I don't want Apple/Google/Amazon/Microsoft etc to buy more companies. All that does is stifle competition and/or force consumers into an ecosystem they aren't already in and don't want to be in.
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Sonos Era 300 and Era 100 Smart Speakers Revealed in Marketing Images
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Beam + Sub + 2x Ones = straight 5.1
There is no upward-firing component in a Beam/One system.
Yes, very much this. People have been proposing “Apple should buy (X)” for a long time for all sorts of crazy things (my favorite was they should buy the entire NFL - all the teams), but Sonos is practically the only one that has ever made sense to me - their target audience (prosumer tech gear buyers not afraid to spend more) and the feel of their product lines are very similar. They both go for “Just Works” and good out-of-the-box experiences, Sonos can offer Apple a ready-made multi-room / home theater experience, and Apple can offer Sonos full Siri (and OS) integration, huge resources, and availability in every Apple Store. I think they’d fit quite well together.
I wanted precisely that, two years ago. At this rate, perhaps Apple will get there in five more years. I couldn’t be bothered to wait. Went with Sonos. Have been very happy.
Wrong? Not a lot. It would be a better, more fitting, matchup than most that have been proposed over the past decade (that was part of my point), and it would have some benefits for both sides (Sonos quality home theater systems with Siri integration, for one thing - yes, Sonos Voice Control is nice, but it's only for music, I can't tell my Arc to adjust my HomeKit-controlled lights, for instance). I think Apple has done some brilliant things with HomePods and active equalization, but their attempts at home theater are just now starting to cross the line from pathetic into kinda-sorta usable. I think that Apple's and Sonos' engineers, working together, could make some really excellent systems.
Agreed, and it is unfortunate. If the Era 1 in the $220-250 range included up firing, I would instantly replace my current Ones I use in the rear. But at $450 each, I’m priced out, and I won’t be buying either of the Eras. Too bad.
A pair of Era 3s will absolutely improve your arc set up. Currently, only the arc has up firing speakers. With the Era 3s, you’ll add additional up firing speakers for extra Atmos immersion.
At $450 each, I’ll have to keep using my Play speakers in the rear. Just personally too hard to justify. If the Era 1 had up firing speakers too, I’d probably do it for $450-500 for the pair.
At that price buy a receiver and speakers for real atmos, or just gets a Samsung Q900B which is better than the Arc setup anyway.
Disagree entirely. I have Sonos is pretty much every room of the house. You get what you pay for. Period.
Why is it that Sonos have people convinced that they are The only solution for home cinema? Plenty of other systems out there offering Atmos, thE Arc isn’t the only device on the market that does this.
Giving the sound quality of the 5 I bet it’s going to sound great. I’d rather a great sounding speaker than something that looks cool and sounds lacklustre like the HomePod series.
I significant majority of people see SONOS as a one-speaker-for-all type of company when their business isn't that. Can you buy just one speaker for you needs? Sure and are there better speakers for the price? Probably like any product. But SONOS is a wireless, multi-room speaker company and that's what you buy them for. Most people who are owners here own multiple SONOS speakers for their own set up and then you have the one user like "my one HomePod" or "my X (singular) speaker" does it better for a lot cheaper.
Those who like SONOS and own multiple speakers for their set up do so because it provides flexibility outside of just one speaker for listening. Someone could have a set up in a home theatre configuration and if they need to move one or more speakers for a different listening experience, they can move them with ease knowing they can revert back to any configuration easily. There are very few companies who can execute multi-room audio in a very simplistic way. SONOS just does it the best.
SONOS speakers aren't the be-all, end-all but the conversations in these threads are talking about different things from different use basis:
I like SONOS because I can use all my speakers in various setups vs. SONOS is overrated, my one soundbar or one HomePod in my room sounds so good for less.
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Indeed. I got a pair of Bose boxes with two speakers each plugged into the 3.5mm jack of my TV and that fills the entire house with sound.
The Alexa team has been dismantled. They are not trying to compete as a smart speaker. I’m sure it’ll be available but it’s not their MO.
I would do like you if I could use Siri the way I use it with the HomePods also the new sensors, the intercom, the alarm and the Apple Music studio grade / atmos … which are features I use everyday …
Exactly. You lose so much if in the apple ecosystem and go Sonos. I actually wish Sonos find a way to work it out because many of their speakers are very good.
I refuse to go Alexa for voice commands, refuse to lose the ability to add playing music directly to my Apple Music library, refuse to lose HomeKit integration. Sonos will only support spatial audio from Amazon music, and I won’t be switching to that. It just seems completely ill-suited to the Apppe ecosystem these days. Oh and that dreadful app!
Yes you can airplay to a Sonos speaker, but that requires me to have a iphone / iPad at hand. There is no deep integration as there is with a homepod.
I get that this is mainly Apple’s fault but we cannot overlook how much of a pain this is.
It may be good for the business (Apple's business) but it hurts competition and consumers.
I know they are not the only solution for home cinema. But they are one of only a few solutions that are not voice vendor locked. I can use HomeKit and/or Assistance and/or Alexa and/or Hey Sonos.
I know other vendors offer multiple voice, multi-room solutions, but so far Sonos has worked the best for me. Not saying Sonos doesn't have issues, cause they really really do, but the fact that my Sonos One works better as an Echo device than my Amazon Echo....
