How To Set Up A Sonos Home System

Sonos is the biggest proper noun in multi-room audio. Sure, the likes of Amazon'southward Echo range and Apple's HomePod have added some much needed mainstream competition, but Sonos is even so the proper noun that regular folk associate with sorting a multi-room speaker setup for their homes.

Sonos is and then unproblematic to fix, whether you lot want one speaker, a stereo-pair, or in-sync speakers in various rooms; and the array of playback options is staggering – think local storage, streaming services, internet radio, TV audio and more. Toll-wise, there are better priced options, simply you lot're certainly getting what y'all pay for in terms of performance with Sonos.

Information technology does lack somewhat on the smart dwelling house front end, compared to its dedicated smart speaker rivals, only that'southward an surface area where information technology's continuously improving – non only with its ain Alexa-packing speakers, simply at present with Google Assistant back up as well, along with other platforms like AirPlay.

Sonos now even has a couple of Bluetooth speakers in its line-upwardly; something you lot would accept never believed a few years ago and at that place'due south even rumors of some Sonos headphones landing in 2022.

It can be daunting deciding which are the best Sonos speakers to invest in, just we've got you covered there with our guide below.

Read on to discover everything you demand to know about Sonos.

The best Sonos speakers for your set upwards

There are an always-expanding range of different Sonos speakers bachelor, all of which have Ethernet and Wi-Fi connectivity as standard. Below you'll find a selection of the ones you demand to know about, with some key details almost each.

But first, yous need to know about the S2 app. Last year, Sonos stopped updating its 'legacy products'. That'southward the original Zone Players, kickoff-generation Connect and Connect:Amp, the first-generation Play:5, the CR200 and the Sonos Bridge.

Y'all even so take the option of carrying on using your Sonos setup, equally is; you lot just won't receive software updates and new features equally they launch.

Guide: Sonos speakers and Amazon Music Hd

Still, if your Sonos system comprises fifty-fifty just one of those legacy devices and a bunch of the newer speakers, y'all'll have to ditch your one-time one, or condemn your new speakers to the same no-more-updates fate.

You lot can separate your organization apart - which is completely a non-runner for virtually Sonos setups - or just let your old Sonos speakers die. You lot tin also upgrade your old Sonos kit using a 30% credit trade-in program, but that nevertheless won't stop your old speaker from life in a landfill.

If you are still thinking of edifice, or adding to, a Sonos system then there are some great Sonos speakers to cull from, ranging from bookshelf speakers, to soundbars, to sub-woofers.

Sonos One

Buy now: Amazon , sonos.com | $199

The Sonos One is the entry-level Sonos product in the ecosystem. It's not actually the cheapest mains-powered Sonos speaker – the SL is – but it is the cheapest if y'all want Google Assistant/Alexa integration.

You can likewise control your not-Alexa Sonos speakers through your Repeat devices, simply the Ane has the smart assistants built in, i.e. you tin utilise it to control your lights, locks and the like, as well as asking for Alexa or the GA'southward assist with various digital tasks. Information technology's also an AirPlay ii speaker, then it tin exist grouped upwardly with HomePods and other AirPlay two-enabled speakers.

In March 2022, Sonos refreshed the One with the Gen 2 model: differences include a faster processor and more than memory – and the addition of Bluetooth Low Energy, making it easier to set up the speaker initially.

It'south white or blackness as standard – only there are also HAY Sonos Ane Limited Edition versions (of gen-i Ones), which add a splash of color for $30 extra.

Read our total Sonos One review
Sonos One vs Sonos Move

Sonos One SL

Buy now: Amazon, sonos.com | $179

The Sonos One SL replaced the Play:1 and is substantially a Sonos 1 without the smart assistants. In fact, information technology's barely distinguishably by its slightly smarter twin, with only the lack of microphones the giveaway here.

Who is this for? Anyone who wants the cheapest "in" to the Sonos ecosystem just also doesn't care or want Alexa or the Google Assistant. Maybe you don't similar the idea of putting microphones in your home. Maybe yous simply don't care virtually that stuff.

The One SL is a bookshelf Sonos production that's platonic for bedrooms, offices, kitchens and the similar. It'due south a powerful little speaker on its own just it also works brilliantly in a larger room, paired upwards to form a duo of stereo speakers.

More than Sonos' mic drop, the SL offer plenty of sound bang for its cadet, with 2 Form-D digital amplifiers, a tweeter for clear high-frequency response and a mid-woofer for mid-range vocal frequencies. It's also cheaper than the One past $20.

What's different: Sonos One v 1 SL

Sonos Move

Buy now: Amazon, sonos.com | $399

Sonos finally built a Bluetooth speaker a couple of years back, bringing its expertly-tuned sound to the great outdoors. And it sure equally hell wants you to know about it .– the Sonos Move is loud.

It'due south also a speaker of two parts. Indoors, it connects to your Wi-Fi like any other Sonos speaker and behaves merely like a Sonos One: there's Alexa and Google Banana built in, AirPlay 2 support, and easily slips into your multi-room organisation.

Just hit that Bluetooth push on the back and you're free to roam, with up to x hours of bombardment life to play with (so long as you're playing at a "moderate volume").

The Move too has Automatic Trueplay, which will automatically optimize its sound for the space around information technology.

Check our full Sonos Move review

Sonos Roam

Buy now: Amazon, sonos.com | $169

The little brother to the heavy hitting Move, the Roam was revealed in early-2021 and is Sonos' smallest and cheapest speaker so far.

Like the Motion, it'due south capable of Bluetooth and Wi-Fi streaming and, on the sometime it'southward actually Sonos' most avant-garde Bluetooth speaker as information technology can too beam a received BT stream around to other Sonos speakers on your network.

The Roam is a curved triangular speaker that weighs less than a pound and is waterproof enough that you can take information technology in the bathroom, or around the pool, without worrying near it breaking if it takes a dip.

Have a read of our full Sonos Roam review
Portable showdown: Sonos Roam vs Sonos Move

Sonos Five

Buy now: sonos.com | $499

The flagship bookshelf speaker, one of the latest Sonos speakers, is really a highly-evolved version of Sonos' first ever speaker. It boasts six Class-D digital amplifiers, six dedicated speaker drivers, 3 tweeters and iii mid-woofers.

The V replaces the 2d-gen Play:v and, like its predecessor, has a line-in on the back for CD players, turntables and the similar, and also offers up a pair of Ethernet ports and then it can human action as a handy switch or extender for your wired devices. It can sit down in either portrait or mural as well, and comes in a choice of all black or all white.

Compared to the One and Ane SL, the Five offers a much fuller sound, with an improved mid-range especially – something that feels rather hollowed out on the other two.

Sonos Arc

Purchase at present: sonos.com | $799

The Sonos Arc went live in 2022, offering Dolby Atmos surround sound and too HDMI connectivity (ARC or eARC) and 270-degree multi-directional sound from that curved grille.

Coming in matte black or white, it's a step-up from the hugely popular (and recently updated) Sonos Beam, offer a dedicated Tv speaker that isn't just Atmos-equipped, only likewise stereo and Dolby Digital 5.1 friendly likewise.

Featuring xi drivers in total; 8 elliptical woofers and 3 angled silk-dome tweeters, the Arc uses Sonos Trueplay software to make certain you get the optimum audio for your room and setup.

Whether your voice assistant of choice is Google Assistant or Alexa, the Sonos Arc has you covered and it's besides an AirPlay 2 speaker as well.

While the Arc itself is capable of a v.0.2 surround sound stage, yous can eliminate the virtual parts by adding dedicated rear speakers (whatever of the Sonos One range is commonly the best bet) and a Sonos subwoofer - but more than on that in a bit.

In that location is besides a Costco-exclusive Sonos Arc SL, which ditches the voice assistants and will save you $fifty.

Read our total Sonos Arc review

Sonos Beam (2d-gen)

Purchase now: Amazon, sonos.com | $439

The most compact member of the Sonos gang, the Sonos Beam - which has just been revamped for a 2d-gen model - tin, of form, be used as a regular Sonos speaker but really it's designed to beefiness-upward your Boob tube's audio – it connects via HDMI eARC and, like the Arc, has loftier cease audio like Dolby Atmos on offer.

The Sonos Beam ii looks a heck of a lot like its predecessor, at least in terms of footprint and course cistron. Similar the original, it is small-scale in size, measuring only 26 inches long, 4 inches wide and ii.7 inches high.

Featuring five Course-D digital amplifiers, a unmarried tweeter, 3 passive radiators and four elliptical midwoofers, it besides boasts a five-mic array for voice command, which makes it easy for Alexa or the Google Banana to hear you from a altitude over whatever is being played through the speaker. AirPlay 2 is also on board.

Read our full Sonos Beam 2 review
Soundbar showdown: Sonos Beam vs Sonos Arc

Sonos Ikea Symfonisk

Buy now: Ikea | From $99

Ok, and then technically this is the cheapest manner into the Sonos ecosystem, but that's considering it'due south not really built by Sonos. Rather, Ikea's Symfonisk speakers put Sonos sound tech inside Ikea-built furniture. Right now in that location'southward a tabular array lamp and a bookshelf speaker, but there'south promise of more to come.

Both speakers share the same guts: ii class-D amplifiers, ane tweeter and one mid-woofer (though the size of these obviously varies between the two). In terms of quality though, they're a little less impressive than the Sonos One – merely still sound peachy.

In mid-2021 Ikea introduced a third Symfonisk speaker to the mix... the intriguing Symfonisk Moving picture Frame WiFi speaker.

The latest Symfonisk speaker is bachelor with an array of interchangeable fronts, with the idea being you'll discover one that suits the blueprint of your home.

The Symfonisk Picture Frame WiFi speaker is available from $199.

Read how the budget Sonos Ikea Symfonisk sounds in our review.
And accept a look at our full Sonos Ikea Symfonisk Picture Frame WiFi speaker review .

Sonos Sub

Purchase now: sonos.com | $699

The Arc and Beam both add brilliant audio improvements to your habitation cinema setup on their ain, but they can also be teamed up with other Sonos' speakers as function of a environs sound setup – and that's where the Sub comes in.

Looking more than or less exactly the aforementioned as the 2nd-gen model, the new Gen 3 Sub has had its innards revamped with increased retentivity and faster processing power.

Withal, Sonos' subwoofer isn't merely for a TV surround setup; it'southward as well brilliant for calculation bass to your music and, again, you tin can just throw information technology into a grouping as per a regular speaker.

Essential Sonos Alexa commands
Sonos tips and tricks for an even smarter ready

Sonos Architectural by Sonance

Buy now: Amazon | From $599

Sonos too offers non-bookshelf speakers, in the form of the Sonos Architectural past Sonance lineup, which includes in-wall, in-ceiling and outdoor speakers.

They will need to be hooked upward to the Sonos Amp to work, which ways that embracing this new range of Architectural Sonos isn't inexpensive. On top of the Sonos Amp, the Sonance line-upward consists of the Sonos In-Wall ($799), the Sonos In-Ceiling ($599) and the Sonos Outdoor ($799).

The Sonos Amp auto-recognise and connect to the Sonance wall speakers, and you'll be able to tune them via TruePlay.

The extras and Sonos components

That's your lot when it comes to sound output, merely there are some additional accessories to make your Sonos system harder, meliorate, faster, stronger.

Sonos Port

Buy now: Amazon | $449

Sonos' Port is an update to the older Connect systems, and will allow y'all to claw upwards your old speakers to your Sonos system, rendering what was once dumb very much smart.

Brilliantly, it also includes a 12V trigger, meaning information technology tin plow those devices on and off without you needing to get up and exercise it yourself.

Sonos Amp

Buy at present: Amazon | $599

A replacement for the Connect:Amp, the $599 Amp is twice as powerful every bit its predecessor, coming with support for up to four speakers with 125 watts per channel. It besides supports AirPlay ii.

Sonos five.1 Goggle box environs sound system

As well as being able to pair upwards your Sonos speakers for stereo audio, and the multi-room synced music, you tin can too create a dedicated 5.ane TV surround system from within the Sonos app.

For this you'll need two key ingredients to get started – the Sonos Sub and one of the Sonos TV soundbars: either the Beam or the Arc. That's a 3.one arrangement correct there and Sonos actually sells 3.1 bundles with these setups from $i,499 – that price is for a Beam-based system, you'll pay a bit more to get an Arc involved.

To get to 5.i you lot obviously need to add together a couple of rear speakers and you can do this with either a pair of Ones, I SLs or even a pair of the Ikea speakers. Technically, you could throw some Sonos Fives at the back, but that would exist some level of overkill.

Looking for a Sonos 7.ane system? Y'all're out of luck, there's no official fashion of doing this at present.

Sonos: How does it work?

Sonos started life way back in 2005, as a remote command (with a brandish) and an amplifying box – the ZP100 – that effectively fabricated dumb speakers connected. The ZP100 had Ethernet and Wi-Fi connectivity and, using the controller, yous could stream your locally stored digital music, as well as tapping into some internet radio services.

Nowadays, Sonos is finer a collection of connected speakers that squad up with an app – mobile or desktop – to let you stream your music from a huge array of sources. Yous tin can accept just 1 Sonos speaker in your setup merely the fun starts when you begin to squad them up.

Setting up and Sonos Trueplay

Whether you're setting up a solo Sonos speaker, or connecting up a agglomeration of them (you tin can have a maximum of 32, by the way), you'll start by creating a Sonos account. On a PC or mobile device, operating on your home'due south Wi-Fi – the same Wi-Fi that your Sonos system volition use (to begin with, at least) – get the Sonos app and create an account. You're and then walked through the process of adding speakers to the mix.

The best way to do this is using an iOS device then you can brand use of Sonos' Trueplay tech – essentially a scale tool that uses your iPhone or iPad's microphone to measure out audio reflections off your room's walls to decipher room size, layout, furniture, speaker placement and any other acoustic factors that touch on sound quality.

Information technology takes a few minutes of you lot waving your iOS device around the room and then the app adjusts the speaker'due south woofer and tweeter for the all-time sound. Sure, the HomePod can do all this without yous walking around a room with a telephone in your paw, but it does mean the best possible sound from each speaker.

Sonos Multi-room sound

In one case y'all've gone through the process of adding all of your Sonos speakers, naming them and assigning rooms (and creating dedicated pairs of stereo-speakers, if you wish), you'll have a multi-room audio setup at your fingertips.

You lot can choose to play back different music sources in different rooms, or yous tin can group speakers then they play dorsum the same source, at the exact aforementioned time, perfectly in sync. Once you lot create groupings, your Sonos system will retrieve these until y'all ungroup them – it really is as simple equally checking or unchecking a box in the app. Yous can have as many groups ready upwards as you like, only a speaker tin only be in 1 grouping at a time.

These groups also stay intact when driving Sonos from another source. For instance, you can associate Amazon Echo devices with Sonos speakers, creating groups where the Sonos speakers are the default music playback for a command heard by your Echo devices. Aforementioned with Google Assistant now likewise.

Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Heave setup and more

Sonos speakers - apart from the Move and the Roam - are not Bluetooth speakers.

They operate on the two.4GHz Wi-Fi spectrum. That ways a larger range, uncompressed sound and better command effectually your whole house. It likewise means that the speakers themselves are streaming the audio, rather than simply relaying what your phone sends over to them.

When y'all beginning fix a Sonos speaker, though, by default information technology just runs on your home Wi-Fi network – and the speakers demand to have a good signal to your router to operate without lag or drops.

But you can better things by creating a Boost setup (sometimes referred to as 'Sonosnet'). What this means is a separate 2.4GHz mesh network that operates abroad from your dwelling Wi-Fi, while at the same fourth dimension still using your router's connection to the spider web for its internet-based sources.

The easiest mode to practise this, if possible, is to connect one of your Sonos speakers – any ane will do – to your router using Ethernet. This will make your Sonos speaker a hub for the Boost network.

Yet, the best setup – albeit at an extra price – is to add a Sonos Heave ($99) to the mix; a dedicated wireless booster that broadcasts 360 degree signals effectually your house.

What you tin can play on Sonos

When Sonos started life it was essentially a streamer for your locally stored digital music – think MP3s stored on a NAS drive or inside your iTunes library. And while the system is still capable of that, it now offers a whole lot more.

All of the major streaming services are on offer through Sonos speakers (y'all just need to sync upward your accounts in the app). The listing includes: Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, Deezer, Soundcloud, Google Play Music, Qobuz and Tidal.

In terms of radio playback, y'all can tap into the millions of digital stations from effectually the globe through TuneIn or SiriusXM - or even make use of the newly launched Sonos Radio service.

Finally, you tin as well utilise a Sonos device with a line-in option, or a Sonos TV speaker with digital optical audio, to stream pretty much anything you similar around your house – whether that exist sound from your ancient hi-fi'southward cassette deck, the sound from a Television set circulate or even your record player'southward vinyl.

I slice of advice – if you are planning on streaming anything other than compressed digital music (i.e cyberspace radio, stored MP3s, Spotify and the like), then you'll want a Boost setup to avoid choppy playback.

What is Sonos S2?

In June 2022, the S1 (onetime) and S2 (new) systems went live - the biggest shake up to the Sonos system to appointment.

At the start of 2022 Sonos announced that it would stop updating 'legacy products'. This list included original Zone Players, first-gen Connect and Connect:Amp, the first-generation Play:v, the CR200 and the Sonos Bridge.

Sonos S2 is not only the name of a new app, information technology's also a new OS, for your non-legacy Sonos speakers.

The new app looks pretty slick and in that location are some sweet new software features for upgraders, such every bit preset groupings that y'all tin use for speakers at sure times of mean solar day, or for events - think 'Good morning', 'Party' and and then on.

But the biggest deal is perhaps that Sonos is promising that S2 volition "enable college resolution audio technologies for music and home theater". We're hoping that means high-resolution audio for the likes of Tidal and Amazon Music Hard disk drive. The beginning signs of this are the Dolby Atmos features of the new Sonos Arc.

Sonos S1, which launched alongside the new S2 feel, is basically Sonos as it is was

Sonos in the smart home – Alexa, Google Assistant and more

Equally we said in the intro, Sonos is getting ameliorate on the smart home front – its Works with Sonos program has partners like Wink, Lutron, Logitech and Yonomi on board, making things like automation recipes possible.

Alexa is besides friendly with Sonos – Amazon'due south banana lives inside a range of Sonos speakers - as does the Google Assistant.

Besides, via the Sonos Skill, any Echo or Google Home speaker can control your existing Sonos speakers. In essence, that ways yous tin add together voice control for every bit little as $30 using an Echo Dot, and totally transform your setup.

Check out our guide to Sonos and Alexa to find out exactly what you can and can't exercise – but remember, you'll need a Sonos I with Alexa on board to actually command things in your smart dwelling house.

You can likewise now associate Amazon Echo devices with Sonos speakers using the Alexa app; creating groups where the Sonos speakers are the default playback for a control heard. Sonos has also fixed the problem of its speakers lowering the volume every time you talk to Alexa on your Echo, but it'south a little catchy – cheque out our guide on how to fix it.

Google Assistant integration has also now arrived (check out how to enable information technology correct here) and works much the same equally the higher up, which includes using any Google Banana speaker to control older Sonos models.

The Google Assistant and Alexa are both bachelor inside a range of Sonos speakers, including the Sonos One, Beam, Arc, Movement and Roam.

They tin't cohabit though – so you'll have to choose which ane you want. Don't worry, you lot can swap them at any fourth dimension, and you tin can even have different assistants running on unlike Sonos speakers in the house.

Sonos and AirPlay two

Smashing news – Apple'southward AirPlay 2 plays nicely with your Sonos system. Sort of. Some of it at least. The likes of the Sonos 1, 1 SL, Sonos Motion, Roam, Five, Beam, the second-gen Play:five and the Playbase are all AirPlay 2 enabled speakers and tin sync up with the HomePod and other AirPlay 2 speakers.

The rest of the bunch are not – but yous tin can include them by pre-grouping them with i of the speakers listed above in advance. That'south considering the new Sonos speakers will act every bit "hubs" while the one-time ones will just stream the music or audio they demand to.

Sonos streaming vinyl from your tape player

We've spoken about adding a Port, Amp, Connect or Connect:AMP to the mix in order to bring your non-continued sound equipment into your Sonos groups, and one of the most common requests is for people to stream their vinyl record collections over their Sonos speakers.

The good news is that it's not simply possible but besides easy to set up. You can either utilize a Port or Amp as stated – using the line-in port – or just become directly into a Five's line-in port.

Simply group up speakers to whatever Sonos device your record player is continued to, click play on the Line-in source and you're away.

Sonos and IFTTT

IFTTT compatibility lets Sonos users integrate their speakers into the wider smart home in a number of interesting ways. For example, you lot could add a recipe that starts Sonos playing your favourite song when your smart lock registers you arriving dwelling house, or a recipe that stops all music playing when your Nest Protect warning detects fume.

IFTTT has control over the basic playback functions: pause/resume/next/previous, and the volume controls. The integration is in beta right now, and Sonos says it will be adding more functionality as the beta develops.

Source: https://www.the-ambient.com/buyers-guides/best-sonos-speakers-system-setup-2519