SONOS Vs Bluesound.... we have a winner!
In the knowledge that I was moving with my family to a new larger property, I have been preparing/researching/saving for several items of audio and AV equipment. One absolute must was a multi-room wireless system. We still have traditional stereo in our office/guest room, and the main system in our 'Snug' has a great stereo and 5.1 system. But, the heart of the house, the kitchen diner, needs music to be readily available, and this means intuitive above sound quality so that my wife actually plays music.
Cutting to the chase, I borrowed, one at a time, to demo in situ, a Bluesound Pulse Mini, a Play:3, a Bluesound Pulse and finally (playing as I type) a Play:5. I'd done a lot of reading, and spoken to staff at the shops, and was in no doubt that I would prefer the 'audiophile' sound of the Bluesound, and that the ability to play my high-res files (I have a Pono and a Pioneer N-50 network player) would be the clincher. The only possible thing that might gain some points for the SONOS products was functionality.
How wrong I was! I instantly disliked the sound of the Pulse Mini, it deals well with instrumental music, but is unbearable with vocals. The midrange sounds smothered and discoloured. I tried to like it, occasionally finding tracks that it handled well, but within a fairly short space of time I found it... offensive. I took it back and headed home with the smaller Play:3. I loved it, very neutral, but very competent. It didn't put a foot wrong, dealing with my music files on shuffle without missing a beat. I've never spent so long in a kitchen! I took it back with the intention of taking a Play:5 to try, believing it to be an over zealous, overweight teenager, and probably settling for the Play:3, but instead I took the bigger Pulse home. It faired better than the Mini... marginally, the low and high frequencies are more to the fore, and cover up the tonal oddities of the Bluesound midrange, but not enough. Back to the shop and home with a Play:5... hooked, instantly! Grin inducing sound, muscular bass, but with total control, good at low and high volumes, great clarity, good in vertical or horizontal, not positionally fussy at all, but importantly for my tastes, tonally neutral.
I'm confused by my experiences, as mentioned in other posts, retailers may be influenced by margins etc, but I know the guys at this shop, they genuinely believe the bluesound to sound better, but they said things like "everybody who has listened to both preferred the Bluesound" not actually laying their own opinion on the line.
Anyway, once I have decided which rooms will be getting the SONOS treatment I'll be back on to bore you all with my setup choices
Yours, a SONOS convert (apologies for the length of the post!)
Cutting to the chase, I borrowed, one at a time, to demo in situ, a Bluesound Pulse Mini, a Play:3, a Bluesound Pulse and finally (playing as I type) a Play:5. I'd done a lot of reading, and spoken to staff at the shops, and was in no doubt that I would prefer the 'audiophile' sound of the Bluesound, and that the ability to play my high-res files (I have a Pono and a Pioneer N-50 network player) would be the clincher. The only possible thing that might gain some points for the SONOS products was functionality.
How wrong I was! I instantly disliked the sound of the Pulse Mini, it deals well with instrumental music, but is unbearable with vocals. The midrange sounds smothered and discoloured. I tried to like it, occasionally finding tracks that it handled well, but within a fairly short space of time I found it... offensive. I took it back and headed home with the smaller Play:3. I loved it, very neutral, but very competent. It didn't put a foot wrong, dealing with my music files on shuffle without missing a beat. I've never spent so long in a kitchen! I took it back with the intention of taking a Play:5 to try, believing it to be an over zealous, overweight teenager, and probably settling for the Play:3, but instead I took the bigger Pulse home. It faired better than the Mini... marginally, the low and high frequencies are more to the fore, and cover up the tonal oddities of the Bluesound midrange, but not enough. Back to the shop and home with a Play:5... hooked, instantly! Grin inducing sound, muscular bass, but with total control, good at low and high volumes, great clarity, good in vertical or horizontal, not positionally fussy at all, but importantly for my tastes, tonally neutral.
I'm confused by my experiences, as mentioned in other posts, retailers may be influenced by margins etc, but I know the guys at this shop, they genuinely believe the bluesound to sound better, but they said things like "everybody who has listened to both preferred the Bluesound" not actually laying their own opinion on the line.
Anyway, once I have decided which rooms will be getting the SONOS treatment I'll be back on to bore you all with my setup choices
Yours, a SONOS convert (apologies for the length of the post!)