Think I Found my Sonos Replacement

And yes - I can most certainly hear the difference between DD 5.1 on Sonos and TrueHD or DTSX on a more capable system. Clear as I can hear the difference between an MP3 and lossless 192/24 Losless HD audio file.

So, pretty much indistinguishable then... 😃

Sounds like the Sonos fanboy is strong in this forum and for whatever reason people are not willing to admit Sonos’ offering is antiquated. It is not even marginally “good” when you factor in price:performance ratio.

And yes - I can most certainly hear the difference between DD 5.1 on Sonos and TrueHD or DTSX on a more capable system. Clear as I can hear the difference between an MP3 and lossless 192/24 Losless HD audio file.

Sorry for the above error post. I have unusually nimble but fat fingers.
So what do you expect but “Sonos fanboys” on the Sonos Community?
And if Sonos is Such a horrible product, then why do you have an entire 5.1 set up? If you bought it new, that’s around $1500. So you went to the store, listened to the gear for hours, decided it was crap AND was not ideal for you because it was not “true” 5.1 and then you bought it?? Even if you got it used it was quite a price tag I’m sure. If you want to get rid of your “crap” Sonos I will pay you $100 for it. That’s a great deal on your end for crap!

A lot of people here really drinking the kool-aid. I have had my 5.1 setup for several years. It was certainly not cutting edge at the time of purchase but worked well enough. It's the lack of innovation that has caused Sonos to be lapped by competitors and I don't think anyone can argue they are overpriced in an increasingly saturated market for what they do.

Lots of people are looking for a solid alternative to the playbar/playbase and the Sonos "vision" of a 5.1 setup. I provided an excellent alternative and now the fanboys (or Sonos employees) are out in full force. Fact of the matter is a Sonos 5.1 system is an audio dinosaur in this day and age. Please note I said I found MY replacement. If you want to hang on to your overpriced, decades-old technology, that is perfectly fine. But you sure sound silly defending the choice.

A lot of people here really drinking the kool-aid.


So, what’s wrong with that? I personally love the kool-aid they’re feeding me! If you love Sennheiser's kool-aid so much why don’t you bring a big barrel over to their community and let them fill it up! You have nothing good to say about the Sonos brand so why post at all?

Not as silly as you sound going off about your new girlfriend while you are still hanging out at your old girlfriend's house.

Yes I own a Sonos 5.1 system. As a Home Theater solution it is awful. It excels at music and is maybe good for some TV programs. A true home theater solution should be able to decode modern codecs.
I don't use either Sonos or wired HT for movies because a stereo amp with two quality stereo speakers suffices for most movies for me and I can't be bothered with all the wiring for the ever increasing numbers of surround speakers when there is a state of the art multiplex ten minutes away if a movie is worthy of the immersion always available there.

I also do not believe that at home it is all about just codecs.

Where I think the Sonos HT does not deliver movie sound quality even in comparison to my basic system is in the lack of separation for the front speakers, since all three are in one box with Sonos. Obviously that confers the benefit of saving the wiring, but I have always thought that a Sonos HT solution that had just the centre speaker, the HT decoding electronics, and its wireless distribution feature in one small box to be kept under the TV and the separated front left/right speakers then a 1/3/5 pair as desired, this would bring it on par with a fully wired HT set 5.1 up and worthy of attention. With little to do with codecs if relevant sound can be obtained from the front pair, the centre speaker, the Sub and the surrounds, all running in wireless mode. The front separation would also allow for this set up to work better for music play.

Is the Sennheiser going to offer separated front speakers? If not, I would not bother to even test listen, no matter what codec.

I think that Sonos should at least show the product roadmap for the next future.
I know they must empty the warehouse from the old stuff but this is not fair for the loyal customers.

And I do not care at all about Alexa integration etc is it the future of all sonos products or we will have the play one alone?

Some more communication is needed.

And I hope they listen and discuss new developments also with their resellers at least.

I find it ironic. People buy Sonos for its primary purpose, to have whole home audio. Yet find reasons to dislike the product that are beyond that intended purpose.

Is the Sonos 5.1 setup a direct replacement to a modern 5.1 / 7.1 / 9.1 AVR with all of its inputs, codecs, speakers, and wiring? Of course not. If you desire those capabilities, look elsewhere. And as Kumar said, the issue with any soundbar setup is physical separation of the left and right channels, which any and every soundbar cannot do (physically, I am not referring to emulation of sound).

What no other 5.1 or higher TV-based / family room / home theater system can do is completely and seamlessly integrate into the Sonos ecosystem in a home.

Having the Sonos 5.1 setup in my family room, which is open to my kitchen and by far the most used area in my home, saves me from having to have multiple systems. If I had a standard AVR 5.1 setup (which I used to have), then I would need a Sonos Connect. Which also means I'd have to separately control power and inputs on the AVR with a separate remote. Yuck. Or, I'd have to have a bunch of Sonos Play 1/3/5 speakers in my family room and kitchen in addition to the TV's system, at a cost of ~$1,000 in addition to the AVR 5.1 setup. Double and triple yuck (in terms of cost and having multiple systems).

I find it ironic. People buy Sonos for its primary purpose, to have whole home audio. Yet find reasons to dislike the product that are beyond that intended purpose.


AMEN BROTHER