Help me choose please;) Sonos play 1 or new play one?

I have had the sonos system for 6 years now, it consists of two play 3's and two play 5's, this system is awsome. For your application the Sonos - One Wireless Speaker with Amazon Alexa Voice Assistant would be the way to go. Best of luck - Jeff C.

Thanks!!;) Do you know if you can initiate playback through alexa or is it only good for increasing volume, skipping songs etc? I also want to play my playlists on spotify and initiate through alexa

You can initiate playback thru Alexa but you need the Sonos skill for Amazon

Hi Heatherhoward

First know that you must have the Sonos App and the Alexa App installed on your phone or tablet to use Alexa with the Sonos One.

That said...if you are part of the Amazon ecosystem you'll be able to command Alexa on the Sonos One to play whatever music genre Amazon Music has to offer. Additionally, you'll be able to command Alexa via the Sonos One to play compatible music services such as Sirius XM and others. For instance for Amazon Music the command would be "Alexa...play smooth jazz". For a music service the command would be "Alexa...play Watercolors on Sirius XM. If you have a smart home you can even control your lights with a Philips Hue hub and other smart devices.

If you have additonal Sonos speakers (i.e. Play 1, Play 3 or Play 5 ) named to other rooms you can command Alexa via the Sonos One to play music on them. Such as "Alexa...play smooth jazz on Bedroom". The music will only play on the Bedroom speaker not the Sonos One given the previous command. If you have grouped rooms together beforehand the command would be "Alexa...play smooth jazz". You'll notice that the command did not spceify a particular room when speakers are grouped. Music will play on all speakers until you de-group them.

If you still want to use your Dot I recommend changing the "wake command" on the Dot if it is in close proximity to the Sonos One. You cannot change the wake command on the Sonos One. Also, if you decide to really pump-up your music by creating a stereo pair you must use another Sonos One as the Sonos One and Play: 1 are not compatible as such. If you do create a stereo pair with Sonos One's I recommend turning off the "listening mic" of one speaker.

Below are two links you'll find useful. The first link is actually a subset of the second. However, I feel viewing them in the order listed is the most beneficial. Welcome to Sonos. Cheers!

https://sonos.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/3046?_ga=2.54127342.736737393.1518309673-124729981.1509230493

https://www.sonos.com/en-us/support/setting-up-sonos

Wow thanks so much;:) What are peoples experiences of the new play one witb alexa as ive read mixed reviews vs the old play 1 which has pretty much excellent reviews

Wow thanks so much;:) What are peoples experiences of the new play one witb alexa as ive read mixed reviews vs the old play 1 which has pretty much excellent reviews

The sound quality on both is fantastic and I personally can't tell the difference between a Play 1 and a Sonos One. Alexa support is good with a few exceptions:

1/ Not all Alexa skills are supported. Audible and audio skills are in the group that aren't supported;
2/ The Sonos One, although getting better, is still not as good as an Echo Dot at hearing the wake word;
3/ As AjTrek1 says, there is no ability to group players via voice control but I would expect that to come soon.

Personally, I would go for the Sonos One.

Wow thanks so much;:) What are peoples experiences of the new play one witb alexa as ive read mixed reviews vs the old play 1 which has pretty much excellent reviews

IMO there is no sonic difference between the Play: 1 and the Sonos One. If there is a difference I believe one would have to be part canine to hear it 😉. I don't make that claim lightly for the following reason...

I'll allow that Sonos had to make some cosmetic changes in the appearance of the Sonos One vs the Play: 1; as well as internally adjust some of the architecture (i.e. microphone array and rear panel connections etc). That said unless Sonos publishes information (which for now they have not) regarding the specifications for reproduction of music that details where the differences lie which would affect the listening experience I have to say the speakers are identical in that respect.

Furthermore, Sonos has not made mention of any improved DAC's or exotic speaker materials that would suggest an improved listening experience with the Sonos One over that of the Play: 1. Even if I can't hear it (perceive it) at least publish data that would indicate a realization via more critical listening and/or my having better hearing :8.

So bottom-line I chose the Sonos One not because of an improved listening experience but for the Alexa integration. In fact I sold my Play 1's (which were all in stereo pairs) and replaced them with Sonos One's because as I mentioned before the two are not compatible as a stereo pair.

One last point....both the Sonos One and Play 1 are moisture resistant. Which means either can be placed in a bath or shower room. That said I'd still be hesitant to place them in an area where the moisture/humidity content is constantly high (i.e. sauna or green house).

I hope this helps!

This is all so helpful and informative;) Set on a sonos one now, just have to decide if 1 or 2 (due to the deal) although i think ill stick with one as, whilst ive put up with a tinny bluetooth from tesco for years and dont mind paying a bit, im not a flush with money sadly;( Does anyone know if the flexson stands are any good(&the length of their cables?)

Flexson stands are great with excellent cable management. Places the speakers at the perfect level for listening _seated or standing. Flexibility in placement is a bonus if no tables, countertop or book shelves are available. Highly recommended in a Home Theater surround setup. There is also an alternative brand _Sanus, although I have no experience with them.

This is a bit off topic to your inquiries but I highly recommend a boost setup as opposed to direct WiFi to prevent potential issues. Not saying that you’ll have them but a boost setup provides for a stronger signal with less interference from other devices as might be the case with WiFi.

As you may have read in the link I provided in a previous post a boost setup requires an Ethernet connection to the speaker or use of the Sonos dedicated boost component ($99 USD). The latter provides more flexibility for speaker placement especially so if you are considering using stands.