Hi.
I've recently joined the Sonos family. I've got two play5 units. One in one room, one in the other. For my TV/video/media area, I'd ideally like to make a nice stereo pair out of my system - rather than just having one in that area. The sound a single play5 makes is amazing, but I am fairly confident a stereo pair will be effortlessly better for TV/movie viewing.
I suppose my question is - given I've already dropped significant money onto 2 * play5's already, and the Play5 Gen2 is a device from 2015 - am I in imminent danger of a new speaker being released very shortly and I've really poured a lot of money into an end of life product?
Don't get me wrong - they are absolutely beautiful speakers - which some of my audiophile friends on blind tests would never guess was not a full standing full response Hi-Fi speaker - but i have to wonder if I've purchased-into this market at the tail end of the Play5's life? I see it gets firmware updates regularly - but will all that stop shortly, as Sonos decide to focus on a competitor to that new Apple home speaker thing? I can't imagine the two are even in the same league, sound-wise, given the Apple device seems to be more a thing that plays beats + siri - and Sonos is built from the ground up to not compromise, soundwise...
...but?
Thoughts appreciated. I'd very much love a stereo pair of Play5's - just want to make sure it isn't a poor timing decision!
Question
Considering one more play5 to make a stereo pair, but should I?`
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With the caveat that the future is never known for sure, you are on safe ground. Sonos has three speakers for mono/stereo music of which the 5 unit is the latest released model. I'd say obsoleting the 5 is many years away, and free Sonos upgrades will be available for it throughout its service life; Sonos upgrades still work to enhance units released before 2010, and Sonos makes a point about ensuring this when it releases every software upgrade.
I agree with your points Kumar which are well made, but I think it's possible that Sonos will see a gap in the market for a decent column style hi-fi arrangement because that's the one thing that's missing in their portfolio at the moment. I'm particularly after a pair of columns of that ilk and don't really want to have to go through the hassle of wiring up a connect amp plus the other gizmo's that are needed just so I can play stuff through a pair of column speakers - but I guess I may be forced down that route.......
Having used column - presumably you mean floorstanding - speakers myself earlier, I am able to get the sound they deliver by adding a Sonos Sub to any of the existing Sonos speaker models.
I don't myself see Sonos going down the road of a floor standing speaker; most of it is just expensive to make and heavy to ship furniture.
Similarly, given the sound quality now obtainable from Sonos play units/Sub, the Connect Amp itself has a very limited case for its use, for things like ceiling or external speakers.
I don't myself see Sonos going down the road of a floor standing speaker; most of it is just expensive to make and heavy to ship furniture.
Similarly, given the sound quality now obtainable from Sonos play units/Sub, the Connect Amp itself has a very limited case for its use, for things like ceiling or external speakers.
I agree with your valid commercial points about large floor standing speakers but I wasn't really thinking of something particularly large more something about the same volume and output of a PL5 but something that could be mounted on a small pair of generic floor stands. Whilst the PL5 looks great on a bookshelf if you happen to have a bookshelf in a convenient location if you want a pair of speakers to go on either side of say a fireplace on a bookshelf isn't really the best option. So for a minimal outlay Sonos could redesign the PL5 and just sell it in a different box/format there are hundreds of floor stands that you can choose from and it will be a pretty low cost addition to their stable. They already have all the electronics and the speakers it's just the way the unit sits on a flat surface that's the problem to my mind. They could have course use slightly higher quality speakers I guess and update the output of it but that's not really the issue - it's more the shape/format for me and I'm sure I'm not alone in wanting to integrate a pair of hi-fi speakers with a Sonos system we are having the fiddly and inelegant need to wire a separate amp made by Sonos.
I'm sure I'm not alone in wanting to integrate a pair of hi-fi speakers with a Sonos system we are having the fiddly and inelegant need to wire a separate amp made by Sonos.
As to the first, I am not sure what you mean. The 5 units can be placed on available third party stands, placed on the floor.
As to the second, why does the 5 not qualify for being called Hi Fi speakers? Personally, I would also like them to look more like ones, with a wood veneer, but that is a subjective preference that may not have enough of a market.
But a 5 pair placed at the height of the ears in listening position is a very capable set up. Throw in the Sonos Sub, run Trueplay and you are in audiophile territory. Even a 1 pair + Sub gets close to that.
Note that I refer to the new 5 model, which can also be placed vertically on a shelf or stands. Or horizontally, as the old model could be placed.
+1Sonos make it super clear that they will support their speakers for many years to come. Their Play:1 was many years ago before the Play:5, and I don't see them releasing another revamp any time soon. Actually, the only revamp ever done from Sonos is the new Play: 5. All the other speakers are the original product.
By investing in a second Play:5 you're widening the stereo image, and I think you're filling the space better. It will sound better. If you want a stereo pair that you know you want to invest in, but last. It's a good option!
By investing in a second Play:5 you're widening the stereo image, and I think you're filling the space better. It will sound better. If you want a stereo pair that you know you want to invest in, but last. It's a good option!
+3Its good for flexibility... for people who live in an apartment who can't set up wires everywhere and can always use 5s in different rooms in their next home. Or, set it up temporarily before a party or something. I can't think of a reason why this would be anyone's first permanent choice though. You could pretty much wire any other speaker to an amp or Connect: AMP for less and it would sound and look better. Mounting a play5-level quality speaker is super cheap these days. And, I dont know about anyone else but I like my powered devices away from my head. I wouldnt sit next to an amp on my couch nevermind one with a router. I love my play5s for carrying around for added sound and outside space but its not as nice as in-ceiling speakercraft set for much less money.
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