Hard pass for us, we have the OG HomePods. We love them and can’t imagine Wi-Fi 6 making any difference at all. It’s great marketing however! 😉
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Sonos Working on New 'Era' High-End Speakers
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Respectfully, isn't that comparing Apples and Oranges (pun unintended)? Kali probably has superior audio to OG HomePods or Sonos, but are they capable of multi-room as is? Are they compatible with Airplay 2? I think they can be adapted to work with bluetooth (adapter required, if I'm not mistaken) but IMNSHO, Airplay is far more versatile and responsive that BT is (although I bet newer revs of BT are catching up... have caught up? Don't know).
Disclaimer: I am not an audiophile. I simply enjoy decent sound which can work with multi-room and plays nicely with Airplay 2. Because of that, I enjoy HomePods and probably would appreciate Sonos as well if I were to dip my toes into that particular eco-system.
Another thing I really like about the OG HomePod is how well it syncs video to audio, making it a very respectable alternative for TV viewing (I do wish that Apple would find their way to supporting a true 5.1 or 7.2 system, making use of HomePod audio features).
That said, I acknowledge that Kali sure sounds like it would be a superior sonic experience... but I return to my original question. Are we not comparing entirely different solutions?
You can get Airplay adapters and make the Kalis do everything a smart speaker would do, except maybe Hey Siri, but Hey Siri is so unreliable it doesn’t matter.
Given that the Sonos speakers are already higher audio quality than the Apple one. These add new and improved things that Sonos does not already have. But the thing that Sonos needs is full Apple Music support. And only Apple can give them that.
Last edited:
I could probably live without Hey Siri for my music (especially if I got great sound out of the deal), but for my wife, the lack of Siri support would be a deal killer.
Incidentally, we have no problems with Siri at all (it is not at all unreliable for us), but then we don't ask much from Siri. Just play the albums/artists/songs/playlists we ask for... which works quire reliably.
Would you know which Airplay 2 adapters could be linked with Kali? I researched it a bit (definitely not in depth) before replying on this thread and all I could find were BT adapters.
If anyone wants to read up on the tech that's probably driving these speakers...
www.yahoo.com
How Mayht, a small startup, is taking on the world of speaker goliaths
The world of speakers is similar; the technology has barely moved in the past hundred years, and only a handful of manufacturers create almost every single speaker element that plays the sweet dulcet tones of Shania Twain into the ether around you. Yes, innovations are happening, but core...
Sonos appears to have an odd definition of "high-end". To me, it means maximum sound quality and versatility.
Sonos = landfill in 5 years. 5 years is still basically brand new for speakers, you just might want updated electronics/software but Sonos makes you re-buy their whole mediocre sounding device.
Sonos = landfill in 5 years. 5 years is still basically brand new for speakers, you just might want updated electronics/software but Sonos makes you re-buy their whole mediocre sounding device.
Belkin and Ugreen both make Airplay receivers. I would post links but I’m on my phone.
I guess the only catch with the Kalis is you need to know how to use cables/splitters or a basic mixing panel.
But still, AirPlay-enabled Kalis are basically unbeatable. I didn’t think sound this good was even possible outside a pro studio without spending thousands.
excellent article about innovations in driver technology. thanks for sharing. worth the read. It will be interesting to see if Apple moves to incorporate any of this in future HomePod or other audio products (e.g. speakers built-in to iPhones/iPads/Macs).If anyone wants to read up on the tech that's probably driving these speakers...
How Mayht, a small startup, is taking on the world of speaker goliaths
The world of speakers is similar; the technology has barely moved in the past hundred years, and only a handful of manufacturers create almost every single speaker element that plays the sweet dulcet tones of Shania Twain into the ether around you. Yes, innovations are happening, but core...
seems like Sonos and I have a very different understanding of what constitutes a high end speaker
What's the bet that these new speakers are not backwardly compatible with gen 2 and if course gen 1 sonos gear?
Sonos are really just a bunch of greedy crooks. Avoid their crappy products
Very hard to take those seriously as you never know if it’s just a flood of the absurdly negative people around here. Most reviews confirm the sound is equivalent- and why wouldn’t it be?
Apple’s HomePod Can Hear You. You Might Not Want To Hear It
The revamped full-size Siri smart speaker has good mics, but it can’t compete on sound.www.wired.com
Also read the forum posts. Not many happy listeners.
I think Sonos uses SonOS.
I’ll disagree. I have 2 Sonos in stereo mode and I’ve grown to despise airplay with a passion.
Just got my first entry into Sonos with a Play:1 that I got at goodwill for $10. Man that thing sound almost the same as my Gen 1 HomePod, just with a little less bass
Their eco system really seems like a modern, better sounding Bose
Their eco system really seems like a modern, better sounding Bose
I think high-end and audiophile-grade are not necessarily synonymous terms. Having a full soundbar setup that costs ~$2k seems high-end for many that would maybe cap out their spending at $500 for something similar. The sound quality for similar setups has been surpassed for sure, but the convenience and styling (personal preference) is still not there for others.
In this day and age, for better or worse, products just don't last as long. A dedicated setup for a turntable is the only real long lasting thing I could consider. New sound formats/wi-fi standards/etc. mean that most at this price range are upgrading around every 5-10 years anyway.
Your baseline is "I have never had an issue". Sonos is better than that.
I assume not. Sonos bought Mayht shortly after that article came out so they’re the ones that would have to license the patents to apple.
Same. The Sonos app isn’t fancy, but it’s so much more reliable, responsive, and better sounding it’s just night and day.
Use tri-band mesh hardware so the back channel doesn't compete with your devices. We have a pair of super high end Orbis running over 50 devices in our house (< 5,000 sq ft) for over 2 years now and it's flawless. Sonos gear works great. If your mesh hardware isn't tri-band, and you're not running a physical back haul, your network is going to be pretty iffy as you add more devices. And just for the record, Eero is garbage. We had like 5 or 6 Eeros around the house and replaced them all with the 2 Orbis. 300-500+ Mbps all over the house, no drops.
Orbis are great. I set up an Orbi system in my parents' house years ago and it has worked very well for them. They have a big house (8,000+ sqft) and the walls are all plaster, so there's a lot of wire mesh in the walls. They struggled with different wifi systems for years. Orbi is the first system that has covered the whole house with no issues and done so with the least number of satellites.
I also like the Nighthawk. That's what I use at home.
My sister has my old Playbar. it's 10 years old and still supported. All of my Sonos speakers are 5 years old. No problems.
If you can't or don't have the patience to run wires, it's hard to beat Sonos for the total package.
I don't mean audiophile-grade. Half the price of a few basic sonos products will get far better sounding speakers and a receiver. And that better sounding setup will be far more versatile in terms of what you can play on it.
And when new formats/wi-fi standards/etc come along, you can replace the relatively inexpensive receiver and the speakers will be good and up-to-date for literally decades. And given that, I feel better about splurging more on those speakers.