Hi everyone,

I’m planning to upgrade my 1st gen Sonos Connect, which has been connected to my HiFi for years and has worked flawlessly (and still does) alongside a few other Sonos speakers around the house. I’ve been using the S1 app all this time without any issues, so the recent S2 app problems haven't affected me.

That said, I rarely use the Sonos app unless I’m grouping speakers, or setting new speakers up. My main go-to has been Spotify Connect. But with Spotify now increasing prices in Australia, still no CD-quality streaming, AI-generated tracks flooding my playlists, and an app that's become cluttered with podcasts and audiobooks, I’m ready to switch to Tidal or Apple Music for a better app experience, and better sound quality – especially through my HiFi. I’m currently trialling Apple Music, but there’s basically no support on the S1 app.

To get the most out of either service, I know I’ll need to replace the Connect — and that brings me to the Sonos Port.

I’ve been on the fence for a while. Early reviews and ongoing reports of quality issues with the Port (plus having to move fully to the S2 app) have made me hesitant. All my other speakers — Playbar, Play:3, and Sonos One — are S2 compatible, so technically the transition should be smooth. But I’ve lost a bit of confidence in Sonos after the app debacle, and I’m surprised the Port hasn’t seen a refresh to better compete with some of the newer devices.

I’m now seriously considering a WiiM Ultra for my HiFi setup and leaving the older Sonos gear as a separate system in other rooms. The only real drawback is not being able to group all rooms together, which I do occasionally and would miss — but maybe that's the trade-off.

So for those of you who own the Port: is it reliable and worth investing in?
Would love to hear any recent experiences, good or bad.

Thanks in advance!