Sunday, 10 January 2016 14:04

REVIEW: Sonos Play: 5 - the kid that wanted to be one of the guys

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Sonos has updated their new flagship speaker Play:5. We have already tested it both as a solo and as a stereo-set, along with their new Sonos romkorreksjonssystem True Play.

Sonos needs no introduction, neither for us audiophiles or the common girl in the street. For most people, these streaming speakers have become an icon, which in many cases replaces both a classic stereo system and the traditional table-top radio. And for HiFi retailers this phenomenon has become an increasing threat, and giving the increasing number of gray hairs in line with declining sales of heavier HiFi.

And then there is of course a timely matter - is it an obvious task for a web Magazine like Audiophile.no to Write about products that does`t necessarily trigger the most audiophiles genes in us? The answer is really very obvious, since at least two of the editors are daily users of Sonos` products. This of course does not mean that we have thrown out what we may belong of heavier HiFi, allowing Sonos takin over the role as first violinist in the home. But it means that Sonos has very high user qualities that make this system is a very obvious choice in a variety of applications. And for us that place far greater emphasis on sound quality than what is generally regarded as acceptable within the sane rows, there are two main areas that make Sonos` streaming speakers particularly relevant. It's as a multiromsystem, and as a modern table-top radio for more casual listening. And then there is the basic model Play: 1 which is the most obvious product model which, incidentally, is an obvious bestseller.

 

 

 

The kid who would like to become one of the guys!

But then it was just the fact that there has gradually emerged a model that clearly has ambitions far Beyond being a table-top radio for most people. Sonos Play:5 has been on the market for a while in the old version, and when Sonos this fall launched a renewed edition, it was the clear signal that they would like to be adopted to the gang. And when we of course don`t talk about the gang of active streaming speakers, where Sonos already has been king of the hill for a decade.

What I refer to is that the all-new Play: 5 has obvious ambitions to get a place as a hardcore HiFi stereo. With a two-pack Play: 5 you have all it takes to get a complete stereo system - source, amplifier and speakers. The interesting question is whether it delivers good enough sound to replace a conventional component setup? This question, I will answer later, but first we take a closer look at the New Play:5.

 

 

 

Construction

With the new Play:5 Sonos has had ambitions to move the boundary for what they may achieve in a compact streaming speaker. Therefore, it is also a brand new speaker compared to its predecessor. It's a two-way design, with 3 tweeters and 3 midrange / bass speakers.

Also the chassis is very different than the old Play: 5. Design of the cabinet has obvious affinities with the smaller model Play: 3, but where the alignment is clearly more refined. New is also the operation interface, which has been given touch-buttons that may seem a bit unusual until you have become accustomed to them. The visual minimalism is really focused here, in that the volume down and up is implemented as integrated- and virtually invisible touch zones in cabinet surface.

 

 

 

 

Trueplay

Trueplay is a really naughty room correction system that has an unique Method of calibrating the speakers. Actually, Trueplay something dedicated new to Play:5, since it works for all components. But it is nevertheless reasonable to associate it with the Play:5, as they were launched simultaneously.

The way you set up each speaker is by walking around in the room where the speaker stands, while waving your iPhone or iPad. Those of you who are worried about being taken away by two Nice young men in a white coat telling you everything will be just fine, may prefer to draw to the curtains before this process starts - this does not look entirely sane for the uninitiated. After the process is over, the speaker calculates which corrections that is needed to obtain an optimal result.

 

 

I ran the process with all the devices in the house, and to my surprise on all speakers I got the message that it was only necessary to make minor adjustments. Also on the loudspeaker that is placed in the bathroom.

The result of True Play is convincing. There is a clearly better sound, which manifests itself in the form of a clearly defined bass. My impression is that the improvement is greater at Play: 1 than the Play: 5, but admit that this may be related to the current speakers` location.

 

Sonos Multiroom system.

What distinguishes Sonos from most competitors is a multiromsystem which is very thoughtful, and with a very user-friendly user interface. There are dedicated apps for PC / MAC, iOS and Android, and these are constantly updated.

What I appreciate most of all with Sonos, is the very accomplished time Programming functions that Sonos Call alarms. At our home there are preprogrammed that NRK P1 will be turned on at. 06.30 on Monday to Friday, for a slightly soft start with easily blend of music, smalltalk and local news. 7:30 it swiches over to NRK P2, for more hardcore newscasts and political quarters, before the system silenced at 8:00 when the house usually abandoned. In the afternoon the system always turn on NRK P2 and the evening news, and every Saturday it is the programmed to turn on Popquiz.

And it may seem a bit on the edge of crazy having a separate unit in the bathroom. Until you've experienced how great it is to continue listening even though nature or the morning shower requires Your time.

Inside the app you select which devices will play at any time, also for the preset listening. And those who play at the same time, always playing in perfect sync. This is not an obvious case, life and experience of competing system has taught me. And this is also where you can choose a pair of speakers will be set up as a stereo set, or as two individual room units.

 

 

Streaming.

Sonos has built in clients for the leading streaming services. On the Norwegian market, we appreciate Spotfy, TIDAL, Deezer, and now also Apple Music. And unlike many other apps, Sonos app works excellent as an alternative to streaming services` own apps. And as a pure bonus you have the option to search for music across all services. You will be displayed hits in the respekcive services on a summary page.

 

Room for improvements?

Although Sonos` operating system is probably by far the best of all multiroom systems, it is possible to have a wish list for further development. And the first point I want is the ability to select the radio station on the unit itself, without having to initiate the app. This I imagine can be embedded as a software update, by configuring a double-click that will give "next" presets in "Sonos favorites." And then, it`s up to you to choose which stations (or album for the part) to add there.

The next item on the wish list is the possibility of an easy way to select "sleep" on the Sonos you probarly have placed on the nightstand. This can surely be set in the app, but again it sometimes becomes cumbersome. A third wish is the ability to save different room groups under self-chosen names. That would give even greater flexibility in connection with the pre-programming of multiroom-events / alarms.

A remote that provided additional Equipment could also have been desirable. Sonos previously had a separate HW remote, but this was phased out as the APP management with smartphones were developed. An updated version of remote control as an option I think would please many Sonos owners.

 

 

The sound of Play: 5

I've lived for a while with Play:1 as streaming speaker, and the sound works perfectly fine for casual listening. Compared to the physical Dimensions, it is impressive what it can deliver of sound quality. With Play:5 we are over in a completely different division. The sound is much fuller, and has now entered into adulthood. The bass is surprisingly rich and extends atonishing deep. And like Play:1 it is free from unsightly boost to compensate for that it does not reach down to the very deepest frequencies.

 

Play: 5 as stereo setup.

Then we come to the question that I asked in a previous section - may 2xPlay: 5 do the job as a thoroughbred stereo? To find the answer, I rmounted up a set up on the HiFi division of my house, where the more serious listening is going on. Each Play:5 was placed on separate Target speaker stands. They were lined up vertically, which theoretically should give better perspective in stereo. Here it is appropriate to interject that Flexson just launched dedicated racks for Play: 5. This may be natural choice for those wanting a rack solution. It gives a both elegant and stable solution. See picture in section the kid who would like to be one of the guys

In my case they were lined up on a couple Target stands, located just over a meter from the back wall, and formed ca. an equilateral triangle with my listening position. Varying music was played, with a listening level that approached Home-alone conditions.

TIDAL in lossless configuration hosted the music, and first out was an ancient reference. Kari Bremnes` album Månestein gave an impressive performance and gave the first confirmation that the Play: 5 can play real HiFi. While Kari was first in the ring was also the album Spor was played. Also here the sound is very good, with a fierce bass, which admittedly could emerge as a bit domnating in the mix.

Karl Seglem`s new album lærad was also very impressive and gave a great stereo perspective.

The surprising bass response made me test some classic albums with some bass giants of jazz-rock. "Journey to Love" and "Stanley Clarke" is the very best from Stanley Clarke and Play: 5 handled it very well. But with a proviso - there is limit to how high one can play. At max level it is clear that this set does not thrive completely, so it is necessary to decrease the volume to approximately 95% for the Play:5 to retain full control. But we are after all still deep in the home-alone level.

It is therefore no doubt that you can get much musical pleasure and a high fun factor with a stereo system consisting of a two-pack of Sonos Play: 5. The interesting question is whether it competes with a stereo in the same price range.

Based on pure HiFi criteria I'm probably not in doubt that I could put together a budget facility at NOK 10,000 - that sounds even better. It could for instance be a NAD D3020 (read review here) or Pro-Ject Maia (read review here) combined with a speaker set to NOK 5-6000, -. You will be able to get a better balanced sound, even though you do not necessarily get that much better dynamics and perspective. But when you certainly wil be missing out on the sovereign attributes of Sonos's multiromsystem.

Thus we are at the core - 2xPlay: 5 is a brilliant option as a stereo setup as part of a multiroom setup, or alone if you appreciate Sonos its exquisite management system.

 

 

 

 

 

Conclusion.


Sonos Play: 5 is a very good replacement and upgrade of its predecessor, and constitutes a worthy flagship Sonos its excellent program with wireless streaming speaker. The sound as a single unit constitutes a neutral and very good sounding device, which extends almost spooky far down in the bass range. And if you connect 2 pcs. up as a stereo set it really begins to swing, with lots of dynamics and great perspective if you put some fort on the location.

This excellent sound quality combined with the exquisite characteristics of Sonos as multiromsystem allows Sonos Play: 5 got an obvious place that Streaming Speaker of the Year 2015 at Audiophile.no

 

Price of Sonos Play:5 is NOK 4.998, -

 

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Karl Erik Sylthe

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