Sonos used to be a brand that although sounded amazing for the gamers, they offered very little. The only real way you could enjoy the speakers were by playing your favourite music or audio. There was no simple way to connect a console and have it work with the full system. That is no longer the case, with the introduction of the Sonos Playbar and Sub gamers can now connect their gaming experience to one of the most advanced home audio setups on the market. Now when new hardware/software hits the Sonos lineup, gamers who appreciate good audio can reap some benefits. This holiday, Sonos are trying to make things a little bit more exciting. Not only are they launching a new Play:5 system but they are implementing a new audio calibrator that will ensure you always get the best sound.
First it must be said that, if you already have the Sonos Play:5 system, they are not stopping support for this product. Yes, the Sonos Play:5 2015 is a new more advanced product, but the old offering will still work and will still get all major updates. That being said, if you are looking to buy a new system, wait for the new 2015 Play:5. The sound is a wonder to behold but, it won’t come cheap sadly, costing $499 USD or $549 CAD, a full $100 above the current model.
Packed in a small rectangular box, the sound from a single speaker will fill the room. To combine two of them in a stereo pair, it would beat many larger systems with little to no trouble. Not only does the system bring power to the sound, but even the subtle nuances of the music or sound can be heard. From the loudest dance music to the softest vocals, it all came though crystal clear, yet with the power you would expect from the cost.
The overall design is simple yet stunning. A stark rectangle with a single logo in the center. These speakers have been optimized to allow for a vertical and horizontal orientation, with the speakers smartly orienting the buttons based on the way it is set up. They also have chosen a clean button layout. Going the way of the Xbox One or the PS3, the capacitive button allows for light presses as you change audio on the fly or swap between songs. All in all, the design works well and makes for a beautiful overall package.
The next innovation on show is Trueplay, an application built into the new Sonos software that allows the user to tune their audio experience. Similar to the ability seen on many high-end receivers, this application will equalize the speakers, so they sound fantastic no matter where in the room they are placed.
A quick setup guides users through the process and in the quick test done on site, it all worked well. It was easy to setup and ran into very few issues. One point of note is that at launch, Trueplay will only be for iOS devices. It would have been nice to see some Android offering, but that may come later. Beyond that gripe, it seems the technology works well. It was easy to setup and in just over 2 minutes total, your music will be playing and sound will be coming out as intended. At launch the Trueplay will work on the Play:1, Play:3 and Play:5, sadly the Playbar will need to wait for Trueplay support.
With all these new offerings, Sonos is becoming more and more the brand to look out for. If you have space and the ability, a 5.1 setup with two Play:5’s will make any game sound fantastic. Look for the new Play:5 later this fall, we will attempt to give it a full review upon release.
