The Sonos S5 ($399) was launched recently, and we had some private time with it. Here are the first impressions: first, the sound-quality is very good. I mean, it’s Bose-like although I can’t scientifically measure it. That’s what I thought of when I heard it in action.
The S5 is the easiest Sonos device to setup. Plug the juice, the network, and voila. It is possible to setup 32 Sonos devices in a given mesh network. They can either play different songs or the same one, in perfect synchronization. The first Sonos (S5 or other) would be connected via wired Ethernet. Subsequent Sonos/S5 devices then access the network via the WIFI signal broadcasted by the first one.
You have to pay attention to one thing: you need a device to control the Sonos S5. It could be a computer, an iPhone or the Sonos 200 remote ($349). The latter seems expensive and the computer might or might not be practical, depending on what your setup/use is. If you already have an iPhone/iPod Touch, you are all set –that’s the ideal scenario. Unfortunately, no other phone is supported at the moment. Sonos is open to build more software, but only if there is a clear demand.
In the end, this will depend mainly on your budget. The Sonos S5 produces quality sound and is well thought-out. There are slightly cheaper pseudo-alternatives to the Sonos S5. Logitech products come to mind, for example. That said, the user experience on the Sonos is smoother and the Sonos sound output seems better too (I’ve never listened to both in the same room). In relative terms, I suspect that $399 is considered as “expensive” by many, although I can think of at least three “dumb” speaker dock for iPhone that cost that much or more.
If you have an iPhone or an iPod touch to control the Sonos S5, you might want to take a closer look and listen to one, if you can. If you need an autonomous device, this is probably not what you want. Oh, remember that the Sonos S5 cannot stream music from the iPhone, but it is assumed that you have the same songs on your computer.
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