Customer Reviews

Sonos PLAY:5 Black - The Wireless Hi-Fi (formerly S5)

OMG!! My old system of stacks had died and I literally spent months researching various options to replace my old faithful. I liked the idea that the Sonos system would stream anywhere in the house and even play different music in different rooms, which would mean my wife could enjoy something different in one room while I was listening to something else in another room. But I must admit I was wary, technology and I are not terribly compatible, idiot proof usually makes me feel like... Well, an idiot!

All things carefully considered I decided to take the plunge and attempt to move with the times, after all I have a pretty extensive digital music library. I ordered a bridge and a Play 5. My order arrived swiftly and I downloaded the Sonos App, plugged everything in and... Nothing! The App repeatedly told me there was no Sonos system to connect to and I was left feeling like the afore mentioned techno idiot! After much messing about I decided to skip the bridge and connected directly to the Play 5 by plugging it straight into the router. Techno idiot no more! The sound was amazing, I was completely blown away.

The next day I phoned Sonos Support and explained my problem with the bridge. I have to say the Sonos Support Team are second to none, friendly, helpful, and the patience of saints - taking into account they were dealing with Techno Idiot! The bridge required a factory reset and a software upgrade which got everything going. Then they transferred my entire music library to the bridge for me, no short task. After an hour on the phone the system was up and running beautifully and I was in seventh heaven. An hour later the system crashed! I was more than disappointed, but next day I was back on the phone to the friendly support team who got me running again and explained that I might have to reset my router if it did it again. Resetting the router consisted of turning it off and then back on again and that was exactly what I had to do every day at least once.

After a week of this I was seriously thinking of packing the lot up and sending it back. An email to the Sonos CEO was swiftly answered and followed up with several telephone calls from a senior technician who was able to analyse my Sonos system and identify the problem, which I hasten to add was not down to the Sonos system at all, but my crappy BT Router. At this point I would expect most companies to wash their hands of the whole problem, after all it wasn't their doing, not so Sonos. Following the advice given I purchased an Apple Time Capsule (my choice, there were various options, but I'm a Mac user) and Sonos were back on the phone to set the whole system up for me. The sound quality is out of this world, the support is out of this world and I really cannot fault the Sonos Team. I am a total convert, having just placed an order for a second Play 5, there will be more Sonos purchases to follow over the next few months. If you have any doubts about taking the plunge, don't worry, Team Sonos will be there for you should things not go quite as well as you might have hoped - and trust me, they couldn't be much worse than my initial experience!

OK I think on balance, taking into account all the reviews, we can take it as a given that the Sonos S5 is something quite special. While I cannot disagree with the consensus of opinion why have I given it 4 stars instead of 5?

In a word RELIABILITY. I live in an average house in average conditions with no children and yet on three occasions have had to have replacement Sonos components within the guarantee period. This is too frequent an occurrence to be bad luck.

The first S5 suddenly lost its ability to produce any bass response within the first 6 months. After the usual factory reset it still failed to perform so I had to invoke a replacement unit within the warranty period.

The second problem occurred with the very expensive Sonos controller which developed a touch-screen fault. Part of the display failed to respond to touch commands. Once again I had to request a replacement.

The third occasion was the same problem as the first - the sudden inability to produce a bass response after 10 months of working flawlessly. This time the problem was suffered by my other S5 unit, located in a different part of the house and was purchased at a different retailer from the first.

So in summary - out of 4 Sonos components only the ZoneBridge has not let me down. Not a good track record is it?

These days manufacturers have their products 'Made in China' purely because it is cheaper and it vastly increases their profit margin. Unfortunately in my experience components have a much higher tendency to break down be it intermittent electrical faults, failure of rechargeable batteries or transformer failures. They just don't have the longevity expected of them.

Sonos are a very good company and have no hesitation in quickly responding and replacing faulty products. But what lifetime can I expect of these products? It doesn't bode well.

***** UPDATE 11 July 2011 - The replacement Controller 200 now refuses to hold its charge - although still under guarantee it is yet another instance of UNRELIABILITY that lets Sonos down.

Having used a Squeezebox system for a couple of years, I decided to upgrade to what must be the 'gold standard' for wireless hi fi. The S5 is part of a wider Sonos system at my home (S5, bridges, zone players and the CR200).

Firstly the software interface for the PC is much more user-friendly than the Squeezebox (which is rather clunky in comparison), secondly it works almost immediately out of the box, thirdly it's very easy to use - finally it sounds great.

The S5 looks like a bigger version of the Bose docking station, quite a bit bigger. I think it sounds better too - the Sonos system features a graphic equalizer on the PC and handset, so you can shape the sound to suit. I have one or two massive sound files (50MB +) and they sound better than a CD, the S5 and Sonos system definitely appear to have an audio edge over anything else.

The handset (CR200) is very cool. Album art appears, radio is easy to set up... it just works! The handset/controller is worth buying - it's the main reason I switched to Sonos.

The only minor issue is that the range seems 'ok' rather than exceptional, however I've fixed this by putting another couple of bridge units around the house so nothing drops out. You can name individual zones and control them individually or link as many or as few as you like...

Cost is the only downside with the Sonos system, however I have to say that once you've used it, it is actually good value. It's well made, looks very 'Apple-like' and seems to have bullet proof software.

The Sonos S5 is a remarkable bit of kit.

Having been a Sonos user for five years I expected the S5 to be a Zoneplayer with speakers, and not match up to my expectations on sound quality - after all, the portability allowed for use outside at BBQ's and the like, so sound quality is not the primary concern.

The system arrived quickly as I've come to expect from Amazon, and I couldn't wait to try it out. The S5 is reassuringly heavy and feels superbly well built - the white plastic and silver grille, give it a contemporary look and are a nod to the classic iPod colour scheme.

Once opened, I plugged in, grabbed one of my Sonos controllers and added it to the Sonos network - as simple and quick as ever.

Now the real test - what was the range going to be like (this player has Wireless N capability, unlike my existing Zoneplayers which are all wireless G). I set the player up at the back of my garden, a good 30 Meters from the Zonebridge and switched it on. The white indicator flashed a few times and then steadily lit - we were connected! I picked up a controller (My iPhone couldn't get Wifi in the same spot) and the mesh capabilities took over with 100% signal on the Sonos controller from the S5.

The next suprise was the sound quality - most of my Sonos zones are connected to pretty decent HiFi speakers (Mordaunt Short and the like) and quality is excellent, with deep bass and just the right tonal elements) how was the S5 going to compete? Well, honestly it sounds incredible - the bass belies its small size, and the power is more than enough for the most rowdy BBQ. This unit easily sounds as good as the �700 Bose iPod dock - but with full music library streaming and Napster built in.

So in summary - if you are hesitating - don't - this is easily the best audio solution out there for anyone who loves unlimited access to music with the flexibility to expand throughout the house - buy buy buy!

Features: *****
Range: *****
Sound: *****

Summary:
The Sonos units and their supporting software, manual and internet facilities are a first-class example of modern consumer technology. Simple to install, with excellent control interfaces and producing high quality sound.

Introduction
We have two Sonos ZonePlayer 90's driving amplifier and speaker systems, one ZonePlayer S5 and one ZoneBridge. The S5 and one ZP90 are linked via the ZoneBridge to the incoming internet router, the other ZP90 is linked directly to a separate network repeater hub in an annex. These were all installed in February/March 2012. Our music is stored on an 1TB Iomega Home Media Drive directly attached to the network. Control is effected via PCs and an Android mobile 'phone. This system replaces an earlier network/wifi system which was much about half the price: the differential in cost is much improved by using the control software on PCs and 'phone thereby eliminating the Sonos controller.

Installation
It is difficult to see how the installation could be made simpler or faster: just follow the step-by-step diagrams. It takes longer to get the kit out of the box and plug it in than it does to get it working!
Indexing of our music library (about 8500 tracks) is fast and accurate. Note that if you have a storage device attached to the network it is not necessary to have a computer running for the system to work, unless this is your only way of running the control software.

Manual
The online manual (via Help on the PC control interface) is very clear, very well organized and appears to cover all normal queries. We have had only minimal need to refer to this, when switching a ZP90 from a wired to a wireless connection via the ZoneBridge.

In Use
At present we use Sonos control software on two PCs and an Android mobile 'phone. As a part-time software developer I have to say that this system has a top-class, dare I say beautiful interface. It is very intuitive, we found nearly all functions quickly without reference to the manual; the exception being the little trick to open the "Group Volume" slider window (double click on the volume slider on the PC, tap the volume slider on the Android).

We use a variety of audio sources: principally the music library (music stored mainly in Apple lossless format), also the television as a line input on one ZP90, Napster (now Napster by Rhapsody in the UK) and the radio stations. The grouping facility is used a lot; again this is very easy to manage.

Music sounds great via the hifi systems (a notable improvement on an earlier non-Sonos system!). The output from the S5 is also great for a device of this type, easily as good as any standalone radio or MP3 dock device I have heard.

The Napster library has proved a great way of exploring the music of artists we'd never normally hear much of (amazing how much our listening habits are influenced by the output of the main radio stations), but having said that it is not totally comprehensive and the indexing is imperfect. Sometimes a track can be found only by sifting through the artist's output and not directly by track name, for example. We looked at Spotify but this now requires you to have a presence on Facebook link which we prefer not to have!

There are a vast number of radio stations available through Sonos: this works brilliantly and switching from other sources is seamless (the previous system we had was a nightmare in this respect).

Using the TV as a line input pipes the sound via the hi-fi so is a big improvement on the TV's own speakers. We have a PVR and DVD connected to the TV so the sound from these is likewise improved. By grouping the Sonos units can be shared to another room (e.g. the kitchen) so at least if you have to nip out to put the kettle on you can keep up with the dialogue!

Other points
We have had only one Sonos software update since installation nearly two months ago. This was quick and applied to all units simultaneously. Again, a contrast and relief after our earlier system which had frequent updates, slowly applied to each unit in turn.
The control software on the PCs has crashed a couple of times but this is almost certainly due to the PCs being 5+ years old and gummed up with all sorts of background processes courtesy of Mxxxxxxxt and others.
The units do not have to be left on continuously: playlists and favourite radio stations are preserved when they are turned off. It's necessary only to re-select the "music" source when they are turned on again.

Conclusion
Wholeheartedly recommended, wonderful stuff, a joy to use, not a single complaint. Expensive relative to some alternatives but well worth the money.

The Sonos S5 Zoneplayer is a fantastic source for music. I'm not a hi-fi buff, but even to the layman the quality from this system is truly excellent, giving a great response across the range from bass up to treble. The unit itself feels sturdy and substantial and can be placed discreetly in any room to give a great sound.

The unit needs to be used in conjunction with a Sonos ZoneBridge and Zone Controller (available separately), or an iPhone can be used instead of the controller by downloading an 'app'. It is quick and easy to set up - you don't need to be a wi-fi expert or know about IP addresses etc - I had it set up and playing music in under 30 minutes from opening the box, including setting up the ZoneBridge and controller. Once set up you can play your music collections off your PC (iTunes or other sources) or streaming radio off the internet etc. I did have a slight problem initially trying to add internet radio stations manually (many seem to bury their mp3 source inside a flash application so you can't get the true streaming URL) but it is not really necessary to add them manually as you can get loads of internet radio stations by putting in your location and selecting from the preset stations.

I expect that after just a few weeks I have not really started to unlock the full potential of this system, it is very versatile, great quality and very easy to use (my kids love choosing songs from the controller). Definitely recommended for anyone who appreciates good sound quality from their music system and wants this integrated with their PC-based music collection.

Works out of the box - attached to an existing SONOS system.
Sound quality is good.
Volume is enough to fill an 5 x 3 mtr room very easily w/o losing sound quality.
Do not position above head height for best sound.

This is a truly impressive piece of technology and I'm extremely pleased with it. It has obvious excellent build quality and is very easy to install and use. Open the box and the first thing you see is the installation instructions. Just 4 easy steps to access your own music stored on your computer, thousands of free Internet radio stations from all over the world and millions of songs from online music services such as Napster. There is also a line-in so you can connect to any MP3 player, CD player or similar. It took me approximately 5 minutes to get it out of the box and working with both internet radio and music from my computer. The instructions are simple and straightforward to follow, I was surprised by just how quick and easy it was.

The Sonos S5 is described as a wireless multi-room system, and it is, but if it is your only Sonos component you will need to connect it directly to your router (ethernet cable provided) so that it can create the necessary Sonos network and provide the access to the internet based services. The best solution is to purchase a ZoneBridge which is connected to the router instead and then your S5 can be plugged in anywhere and work wirelessly in connection with the ZoneBridge. Unfortunately I haven't got a Zonebridge, so my S5 is stuck in our home office next to the router at the moment.

The Sonos S5 is an expensive item but you certainly get great value out of the device with rich quality of the sound and superb clarity of both music and the internet radio. The radio has no hiss or crackle and considering the global selection of radio stations I can't see that DAB radio has any additional benefits over the quality of the radio that the S5 offers. I do have a DAB radio, and the sound quality appears the same to me. Audiophiles may be able to comment further.

The Sonos can be controlled through your computer but to gain the benefits of wireless control wherever you are in your home then you need to use a wireless controller. There is an additional Sonos Wireless Music Controller that you could purchase, but it is expensive. However, if you already have an iPhone or an iPod Touch you can download the free Sonos Controller App from the iTunes store and have exactly the same controller system that you would get on the dedicated Sonos Controller. I've installed in on my iPhone and it's responsive and accurate.

The only downside that I have discovered so far is that I now want to buy a ZoneBridge and more Sonos S5's for other rooms in the house - I'm not sure my bank balance can cope! If you can afford more than one S5 then you can arrange to have your S5s playing different music in different zones, or all S5s playing the same music (great if you love to throw parties!). If you have a large room then you can arrange two S5s to play stereo - one acting as the left channel and the other as the right channel. It's such a well thought out system.

I have no hesitation in highly recommending this system for the music or radio lover and you certainly don't need to be a techno-geek to get it working and get it working very quickly. Just make sure you buy a ZoneBridge as well.

I am actually going to review three products from the same series that interlink.
Sonos Systems ZonePlayer - S5 Black
Sonos BR100UK1 ZoneBridge 100 Wireless Music Controller
Sonos Wireless Music Controller 200
The beginning of each review is the same for one reason; when you open the box you get the same thing & as it's very helpful I want to mention it each time just in case the reader doesn't need to buy all three & doesn't read all three reviews...if you have read one skip the next parapraph.

When you open the box you see a clearly printed cd sized sheet which tells you in large writing what to do if you get stuck & that no question is too small or too big. As I was initially setting up the whole system at one time this was quite reassuring as my first thoughts were ` where do I start?' underneath this sheet is another - the quick set up guide which clearly shows for steps to get set up (answering my earlier question about where to start) the first step shows the different options depending on which components you have purchased. Following this guide I had the system set up in less than 10 minutes (including unpacking time), with no problems, queries or mistakes. I genuinely believe if you can read you can set this up.

The zoneplayer connects the mains via the supplied cable if you have a zonebridge it connects wirelessly to this, if not it connects directly to your router using the supplied cable. It has sockets for line in (mp3 players etc) and line out (headphones). There is a mute button and a volume up & down button. Following the instructions it connected immediately.

The sound quality is excellent...better than my old stereo at least! There is about � second from when i press a button either in my pc or the controller to hearing the response - i think this is excellent, much more responsive than cheap Bluetooth speakers for example. So far it hasn't dropped the sound, nor has it stopped working for any reason or failed to respond to any commands. The volume range is excellent from nothing to very loud party music. Everything about this is very intuitive. The included software to control the system is completely user friendly, from the zones, to the options for adding, listening to music. We have installed this on both mine & my partners laptops with on conflict issues.

Knowing the name `Napster' from days gone by as a pirate system I was pleasantly surprised to find that the 30 day trial included is a seemingly constant stream of music and along with the last.fm free service you should have plenty to listen to while you're busy ripping cd's into mpegs on your pc.

Describing this as portable is questionable - it weighs about the same as my toddler! But it is `movable' so that if you have just the one zoneplayer (two or three around the house would be wonderful!) you can for example place it in a different room if you're entertaining.

You will need to adjust your power settings if you are playing music that's stored on your PC or laptop so that is doesn't sleep or power off after a set time or if you close the lid. To get around this you can store your music on a `NAS' network attached storage like a hard drive that's plugged into your router (don't worry if either this or the zonebridge is using your last socket, they both have lan switches on the back so you use that!)

Other than having more of these networked up to create extra zones (you could play the same song around the house at the same time, or different songs in different rooms, or set up stereo speakers in one area) connecting via a zonebridge, the only other improvement on this zoneplayer would be to use the controller 200 (reviewed separately).

This is an always on system which goes to power save mode when not used for a short length of time. I have not found any delay in `waking' up the system.

Registration happens at the point of loading software & then you have access to forums, FAQ's, Live web chat help & email questions/support. It's makes for interesting reading and is very reassuring. I just havn't had to use it yet.
Stylish to look at, easy to set up, easy to use, great build and sound quality. Highly recommended individual product and a must have system for everyone.

I bought the S5 and a Zone bridge100 to play music from a buffalo NAS using WiFi. I've used the unit for three weeks now and am very impressed with the sound and build quality, ease of use and look.

The unit came in Apple "like" packaging, was set up and connected to my NAS in around 10 minutes using wifi. The instructions were very clear and easy to follow. The sound quality is excellent - especially when you consider that it's little bigger than a normal speaker.

Good features include:
integrated last fm and similiar services
free iPhone application that gives you full remote access over wifi - the app gives you great control
play lists - imported from iTunes and also queing up
good sound quality and more than enough volume for my lounge
virtually no cables - just the power adapter - making the unit very portable

quircks/limitations
doesn't integrate fully with iTunes - so won't increment play count which I normally use to build automatic playlists
can't play on iPhone at same time as S5 - it would have been nice to make the iPhone another component within a zone and I'm sure that the free app could do this if sonos wanted to lake it happen.
If you want the dedicated controller it's cheaper to by an iPod touch and install the free app but even then still expensive

summing up - a great audio solution which can ne extended for multiple room playing