Play 5 pair or Play 1 pair + Sub

Since this keeps coming up, and I don't know if this has been discussed in a dedicated thread, I thought it might be useful. While a 5 pair + Sub would clearly be even better, this thread is for just these two alternatives that are at about the same price point.

I have only played around for some hours with a single 2nd gen 5 unit, so with that caveat, my thoughts as to why the 1 pair + Sub - that I have extensively used and still do - would be the way to go.

First, the Sub adds a lot of depth/richness to music played at low volumes, more effectively than what the loudness toggle does for any play unit.

For music at very loud levels, I suspect the 5 pair will run out of low frequency steam a lot before the Sub will.

And between these two extremes of sound levels, there may not be a large difference between the two. That is definitely speculation on my part.

A possible advantage of the 5 pair is one box less to find a place to keep, if the large 5 units can be conveniently accomodated.

I am open to correction on any of these statements; conversation on the topic is the point of this thread, assuming that people will find a way to it in future via a better search function that what we have here at this point! Which also might mean that this thread is redundant even now.

I have 3 play 1s, and have been wondering the same question (add a sub or get 5s). I travel to NYC often so I recently tested it at the store in manhattan. Here is what I learned.

Sub + 1s
- is better on the low end. The sub gives that really room rattling low.
- clearly better than two 5s mounted horizontally in stero, IMO.

5s mounted vertically in stero
- great bass (really all you need), rattles the room but just a little bit less than the sub does.
- was astonished at the difference mounting them verically adds.

i asked all the workers in the store their preference and it was split between the 1s/sub and 2/5s. So that shows you how close in sound they are.

What I took alway from this experience is it depends on how you want to use your setup. The verically mounted 5s are more of a standard/traditional HiFi setup, whereas the 1s can be placed out of sight and the sub tucked away too.

What I took alway from this experience is it depends on how you want to use your setup. The verically mounted 5s are more of a standard/traditional HiFi setup, whereas the 1s can be placed out of sight and the sub tucked away too.
I agree that it depends on how you want to use the set up, and as I wrote, the 1 pair + Sub may work better at both the extreme ends of the volume control slider.

I still value the looks of traditional kit, so I would be more inclined towards a 5 pair if it was dressed to look like a classy pair of legacy HiFi speakers. Looks are a subjective thing, but they play a role in the listening experience given how the brain is wired. I can now live without the dancing needles of backlit VU meters on my kit, but I doubt I can live with ugly speakers, no matter how good they sound - which isn't to imply that any kit that Sonos has is ugly by present standards/tastes.

Yes. I will add a sub to my play 1s in due time, as the out of sight ability of the 1s + cheapness of multiple units is perfect.

That being said I just ordered a 5!

The one clear advantage of the 5 units is their line in jacks, if that feature is needed. Play I units need an expensive Connect to be added to them to obtain this.

The other thing to remember is that even with Trueplay available, there is much to be said for first placing the speakers in as close to ideal places as possible in the room. For the Sub, this means placement between the two 1 units, somewhere close to the centre if the latter isn't possible.

A 5 pair doesn't have a third box to be placed, but the two that do are larger in size than the 1 units which are easier to place well.

This then is another factor that may have a role to play in the decision.

From an optics perspective, I think the 1s look better than the 5s. More classy and have that expensive feel because of the wrapped metal mesh body to the plastic body of the play 5. Sadly the Sonos range is not style coordinated. Here functionality trumps form.

The sub is amazing, can definitely vouch for it!
I can't seem to find a way to pair (or create a new room) with just my Play:1s and the Sub though.

My setup is as follows;
- Room 1: Playbar, Sub, Play:1 (L+R)
- Room 2: Play:1 (L+R)

Would it be because I have the Sub linked to the Playbar and the Play:1's in Room 1? Ideally would like to have the option of Room 2 having the sub added to it as well. Is that possible?

I still hold the belief that every Sonos system should start with the Play:5

I believe that a play 1 is the ideal starting point; I also think that it is still the best product Sonos has ever made, even after the launch of the One. That it is much more value for money now is merely icing on the cake.