My family remodeled our house 3 years ago. During the process, we decided that we wanted multi-room audio capability, so we pre-wired for speakers in our kitchen, back porch, dining room, office, and living room. Along the way I demoed multiple systems including Nuvo and Russound, and ultimately I decided on Sonos for a variety of reasons. I've now used the system literally daily now for 3 years, and I couldn't be happier with the purchase. My initial setup began with 4 CONNECT:AMP units and one CONNECT unit (it has since expanded). Some things to know about Sonos that I think aren't all that heavily appreciated by those that are new to the system:
1 - It is incredibly easy to setup. Like many Apple products, Sonos "just works" straight out of the box. There is no complex programming, no time consuming plugging/unplugging of wires, etc. Basically hook up power, plug in your speakers, push the two buttons on the front of the unit, and the AMP then wirelessly syncs to your system immediately. Upon connecting to your Sonos network, you are prompted to name your zone (there are stock names like bedroom or dining room or you can fully customize a zone name), and you are off to the races from there.
2 - It is easy for anyone to use. Sonos doesn't technically require a smartphone for operation, but having one is the easiest way to operate your system. The app for iOS devices and Android devices works great and gives you complete control over your zones, selecting music sources, volume, and even special per-room settings like EQ. My wife who is not interested in technology was able to use the system without any explanation on how it works, and even my 4-year old daughter knows how to operate it.
3 - It is expandable. As mentioned, we wired 5 rooms for multi-room audio initially. 5 rooms is a lot, but we have many more rooms in the house. The reason I wired "only" 5 rooms is because a) this stuff was/is not cheap, and frankly we couldn't afford the added expense of equipment for more rooms, and b) we thought we'd listen to music only in the rooms we wired for. Once you use Sonos, you will want the experience of it in all of your rooms. The good news is that Sonos was built for expansion. My system was initially setup for use as a centralized, multi-room solution, but Sonos actually built its reputation on its modular speaker line, first with the Play:3, then the Play:5, and now the Play:1. We wanted to expand our system by adding music in our master bathroom. I initially thought about having the bathroom wired up and adding a new CONNECT:AMP to the system, and then I realized that rather than waste the money necessary to do that, I should just try out one of the modular speakers. I bought an open-box PLAY:1 from Best Buy and gave it a shot. It is truly incredible. It not only seamlessly integrates with the rest of my Sonos system, but it also sounds fantastic and fully fills the space. Eventually we will add Play:3 units for our kids' bedrooms, and I am in the process of integrating a turntable into our system using the Line-In feature offered by the Connect unit so I can play records all around the house. While I wouldn't say that the possibilities are endless, I would say they are incredibly extensive, so know you can expand your system very easily in the future and build out units as your needs grow.
4 - The way we consume music is evolving, Sonos evolves with it. I grew up listening to records, then cassettes, then CD's, then purchased songs through iTunes, and now I stream almost all my music. One of the beauties of the Sonos infrastructure is the way in which it allows you to consume and access music. They've pretty much thought of it all. If your music resides on your computer through purchased music from iTunes, Sonos allows you to access that catalog and all your playlists. If you like to listen to local FM radio stations, they all are available on the Sonos system (as are national stations). If you like listening to internet radio (including things like Bloomberg Radio, Reggae, etc.), they are mostly all available. And perhaps most importantly in today's day and age, if you stream your music, all of the major streaming companies are on the system, including Spotify, Beats, Google Play Music, Songza, Pandora, Slacker, etc. In the three years that I've owned Sonos, they have been amongst the first companies to integrate new streaming services into their system. They listen to the requests of their customers and try to find ways to provide access to all channels of content.
This is an overly long review, but I hope helpful to those who are contemplating purchasing Sonos for the first time.
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From the manufacturer
Any speaker, any room. Indoors and out.
Bookshelf, floor-standing, outdoor, in-ceiling or in-wall. Connect:Amp powers all the speakers you own and love. For non-stop outdoor listening, Connect:Amp works with patio or poolside speakers, too.
A Sonos Original.
Connect:Amp was one of our very first products at Sonos. It was designed for all the audiophiles in the world (like us) who simply loved the audio equipment they already owned. And thanks to our regular, ongoing software updates, Connect:Amp has continued to get better and better over time.
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6 Year Update. Did Sound Quality Hold Up Outdoors?
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Sonos Amp vs Sonos Connect Amp #thisorthat
One Hour Smart Home
Reviews with images
Brilliant Whole House Audio System
I am using Sonos differently than most people do. I have used five Sonos Connect:Amps to create a whole home audio system using built in ceiling mounted speakers.To start with, about six months ago I installed one Sonos Connect:Amp for my outdoor speakers around our pool, and it has worked very well for us. I have it connected to four outdoor speakers around our pool, the kind that look like rocks.I used 10 gauge outdoor wire to connect the Sonos to the outdoor speakers -- the kind that is used for outdoor lighting and is designed to be buried. This wire is made from finely stranded copper, and is easy to work with. So the Connect:Amp is loaded to 4 ohms (two 8 ohm speakers on each channel), and it works well. More than loud enough for us.This got me thinking that Sonos Connect:Amp units would greatly simplify our whole home audio system. Our home was previously equipped with a very expensive, high-end, whole home audio system that is not user friendly.But the speakers were good quality Boston Acoustics ceiling mounted speakers, all wired back to the equipment in our a/v equipment room at one end of the house.Previously we had to use a control that is installed on the wall in each room that has a set of speakers to select the audio source (CD player with 5 CD tray, ReQuest Audio Server (photos attached), and iPod), change volume, turn on or off, etc, but we had to go to another place to select the music. I would rather be able to control all parts of the system from one place, and our phones, tablets, and computers are the perfect way to do this using the Sonos app. I have attached a photo of that control device -- it is the device with 12 buttons.So now we can play Internet radio or music from our NAS, control the volume, etc., and it is all done from the Sonos app, which can run simultaneously on as many devices as you need. This way we can choose what we want to hear in any room, control the volume, turn the audio on and off, all from any phone or tablet, or my iMac, whatever.Since we have a large library of CDs that I have ripped to iTunes and stored on a Synology NAS, I am ripping that high-end clunky system and replacing it with, to start, 4 Sonos Connect:Amp units, installed in the equipment room where the whole home audio system equipment is presently located, which is where all the wiring from the various speakers around the house terminates.I will probably purchase several more Connect:Amp units to complete our system as we originally had a 12 zone system, although we never used it in some of the rooms it was installed in.This is not a cheap replacement for the old system, but for someone starting out would be much less expensive than installing the typical whole-home audio systems that the professional audio/visual companies charge over 5 figures for. I see large systems using Sonos Connect:Amp units as potentially economically disruptive to the professional whole home audio business.I have found the sound quality very good for the CDs I have ripped using Apple Lossless, and have not had problems with any audio drop out when playing from my NAS. Since all 5 of my Sonos Connect:Amp players are in the a/v equipment room, I have them connected to my network via Ethernet cables. Same with Internet radio, although a few times one of the stations my wife likes to listen to was obviously having problems with their stream.The Sonos app works well; we have over 3,500 songs in our iTunes library (all ripped from CDs) and have created various playlists.Some time ago I merged our two (wife and me) iTunes libraries into one library and using the various sort options in the Sonos Music Library it is easy to find an individual cuts of music if that is what I want to do.Hope this can help anyone considering a whole-home audio systemUpdate July 2, 2015:I have completed my Sonos setup. I am using 5 Sonos Connect:Amp units and 2 Sonos Connect units with an external 12 channel Niles amplifier:Our home has several open areas where I combine two sets of speakers on one Sonos Connect:Amp unit, and that works fine because my speakers are 8 ohms and the Connect:Amp will work fine with 4 ohms. It did not make sense, for example, to have a separate Connect:Amp in our kitchen and family room, which are a larger open area, because you could not be listening to one song or program in one room and another program in the other room since they were open to each other.And I find the Connect:Amp has plenty of power to drive this arrangement.But I had two areas where I wanted three sets of speakers connected to one Sonos unit, so I am using two Sonos Connect units, each of which feed three stereo channels on a 12 channel Niles power amplifier:http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CV01QG4?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00The niles amp has individual volume controls for each of its 12 channels, so I am able to fine tune the volume from each speaker.Here is my setup (see photo)Connect #1 - through 3 stereo channels of Niles Amp for two sets of speakers around pool and a set of stereo speakers in our "outdoor entertainment deck"Connect:Amp #1 - guest bedroomConnect:Amp #2 - second guest bedroom (my wife uses this room for her office)Connect:Amp #3 - drives two sets of speakers in kitchen and family room (which is really just one open area)Connect #2 - through 3 stereo channels of Niles Amp for speakers in living room, foyer, and dining room (of which all these rooms are open to each other)Connect:Amp #4 - drives two sets of speakers in master bed room and master bath roomConnect:Amp #5 - my home officeI hope this helps you visualize how you could use Connect and Connect:Amp in a whole home audio setting. From the reviews it appears a lot of people are doing just that.Update February 12, 2016:In order to more effectively control my Sonos system, I have installed 6 wall mounted iPad Minis around the house. I am using the Vidabox wall mount:http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00XJKF7R4?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00My previous whole house audio system used a proprietary control and was connected by cat 5 cables from the control back to the "rack room" where the audio equipment was located, so I was able to re-purpose those cat 5 cables to power the iPads via a POE (power over ethernet) to USB box, also made by VidaMount:http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00QSMOO10?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00I also use these iPads to control other systems around the house, such as thermostats, my pool and spa, and even my player piano.
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Reviewed in the United States on December 13, 2014
Style: CONNECT:AMPColor: Light GrayVerified Purchase
Reviewed in the United States on June 2, 2015
Style: CONNECT:AMPColor: Light GrayVerified Purchase
I am using Sonos differently than most people do. I have used five Sonos Connect:Amps to create a whole home audio system using built in ceiling mounted speakers.
To start with, about six months ago I installed one Sonos Connect:Amp for my outdoor speakers around our pool, and it has worked very well for us. I have it connected to four outdoor speakers around our pool, the kind that look like rocks.
I used 10 gauge outdoor wire to connect the Sonos to the outdoor speakers -- the kind that is used for outdoor lighting and is designed to be buried. This wire is made from finely stranded copper, and is easy to work with. So the Connect:Amp is loaded to 4 ohms (two 8 ohm speakers on each channel), and it works well. More than loud enough for us.
This got me thinking that Sonos Connect:Amp units would greatly simplify our whole home audio system. Our home was previously equipped with a very expensive, high-end, whole home audio system that is not user friendly.
But the speakers were good quality Boston Acoustics ceiling mounted speakers, all wired back to the equipment in our a/v equipment room at one end of the house.
Previously we had to use a control that is installed on the wall in each room that has a set of speakers to select the audio source (CD player with 5 CD tray, ReQuest Audio Server (photos attached), and iPod), change volume, turn on or off, etc, but we had to go to another place to select the music. I would rather be able to control all parts of the system from one place, and our phones, tablets, and computers are the perfect way to do this using the Sonos app. I have attached a photo of that control device -- it is the device with 12 buttons.
So now we can play Internet radio or music from our NAS, control the volume, etc., and it is all done from the Sonos app, which can run simultaneously on as many devices as you need. This way we can choose what we want to hear in any room, control the volume, turn the audio on and off, all from any phone or tablet, or my iMac, whatever.
Since we have a large library of CDs that I have ripped to iTunes and stored on a Synology NAS, I am ripping that high-end clunky system and replacing it with, to start, 4 Sonos Connect:Amp units, installed in the equipment room where the whole home audio system equipment is presently located, which is where all the wiring from the various speakers around the house terminates.
I will probably purchase several more Connect:Amp units to complete our system as we originally had a 12 zone system, although we never used it in some of the rooms it was installed in.
This is not a cheap replacement for the old system, but for someone starting out would be much less expensive than installing the typical whole-home audio systems that the professional audio/visual companies charge over 5 figures for. I see large systems using Sonos Connect:Amp units as potentially economically disruptive to the professional whole home audio business.
I have found the sound quality very good for the CDs I have ripped using Apple Lossless, and have not had problems with any audio drop out when playing from my NAS. Since all 5 of my Sonos Connect:Amp players are in the a/v equipment room, I have them connected to my network via Ethernet cables. Same with Internet radio, although a few times one of the stations my wife likes to listen to was obviously having problems with their stream.
The Sonos app works well; we have over 3,500 songs in our iTunes library (all ripped from CDs) and have created various playlists.
Some time ago I merged our two (wife and me) iTunes libraries into one library and using the various sort options in the Sonos Music Library it is easy to find an individual cuts of music if that is what I want to do.
Hope this can help anyone considering a whole-home audio system
Update July 2, 2015:
I have completed my Sonos setup. I am using 5 Sonos Connect:Amp units and 2 Sonos Connect units with an external 12 channel Niles amplifier:
Our home has several open areas where I combine two sets of speakers on one Sonos Connect:Amp unit, and that works fine because my speakers are 8 ohms and the Connect:Amp will work fine with 4 ohms. It did not make sense, for example, to have a separate Connect:Amp in our kitchen and family room, which are a larger open area, because you could not be listening to one song or program in one room and another program in the other room since they were open to each other.
And I find the Connect:Amp has plenty of power to drive this arrangement.
But I had two areas where I wanted three sets of speakers connected to one Sonos unit, so I am using two Sonos Connect units, each of which feed three stereo channels on a 12 channel Niles power amplifier:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CV01QG4?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00
The niles amp has individual volume controls for each of its 12 channels, so I am able to fine tune the volume from each speaker.
Here is my setup (see photo)
Connect #1 - through 3 stereo channels of Niles Amp for two sets of speakers around pool and a set of stereo speakers in our "outdoor entertainment deck"
Connect:Amp #1 - guest bedroom
Connect:Amp #2 - second guest bedroom (my wife uses this room for her office)
Connect:Amp #3 - drives two sets of speakers in kitchen and family room (which is really just one open area)
Connect #2 - through 3 stereo channels of Niles Amp for speakers in living room, foyer, and dining room (of which all these rooms are open to each other)
Connect:Amp #4 - drives two sets of speakers in master bed room and master bath room
Connect:Amp #5 - my home office
I hope this helps you visualize how you could use Connect and Connect:Amp in a whole home audio setting. From the reviews it appears a lot of people are doing just that.
Update February 12, 2016:
In order to more effectively control my Sonos system, I have installed 6 wall mounted iPad Minis around the house. I am using the Vidabox wall mount:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00XJKF7R4?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00
My previous whole house audio system used a proprietary control and was connected by cat 5 cables from the control back to the "rack room" where the audio equipment was located, so I was able to re-purpose those cat 5 cables to power the iPads via a POE (power over ethernet) to USB box, also made by VidaMount:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00QSMOO10?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00
I also use these iPads to control other systems around the house, such as thermostats, my pool and spa, and even my player piano.
To start with, about six months ago I installed one Sonos Connect:Amp for my outdoor speakers around our pool, and it has worked very well for us. I have it connected to four outdoor speakers around our pool, the kind that look like rocks.
I used 10 gauge outdoor wire to connect the Sonos to the outdoor speakers -- the kind that is used for outdoor lighting and is designed to be buried. This wire is made from finely stranded copper, and is easy to work with. So the Connect:Amp is loaded to 4 ohms (two 8 ohm speakers on each channel), and it works well. More than loud enough for us.
This got me thinking that Sonos Connect:Amp units would greatly simplify our whole home audio system. Our home was previously equipped with a very expensive, high-end, whole home audio system that is not user friendly.
But the speakers were good quality Boston Acoustics ceiling mounted speakers, all wired back to the equipment in our a/v equipment room at one end of the house.
Previously we had to use a control that is installed on the wall in each room that has a set of speakers to select the audio source (CD player with 5 CD tray, ReQuest Audio Server (photos attached), and iPod), change volume, turn on or off, etc, but we had to go to another place to select the music. I would rather be able to control all parts of the system from one place, and our phones, tablets, and computers are the perfect way to do this using the Sonos app. I have attached a photo of that control device -- it is the device with 12 buttons.
So now we can play Internet radio or music from our NAS, control the volume, etc., and it is all done from the Sonos app, which can run simultaneously on as many devices as you need. This way we can choose what we want to hear in any room, control the volume, turn the audio on and off, all from any phone or tablet, or my iMac, whatever.
Since we have a large library of CDs that I have ripped to iTunes and stored on a Synology NAS, I am ripping that high-end clunky system and replacing it with, to start, 4 Sonos Connect:Amp units, installed in the equipment room where the whole home audio system equipment is presently located, which is where all the wiring from the various speakers around the house terminates.
I will probably purchase several more Connect:Amp units to complete our system as we originally had a 12 zone system, although we never used it in some of the rooms it was installed in.
This is not a cheap replacement for the old system, but for someone starting out would be much less expensive than installing the typical whole-home audio systems that the professional audio/visual companies charge over 5 figures for. I see large systems using Sonos Connect:Amp units as potentially economically disruptive to the professional whole home audio business.
I have found the sound quality very good for the CDs I have ripped using Apple Lossless, and have not had problems with any audio drop out when playing from my NAS. Since all 5 of my Sonos Connect:Amp players are in the a/v equipment room, I have them connected to my network via Ethernet cables. Same with Internet radio, although a few times one of the stations my wife likes to listen to was obviously having problems with their stream.
The Sonos app works well; we have over 3,500 songs in our iTunes library (all ripped from CDs) and have created various playlists.
Some time ago I merged our two (wife and me) iTunes libraries into one library and using the various sort options in the Sonos Music Library it is easy to find an individual cuts of music if that is what I want to do.
Hope this can help anyone considering a whole-home audio system
Update July 2, 2015:
I have completed my Sonos setup. I am using 5 Sonos Connect:Amp units and 2 Sonos Connect units with an external 12 channel Niles amplifier:
Our home has several open areas where I combine two sets of speakers on one Sonos Connect:Amp unit, and that works fine because my speakers are 8 ohms and the Connect:Amp will work fine with 4 ohms. It did not make sense, for example, to have a separate Connect:Amp in our kitchen and family room, which are a larger open area, because you could not be listening to one song or program in one room and another program in the other room since they were open to each other.
And I find the Connect:Amp has plenty of power to drive this arrangement.
But I had two areas where I wanted three sets of speakers connected to one Sonos unit, so I am using two Sonos Connect units, each of which feed three stereo channels on a 12 channel Niles power amplifier:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CV01QG4?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00
The niles amp has individual volume controls for each of its 12 channels, so I am able to fine tune the volume from each speaker.
Here is my setup (see photo)
Connect #1 - through 3 stereo channels of Niles Amp for two sets of speakers around pool and a set of stereo speakers in our "outdoor entertainment deck"
Connect:Amp #1 - guest bedroom
Connect:Amp #2 - second guest bedroom (my wife uses this room for her office)
Connect:Amp #3 - drives two sets of speakers in kitchen and family room (which is really just one open area)
Connect #2 - through 3 stereo channels of Niles Amp for speakers in living room, foyer, and dining room (of which all these rooms are open to each other)
Connect:Amp #4 - drives two sets of speakers in master bed room and master bath room
Connect:Amp #5 - my home office
I hope this helps you visualize how you could use Connect and Connect:Amp in a whole home audio setting. From the reviews it appears a lot of people are doing just that.
Update February 12, 2016:
In order to more effectively control my Sonos system, I have installed 6 wall mounted iPad Minis around the house. I am using the Vidabox wall mount:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00XJKF7R4?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00
My previous whole house audio system used a proprietary control and was connected by cat 5 cables from the control back to the "rack room" where the audio equipment was located, so I was able to re-purpose those cat 5 cables to power the iPads via a POE (power over ethernet) to USB box, also made by VidaMount:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00QSMOO10?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00
I also use these iPads to control other systems around the house, such as thermostats, my pool and spa, and even my player piano.
Images in this review
Top reviews from other countries
Zach
Great product
Reviewed in Canada on October 28, 2018Style: CONNECT:AMPColor: Light GrayVerified Purchase
"Titin"
Excelente producto
Reviewed in Mexico on February 21, 2017Style: CONNECT:AMPColor: Light GrayVerified Purchase
satish
easy to install and use
Reviewed in India on December 4, 2014Style: CONNECT:AMPColor: Light GrayVerified Purchase
Amazon Customer
非常によい対応をして頂きました。
Reviewed in Japan on July 24, 2014Style: CONNECT:AMPColor: Light GrayVerified Purchase
LAC
Muy fácil de instalar
Reviewed in Mexico on December 20, 2018Style: CONNECT:AMPColor: Light GrayVerified Purchase
