LOOK OUT! đ Sonosâ AMP is FAR BETTER than you think it is
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- Äas pĆidĂĄn 25. 06. 2024
- đđ» This episode is brought to you by Marantz:
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đ„ Camera: Olaf von Voss
đŹ Editor: John Darko
đșđ» Motion GFX: John Darko
đ° Ad segment: Jana Dagdagan
đ My listening room in 2022:
darko.audio/darkos-listening-...
đ” Song IDs? Playlists of all music heard in this video - and other videos - can be found on PATREON: / johndarko
0:00 Intro
0:48 vs. Bluesound Powernode
5:37 Specs
5:53 vs. Bluesound Powernode Edge
8:24 Jimmy Van M
9:49 Analogue sources
11:59 TOSLINK & HDMI
14:06 Apple Music & Roon
15:37 Headphone listening?
17:36 Messrs. Fletcher & Munson
19:27 vs. Rotel All Tribute
21:09 Final thoughts
25:44 WYSIWYG
26:31 Bloopers
đđ» As seen in this video...
Sonos AMP:
đ www.sonos.com/en/shop/amp
Bluesound Powernode
đ howl.me/chGtkx09P6o
Bluesound Powernode Edge
đ howl.me/ch3ZmqRIBkS
Monitor Audio Silver 100 7G
đ bit.ly/3eWV9zQ
đ bit.ly/3QZfgdY
Solid Steel SS-6 speaker stands
đ howl.me/ch7ADEkZHUV
Rotel A11 Tribute
đ howl.me/chL5j1XGGqA
Bluesound Node
đ howl.me/chXS7S1Llqi
Argon Audio Solo
đ argonaudio.com/products/solo
Jimmy Van M - Balance 10 (3CD set)
đ (US) amzn.to/3SCFKmO
đ (UK) amzn.to/3BVtcQG
#sonos #spotify #futurefi
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I have a Sonos AMP and love it - not because itâs the last word in sound quality, but because my wife knows how to use it, bringing a bit of audio joy to everyone in the house through ease of use and accessibility. Itâs also great for the occasional 4.1 surround sound experience with Netflix, love the versatility! Move over audio snobbery, long live music!
The family not being intimidated by our Sonos gear is the #1 reason I love it so much.
You have some very high end kit passing under your nose ( I follow your channel congrats on the new addition!) what good is having only high end gear if you have a family and momma is afraid to use it ?
Been there not going back,I like watching mine sway ;)
Love the music đ¶âïžđ definitely I have to upgrade my old school Av to this one to able to use for everyone in the house not just me. đ€Ł
My aiyima a07 has better sound than sonos amp. Aiyima is cad $90 while sonos $900.10 times pricier.
Likely repeating what Iâve said elsewhere, but my son has been deeply invested in in the Sonos ecosystem for at least 5 years, and while Iâm not a huge fan of the sound of any of their speakers Iâve heard so far ( i.e. not yet the ERA300), I hafta admit their ease of use and system expandability is very attractive. He is running one of the amps to power rear surrounds along with the ARC and sub, wherein itâs seamless, and as far as Iâm concerned the amp is definitely a sleeper.
For my own case, the Node N130 and separate power amp for an upstairs streaming system works like a charm - in fact the only reason for not buying the Powernode was I already had the amp in my collection.
Never forger snobery is vital in all domain. Even for Hifi and music
I'm very grateful for your focus on future-fi. I used to be all about conventional separates with traditional sources but having watched your videos my audio horizons have definitely been broadened.
The fact that you have to so carefully craft a description to adequately describe the subtle differences between these two is a sure sign that adding a SONOS amp to play nice with the rest of my SONOS products will sound just fine for me.
Well done John. One of the few audiophiles to even give Sonos a chance.
I've owned Marantz, Hegel and Cambridge audio amplifiers over the years, paired with various DACs and streamers. I now have a Sonos AMP hooked up to a small pair of Monitor Audio silver series bookshelf speakers and I listen to music more than I ever have. Is it as good as separates, likely not. Does it sound good, yes it does. HDMI ARC from my TV is the icing on the cake No qualms from me. One device, one set of speakers. I was very surprised and am more than happy.
Thanks John for another excellent video. I've been really pleased with my Sonos Amp, which I have set up for a different use case. It's hidden away in a cupboard that also houses my router and smart doorbell, so I never see it. It's wired up to Sonos Architectural in-ceiling speakers built into the open plan kitchen / living room, where we do most of our music listening as we live life with our young son. In addition to digital radio and Spotify, I'm able to stream CDs and records to it (and to other speakers throughout the house) from my main listening set up, which is an Audiolab 6000a / 6000CDT, Rega Planar 1 and Sonos Port with Wharfedale Diamond 12.1s. I love that I can control sources, speakers, volume levels and EQ all from the app on my phone, and I've integrated an Ikea Symfonisk remote on the fridge for the joy of a physical volume dial. We also have a Beam Soundbar that we can stream to and that also adds the TV as a streaming source. The whole-house integration is fantastic, which is what led me to choose this option over the Bluesound route.
Love my Sonos stuff,,,, and LOVE the Camera Conspiracy cameo! đ
Nothing winds up Audiophileâs on the internet like saying Sonos is good / good enough to enjoy music on. I am a fan of Sonos but I have other Audiophile toys also. Sonos helps me listen to more music more often. I love the fact you do these side by side comparisons, it really helps show how small the sound differences can be in reality at similar price points.
Their app updates and planned obsolescence is what I hate about the brand. I threw out my first gen play 5 in frustration because itâs essentially no longer supported. And, there was nothing wrong with the speaker, which is exactly what they wanted.
@@jdavis234 itâs a shame you donât know anyone you could have given it to.
I gave my nephew my gen 1 play 5, worth more me to help somebody then the 30% brick discount and he is happy as can be with the S1 app.
His young family uses it every day đ
@@jdavis234 A gave a friend my S1 devices when the new stuff came out. Years later, still working fine for him. Go figure.
Some audiophiles are determined to stay rigid. Some not all.
@@balooo2863 Thatâs very generous of you. I personally wouldnât want to subject someone else to a sonos product.
Really enjoyed this video. I built a system for my parents and since they used Sonos before I paired a Sonos amp with Klipsch RP-8000âs. Was pleasantly surprised how good the system sounded for both music and movies. I felt your impressions were spot on, and thx for highlighting the differences with vinyl playback, etc. Cheers!
Great video, John. The Sonos AMP has been around for a few years now and is a great piece of kit when everything is considered and very underrated in my opinion. I used mine to upgrade from a Sonos Playbar to improve music payback whilst maintaining a 5.1 surround sound tv/movie capability. I think it does this very well and the multi room capability is also a feature that I make a lot of use of around my home. Whilst I use Airplay 2 a lot I prefer to use the inbuilt services directly via the Sonos App which includes Apple Music and BBC Sounds which is a huge selling plus for me as it means one of my portable devices is not tied up and out of action and is available to use for other audio/video purposes.
I purchased Sonos Amp to drive ceiling speakers and figured I'd first try it with my Elac FS 207.2 floor stand speakers - provided a great sonic upgrade from the home theatre receiver that had been driving the Elacs. I was going to purchase something like a Bluesound Powernode till I tried this setup. Pleasantly surprised.
I've been running two Sonos Amps for in my home for 5+ years. I've got each one connected to a pair of simple waterproof / outdoor speakers on my front and rear porch. They both live in my attic space (get baked in the summer and chilled in the winter) and have performed flawlessly since install. I can't speak to sound quality as I'm neither qualified nor are my speakers of a high grade, but they work beautifully for background music sources.
Great review as always John. Wasn't expecting you to like the Amp as much as this, so that was a pleasant surprise. My hovering over the buy button for months may become an actual purchase now! For me the Amp would be primarily for TV and movies (paired with some Sonos Ones as surrounds), some casual streaming and vinyl playback so I'm not too concerned about audio quality being the absolute best via the aux input.
My understanding is you can adjust the input lag on the Amp to as low as 75ms. So that would effectively solve the concern regarding the delay between needle drop and hearing the audio!
Like an animal! That's hysterical! I think you are underrated as an entertainer. It's one of the things I love about your reviews.
Loved the video , love the channel .
One little detail to mention !
Sonos sells a OPTICAL to HDMI arc adapter for the AMP.
So you can when optical in if you really want to .
Iâve connected that adapter to a Optical Switcher and now I am running my Minidisc player in all rooms of my house . As well as my TV (Samsung the frame) as well as a Fiio BTA30PRO reviving LDAC from my DAP all over the house .
So even though the amp doesnât have Optical In (which pisses me off) there is a workaround by getting rid of the HDMI Arc
The only thing that is a catastrophe in this method of mine is that the remote of the Samsung can no longer control the volume of the Sonos .. massive flaw but that can be fixed with a Harmony Hub I think .
ALSO you can stream Bluetooth into the amp with this tip. If you are willing to spend money on the BTA30Pro and the adapter
Love the record recommendations! Keep em coming âïž
The minimum delay for analog sources to the Sonos Amp is 75ms, not 1 second. The short delay IS noticeable to a degree, but still provides the "real-time" effect of dropping the needle and hearing the "pop". There are 4 delay settings all the up to a full 2 seconds, which allows Sonos to further compress the stream to increase playback reliability.
Agreed. I've set up the Sonos Amp and the app provides a delay option that's effectively audibly indetectable....but the setting needs to be changed from the default to this setting in the app.
Great video! Thanks for approaching Sonos as well, it allows many of us to better imagine what the compared products are like.
I was really looking forward to this and found it very informative. I bought the Sonos Amp before the price increase and with 30% off for older upgrades that I kept. Iâm just curious for the turntable did you selected uncompressed audio in the Sonos settings? I found what you said about speaker choices interesting as Iâve been much happier with the amp with B&W 686 than the KEF Q100s I have. I only have a cheap AT-LP60 anyway as Iâm more a steamer that likes the occasional physical feeling of vinyl. Iâll have a similar setup to you in a few weeks. Frame 85 inch. Sonos amp to 686s2 and REL T Zero with rears of 2 play 1s (also a big perk of the Sonos amp and you can even use another amp for wireless rears with proper speakers that might be of use to some). As am Apple Music family plan user another nice thing with the built in Apple Music is being able to play different music on each Sonos around the house.
My wife and I like to listen to music while sitting around the kitchen table. I have a Sonos Amp in the living room and a Sonos Play 3 in the kitchen. On those occasions I like to group the two systems together. The Play 3 adds details to the music missed if only the LR system was being played. When grouped together there are separate volume sliders for each system that allows you to nicely balance out the sound between the two systems along with a master control. This arrangement accounts for about 70 percent of how I use the living room system for music. The other times Iâm plopped in front of the speakers in the LR and listening just to that system.
The Sonos Amp is connected to my main system in the basement via the tape output on the preamp which allows me to use the turntable with any or all of my three Sonos groupings. The sound quality of vinyl through the Sonos is very good and difficult to distinguish from performance of main system which is all analog.
Iâm pretty certain the ability to use vinyl in a grouped system is not possible with Bluesound so was a non-starter for me.
John, thank you. I was thinking soundbar but just can't get passed the aesthetic. I've also been sitting on the fence between these 2 amplifiers with passive or in-wall speakers. Your post has helped in so many ways. Wonderful work John.
Another great review and relevant comparison. Thank you for all the great content on your channel.
This is a fantastically well presented video. I hung onto every word... Now I'm in a proper dilema. Which one to buy?
Decisions, decisions. I need to listen to them both. Fantastic work Darko Audio.
Canât believe you were recently listening to Balance 010 by Jimmy Van M!
I was just revisiting that one myself - what an amazing journey of a compilation.
I love that mix set as well.
Hi John, love your videos and I think this one very valuable to a lot of people. No point in being snobbish about Sonos, for a lot of people this is the default option, or maybe a first step into audio. And the comment at the end makes sense for them: ditch your soundbar and get the Amp instead!
Having said that, allow me to make a suggestion for a stereo amp with HDMI-ARC from my own experience because I bought the Sonos Amp as main stereo and TV receiver but returned it. Sound quality was the main reason for me, another is that Sonos is 'not great' at streaming from a NAS drive. Too little interest in their userbase so they don't really develop this part. Since then I upgraded the house from Sonos to Bluesound and never looked back. But the Bluesound Powernode2i also wasn't the best choice for my stereo/TV setup. I missed the inputs my old receiver had, wanted to keep my CD/Bluray player, etc.
So my setup ended up like this:
- Marantz NR1200 (4K receiver but stereo amplification only, 75W per channel A/B)
- TV attached via HDMI-ARC
- Bluesound Node2i streamer attached via coaxial digital input (could be analogue but now using the DAC in the Marantz)
- Marantz UD5007 CD/Bluray player, attached two ways: analogue for CD and HDMI for Bluray
- plenty of other HDMI inputs to be used for whatever you like (sat receiver, game)
I'm no audio expert but I highly recommend the NR1200 for those seeking a TV/stereo setup with traditional stereo amplification and all the inputs a surround receiver would otherwise provide.
Your absolutely right about the one second delay on analogue input. Kind of lipsync with movies. Or gapless playback.
Thank you for covering this product John!
Iâm running the Sonos amp through vintage Energy Pro 22s and love it. I use Tidal. Sounds great, very convenient. I add two Ones for rear surrounds for watching tv, movies and gaming. Just a great setup.
Good video, John. Even though I'm not much of a streaming guy, I appreciate the knowledge you share about this topic. Maybe one day I'll invest in a streamer amp, but for now use my iPad Pro (2nd Gen) connected to a Dragonfly DAC, then connected to my system. Works pretty well, and sounds really good.............. BTW, I really enjoy your music recommendations; you've opened my ears to new electronic music I didn't know about.....Thanks!
I own 3 Sonos Amps, and am strongly considering a 4th or even 5th. I love the Sonos ecosystem, but find their speakers to be inconsistent. Like you pointed out, for every Five there's an Arc. The Amp essentially gives me all the best parts about Sonos while getting to choose my own drivers. If they ever come out with a 5.2.4- or 7.2.4-channel model supporting eARC for home theater use, I will back a truck full of money up to their HQ's front door.
What I really like about your video is that it is packed with information and next to no faff. Drives me so mad when you have to hear all kinds of non relevant info before the person gets to the point. With any other video I'd have been extremely annoyed by the bloopers at the end, with yours, I felt you really earned it - and thoroughly enjoyed the bloopers too, Thank you so much for passing on the knowledge and helping me make a decision. Happy holidays and coming New year :)
This review really emphasises the point that people need to listen for themselves! I was able to take a Sonos amp and Powernode home for a demo with my Richter Merlin S6âs. After reading many reviews I was almost certain of dropping cash on the Powernode. During the demo I felt like the Powernode was too smooth, it made me feel like the music was digitally enhanced rather than being natural or organic. I found the Sonos Amp was missing the transparency I was after. I kept on searching and settled on the Cyrus OneCast, I found it paired well with my Merlinâs and gave me the sound I was looking for.
Fantastic content again. I must say though, your "bloopers" are funny. The look on your face each time suggests you don't know how you ever get it wrong. Excellent.
John, what I'll say about the Sonos amp and analog is that the delay is there to allow it to create the stream to multiple speakers. I agree that when using it to just use the pair of speakers it's connected to its quite annoying, but to have the opportunity to stream that record to every speaker in and around your house, it's a trade off I'm willing to have. I'd be very interested in knowing if the BlueSound is able to keep that "live" stream time when using grouping of speakers.
Nice review. Iâm running a Sonos amp with a pair of B&W 707 S2 speakers and the Sonos sub (v1). Itâs great for casual music listening (from NAS and Amazon music unlimited) and tv audio. Adding the sub has noticeably opened up the mids on the 707s. Great sound stage when sitting in the sweet spot. Tried the analogue input with my turntable but the lag John mentions is annoying and the sound quality isnât greatâŠ.that could be more to do with my elderly turntable.
Dear John, the bluesounds can also do automatic switching of sources between music and TV. You have to enable the auto-sensing toggle in the blueOS settings. Itâs a really good feature, but I donât understand why itâs switched off by default! This functionality needs to come to the bluesound Hub as well, which currently lacks auto-sensing.
This is true, but with a caveat:. You can only have auto sensing for one input. I have mine one of mine auto sense for HDMI so that my wife has ease of a single remote for watching TV in the bedroom. It's a handy option, but I wish it could be for all input sources.
Thanks Micah. I had been annoyed by this lack of auto-switching on BluOS; but your comment resolved the main reason I was about to rush an expensive AVR purchase.
The auto-sensing is switched off by default because although it is available on the optical, coax and HDMI inputs it can only be active on one input. It is switched off by default because the manufacturer cannot know which input you will want to use it on.
If you like to watch TV (silently with subtitles) whilst listening to music, then the HDMI auto switching is a no no on the Bluesound. It's great to have the option to enable/disable it.
Yeah I was wondering- because thatâs a large part of ARC đ
Dear John. I really like your style of doing these reviews and side by side comparisons. I would, however, like to add one advantage to the two way Bluetooth on Bluesound devices. As an Apple user I do not have access to higher end BT codecs from my phone (other than the obvious AAC) but with Bluesound I can use aptX HD when using that as a source. Not a huge difference but still a nice little workaround on the codec limitations, that doesnât bother me the slightest. Keep up the good work đ
Really interesting and helpful. Thanks John đ
Another great video, but I absolutely LOVE the album recommendations! It very much has the vibe of going to a fancy restaurant and the waiter bringing you a sample of something the chef was experimenting with. I grabbed a copy of the cd set.
Omg the đ on the đ± is amazing
Great video, good to see someone actually doing the comparison with Sonos. Just wondering if you know of any similar options with Chromecast built in, the bluesounds seem like great options but unfortunately I'm too invested in Chromecast speakers. The Harman Kardon Citation Amp looks like an interesting product but I haven't seen a lot of reviews, it doesn't seem to be available in many markets. Anyways great video and if you know of any Chromecast options I'd really appreciate it, keep the great work!
Hi John, I also did the side by side comparison at hifi klubben, and I do agree with the comparison between the powernode and Sonos AMP. You made a very good point that the Sonso AMP has loudness, and many modern amps are lacking that functionality, has this feature gone missing or just ignored as it is very valuable during nighttime/ low volume listening?
Great balanced review from an audiophile, which I am thankfully not. I like my music to sound good though and the convenience, usability and yes simplicity of Sonos for music and home cinema, combined with really decent reproduction is massive for me. Last year I ripped apart my previous amp/separates set up to obtain a system that was usable for everyone in the house and also to ensure that as old age gets ever closer, I am not left scratching my head about what buttons to press to watch a movie or play a record etc.
On the subject of the delay when queuing up a record - your main bug bear it seemed; if you go into settings/system and the particular âroomâ where the record deck is ie âampâ, then line in/audio delay you are able to reduce the delay to 75ms making it imperceptible. It was something that bugged me about, for me an otherwise perfect system. I accidentally came across this watching a CZcams channel about using a record deck with Sonos. I hope this may help others decide without the delay being the deal breaker that it was for you. You can also use an autoplay feature without physically swapping sources on the app, from whatever the previous source was to the record as soon as the stylus touches the vinyl (there I said vinyl!) Under the same Line in menu go to âauto playâ and tick Amp.
Great video. Also liked the brief clip of camera conspiracies..
I have the previous version of the Amp with 55 wpc. I use the Sonos V2 app because the amp just shows up as another speaker group along with the speakers I have in my kitchen, living room bath and garage. I can play them separately or together with a tap. I primarily use Amazon for the music. My amp powers outdoor speakers from Definitive Tech. They sound pretty good and do the job with the amp. If the new amp has the same sound with just more power then I would think most would be happy with it. However, I wouldnât buy the amp only to power my 2 channel premium setup. Only as a way to integrate one set of non Sonos speakers to one zone in my system. Since Sonos doesnât sell outdoor speakers mine is a good use case.
Thank you for doing a fair review on this. Sonos has become almost Bose in the sense audiophiles never like speaking the name. Sonos is by no means reference level equipment. I have a few systems in different rooms and homes and blend Sonos as part them. I have a room with a Sonos Amp driving Klipsch RP600-Mâs, with Sonos sub. It is surprisingly decent sound for the money and the simplicity of single box.
More recently I decided to use a Sonos amp in my beach condo to drive a pair of Klipsch La Scalaâs. Is it the best Iâve hear La Scalaâs sound? Absolutely not. But, for a simple system used like you mentioned, with a TV, itâs great for non-reference listening. The La Scalaâs rock out, and the dual subs add punch to music and movies, all while only using an Apple Remote for the TV and iPhone for music.
I try to keep my digital life in the Apple ecosystem, which means I listen mostly to Apple Music, aside from listening to Tidal and Quboz on my Innuous streamer in my reference system. So, the fact Sonos can use Apple Music is a plus. Iâm also a Roon user in my main house, and find the Sonos integration to be simple and useful.
I use a Sonos Playbar with the Sub in guest bedrooms. Once again, great sound boost with incredible simplicity with the Sony TV. I have a combo of built-in speakers powered by Sonos Ampâs in my home, as well as the Sonos Ones and other small speakers through the house.
Sonos makes a decent product. They are a bit stagnant on upgrades when it comes to sound; Iâd like to see hi-res support, and would love to see them step up in amp sound quality to better compete with the Bluesound, but for the money and convenience, theyâre pretty good.
Iâve had a Sonos Amp for close to a year now, used for TV and music. Upgraded speakers to a pair of KEF Q150s and very happy. New to having decent audio equipment but itâs a really great, easy to use system so far.
Having just got a pair of KEF Q150s a Sonos Amp might just be the next step. Glad you like it.
As always, a great review. I have an older Sonos ZP style amp and can alter the input latency, and as I donât use it as a multi room set up itâs happy at the lowest latency. Also thereâs an option to change the compression level on the input, or choose no compression. Not sure if these options are available on the newer Amp however. May be worth a look.
They are and I asked the same as I noticed a fair improvement even with my budget turntable!
Dear John,
I use the Sonos amp together with a Project turntable and I never experienced a gap between the needle touching the vinyl and the starting of the sound. It is instantly there! I am using a preamp though which is always on.
I got the Sonos amp last December and I have probably used it more than all my other audio gear. It is not the best sounding audio product I have but it does most of the things I need so easily that I just use it more.
Amazing review as always buddy.
My Yammaha N601 has a loudness rotary dail and it works amazingly well for late night listening or background music..
First of all, great review and am enjoying consuming this type of content!!!
Am looking into building a nice sounding home system (mostly focused on music) , but couldn't stop wondering how does something like the Sonos AMP compare to the likes of the Marantz 1510, Yamaha RX-V4A, Onkyo TX-SR393 - from a sound quality perspective alone?
I inherited a pair of like-new Aerial Acoustics 6T tower speakers. I already have a primary system/media room with Aerial Acoustics 7B speakers, AR tube preamp and Levinson amp. My wife grudgingly allowed me to put the 6Ts in our semi-formal living room but she pretty much said no garden hose sized cables and whatever drives them has to be invisible. And the budget was....constrained.
I already had a modest Sonos system throughout the rest of the house. So Sonos made sense.
As mentioned, pairing the 6Ts with a Sonos Amp is anathema to 'serious' audiophiles but in my case I considered a lot of options in that price range and it fit the bill perfectly and I bought one.
I compared the Sonos Amp to a Bryston amp, an older Yamaha amp and, I think, an older Rotel amp. All that I can say is that the Sonos holds its own. The Bryston sounded the best of course but it was a massive 80 pound monster that was not going to be able to stay in our living room.
In any case, the Sonos Amp is out of sight behind the couch. I made a modest pair of cables and to me the Amp and the Aerial Acoustic 6Ts sound great together. And yes, the Loudness function is FANTASTIC. It is my understanding that it is in fact a variable loudness at least in that it cuts out as volume is adjusted upwards. I find it to be well done and is a win-win for quiet and louder volume listening. Nothing is lost with a well designed loudness feature. Every pre-amp should have one.
My wife, not an audiophile, was familiar with the Sonos system so now she uses the Amp and the 6Ts all the time.
Would I want the Sonos Amp as the amp for my primary system. Probably not. But at the same time I don't feel like I'm losing much and if my budget for an amp was under $1000 I would not hesitate based on sound quality.
One other point to add, you can access your music server seamlessly through the Sonos. I have mine on a Mac Mini.
Great video John! I really like the AMP, and a feature that I use a lot (not mentioned in the video) is the IR remote control learning to change volume and play/pause. Regarding the poor quality of the line in, also audiosciencereview measured a huge difference of THD+N (more than an order of magnitude) between line in and full digital path.
Once you've done the remote learning can you use it to control the volume when streaming/using the line in or does it only work for TV? Thanks!
@@ednewmy TV remote will control volume of music even when TV is off, works really well
Excellent review. Hit everything I was wanting to know. Cheers!
Hi John, love your videos. The Powernode has a auto sense setting, it works well with eArc connection to my Sony tv.
Super thorough review. Thank you!
Hi John, sorry for the perhaps stupid question. I have got a pair of B&W CM8 S2 speakers connected to a Sonos AMP, do you think this is a good combo? Would you think I would benefit of swapping it out for a Powernode or a different amp altogether? I was never sure what to pair these speakers with.
Loved to see Cameras Conspiracies in the thumb đ.
250k subs well done!
I just stumbled upon this video, I recently upgraded my soundbar setup to a Sonos AMP and 2 B&W 606 S2 AE speakers and I'm very happy with it. I do hear what you mean by that little difference in the Powernode, something small is missing from the Sonos AMP, but at 649 EUR, the AMP was significantly cheaper than the Powernode at 999 EUR. Now sound quality is 1 thing, reason nr 2 why I went Sonos route is the software. The Sonos app is far ahead of all competitors and ease of use is important to me, since my partner will also use the software to stream. We share playlists on Spotify that we play at dinner, or use the internet radio in the Sonos app. Sonos makes everything so easy. I hope they may improve some things like audio quality over updates, or a next version of the AMP with more hifi audio to compete with the Bluesound Powernode.
HDMI ARC is so easy to use, it connects audio of 2 consoles and apps on the TV to the AMP. eARC isn't necessary for me right now, so ARC will do just fine.
Glad you mentioned the quality of life features - as I thought about upgrading my Sonos AMP to a Bluesound or something, but those features that don't exist (like auto source switching) are now deal breakers for me. (Re; 2 way bluetooth. On the rare occasion I need that, I just connect direct to the Samsung TV)
I recently bought the Sonos port as a streamer, running it through a zen one signature dac, a Rega brio, and q acoustics speakers, all this gives me great sound, but more importantly listening position ease with brilliant app and ability to switch easily between tidal and Spotify
I'm paired this to my vintage Sony SSM3's along with the Mini Sub, and I'm quite impressed.
Great vid! Couldn't find the Jimmy van M's Balance album on spotify (but many other great tracks). As far as Mom & Dad are concerned, the Bluesounds have it with their (optional) IR remote control capability. My parents don't want to have to grab their phone, unlock it, go to the app to just change volume, skip a track or access one of the presets (another great Bluesound feature for radio stations). That more than overrides the one-time setup complexity which actually is not that difficult for Bluesound either. Apple music integration for the Sonos is great though.
Hi John, quick question. I heard you say that one should not buy a sonos amp for listening to vinyl records. I have a sonos surround setup with the arc connected to my tv via HDMI. Those are the only speakers I have atm. I'm planning on buying a planar 8. Is it worth it buying the Sonos amp to easily connect the record player to the Sonos setup. Or should i go for the bluesound powernode, presuming they connect to the sonos setup and just keep the tv connected to the sonos Arc. Or should I also route the tv through the bluesound powernode to the Sonos speakers
What a great balanced video. I have a Port connected to my NAD M51 as my wife just loves the what she calls simplicity of the Sonos amp. Iâm
Mostly Roon but sometimes find myself using it⊠itâs does have a great experience. Great to see so many great tracks such as Blue Bell Knoll on display here. I think you should consider doing a music podcast - Iâd listen đ. Others have pointed out that BluOS also has input auto sensing. The Apple Music as you know is still sadly lossy as it is on the Rose implementation - an API limitation I think.
Can you elaborate on the last sentence around Apple Music? Iâm not sure what Rose implementation is.
Dear John, thanks for the nice review, but you are missing the point of the Sonos Amp. I see no reason to consider Sonos Amp as a single room or just one system in your home. It is a part of Sonos network / multiroom system and it should be judged as that. I think it is a pretty good amp, but nowhere near good amps in 1-2k euro range. However, it is a part of Sonos system, so I have them grouped with my other speakers in other rooms, and it works brilliantly. There is a "alarm" function which enables you to auto start music (albums/playlists), so there is music playing in the house when you wake up or arrive home. I would like Sonos to produce better amp such as Marantz Model 40n, but in the mean time, it is very enjoyable. And the subwoofer output works very good, so you can build pretty good system.
Shoutout for being a fellow Camera Conspiracies fan!
I am an apple user and airplay user since the beginning since AirTunes and I switched from airplay 2 to the Sonos app 100% because of the integrations are flawless.
THIS is how all tech reviews should be done ...
1) A proper knowledgable person.
2) Detailed end-to-end coverage
Top quality !!
Thanks...
I have an AMP associated with Triangle Antal and I love it so much for the ease of use & global quality (70 tv - 30 music)
THANK YOU!!!!!! finally someone has mentioned the fact that Apple Music is native!!!! Best benefit. Honestly that is what keeps me from even trying the Blue Sound. I really dislike Airplay and Bluetooth because once streaming your device is useless for anything else with audio. But I have A/B compared to my 6000a play thinking I would love the extra watts, but it sounds so thin.
Dear John, it is always nice to see your videos about new systems in comparision. I like your Tipps in music also. Now we get into it. I can't find Jimmy van M. Balance on streaming services like Tidal qobuz or spotify. Roon doesn't find it either. Any advise or do I have to buy the CD set?
I'm a bit of an audiophine and have had a dedicated "large" system for 25+ years now. Back in 2008, I put a SONOS system into my home because of the multiroom capability and the ability to stream radio (my local public radio mostly), so the multi-room synch capabilitites was really, really important... Nobody ever talks about how well the other products do on multiroom playback, and John didn't on this review as well (but it was a great review, so that you John).
I need to upgrade my SONOS system because of the S1->S2 transition (I hate that SONOS did that to us early adopters, in fact, just three months before the made that change, I bought a replacement amp for a dead one, only to discover that it is incompatible with the S2 software! WTF...) SONOS allows me a 30% discount on upgrtading my existing equipment, so I have some questions for anyone who has done any review of these systems (Bluesound and the SONOS).
SONOS is still limited to Redbook sound correct? I can't seem to find that on their website. I have some hi def audio, but because the SONOS can't play it, I convert it down for the SONOS library.
Does the Bluesound product line work in multi-room audio the way the SONOS does (that it, with perfect playback alignment?)
My current system is 100% S1 compatible, except for the Move that I have, so I need to update 3-4 Amps to get the system fully S2 or maybe a couple of Amps and a couple of the Port boxes and some external amps (tubes maybe? YES). COnsidering I can get the 30% discount, would anyone consider the Bluenot hardware over the SONOS? It's not really comparable in price with the doscount, but I feel like I shouldn't reward SONOS for screwing me over on the S2 transition...
Any opinions are much appreciated.
John. you mentioned the 'Loudness' switch in this video and like you, I always used to flick it on for the enhanced sound. One thing I haven't heard you talk about in any of your reviews is the use of tone controls. Most have bass and treble, occasionally a 'middle' is chucked into the mix too. Am I right in assuming you review everything 'Flat'? Enjoy your style of reviews even the bloopers. Cheers, Mike
I love my Sonos setup for the convenience. The record player thing is annoying but you can reduce that delay until itâs ALMOST imperceptible in the turntable settings in the app.
As an Apple Music subscriber I mostly airplay to the Sonos speakers, but I use the app for the radio and Mixcloud.
Yes u can stream your vinyl with powernode to other blusound speakers
đ€đJOHN,WE LOVE â€YOUR ATTITUDE AND ADVICE âŠLISTENING FOR OURSELVES đđŻđđđ
Also the outtakes đ
Nice to see the BRA and FSOL albums in there, mate. Both were CDs that I enjoyed on a decent setup ... something I've not had for a while whilst having to move back in with 'rents.
I finally got my hands on the Jimmy Van M CD set! Worth the wait, which is rarity these days!
Thank you.
Great review. Think you covered most things. Got my Sonos AMP when it just came out so only cost me ÂŁ400 as they were doing 20% off the original price of ÂŁ499. Now for ÂŁ400 its been amazing driving my B&W floor standing speaker.
Do you also play vinyl or just stream?
I have and same setup. My b&w are a bit too the bright side, so Sonos Amp is perfect. I play a lot of vinyl, works marvelous. Also, having all the vinyl music in all the rooms is a great added bonus)
What model is your B&W? Did the Sonos amp run them ok? I keep hearing those speakers need big amp to run them smoothly.
@@AddeDaMan what model is your B&W? The Sonos runs them ok? I got a 704 s2, and thinking getting the Sonos amp to run those.
@@khoiquach s2 603. I love the sound but Iâm no audiophile. Get loud with no issues and to sounds great too through them.
What size speaker stand do you use with bookshelf speakers? I mistakenly bought a 24" and the sound has been much harsher compared to the 30" stands.
Great review. Don't pass over the Amp if you are looking for a streaming amp, with great connectivity, and sound. I sort of got it by accident, but have paired it with Sonus Faber Lumina 1, Cyrus CDi and Technics 1500c (with a switching box to have multiple sources). Oh, and a Beam and 2 x Sonos One/SL's for the TV. I've owned Cyrus, Meridian, Aragon, Audiolab amps over the years, but I just love this set up, for ease of use, terrific sound from all sources, and a great app for streaming. Ok, not Audiophile, but give the little black box a chance đŹ
Great video. Very helpful and informative. You can try both at Richer Sounds, but I haven't done that as yet. Thank you!
Been also enjoying your podcasts đ
That you heard a difference in the store and again at home tells me Sonus is improving, but hasn't caught Blue Sound yet.
As for UI, I just use Tidal Connect.
John, itâs clear why you chose to review this flavor of Sonosâ offering. Iâm curious if the AMP is subject to some of the DAC jitter issues that plague their powerless PORT? (for a future-fi redux pairing with powered speakers) Additionally, did the Sonos S2 bitrate limitations prevent the sparkle you heard from Bluesoundâs options? Thanks for setting aside time for these products you have to spend your own money on!
I received my Sonos Amp exactly on the same day when you did your unpacking Video đ.
a) if you have ordered from Sonos directly you could have also purchased two Sonos One just for fun to use them as wireless surround speakers, so much fun for movies
b) have you checked the Phase on the Amp? Which side is it?
c) have you used a subwoofer? If so, which cut of frequency would you use for the KEF LS 50 Meta?
d) would you recommend the use of a higher quality main cable instead of the enclosed one?
Looking forward to see a lot of stuff from you Channel, greetings from Duisburg (which should explain my school English)
Love the Jimmy Van M Balance mix. Great call. Big fan of all the Balance releases.
Amazing I hope this guy's channel so truthful. And I like how he shows all different products so everyone can start somewhere he's truly not a stuck-up Hi-Fi audio guy. đŻ.
Fantastic review thank you. As I grow older that last bit of audio difference is not as important anymore as how often does my family actually stay quite while I listen and how good are my 59 year old ears (not bad but hey). I do have beautiful full size PSB speakers and this will be part of a TV and multi room audio set up. My question: How well does the TV sound in 2.0 mode? I want nothing fancy just my new TV and beautiful speakers. Did you evaluate the "center channel simulation" and is that feature switchable?
I do like your review as compared to the ARC sound bar, you certainly talked me out of even considering yet another connected toy. After listening to ATMOS in great detail in high end headphones and considering ATOMOS for a sound bar I see this as cool but not a must have nor a purist type feature.
But again for TV and getting good overall sound and clear vocals, is the Sonos amp good and did the cinder channel mode matter?
Thanks son much, I'm going for the amp either way. Also one last comment. With IOS 16.4 (late march 2023) Muti room airplay on MESH routers seems much more reliable! That said the HomePod becomes your player (and now actually seems to work without tons of bugs) thus offloading the work from your phone.
Apple Music is also working lossless at various higher bit rates I think up to 24/48 mx on airplay. This seems very good compared to days of past so I'm currently and finally OK with Apple Music, airplay and that silly home pod hum as my central Homkit Hub and music streaming hub.
Comments welcome!
Dean
Great overview and comparison to the Blue Node and Rotel plus streamer.
So many good choices now.
I wonder how the Sonos amp fits into the rest of their ecosystem.
Cheers
Seamlessly. Its just like adding another Sonos speaker.
Before I got back on the HiFi rollercoaster five or more years ago, I was happy to use Sonos. The app with Apple music was really easy to use and I do miss the ease of use a little. I use the Naim app with my MuSoQb, Lightning DS with my Auralic and BlueOS with my Node. All three are decent, but the Sonos app was better. It seems that Bluesound for sound and Sonos for sound and TV.
Hello and thank you for this video. Choosing between sonos amp and blusedound edge might be the hardest decision I've faced in a while. Still listing all the pro's and con's
Love the video. How do you get the now playing to show on the TV? I have multiple streaming devices but thats one thing that bothers me. i love to see album covers etc while listening to my albums.
you can setup de delay to avoid that second... i use my old sonos amp for desktop amp... works without problem (using just analog)
Hi John, thank you for that intresting comparison (again). I own an Arc for TV and an Amp for music, which is connected to a pair of Quadral PLatinum M5. I have a an eye on the Bluesound Poweramp because I like the BluOS and the capability of playing HighRes-Music using Tidal. Do you think, that I have a benefit of using the Poweramp? Greetings from Berlin, Mario đ
Thanks for reminding me of the Bedrock mix, amazing double CD. Struggle for Pleasure Filterheadz remix was an incredible end to CD 1. Thanks for the review too!