As someone who used to watch my uncle fiddle with his then-cutting edge vinyl record player, it never ceases to amaze me how far music technology has gotten these days.
Take the Sonos S5 Multi-Room Music System. If you took a time machine and showed this to me during my childhood years, it would’ve blown my mind even more so than my uncle’s cheesy afro. A speaker system that streams music from wireless sources? How’d they do that?
The question now, of course, is: How does the device rate today in the present? Let’s take a closer look shall we?
PROS
Easy set up: Just for kicks, I decided to do my initial set up with an iPad instead of a computer. After downloading the free Sonos app, setting up the device literally took a couple of minutes. It was seriously that quick. The controller interface is also simple and easy to use.
Music access: Through the Sonos program or app alone, you can access a bunch of Internet radio outlets, including those from other countries. I was even able to access the old music station I used to listen to back in the Philippines, plus some bombastic news programs that elicited laughs from my relatives. Folks with accounts to music services like Pandora, Rhapsody and Last.fm can use those as well. A cable is also included for connecting an MP3 player an using the Sonos as an external speaker.
Nice sound: The Sonos S5 offers crisp, clean sound with adequate bass. The key, of course, is you have to be streaming from a good source.
Expandability: The Sonos S5 can be linked to other S5 units in different rooms in your house. Users also have the option of playing either the same music or different tunes on each unit.
Other pros: The S5 comes with other features such as an alarm, equalizer, etc. You can also create a stereo system in one room by wirelessly linking a second S5 if you wish. The system is Mac compatible as well.
CONS
Expensive: This is the biggest drawback for the Sonos S5. At $399 per unit, you’re looking at spending some serious dough if you want to get a device in each room. Peripherals such as the $349 controller and $99 wireless bridge are also pricey and will have you wishing Rich Uncle Pennybags was your real uncle.
Gotta have a router: The device doesn’t really work on its own and requires a router. The main unit also has to be plugged directly to the router, which is a problem if you want to use it in a room where your router isn’t located. Otherwise, you’ll have to fork extra dough for the Sonos wireless bridge.
External player quirks: When I plugged an MP3 player to the device, the volume settings really went down. Not sure if this is the case with every player but I had to really turn the volume up on the one I was using.
OK bass: The bass will likely be fine for most folks. But music aficionados who like their speakers to have extra thump will find the bass a bit underpowered.
Other cons: The power cord for the S5 is a bit short, which limits your placement options depending on where your wireless router is located. On the iPad version of the controller app, the settings icon isn’t immediately obvious.
CLOSING THOUGHTS
The Sonos S5 is a pretty neat device that takes advantage of recent trends in how people consume their music. Folks who have fully bought into the digital music space and services such as Pandora and Last.fm will especially find the Sonos S5 enjoyable. Even if you don’t subscribe to those services, the regular Internet radio options available through the Sonos app or software is enough to make the device worthwhile. A high price tag means this device won’t be for everybody. But based on its feature set alone, I think the Sonos S5 is a great device for folks who don’t mind the price of admission.
Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5
