Apple Music Available on Sonos Devices Starting December 15

[Swiss-G]

As far as I know, Sonos didn't need to do a beta test before any other major streaming music service worked with their system. They just added support for the service and it worked. And "full support" for Apple Music isn't coming until 2016? That's insane.

Sonos do test streaming services with registered beta testers prior to release to the general public.

I guess that means we wont get iOS 9.2 for another two weeks then.

It doesn't require iOS 9.2 to work.

You access Apple Music through the Sonos app so it's not dependant on an OS update.

 

[nazaar]

Sonos is great... I'm a very happy customer. It's about time it gets Apple Music gets added... I blame Apple for this not being released on launch day of Apple Music.

Yes I can blame Apple... I don't care what you say.

 

[nazaar]

Those comparing Airplay to Sonos need to do a bit more research before commenting. Sonos is a wonderful experience. I use the connect amps to power Rogers LS 3/5A (bedroom), Polk floor standing speakers (family room), Polk/Yamaha in-ceiling speakers (kitchen/living room), and Polk outdoor speakers (patio). My son has a Play 5 in his room. The ease of use, ability to combine zones or play separate zones is the Airplay killer. Having iTunes radio now will be a nice addition as well.

Bash Sonos for the cost, but you get what you pay for...remember Logitech's attempt with Squeezebox? Yeah, me neither.

Totally agree... those comparing Sonos to Airplay need to do some homework. Airplay does not compare.

 

[riverfreak]

Sonos user for 5 years. 14 zones across a main house and guest house, studio, gallery, and gym. I have a stack of the connect amps in a central closet driving mostly built in speakers, a few scattered here and there and a couple of play5s in remote locations.

The ease of grouping and ungrouping zones is unparalleled. No dropouts. No gaps, no stutters. Multiple streams across multiple services, all tied together by a single global search. Maybe AirPlay has gotten better but I doubt it can drive a whole home audio system like this.

As for cost? Sure, it's expensive. But so is whole home audio controlled from a single device. Ever used Creston? It sucks compared to the usability of Sonos.

And I'm super psyched for AM integration!!

 

[oldmacs]

Yet they won't support their own product the Apple TV 3.... Well done Apple. .... well done.

 

[jdag]

No doubt it's a great product. But even you imply that today it's a small market. You predict it will explode, but it hasn't yet. As soon as it begins to explode, don't doubt for a second that larger competitors will enter this market and do so very quickly and with the sort of scale that Sonos will have a lot of trouble staying ahead of.

Take Bose for example: they have 200 retail stores, a dedicated shelf in most Best Buys, Targets, and other electronics retailers, and a giant sponsorship agreement with the NFL. If the market was large enough, they would be in it and they would probably have more sales than Sonos does today. Quality of product and software aside, Bose simply has a really strong operations capability. That's just one example - many other companies out there with an even stronger position. I have to wonder, why is this market so quiet? The most likely explanation is that it is still small, and nascent.

Another explanation is maybe Sonos has patents which are keeping competitors out. If that is the case, then that is great for them. That also would explain the high prices.

I should add that I wish Sonos will see great success. I only commented on the price earlier to express my opinion that it is priced too high. I'm sure some economist working for the company has already crunched the numbers and can probably prove me wrong, but I suspect it would be best to sell for a lower price today to gain more users who might upgrade or add more speakers in the long run than it would be price all speakers high. They don't have a single lead-generating product for sale. That is a mistake, in my opinion.

I did see that you posted after this quoted post and that you now realize that Bose is actually a major player in this space. But for the benefit of others, I thought I would list companies that have attempted, or currently offer solutions, in competition with Sonos:

Google (Chromecast Audio, a brand new entrant, doesn't offer whole-home yet but promises it)
Bose
Samsung
LG
Denon
Definitive Technologies
Polk Audio
Yamaha
Dayton Audio
BlueSound

This is not including the legacy companies like Russound and Crestron that did audio and other home automation solutions.

I did not in any way imply that it is a small market. In fact, quite the opposite. I said "This space is poised to EXPLODE over the next couple of years." It is a mammoth market, and I used all caps for the word explode to highlight my point. The options for whole-home audio just starting to reach traditional consumers (not those people that invested tens of thousands in whole-home systems in the past).

I believe that a major barrier that needs and will soon be overcome is lack of understanding of the features/benefits to wifi audio. I would say it is analogous to the lack of understanding that many (most) people have about streaming TV boxes. Ask a group of people to describe what can be done with an AppleTV/FireTV/Roku/etc. and you'll get a bunch of blank stares.

 

[macmyworld]

This is awesome news. Love Sonos and really love the new Play5 which really kicks it up a notch sonically for Sonos. I was surprised when I heard Apple was going to support Sonos.

 

[maxsix]

You can have everything with AirTunes or AirPlay - why use Sonos? Some day Sonos will go bankrupt and you will be left with a broken set of overpriced loudspeakers.

Why?


Apple's often unspoken perspective and deep belief is that of themselves as an elitist, superior entity.

Sonos belongs in that same, self congratulatory, big ego class.

 

[MH01]

Written by someone that (likely) has never used a Sonos setup (not counting hitting the demo button at Best Buy).

Someone in this string made a comment about Apple perfecting AirPlay. There are many issues with that wish, not the least of which is that it is reliant on Apple devices to control the system. But above all else, it is quite simple...they have not perfected it!

Sonos is absolutely outstanding in so many ways. Replace the name SONOS with APPLE on the front of the speakers, and I have no doubt that their solution would be among the most highly demanded consumer products on the planet.

Might as well include BOSE, sonos is a solution for people that want something easy to setup and sound quality is not the main criteria, it's having something that look modern at home and sounds good.

 

[MH01]

So, in what way is Apple now more closed than any of its major competitors?

To explain my point of view:

• All Apple downloaded media is open and can be played on alternative devices. There is no DRM.
• Apple Music is available on other platforms
• Apple TV allows multiple content providers (soon also Amazon Prime)
• iOS allows multiple content providers for music and TV
• etc.

These are all things that weren't possible 5 years ago. Apple has become more open. What are you laughing about?

How do I play my purchased music and videos from iTunes on anything without a apple logo?

There sure is DRM , or are you saying there is no drm on media I own, in which case there never should. That is not how DRM works.

Please explain.

 

[BayouTiger]

So many bad assumptions in this thread. First off is that Sonos is a big fish in a tiny market - I saw that Sonos' revenue in 2014 was 585Million and had doubled the previous year. They've actually picked up more steam in the mean time.

No real competition - I own a Play5, couple Connects, couple Amps, a PlayBar and a Sub, yet my 2 channel rig is fed by a BlueSound Node as it blows away the Connect in audio quality and handles hiRes audio. Sonos has really stepped up their game with the PlayBar and new Play5, but so has BlueSound with their Gen2 Nodes. Of course BlueSound carries an even bigger price tag, but they are making some headway with the more audio oriented crowd.

Airplay - If you are happy with your Airplay setup, great! But it doesn't compare in any way to Sonos.

Sound quality vs cheaper Bluetooth speakers - not even close. Sons has very good designs on their speakers and a great deal of innovative tech behind them. I know the BlueSound Pulse was a huge step up from the original Play5, but from what I have heard, the new device has closed that gap a bit. The PlayBar, especially when matched with the Sub is crazy good. I eliminated my $1500 Anthem AVR in favor of a PlayBar, Sub and an AMP driving my surrounds and it is brilliant.

All that's not saying they don't have room to improve. They really need to implement 96/24 HiRes to keep the higher end audio guys interested. They also really need to update the Connect and Amp devices as they have not been updated in almost a decade other than a name change. The new BlueSound Nodes have added a headphone amp, both analog and digital inputs, aptX bluetooth, 192/32 support, and higher power on their PowerNodes. I also love that Bluesound's new devices are a standard half width audio shelf width. The form factor for Sonos gear (and BlueSound Gen1) is really stupid.

Someone said they need to establish themselves as a "premium" brand like Bose....LOL thats a funny one right there!!!

 

[Gutwrench]

Excellent. This became less important to me after I bought an ATV4 and Sonos Playbar. But prior to that I was really missing it.

 

[BayouTiger]

My big question is when will if be available for pre gen4 ATV's???

 

[BrentD]

I'm part of the 1%. I bought a PLAY:3 after hearing great things about SONOS. The system requires you to either have bought music or be a subscriber to a monthly service. You can only use their speakers and system. The UI is good, but not great. But most importantly the speaker is terrible, especially at volume. The distortion is horrible. It sounds like some cheap audio system a teenager dropped in a used Kia. I have Phillips and Vizio sound bars hooks up to ATV4s and they sound better, access all of my music, and cost less for both then the one PLAY:3.

Maybe I got a bad speaker, I don't know, but I'm an owner and definitely not a fan.

I'm not sure I follow your logic with your statement that Sonos requires you to "either have bought music or be a subscriber to a monthly service." What exactly are you trying to say? Are you saying there are no free music options with Sonos, because there are many (Pandora, iHeartRadio, etc.) You can also play music from your own collection from a NAS or other network location. You talk about your other speakers that "access all of my music", but what other music can you not access with the Sonos??

The UI to virtually every other music product is also "not great". Just in the 2 years I've been in the Sonos ecosystem the UI has improved dramatically and they continue to improve, as well as to innovate with things like TruePlay. Speaking of...you say the "speaker is terrible", but have you tried TruePlay? Have you adjusted the audio settings at all for your speaker? The Play:3 is generally the least-favored speaker in their lineup by most folks I've talked to. IMO, the 3 and the 5 (previous version, not the new one) both sound terrible before tweaking the audio settings, but that doesn't make them terrible speakers. I'm able to get excellent sound out of both, and the new TruePlay optimization makes them even better. The Play:1 and the Playbar/SUB combo are their best sounding products IMO. I own 5 of the Play:1's, 1 each of the 3 and 5, and the Playbar and SUB. Every one of them sounds killer with some tweaking to taste.

 

[Karma*Police]

Written by someone that (likely) has never used a Sonos setup (not counting hitting the demo button at Best Buy).

Someone in this string made a comment about Apple perfecting AirPlay. There are many issues with that wish, not the least of which is that it is reliant on Apple devices to control the system. But above all else, it is quite simple...they have not perfected it!

Sonos is absolutely outstanding in so many ways. Replace the name SONOS with APPLE on the front of the speakers, and I have no doubt that their solution would be among the most highly demanded consumer products on the planet.

I don't know about that. Remember the iPod HiFi?

SONOS has some cool capabilities (that I hope Apple offers with future iterations of AirPlay) but no one I know with a SONOS system actually takes advantage of it; they own one speaker. For them, they would've been better off with a really great AirPlay speaker, like the JBL L8.

SONOS offers nothing comparable, and that's the one major downside to investing in SONOS' system. I see them in the same camp as Bose and Beats... They're very popular but don't offer the best audio quality.

 

[notjustjay]

...no one I know with a SONOS system actually takes advantage of it; they own one speaker. For them, they would've been better off with a really great AirPlay speaker, like the JBL L8.

SONOS offers nothing comparable, and that's the one major downside to investing in SONOS' system. I see them in the same camp as Bose and Beats... They're very popular but don't offer the best audio quality.

Your friends may not be taking the most advantage of their systems now, and if they own just one speaker then you're right, they could be equally served by any number of other good options.

If/when they start to buy more units for their home, the differences in stability/performance over other solutions will become very apparent, especially when they decide to have a party and blast the same music all over the house.

 

[jdag]

I don't know about that. Remember the iPod HiFi?

SONOS has some cool capabilities (that I hope Apple offers with future iterations of AirPlay) but no one I know with a SONOS system actually takes advantage of it; they own one speaker. For them, they would've been better off with a really great AirPlay speaker, like the JBL L8.

SONOS offers nothing comparable, and that's the one major downside to investing in SONOS' system. I see them in the same camp as Bose and Beats... They're very popular but don't offer the best audio quality.

While Sonos can be used as a single stand-alone speaker, it is not really designed for such a simple use case. Other than the fact that they both produce music, the Apple Hi-Fi and a Sonos system are so very different.

As for being "the best audio quality"...of course they are not. Not even the staunchest Sonos advocate will say that. Even if you use a Connect or Connect Amp and other speakers, you are still talking about limited resolution music files being streamed, so it will never be "the best" quality. But then again, when talking audio quality, realize that some people pay $10,000+ for speakers. Consider the context.

 

[topmounter]

Any word on Roon support?

 

[69Mustang]

Not quite as generous as what the headline says. Sonos is publishing the text of their patents earlier than they would otherwise be made available. They aren't letting anyone use their technology for free though. Sonos is likely doing this for two reasons: (1) to promote licensing, make it more appealing for others to license their patent portfolio by making it publicly viewable earlier which also makes it seems larger; and (2) to create prior art, make it more difficult for competitors to get patents in this area if examiners can cite Sono's applications that would otherwise be private until the patent issues or the application publishes.

Very valid point. They could also publishing the text of their patents to encourage further innovation. This is supposition, but potentially another company can further improve the tech by using Sonos patents as a base for some related patent. I don't know this as fact, but I think Sonos would be amenable to a cross license with said company. The more companies contributing to the advancement of the tech, the less likely there will be litigation. If there's an ****** of a company that wants to take the innovation without contributing, then potentially a gang would be there to discourage that behavior.

 

[Mtmspa]

Love my Sonos 5. awesome sound and quality. Even better when I can use Apple Music instead of Pandora.

 

[69Mustang]

Your friends may not be taking the most advantage of their systems now, and if they own just one speaker then you're right, they could be equally served by any number of other good options.

If/when they start to buy more units for their home, the differences in stability/performance over other solutions will become very apparent, especially when they decide to have a party and blast the same music all over the house.

100% this. If someone has one speaker it's either they're testing the waters or the expense is a hurdle. If it's expense then I would suggest a Chromecast Audio. My nephew wanted a Play 3. The kid recently graduated, lives in an efficiency apartment, and has about $70K in debt. Dumb kids, whadayagonnado? I spent $35 and hooked a CA to his Altec Lansing 2.1 PC speakers. He has similar functionality and didn't add $300 to his debt load.

1 Sonos speaker really does the system a disservice.

 

[deany]

You can have everything with AirTunes or AirPlay - why use Sonos? Some day Sonos will go bankrupt and you will be left with a broken set of overpriced loudspeakers.

I love Sonos and am fortunate to have music throughout the house for about six years now. Its Great!
I live in a very rural location with no broadband but do get 45MB download on 4G double speed, but it is capped at 50GB a month at present.

My service of choice is Google Play Music (I've tried all the main ones).

Anyway back to my point you _can_ airplay to Sonos just not with Play 1 or Play 3. I airplay dowloaded tracks approx 80GB on GPM ios app from iphone 6. Saving on my 50GB cap.

I can airplay to all zones I use the line in with airport express to a Play 5.

It is also possible to airplay with apple TV to Sonos.

So if you like Sonos and want to airplay you can (as long as there is a line in on your Sonos device).

Hope this clears your slight error.

cheers

ps
The sound quality is good on airplay but not quite the quality of 'direct stream' from GPM servers, 320 kbps.

 

[kbran]

99% of the people who complain about or attempt to discredit Sonos have never used or lived with Sonos products.

So true.

 

[JDuggan]

Music coming to speakers. Groundbreaking.

 

[ericv]

Denon HEOS and LG Music Flow could be considered competitors. Unfortunately, they have nowhere near the ecosystem of supported services yet.

Not sure if anyone has mentioned this yet, but HEOS has pretty much the same ecosystem and app support, save Apple Music. HEOS also supports Spotify Connect which Sonos has ignored.