The One's implementation of Alexa is particularly impressive, as you can simply say, "Alexa, play Bowie," and one of his songs will spring out from your One. You can turn off Alexa and Google Assistant completely, but it's generally preferable to have them listening, especially because they're better integrated here than with many of their competitors. Play:1's gray wrap-around grille has been replaced with a black or white grille, depending on the color of speaker you've selected for your system. The One resembles the late Play:1 almost exactly in terms of size and shape. If you don't care about voice control, you should know that the Sonos One SL, which was released in 2019, is identical to the One but without the built-in microphones and voice assistant functionality. The Sonos One is a Play:1, but with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant built-in.
Also see: Sonos Play:5 vs Five: An overlook at the upgrade.
Almost three times the acoustic horsepower of its predecessor is due in large part to the driver set-up, which includes six matching Class D amplifiers. The Five's capacity to produce a rich, powerful sound that can fill even the largest rooms is one of its best features. Aside from being substantially thicker than the original, it's probably about the same width and height as the original. This Five went the opposite direction, even though technology tends to get smaller and thinner with each iteration. For this reason, the design is more like that of the Sonos Play 3 because it can work from all angles.Īs a result, it can be employed in stereo pairs with greater freedom of placement and a more 'natural' appearance. Three different orientations are possible, including horizontally, vertically, or in both directions. To build "the ultimate speaker for the digital era," Sonos designed the Five with an updated design and a focus on premium sound.ĭespite its differences from the original, the Sonos One and Sonos Beam are a wonderful fit for the company's latest offerings.Įverything on the Five has a purpose, and Sonos never takes design lightly. However, it's a good option for those who want an Apple-compatible speaker with a clean design. It compresses quite a bit at maximum volume, and it doesn't have built-in support for voice assistants.
Bluetooth isn't supported it only works with Wi-Fi or Apple AirPlay.Īs opposed to what you might think, Bluetooth generally tends to lower the sound quality, so this might not be a REAL downside. While it lacks a full-fledged equalizer, its companion app provides bass and treble sliders for fine-tuning its sound. When Trueplay room correction is enabled, it has a bright sound that adds sparkle and clarity to both vocals and instruments. You'll be able to feel the thud and punch in bass-heavy sounds with its extended low-bass. What I liked: Fantastic sound quality, easy to set up, flexible minimalist designĭepending on your preference, you may utilize the Sonos Five speaker either horizontally or vertically.Speakers: Six D-class digital amplifiers, three mid-woofers, and three tweeters.To read more about this, check out my write up on Sonos Arc vs Beam Gen 2.Īlso see the Sonos speaker recommender at.The Arc ( read my review - see at ) would be my top soundbar pick.
I like how this speaker is effortless to set up, and its battery-powered design means that you can put it in any room without having to worry about the wires.The One ( read my review - see at ) would be my second pick due to its quality for the price.I even recommend it over TWO PIECES of One to the vast majority.This speaker combines great sound with a sleek design that you can place just about anywhere in your home. The Five is your best bet for music lovers if you're looking for high-quality audio. It delivers fantastic sound and a great, simple design that is ideal for the modern home.It's no secret that I LOOOOOOVEEEEEE the Five ( read my review - see at ).
In summary, here are my top picks for the best Sonos speakers: