In house speaker systems: Home Sound Systems and Wireless Speakers |

Home Sound Systems and Wireless Speakers

Apple Music logo

Get 3 free months of Apple Music

Stream over 100 million songs, ad-free. Listen across all your devices. And feel sound all around with spatial audio.

Shop

Astonishingly clear

Each speaker is thoughtfully designed from the inside out with best-in-class acoustics and state-of-the-art software.

Expertly tuned

Oscar and Grammy-winning producers, mixers and artists fine-tune the sound experience. So you don’t just hear every detail. You feel the emotion.

Beautifully balanced

Our proprietary Trueplay™ tuning technology adapts the sound to your unique surroundings for a listening experience that’s nothing short of luxurious.

Explore products

Your browser cannot play the provided video file.

Mix and match speakers

Everything works seamlessly together over WiFi. Start with one room and simply add more when you’re ready.

Shop Sets

Pair two speakers for stunningly detailed stereo sound.

Build a surround sound system for immersive entertainment.

Easily move the music all around your home and beyond.

Breeze through setup

Just plug, tap, play. The Sonos app walks you through getting started step by step.

Learn more

Discover new favourites

Explore thousands of live stations, expertly curated music and original content on Sonos Radio.

Learn more

Shuffling your playlist

Control it all like magic

The Sonos app combines all your content and settings into one effortless experience. You can also use your voice, Apple AirPlay 2 and more.

Learn more

Your browser cannot play the provided video file.

Make a splash with Roam

Ultra Portable Smart Speaker

Shop now

Your browser cannot play the provided video file.

Get in the game with Arc

Premium Smart Soundbar

Shop now

Your browser cannot play the provided video file.

Experience spatial audio with Era 300

Premium Smart Speaker

Shop now

Your browser cannot play the provided video file.

Freshen up your kitchen with Era 100

Smart Speaker

Shop now

Your browser cannot play the provided video file.

Level up your TV with Ray

Soundbar

Shop now

Free expedited shipping

Enjoy free, no-contact delivery on every order.

Easy 45-day returns

If it isn’t love at first listen, returns are hassle-free.

Shop with an expert

Call 1-800-680-2345 for help creating your system.

S2: The Sonos OS and Controller App

Take listening to the next level with Sonos S2. This new generation of the app features support for higher resolution audio, an improved design, increased security, and smarter software to keep your system up to date.

Brilliant sound, now even more brilliant

With upgraded audio processing, Sonos S2 supports higher resolution audio technologies for music and home theater, including Dolby Atmos.

Learn more

Increased security

Enhanced protocols, including support for elliptic curve cipher suites in SSL/TLS, keep your system safer and your data more secure.

All your services in a single app

Sonos S2 is more than just an app. It’s a platform that brings together all your streaming, voice, and control services so you can easily browse music, radio, podcasts, and audiobooks and listen your way.

Total control in the palm of your hand

Easily manage your system from any room. Adjust the volume, group speakers to play in sync, save favorites, set alarms, customize settings, and more.

Era 300*

Era 100*

Beam (Gen 2)*

Roam SL*

One SL*

One (Gen 2)*

One (Gen 1)*

Play:1

Play:5 (Gen 2)

Play:3

Beam (Gen 1)

Playbase

Playbar

Sub Mini*

Sub (Gen 3)*

Sub (Gen 2)

Sub (Gen 1)

Connect (Gen 2)

Connect:Amp (Gen 2)

*S2 required

If you don’t see your product or are unsure which generation you own, please sign in to your account to see if it requires Sonos S1.

Learn more

Do I have to update to S2?

No. If you have products that are incompatible with S2 and would like to keep your system as is, you can. The app you are now using will be renamed the Sonos S1 Controller, and it will continue working with your existing products, music services, and voice services. When prompted to update in the app, simply confirm that you would like to continue with your current experience. If all of your products are compatible with S2, however, we recommend you update so you can enjoy the new software features.

If I continue using the S1 Controller app, what does that mean for my future experience?

You can continue listening with your system as you do today. Your system will receive bug fixes and security patches, but it will not receive any of the new software features found in S2. We will work with our partners to keep your music and voice services working with our oldest products for as long as we can given their memory and processing power limitations. If we run into something core to the experience that can’t be addressed, we will let you know.

Is Sonos ending support for older products?

No. You can still use older products with the S1 Controller.

Are any products incompatible with the S1 Controller app?

Products released after May 2020 will not be compatible with the S1 Controller app. This includes the new Arc, Five, and Sub (Gen 3). Product compatibility will be noted on sonos.com.

What if some products in my system are S2 compatible and some are not?

Visit Sonos Support to learn more about your options.

What are my options for upgrading to S2 compatible products?

If you have products that are eligible for the Sonos Upgrade Program, you can choose to participate and save up to 30% on any new product. Learn more.

How do I get the new app?

Download the new app to your phone or tablet from your app store. All of your settings and preferences will update automatically. You can delete the S1 Controller app from your device if you don’t plan to use it.

Where can I learn more?

For more information about the new app and what it means for your system, please refer to this article.

Download now

By installation and/or use of the Sonos desktop controller, you are indicating your agreement to the Terms of Use, License and Warranty Agreement. You also indicate that you have read and understand how your data as described in the Privacy Statement will be processed.

Your browser’s Javascript functionality is turned off. Please turn it on so that you can experience the full capabilities of this site.

materials and acoustic design / Sudo Null IT News

This is a new cycle of posts dedicated to acoustic systems. Due to the fact that the topic is extremely extensive, we decided to create a series of articles reflecting the selection criteria for buying speakers. This post is dedicated to acoustic properties of body materials and acoustic design. The post will be especially helpful for those who are in the middle of choosing speakers, and will also provide information for people who want to create their own speakers in the course of their DIY experiments.

There is an opinion that one of the decisive factors influencing the sound of speakers is the material of the case. PULT experts believe that the importance of this factor is often exaggerated, however, it is really important and cannot be written off. An equally important factor (among many others) that determines the sound of speakers is acoustic design.

I warn you, the material contains links to products not as frank jeans, but as examples (I hope it will not offend anyone), everything is strictly within the framework of the topic.

Material: from plastic to granite and glass

Plastic – cheap, cheerful, but resonant

Plastic is often used in the production of budget speakers. The plastic case is light, greatly expands the possibilities of designers, thanks to casting, almost any shape can be realized. Different types of plastics differ greatly in their acoustic properties. In the production of high-quality home acoustics, plastic is not very popular, while it is in demand for professional samples, where low weight and mobility of the device are important.

(for most plastics, the sound absorption coefficient is from 0.02 – 0.03 at 125 Hz to 0.05 – 0.06 at 4 kHz)

With a 90% probability, if you are faced with plastic home acoustics, this is either a budget option for not too sophisticated users, or a sample comparable in cost to counterparts from MDF and chipboard. The plastic case of the device of insufficient thickness and density will begin to resonate and rattle when the volume is increased to 60 – 90%. In high-quality speakers, with calculated thickness and suitable acoustic properties of the material, “parasitic” mid-frequency resonances are minimized, however, the cost of such speakers is almost equal to analogues from other materials. Even mind-blowing equalization will not help to squeeze a deep and adequate bottom out of a budget plastic speaker.

A typical representative of the “plastic brotherhood” in home acoustics with decent performance and an attractive price: JBL bookshelf speaker Jembe black

Wood – from felling to golden ears

Due to its good absorbing properties, wood is considered one of the best speaker materials.

(wood sound absorption coefficient depending on the species is from 0.15 – 0.17 at 125 Hz to 0.09 at 4 kHz)

Solid wood and veneer for speaker production are used relatively rarely and, as a rule, are in demand in the HI-End segment. Gradually, wooden speakers disappear from the market due to low manufacturability, material instability and prohibitively high cost.

Interestingly, in order to create truly high-quality speakers of this type that meet the requirements of the most sophisticated listeners, technologists must select the material at the cutting stage, as in the production of acoustic musical instruments. The latter is related to the properties of wood, where everything is important, from the area where the tree grew, ending with the humidity level of the room where it was stored, the temperature and duration of drying et cetera. The latter circumstance makes it difficult for DIY development, in the absence of special knowledge, an amateur creating a wooden speaker is doomed to proceed by trial and error.

How things really are, and whether the described conditions are observed, the manufacturers of such acoustics do not report, and, accordingly, any wooden system requires careful listening before buying. With a high degree of probability, two speakers of the same model from the same breed will sound slightly different, which is especially important for some demanding listeners

~~with golden ears~~ with big money.

Columns from an array of valuable rocks are available to units, their cost is astronomical. Everything that your obedient servant has ever heard sounds excellent. However, in my subjective-pragmatic view, it is disproportionate to the cost. Sometimes, well-designed cases made of plywood and MDF have no less musicality, but for many audiophiles “not wood” = “not true hi-end”, and for someone “not wood” the status simply does not allow or the interior design spoils.

I believe that one of the best wooden systems in our catalog is this one:
Floor acoustics Sonus Faber Stradivari Homage graphite (corresponding price)

Plywood – almost a tree, if not flown over Beijing

Plywood used for the production of acoustic enclosures has from 10 to 14 layers and is almost as good as wood in acoustic properties, in particular in sound absorption, while being somewhat cheaper than wood, more technologically advanced in processing, and lighter than chipboard and MDF. Multilayer plywood dampens unwanted vibrations well due to the structure of the material.

(Absorption coefficient of 12-ply plywood is 0.1-0.2 at 125 Hz to 0.07 at 4 kHz)

Like wood, plywood is used in quite expensive, and sometimes in elite piece products. The cost of plywood speakers is not much lower than those made from solid wood, and is quite comparable to them in quality.

In some cases, the cases, declared by the manufacturer as “plywood”, are made of chipboard and MDF. Therefore, low prices for speakers with plywood or wooden cases should alert. A number of small Asian manufacturers, changing names regularly and selling mainly online, create composite cases, including several small but noticeable plywood (wood) elements, and the main part is made of chipboard.

Among the speakers made of plywood, I can highlight this one: Yamaha NS-5000 shelf speaker

Chipboard – thickness, density, humidity

Chipboard is comparable in cost to plastic, while it does not have a number of disadvantages that are inherent in plastic cases. The most significant problem of chipboard is low strength, with a sufficiently high mass of material.

Sound absorption in chipboard is non-uniform, and in some cases, low- and medium-frequency resonances may occur, although the probability of their occurrence is lower than that of plastic. Plates with a thickness of more than 16 mm, which reach the required density, can effectively dampen resonances. It should be noted that, as in the case of plastic, the properties of a particular chipboard are of great importance. It is important to take into account the density and moisture content of the material, since different chipboard plates differ in these parameters. Not infrequently, thick, dense particle boards are used to create studio monitors, which indicates the demand for the material in the production of professional equipment.

For the record, for DIY comrades, chipboard with a density of at least 650 – 820 kg / m³ (with a plate thickness of 16 – 18 mm) and a moisture content of no more than 6-7% is well suited for creating speakers. Failure to comply with these conditions will significantly affect the sound quality and reliability of the speakers.

Among worthy chipboard options for home speakers, our experts highlight: Cerwin-Vega SL-5M

MDF: from furniture to acoustics

Today, MDF (Medium Density Fiberboard, medium density fiberboard) is used everywhere, among other things, MDF is one of the most common modern materials for the production of acoustics.

The reason for the popularity of MDF was the physical properties of the material, namely:

Density 700 – 800 kg / m³
Sound absorption coefficient 0.15 at 125 Hz – 0.09 at 4 kHz
Humidity 1-3%
Mechanical strength and wear resistance

The material is cheap to produce, has acoustic properties comparable to those of wood, while the resistance of the boards to mechanical damage is somewhat higher. MDF has sufficient acoustic rigidity of the speaker cabinet, and sound absorption corresponds to the parameters necessary to create HI-FI acoustics.

Visual difference between MDF and chipboard

Among the MDF acoustics, there are a lot of wonderful systems, in my opinion, the following are optimal in terms of price / quality ratio:

→ Yamaha NS-BP182 piano black – shelf
→ Focal Chorus 726 – floor standing

Aluminum alloys – design and precision

The most common metal in the production of speakers is aluminum, as well as alloys based on it. Some authors and experts believe that the aluminum housing allows you to reduce resonances, as well as improve the transmission of high frequencies. The sound absorption coefficient of aluminum alloys is not high, and is about 0.05, which, however, is much better than that of steel. To reduce body vibration, increase sound absorption and prevent harmful resonances, manufacturers use sandwich panels, where a layer of high molecular weight polyethylene resins or other low-density materials, such as viscoelastic, is placed between 2 aluminum sheets.

In the case of budget speakers made of aluminum, manufacturers often rely on design at the expense of sound: as a result, acoustic characteristics leave much to be desired. Sometimes users of such acoustics complain about harsh, distorted sound caused by insufficient sound absorption of the cabinet. Due to the fact that waves are well reflected and poorly absorbed, the exact calculation of the body structure, the selection of radiators, the filters used, as well as the quality of the connections of individual parts, are of great importance in metal acoustics.

Among decent-sounding aluminum speakers, I was particularly impressed with the sound:

→ Canton CD 310 white high gloss (impressive price, but not prohibitive)

Stone – granite slabs at the price of gold bars

Stone is one of the most expensive materials for the production of acoustic cabinets. Impeccable reflection and the practical impossibility of the appearance of vibrational resonances make these materials in demand among especially demanding listeners.

Most rocks have a stable sound absorption coefficient, which, for example, for granite is 0.130 for the entire spectrum of sound frequencies, and for limestone 0.264. Manufacturers especially appreciate porous rocks, in which sound absorption is higher.

The use of stone slabs to make DIY acoustics is almost impossible, as it requires not only remarkable knowledge in acoustics and stone processing, but also extremely expensive equipment (no one produces home 3-D stone routers yet).

For the production of serial speakers, rocks such as granite, marble, slate, limestone, basalt are used. These rocks have similar acoustic properties, and with appropriate processing, they become real works of art. Not infrequently, stone cases are used to create landscape acoustics, in such cases a cavity is created in the raw stone to accommodate the emitter, in which fasteners are installed (usually made to order).

Stone has 2 main problems: cost and weight. The price of a stone speaker can be higher than any other with similar characteristics. The mass of some samples of floor systems can reach 40 kg or more.

Glass transparency and sound quality

The original solution is to create speakers from glass. So far, only two companies Waterfall and SONY have seriously succeeded in this matter. The material is interesting from a design point of view, acoustic glass creates certain problems, mainly in the form of resonances, which the above companies have learned to solve, there are even reference options.

Prices for a transparent miracle can hardly be called democratic either, the latter is due to low manufacturability and high production costs.

Of the impressive glass samples I can recommend: Waterfall Victoria Evo

Acoustic design – boxes, tubes and horns

No less important for the accurate transmission of sound in the speakers is the acoustic design. I will talk about the most common types (it is natural that certain types can be combined depending on the specific model, for example, the phase inverter part of the column is responsible for the low and mid-frequency range, and a horn is built for high ones).

Phase inverter – main pipe length

A phase inverter is one of the most common types of acoustic design. This method allows, with the correct calculation of the length of the pipe, the cross section of the hole and the volume of the case, to obtain a high efficiency, an optimal ratio of frequencies, and to amplify low frequencies. The essence of the phase inverter principle is that a hole with a pipe is placed on the back of the case, which allows you to create low-frequency oscillations in phase with the waves created by the front side of the diffuser. Most often, the phase inverter type is used when creating 2.0 and 4.0 systems.

To facilitate calculations when creating your own speakers, it is convenient to use special calculators, I give one of the convenient ones by reference.

In the HI-END philosophy, there are extremely radical uncompromising judgments about bass-reflex systems, I will quote one of them without comment:

understands which elements are more linear and which are less). Enemy number 2 is a phase inverter. the phase inverter is designed to splurge, it should allow a small cheap speaker to record 50 … 40 … 30 in the passport, and even 20 Hz is trifling at a level of -3dB! But the lower frequency range of the phase inverter ceases to be relevant to music, or rather, the phase inverter itself is a pipe singing its own melody.

Closed box – coffin for extra low ones

The classic option for many manufacturers is an ordinary closed box, with speaker cones brought to the surface. This type of acoustics is quite simple for calculations, while the efficiency of such devices does not shine. Also, boxes are not recommended for lovers of characteristically pronounced low frequencies, since in a closed system without additional elements that can enhance the low end (phase inverter, resonator), the frequency spectrum from 20 to 350 Hz is weakly expressed.

Many music lovers prefer the closed type, as it is characterized by a relatively flat frequency response and realistic “honest” transmission of the reproduced musical material. Most studio monitors are created in this acoustic design.

Band-Pass (closed resonator box) – the main thing is not to buzz

Band-Pass has become widespread in the creation of subwoofers. In this type of acoustic design, the emitter is hidden inside the case, while the inside of the box is connected to the external environment by phase inverter pipes. The task of the radiator is to excite low-frequency oscillations, the amplitude of which increases many times thanks to the phase inverter pipes.

With a properly calculated design of this type, there should not be such parasitic echoes as a low buzz, hum, etc., which is not uncommon for budget systems of this type.

Open cabinet – no extra walls

A relatively rare type of acoustic design today, in which the back wall of the cabinet is repeatedly perforated or completely absent. This type of construction is used in order to reduce the number of cabinet elements that affect the frequency response of the speaker.

In an open box, the front wall has the most significant effect on the sound, which reduces the likelihood of distortion introduced by the rest of the cabinet. The contribution of the side walls (if any are present in the design), with their small width, is minimal and does not exceed 1-2 dB.

Horn design – problematic loudness champions

Horn acoustic design is more often used in combination with other types (in particular for the design of high-frequency radiators), however, there are also 100% original horn designs.

The main advantage of horn speakers is high volume, when combined with sensitive speakers.

Most experts, not without reason, are skeptical about horn acoustics, there are several reasons:

Constructive and technological complexity, and, accordingly, high assembly requirements
It is almost impossible to create a horn speaker with a uniform frequency response (exception – devices costing 10 kilobucks and above)
Due to the fact that the horn is not a resonant system, it is impossible to correct the frequency response (a minus for DIY – people who intend to copy the Hi-end horn)
Due to the peculiarities of the waveform of horn acoustics, the sound volume is quite low
Overwhelmingly relatively low dynamic range
Gives a large number of characteristic overtones (considered an advantage by some audiophiles).

The most popular horn systems have become precisely among audiophiles who are in search of a “divine” sound. The tendentious approach allowed the archaic horn design to get a second life, and modern manufacturers were able to find original solutions (effective, but extremely expensive) to common horn problems.

That’s all for now. Continuation, as usual, follows, and the “autopsy” will definitely show … I will announce for the future: emitters, power / sensitivity / volume of the room.

“Anatomy” of acoustic systems: materials and acoustic design – Reviews and articles

This is a new series of articles dedicated to acoustic systems. Due to the fact that the topic is extremely extensive, we decided to create a series of publications that reflect the selection criteria for buying speakers. This article focuses on the acoustic properties of body materials and acoustic design. The post will be especially helpful for those who are in the middle of choosing speakers, and will also provide information for people who want to create their own speakers in the course of their DIY experiments.

There is an opinion that one of the decisive factors influencing the sound of speakers is the material of the cabinet. PULT experts believe that the importance of this factor is often exaggerated, however, it is really important and cannot be written off. An equally important factor (among many others) that determines the sound of speakers is acoustic design.

Material: from plastic to granite and glass

Plastic – cheap, cheerful, but resonant

(for most plastics, the sound absorption coefficient is from 0. 02 – 0.03 at 125 Hz to 0.05 – 0.06 at 4 kHz)

A typical representative of the “plastic brotherhood” in home acoustics with decent performance and an attractive price: JBL bookshelf speaker Jembe black

Wood – from felling to golden ears

Due to its good absorbing properties, wood is considered one of the best speaker materials.

(the sound absorption coefficient of wood, depending on the species, is from 0.15 – 0.17 at 125 Hz to 0.09 at 4 kHz)

One of the best wooden systems in our catalog is this one:

Floor acoustics Sonus Faber Stradivari Homage graphite (corresponding price)

Chipboard – thickness, density, humidity

Among worthy chipboard options for home speakers, our experts highlight: Cerwin-Vega SL-5M

MDF: from furniture to acoustics

Today, MDF (Medium Density Fiberboard, medium density fiberboard) is used everywhere, among other things, MDF is one of the most common modern materials for the production of acoustics.

The reason for the popularity of MDF was the physical properties of the material, namely:

Density 700 – 800 kg/m³
Sound absorption coefficient 0.15 at 125 Hz – 0.09 at 4 kHz
Humidity 1-3%
Mechanical strength and wear resistance

Visual difference between MDF and chipboard

Among the MDF acoustics, there are a lot of wonderful systems, the following are optimal in terms of price / quality ratio:

→ Magnat Tempus 33 mocca – shelf

→ Focal Chorus 726 floor

Aluminum alloys – design and precise calculations

Among decent-sounding aluminum speakers, the sound is especially impressive:

→ Piega Tmicro 4 alu/black (impressive price, but not prohibitive)

Stone – granite slabs at the price of gold bars

Most rocks have a stable sound absorption coefficient, which, for example, for granite is 0.130 for the entire spectrum of sound frequencies, and for limestone 0. 264. Manufacturers especially appreciate porous rocks, in which sound absorption is higher.

Stone has 2 main problems: cost and weight. The price of a stone speaker can be higher than any other with similar characteristics. The mass of some samples of floor systems can reach 40 kg or more.

Glass transparency and sound quality

Prices for a transparent miracle can hardly be called democratic either, the latter is due to low manufacturability and high production costs.

From impressive glass specimens: Waterfall Victoria Evo

Acoustic design – boxes, tubes and horns

No less important for the accurate transmission of sound in the speakers is the acoustic design. The most common types (it is natural that certain types can be combined depending on the specific model, for example, the phase inverter part of the column is responsible for the low and mid-frequency range, and a horn is built for high ones).

Phase inverter – main pipe length

To facilitate calculations when creating your own speakers, it is convenient to use special calculators, I give one of the convenient ones by reference.

In the philosophy of HI-END there are extremely radical uncompromising judgments about bass-reflex systems, I give one of them without comment:

“Enemy No. 1 is, of course, non-linear amplifying elements in the audio path (further on, everyone, to the best of education, understands which elements are more linear and which are less). Enemy number 2 is a phase inverter. the phase inverter is designed to splurge, it should allow a small cheap speaker to record 50 … 40 … 30 in the passport, and even 20 Hz is trifling at a level of -3dB! But the lower frequency range of the phase inverter ceases to be relevant to music, or rather, the phase inverter itself is a pipe singing its own melody.

Closed box – coffin for extra low ones

Band-Pass (closed resonator box) – the main thing is not to buzz

With a properly calculated design of this type, there should not be such parasitic echoes as a low buzz, hum, etc., which is not uncommon for budget systems of this type.

Open cabinet – no extra walls

→ Legacy Audio Whisper XDS BE maple

Horn acoustic design is more often used in combination with other types (in particular for the design of high-frequency radiators), however, there are also 100% original horn designs.

The main advantage of horn speakers is high volume, when combined with sensitive speakers.

Most experts, not without reason, are skeptical about horn acoustics, there are several reasons:

Structural and technological complexity, and, accordingly, high assembly requirements
It is almost impossible to create a horn speaker with a uniform frequency response (the exception is devices costing 10 kilobucks and more)
Due to the fact that the horn is not a resonant system, it is impossible to correct the frequency response (a minus for DIY – people who intend to copy the Hi-end horn)
Due to the peculiarities of the waveform of horn acoustics, the sound volume is quite low
Overwhelmingly relatively low dynamic range
Gives a large number of characteristic overtones (considered an advantage by some audiophiles).