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Sonos Speakers Now Available on Apple Online Store Around the World
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Same question. Thinking of getting family sub for Apple Music, maybe also a Sonos Play 1. Be tempted more if this offer allows addition to the sub?
So would it just be a code that adds an amount to my iTunes credit?
I've asked Apple about the 12 month Apple Music card for £99 and this only applies to single not family (http://www.apple.com/uk/shop/gift-cards/apple_music_electronic)
On a side note is Apple Music sub fees first taken from any iTunes Store credit you have like iCloud billing for my storage is? Just you can usually get 20% off so would make Apple Music cheaper to.
Thanks
It says on the page you linked to that the card can be redeemed in iBooks, App Store etc. So I'd take that to mean yes, it's just credit on your Apple account.
When they say it only applies to single membership I'm pretty sure they mean the 12 month £99 gift card is only 12 months on a single sub. If you got a family sub, the £99 card would run out after 6 months.
I've had two Play 1's for a year that I really, really like. I just picked up a Connect off Craigslist last week and have its output going to my Polk soundbar and my AppleTV set as input.
The huge advantage is this gives AirPlay input to the Sonos system. I use it mostly for podcasts, which had been one of the real weaknesses of the Sonos system for me.
Yeah, when I read you couldn't stream Apple Music to it, and there was no AirPlay, that made it an complete non-starter for me. Why get a speaker that can only play some of the stuff my phone can?
AirPlay doesn't require wifi, it can operate exclusively over Ethernet if your sending device (typically a computer or NAS) is wired. I use it that way all the time with my Mac Mini and my Denon and Onkyo receivers.
Multi-room synchronization is something I don't use very often, but Synology NAS can do it without needing a Mac via their DS Audio app. Whaale app on iOS can do it without a Mac, as well. I use a Mac Mini as a server and it does give me more capabilities than the other options (including Sonos), though...especially when running Airfoil.
Personally, I like speakers with published specs, so the only Sonos I would even consider is the Connect but I don't care about whole home audio and AirPlay "just works" for the many setups I have all over the house. I have a decent wifi router, so I don't run into issues that others claim to have.
I don't think Sonos is a good fit for Apple Stores because it creates confusion for those that want to be able to use the actual music app instead of having to use the Sonos app all the time for the limited number of services they support. Podcasts, for one thing, are a major limitation. But the fact that Apple has put so much work into their Apple Music app and now they are encouraging their clients to use the Sonos app seems like a bad move. However, they probably have something in store (maybe direct streaming to the Sonos from Apple Music) that will make more sense down the road.
Sonos is a bit of an odd duck in today's world of streaming from your phone to a Bluetooth speaker. Sonos was born many years ago when most of us had music ripped from CDs onto a PC hard drive or NAS. Then they built these streaming network players that stand up their own mesh network and "just work", and it was an amazing and easy way to set up your whole house with multi zone audio.
Today we buy $99 Bluetooth speakers and stream music from the internet on our phones. There's a bit of overlap with Sonos, just enough that people argue whether Sonos is "worth it" - not quite realizing that it's not exactly the same thing. On the flip side, Sonos is finding themselves having to compete with this market, hence products like the "lower" priced Play:1, and bringing in support for more streaming services.
Today we buy $99 Bluetooth speakers and stream music from the internet on our phones. There's a bit of overlap with Sonos, just enough that people argue whether Sonos is "worth it" - not quite realizing that it's not exactly the same thing. On the flip side, Sonos is finding themselves having to compete with this market, hence products like the "lower" priced Play:1, and bringing in support for more streaming services.
I agree with most of what you said and I think that's the trend for consumerism today especially with the iPhone crowd/generation. Being around and having hands-on/listening experience with audio, both consumer and audiophile, there's less emphasis on quality and more on convenience at the cheapest price which is why inexpensive bluetooth speakers like Braven, Ultimate Ears (UE), Jawbone are so popular. I don't necessarily think that consumers can't discern the difference, they're easily demoed in-store, consumers today looking for audio just don't care.
I think the consumer audio industry is one of the hardest markets to crack. The Sonos Play:1 could be the best sounding wireless speaker at $199, but it wouldn't make a bit of difference if someone could buy a speaker from any of the companies listed above for $99 or less.
I don't know many audiophiles that want wireless speakers. Most, if not all, wireless speakers are aimed at the much larger convenience market. As I have mentioned, Sonos doesn't publish specs, which is a huge problem for those that care about sound quality.
I frequent sites that have audiophile photo threads and I have yet to see any wireless speaker. If they use wifi, it is with computers, AirPlay/Roon, squeezebox, etc. The Connect would be more at home in this type of setup, but a Mac Mini is a better value and can play hi rez formats, so you see it with more frequency.
Personally, I have a couple Bluetooth speakers and one AirPlay speaker and none of them were chosen for sound quality. They all have portability that you lose with Sonos because they can run off a battery. Sonos is for people that walk around their homes all the time and need music playing from plugged in speakers in every room or those that can't figure out how to get a decent wifi signal in their homes and need a mesh network (more convenient to buy a Sonos than troubleshoot a network issue or add Home Plugs/Boosters). Audiophiles, on the other hand, want things like imaging and real stereo separation that aren't available when you are walking from room to room.
As I said, the convenience market is huge, so that is why there is always a race toward the bottom. The audiophile is tiny in comparison, so you can't blame Apple for selling Beats and Sonos rather than Wilson Audio speakers and Stax headphones.
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I fully agree with you. I wasn't implying that audiophiles wanted wireless speakers. Being closely involved with retail stores that sell and primarily deal with audiophile equipment but also deals with consumer-focused products, my observation is that most consumers will almost always pick the cheapest bluetooth speaker with no regard to quality.
I have a dedicated audio system (currently messing around with Harbeth, Audiolab & Rega DACs, Primaluna amp), but even I sometimes want convenience which is why I have a few Sonos speakers around the house. That's not to say I think they're the best of its kind but it blends convenience, simplicity and quality in one reliable package. Just because people aren't audiophiles doesn't mean that there isn't a middle ground between entry-level audio and audiophile-level that Sonos and various other speakers occupy and that's my point. Even at $199, I don't think the Play:1 is terribly overpriced. Compared to a $99 Braven bluetooth speaker, there is a $100 difference in sound quality and more. $100 may be a huge difference to some, but most of the people that I've come across $100 is not a large difference to them but they'll still take the $99 speaker every time.
Wouldn't be surprised at all if Apple acquired Sonos in the very near future. Sonos has already stated that they're going after the voice assistant market, so this could be Apple's strategy to get in as well - probably cheaper than an in-house development. The speakers are very prominently featured in the Apple Store - almost suspiciously so.
I've been using Sonos speakers for years. They offer fantastic sound and very solid performance. The app is great and Apple Music integration is very good as well. I absolutely prefer them over Bluetooth speakers or airplay for their autonomous playback. Just pause in the evening and resume in the morning by pushing a button on the device. Grouping several of them together is a breeze as well.
I've been using Sonos speakers for years. They offer fantastic sound and very solid performance. The app is great and Apple Music integration is very good as well. I absolutely prefer them over Bluetooth speakers or airplay for their autonomous playback. Just pause in the evening and resume in the morning by pushing a button on the device. Grouping several of them together is a breeze as well.
Just curious - what do you mean the Airport Expresses aren't reliable with Airplay? Are they connected wirelessly or wired to your Extreme?
Reason I ask is, I've used -still do- various generations of Airport Expresses to stream via Airplay and always have found them to be rock-solid. With the caveat, that I always wire them. Even with the present generation of wireless, I have never found wireless devices connected to other wireless devices to ever be perfectly reliable with streaming, not just video but audio as well. That isn't really an Apple issue but fundamental to wireless.
Wireless streaming can certainly work well enough, and is the only option in many installations, I get that. But it simply can't match the stability of a good old wire.
My present setup is in an apartment pre-wired for data. I use an old Asus router with the wireless turned off, in the wall distribution panel as the router, and then plug an Express with the DHCP server turned off, into the RJ45 socket near the TV for use as a hotspot for my mobile devices and for streaming music. I then have an Apple TV 4 plugged into the other Ethernet jack on the Express, using the Express as a switch. (I can use the ATV for audio streaming as well of course, but with the audio switching setup it's easier to use the Express). All audio and video stream flawlessly from my iTunes/Plex install running on the MB Pro in another room (also wired, through a TB hub).
All of this to say, I have a feeling that most streaming issues people have with Airplay are due wireless interference problems. Perhaps Sonos has found technical solutions to this, proprietary buffering or something, I don't know.
But I've had no issues at all with Airplay for many years, it's built into every device I own, why would I switch to Sonos, especially with the expensive hardware? For a $100 Airport Express (or less, for a perfectly adequate older used one) and yes, an Ethernet connection, I can use whatever speakers I like...?
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Ah yes, that embarrassing moment when you confuse your mother in law for Keith Richards. We've all done it.
The reason I own Bluetooth speakers instead of Sonos is simply the portability. Easier to take to the beach or on trips. They come in many different sizes, so I have one that can strap to handlebars and one fits in a pocket in a backpack. I have had a Tivoli Pal radio for years that I used for its excellent tuner and I could plug an iPod into it. Now, I have the extra flexibility of using it with an Airport Express. Similar situation with my Phillips Soundring AirPlay speaker I keep in the kitchen. It needs wifi for AirPlay, but I can take it outside or out in the garage because it is portable. It has a USB input, when docked, so it powers the iPad in the kitchen and it also has an Aux input that I now have connected to an Echo Dot. It is just a lot more flexible than the low end Sonos speakers. Bluetooth and the Phillips speaker don't need Sonos to stay in business to keep their full functionality either and both work great with podcasts. For my kitchen, I don't need audiophile sound, I just need it to sound decent, which it does. That explains the main reasons my convenience setups aren't setup for Sonos. It has zero advantage for my uses and, in fact, has several downfalls in those areas.
I have two Airport Express units that are wifi and they work perfectly. (Note: the Airport Express that is hooked up to the Tivoli is on wifi and is used more than all my other AirPlay devices. I would have switched to Bluetooth if I had any issues at all with the connection) Most of my other AirPlay setups are wired, and many are built into receivers, though. However, ninety percent of the time the wired devices are getting a stream from my iPhone or iPad, so the signal is starting over the air.
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For me, Airplay was useless even with line-of-sight to the router or wifi extender. In the same house/rooms Sonos works as well as Ethernet, even without using the Sonos mesh network.
When you're in a big old house with a family, wiring for ethernet is daunting and of dubious benefit, and AirPlay simply doesn't work because of the software design. If you're streaming a playlist from your phone, how does your wife append a couple of tracks to the end of the playlist? She can't. How do your kids shut off the dad music playing on the patio, and switch it to something they like without disturbing the rest of the house? Again, they can't. What happens if you're in the bath and you want to turn on some music but the last person left the stereo set to the radio or CD input. You can't control the stereo from your phone, so you're getting out of the bath.
This is why some people say they don't need or want Airplay on Sonos, because the Sonos model of fetching audio direct from online sources, works really well in shared homes. The Airplay model, of one mobile device hogging the speaker devices, is really obstructive to shared use.
Fair enough, AirPlay can operate exclusively over Ethernet, in which case it is very stable. But most people don't have the infrastructure throughout their homes to support this.
Re DS Audio. Yes, I'd forgot about that. But of course you need to own a Synology NAS which is still relatively rare thing amongst people I know, and this is limited to audio stored on your NAS IIRC (no streaming service).
I hadn't heard of Whaale. Looks interesting, esp since it says it supports an online streaming service (Deezer) according to the App Store description. Can it stream direct from Deezer, or does the music need to be cached on your iOS device first?
Limitations with Podcasts and (more so) on-demand radio shows are the only real issues I personally have with Sonos. But Podcasts that have been cached on your device are available to Sonos. For iOS I believe it has to be cached via the Apple Podcasts app.
I have to assume that Apple stores selling Sonos speakers is a precursor for direct control from Apple Music. Doesn't make much sense otherwise.
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Sonos speakers and other components build a dedicated wifi mesh network if just one of them is connected via Ethernet to your router. This is great for reliability.
I asked Apple on a chat a while ago about the £99 Apple Music gift card and they said it wasn't for family subs only individual membership, so presume it's not a credit on your iTunes Store credit.
its all about the software and ease of use. They are simply the best on the market, or were until recently. I'd like to compare them to the Amazon Echo or Google Chromecast. I doubt I'll be changing though as I really like my Sonos, all 6 of them.
You are probably right - the issues o have a are likely due to the inherent nature of wifi limitations. Unlike your setup, my airport expresses are not wired. I have four of them, and they represent three generations of Airport Expresses.
Some of the issues - Airplay suddenly can't find one or more, sudden unexplained breaks in Airplay even though the source is not moving around, and certain songs - yes the songs themselves - refuse to play on Airplay. That last one is weird. No idea what it's about.
But I can't say either way if Sonos is better. But I can say that I think the writing is on the wall - I think Apple is getting out of this market - the Airport market. Hope I'm wrong.