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Sonos has announced the Playbar, a new soundbar speaker for TVs. The unit is designed to sit over or underneath a TV, and contains six mid-range and woofer modules, plus three tweeters. Sensors built into the bar automatically adjust the orientation and EQ of the modules for optimal performance.
Wireless music streaming solution Sonos saw an update recently, one that brings the ability to stream music and podcasts directly from an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch to anywhere with a Sonos speaker or player. The update is compatible with iOS 6, and it allows users to stream music from any source seamlessly as part of the same playlist. It is available as a free download at the App Store.
The Sonos Controller app for Android and iOS devices received an update today that improves functionality and adds features to both versions. A blog post on Sonos' web page described the new features, chief among which is optimization for 7-inch and 10-inch Android tablets. The Android version also supports landscape mode and features a resized album art screen. The iOS version is now optimized for display on Retina devices, and users can now control the volume on a Sonos system using the physical volume buttons on their devices.
Sonos has announced that its wireless subwoofer, the Sonos Sub, is set to ship on June 19. The speaker, which is designed to work with the company's other amplified systems with wireless support, features single-button setup and a resin cabinet built with inward-facing speaker cones to eliminate buzz and rattle.
Sonos has introduced the Sub, a wireless subwoofer designed to work alongside the company's amplified systems with wireless support. The resin cabinet integrates a pair of acoustic ports and speaker cones, each facing inward in a configuration that is claimed to eliminate buzz or rattle, while dual Class D amplifiers provides the power.
Sonos on Wednesday dropped its dedicated Control hardware. The Play:3 designer will stop selling the CR200 after May 31. From then on, Sonos owners will have to control the networked audio system using a desktop or mobile app, including either the official iOS (App Store) or Android (Google Play) apps as well as unofficial apps for other platforms.
Sonos lived up to its word early Tuesday and released its revamped edition of the Controller for Macs and Windows PCs. The 3.7 update is its first major rework in some time and brings some parts of the mobile apps over to the desktop. We've had an opportunity to try it in advance with some quick impressions.
Sonos picked Thursday to preview an imminent, major reworking of its desktop Controller app for the Mac and PC. The new version bears much more in common with the mobile version, with an interface that's both more visually appealing and easier to use. It now has a unified, always-up search field that lets listeners filter by the Internet service, and it's possible to just drag one or more songs or whole albums to particular Sonos speakers to add them to the queue.
Sonos has quietly put out an update for its Play and Bridge devices last week that unusually strips out features. The 3.6 update pulls support for copy-protected Windows Media files, leaving Zune Pass users and those still tied to mostly inactive PlaysForSure DRM stores without a way to stream their music to Sonos boxes. The company hasn't given an explanation for the switch but has been asked for a comment.
Sonos has released an Android compatible Controller (free; Android Market) app for Android (2.2 or higher) tablets, including the Android-powered Kindle Fire. Additionally, the company has now also added support for the Slacker streaming music service. The app is designed to work with Sonos-branded wireless digital music systems.
Spotify's special event on Wednesday may related to third-party app support. Inside updates relayed to AllThingsD revealed that Spotify had been talking with developers about making its music library available to any app as long as it's accessed through a $10 monthly Spotify Premium account. The streaming audio is already available through third-party devices like Sonos boxes, but implementations are usually tied to special hardware deals.
A combination of an event invite and a leak has given a clue as to Bose plans for a new wireless audio system. Called the "Chihuahua" so far, it would be an "ultra small" MP3 player speaker docking station. Best Buy details scraped by This is my next would have it sit in a display next week meant to show the Bose SoundLink wireless system, hinting that the dock or an adapter could push audio out to Bose hardware much like Sonos or possibly AirPlay.
Sonos gave listeners a significant update Tuesday with updates to its apps to support iOS 5 and Mac OS X Lion. Version 3.5.2 of both the desktop apps (Mac, Windows) and the iOS apps (iPad, iPhone) recognize the newer Apple platforms when relevant. The Lion fixes were made to reflect a change that pushed Apple to drop the regular open-source version of Samba network file sharing for its own, preventing Sonos hardware from seeing media stored on Macs using the newer OS.
Sony at the same time as our Tablet S hands-on unveiled an upgraded version of its HomeShare speaker to cater to Apple users. The SA-NS500 HomeShare now takes AirPlay sources along with the DLNA of the NS300, making it a more direct alternative to a Sonos box for iPad and iPhone streaming. Sound arrives omnidirectionally and completely wirelessly if it runs on the roughly six-hour battery.
Sonos, Inc on Wednesday announced it has now sold one million of its wireless music systems for homes around the world. The company began selling its wares, such as the wireless dock and Play:3, in 2005, and allows users to stream music from the Internet and their home PCs. The company reached the milestone in part thanks to its easy interface.
Rdio tried an experiment with Internet music streaming Monday by testing out family plans. Listeners can pay $18 per month for two accounts or $23 for three and save more than they would if they got separate accounts. The approach gives each account its own separate history, playlists, and cached music, giving them an advantage over just sharing one account.
The former president of Microsoft's entertainment and devices decision who was also key in creating the Xbox franchise, Robbie Bach, is now a board member at Sonos. John MacFarlane, the founder and CEO of Sonos, who makes Internet radio receivers and related hardware, personally asked Bach to join his company, wrote the WSJ. Bach is a long-time user of Sonos products and says part of their appeal is their ease of use.
Sonos on Thursday gave us the opportunity to use the Play:3 for ourselves. As its new 'budget' fully-contained wireless audio system, it has the promise of showing what multi-room sound can be like. We're finding out in a quick review if the savings of the $329 system make it a sweeter deal or if it's best saving up just a bit more.
Sonos' plans for its Play:3 network radio were mostly given away Monday after the discovery of a brief Amazon listing (cached). While it didn't settle the name, the post confirmed that it would be a shrunk version of the ZonePlayer S5 with three drivers, two of which would be mid-range while the third would be a tweeter for the high range. Deep bass may still be a selling point with a bass radiator to push the low end.
With the US launch of Spotify, many are experiencing the music service for the first time. As such, we'd like to give a run-down of the feature for those who aren't familiar with it from Europe. Read on for an overview as well as how it stacks up -- and what's missing.
Spotify as promised has at last started up service in US. The music streaming provider is currently active in an invite-only beta but has 15 million tracks and the full feature set of its European counterpart. It includes an expanded free service with ads, a $5 Unlimited monthly plan that gives full streaming on the web, and a $10 Premium plan that gives full access on Android, iOS, and other devices like Sonos and Logitech Squeezebox systems.
Both AirPlay and Thunderbolt may be prohibitively expensive for a large number of device makers for either to become mainstream in the near future, sources rumored Friday. AirPlay wireless audio streaming allegedly adds as much as $100 to the price of an audio system since it involves more than just introducing Wi-Fi. Costs were getting lower, iLounge heard, but even Philips' Fidelio system costs $230.
Sonos' plans for a smaller, self-contained alternative to the ZonePlayer S5 were given away Thursday by an FCC filing. Likely to be called the Play:3, the system appears intended for a nightstand or just for those who can't justify the $400 price of an S5. The box looks to have three separate drivers and still support Ethernet along with wireless pairing to a ZoneBridge.
As expected, the MOG music service is now available on connected home gear from Sonos. The 320kbps, ad-free MOG streams are available on an on-demand basis or from a customized station. All Sonos customers in the US are getting a 14-day trial of MOG on Sonos.
Slacker early Tuesday brought out its much requested iPad-native app (link soon). The new app, like the BlackBerry PlayBook app, takes advantage of the much larger screen and shows both a much larger now-playing view along with genres and stations each in their own spaces, saving listeners the trouble of jumping between the screens of the iPhone version. Premium Radio listeners can still stream or cache on-demand, and it can push audio over AirPlay to nearby speakers.
Sonos on Tuesday rolled out two major supported updates at once. Audio devices like the ZonePlayer S5 can now pipe audio through AirPlay using an indirect route. Wiring up an AirPort Express to a Sonos device through Ethernet and the line-in jack will let any AirPlay audio go through a ZonePlayer as though it were another source on the network.
Sonos has announced the delay of its Controller App for Android devices, originally due in March. The app is now not due out until April, due to longer-than-expected testing procedures. The free app will let Android device users control their Sonos multi-room streaming audio systems, just like the iOS app.
The MOG music service available for Android- and iOS-based devices will now come to Sonos in-home music systems, connected Vizio TVs, portable electronics from LG and Samsung and new Mini cars. The new Sonos partnership gives users streaming for the 320Kbps, ad-free service over its multi-room audio systems. Access includes MOG's Mobius music discovery engine and more than 10 million songs.
After more than a year of iOS-only apps, Sonos today said it was on the verge of launching Sonos Controller for Android. The title gives the same features as the long-serving iPhone app but adds voice search to find a track through Voice Actions. Many phones can also directly map controls to hardware, allowing the search and volume buttons on the phone to fill in.
Last.fm on Monday said it was switching to a pay-only model for its Internet radio on Android and iPhone devices on February 15. The strategy will drop the free, ad-supported service and will instead require $3 per month in the US to get the stream on a mobile device, albeit ad-free. Media hubs such as the Logitech Squeezebox and Sonos ZonePlayer line, will also need a subscription, either immediately or by mid-summer.
Sonos today pushed out an update to its audio devices to add Rdio support. The expansion gives them access to on-demand streaming for songs, playlists and whole albums. Social playlists from friends, popular Rdio users and the servce's charts will also pipe through the multi-room audio system.
Sonos marketing VP Tom Cullen in a talk published Monday hinted that the company will move beyond its multi-room audio systems. While still known for home audio like the ZonePlayer S5, Sonos will 'one day' get into cars and headphones. He wouldn't give GigaOM an estimate of how soon this would occur.
Sonos, maker of wireless home audio systems such as the ZonePlayer S5 and iPod docks, may be looking into developing a home theater system. Indication of this comes from a job posting on Sonos' website that seeks to fill the Senior Product Manager, Home Theater Sound position. Little in terms of specifics can be gleaned from the posting, but Sonos is looking for "a successful, experienced home entertainment product leader to help us re-invent home theater sound for the digital age."
Sonos' Wireless Dock for the iPod and iPhone is now shipping in both Canada and the US. Introduced in September, the accessory for Sonos' own Multi-Room Music System or ZonePlayer system access to music stored on the portable Apple devices. The dock sends media wirelessly to the ZonePlayers without converting them to analog.
Sonos today released its long in coming Sonos Controller for iPad (free, App Store). The app gives a significantly expanded view for steering a Sonos device such as the ZonePlayer S5 and can show the destination zones, the current music, queue and the source list all at once. It works both in landscape and portrait mode.
Sonos this morning formally rolled out its first hardware to get audio directly from an Apple portable device. The Wireless Dock broadcasts sound to a Sonos system not just from iOS devices like the iPhone and iPod touch but also click wheel iPods. iOS devices can still work as Sonos Controllers with the company's app while docked.
Creative is near launching a wireless audio system in the vein of a Sonos ZonePlayer, an FCC filing uncovered today. The Sound Blaster Wireless MultiPlay discovered by Engadget would attach directly to a PC and share its audio over 2.4GHz RF wireless to stereo speakers through receivers adround the house. A Wireless Touch Controller would, much like Sonos' CR100, give owners a way of steering music away from the computer.
Spotify has reportedly collaborated with Sonos to bring its streaming music service to the latter company's multi-room audio hardware. The software update will enable users to distribute the streaming content throughout their entire home, with the Spotify interface can be controlled directly from the dedicated Sonos controller or iPhone app.
The Sonos Controller for iPad has been delayed from August until the end of September, according to the copmany. Exactly why hasn't been revealed, but it the app isn't considered fully developed and ready for a release. Sonos promised the wait will be worthwhile, and assured that the iPhone app would continue to work on iPads.
Sonos' ZonePlayers got extended functionality today with new built-in support for Wolfgang's Vault. The addition gives subscribers access to about 3,500 recorded rock concerts and supports much of the deeper access. Listeners can search by usual criteria such as the artist and show but also drill down to find individual songs.
Sonos today gave a preview of the Sonos Controller for iPad. The large-sized version shares much of the structure of the original iPhone app but takes advantage of the extra screen area to show more information at once. Regardless of how it's tilted, the iPad will show both the navigation menu as well as the currently playing track and a set of dedicated playback controls.
Sonos today refreshed the ZonePlayer S5 to add a black color. The new model adds to the existing white and mostly helps for those whose home theater systems or living rooms wouldn't match the original. Functionally, the system is the same as before and includes both an Ethernet connection and an internal Sonos wireless receiver with a high-powered 2.1-channel speaker system.
As promised, Sonos this evening posted the 3.2 software. The update's highlight is a unique pairing that mates two ZonePlayer S5s to form the left and right stereo channels. Both stay in sync and provide much more powerful sound for large rooms or simply those who want the added impact.
Sonos will soon release a firmware update for its ZonePlayer S5 speaker system that will allow two of them to operate in a stereo system, each designated as a left and right channel. A WhatHiFi report reveals that owners of more than one S5 can select which one is designated as a right channel and which one as a left. This will let users listen to each on their own separately, such as in different rooms, or together from a single source for a more room-filling experience.
Venturing into Sonos' world has historically been expensive and partly redundant: listeners have usually needed at least two pieces of equipment, and it isn't at all uncommon to see setups that cost over $1,000. The ZonePlayer S5 aims to fix this with a single-piece $399 speaker and receiver that relies on what you already have -- such as a computer or an iPod touch -- to provide its multi-room audio. Our full S5 review will let you know whether the drop in cost is a better bargain.
Sonos has released an update to its Controller app for the iPhone and iPod touch. Version 3.1 adds the ability to send Twitter updates with information regarding the current track. The interface has been refined, with new icons and logos on the Music Menu and a simplified layout. Users are also able to control the company's latest ZonePlayer S5 all-in-one device.
Sonos has begun shipping its all-in-one wireless music system controlled by iPhone or iPod touch, Sonos ZonePlayer S5. The device is designed for those who only need the player and provides two tweeters, two mid-range drivers and a subwoofer. Users can wirelessly stream music from either iTunes or the Internet and control what music is playing using the company’s free iPhone app (App Store).
Sonos adapted to the changing nature of its market today through the ZonePlayer S5. Rather than bundle a dedicated controller or a bridge unit, the S5 depends on either the iPhone app or computer software to let an iPhone, iPod touch, Mac or Windows PC on the local network steer all its playback. It still provides access to all the same media streaming sources, such as an iTunes collection, Internet radio (including Deezer/Last.fm/Pandora/Rhapsody/Sirius), NAS drives and the device's aux input.
Sonos on Friday announced through a Twitter post that its CR200 touchscreen controller, Sonos CR for iPhone and Sonos CRs for Mac and PC will get the ability to post tweets on Twitter directly through a given device. The feature should come through a software update that, on the Controller or an Apple device, will bring an onscreen keyboard.
Sonos has released an update to its iPhone app that works with the company's multi-room music systems. Version 3.0 adds a new "Info View" command that connects to a variety of extra content from sources such as Last.fm, Pandora, Rhapsody, Napster and Sonos Radio. While listening to last.fm, users can view artist information, similar artists or upcoming concert dates.
