justifying the financial outlay to SWMBO.

I can’t remember exactly what I bought but it include two CR200s and various ZP80s and a ZP100. All long since sold on apart from the CR200s as they were a bit of a problem with screen problems. One is still sitting in a box full of redundant electrical kit in the garage.

Following a recent move to downsize the house, the line up is down to the following: Five, Play 5 gen 2, Amp, Sub gen 2, Beam gen 2, One SL, Port (not used and to be sold) and a Roam also possibly to go on the for sale list. Finally a Boost which following the house move was essential to get everything working properly.

Music is my main use. The TV sound is connected to the Amp. 

We are not great film watchers so surround sound is not worth the hassle of trying to get it all to work!

That’ll be the BU150 bundle. Same here, but in 2007. The ZP80 to feed a pair of AVI ADM9 actives over optical. 

Then more ZP80s, one to replace a flaky Squeezebox. 

Early 2000’s - Wife hated my wonderful AV system with the five big speakers, sub and receiver that was far too complicated and covered in too fine print for her to use.

We saw Sonos and thought a ZP plugged into the AVR with a CR-100 to control it would be a perfect solution for us.

Added a Play 5 and another CR-100 for her to use in her office space. Then one for the kitchen.

Another ZP for my office space.

Couple Play 3s for the kitchen.

Traded-Up the ZPs and Play 5s for the original offer that bricked them.

Beam, Sub and Surrounds. Another Beam set.

Arc to replace one Beam that is just used for music now.

Only regrets, Trading-Up too soon, missing the better deal and the loss of our beloved CR-100s.

I’m fascinated by the early days of Sonos. You guys who’ve been there from the start have seen so much innovation over the years!

I forgot the only Sonos product I bought and didn’t like, the CR-200.

While it was quite a good device it was so small you had to carry it in one pocket and a magnifying glass in another if your eyes are as bad as mine.

Easier to carry the CR-100 that had bigger print.  :-)

I bought my Beam (gen 1) with a Sub (gen 2) two One’s as surrounds in November 2018. within a few weeks there was also a One for the kitchen to finally be able to group speakers and play the same music in the open plan kitchen and living room - after a failed Squeezebox set up in circa 2012. Did not go for Sonos then because of cost (including remote). The appearance of Airplay finally did it for me, though now I hardly use it.

The Sonos set up replaced my Marantz/Tannoy HT set up. While I did lose some in audio quality I got much better connectivity (that part was broken for some time on my Marantz and did not work well from the beginning).

Now my son owns an IKEA Symfonisk bookshelf, one of the original surrounds moved to the bathroom and was replaced with an SL, and a One appeared in my home office space.

In 2005 I was ignoring the whole digital home music scene because I didn’t want my computer fussing with music play. Plus, the options to play music in multiple rooms were grim. The ZP100 and CR100 were perfect. Music was stored on a NAS drive and my computer could crash or be powered down while the music continued. Adding rooms was painless. Early on I mostly used the PC SONOS controller, as is still  my custom now, but I will also use Alexa when my hands are not within mouse range. And, I’m not afraid to use a pad/phone controller if one is closer than the mouse.