Sonos and Spatial Sound

[Saracen999]

Anyne got one 9or more) of the new Sonos Era speakers (100 or 300)?

If so, are you impressed?

Reason - looking for replacement bedroom speakers. Currently, Amazon Echo /(5th Gen, I think).

I'm looking for replacements and am going up-scale quite a bit. Among considerations are Ruark MR1 Mk II (£350-ish), and KEF LSX II (£1000). Yes, quite a range and quite a jump in price. Which is why I'm trying to cover all bases.

Requirements :-

- active
- must be bookshelf-capable
- preferably wired and wireless connectivity
- sound needs to very impressive (especially at the KEF end of the range).

These are, let's say, an extravagance. A treat. For reasons not worth going into I'm expecting to get a lot more use over the next few years than thev last three or so, and .... having digitised pretty much my entire LP, CD and even C90 cassette collection, and NAS'd it, I just want to get the bestsound I can, within reason and within that price range.

While I will go to the KEFs, I'm .... hesitant .... to go far far, mainly because I suspect the limitng factor is my ears.

So, having been pondering this for a while and having difficulties getting to actually hear these, I've now has Sonos suggested as worth a look and in paticular, their new range.

From what I can make of it, the Era 100 are effectively aimed at stereo music, though each single speaker has a degree of spreading sound-stage by pointing tweeters off to the sides. But the Era 300 seems to be aimed squarely at te supposedly emerging "spacial" sound, and each (£450) speakers has about 6 drives, pointing pretty much everywhere but straight ahead, and uses the Sonos smart software (True-something) to provide a sort-of whole room experience.

This seems to have 2 intended uses - one is multi-channel TV "Surround" sound, and te other is with specially remastered music, which at the moment, seems to e pretty much only avaiable via Apple Music and Amazon Music, both of which are subscription services which I'm not keen on. Doesn't seem to be available on Spotify, Tidal etc. Not yet, anyway.

My main use, by a large margin, will be music (and the occasional radio broadcast), not TV, and I plan on getting the vast bulk of it (95% and up) from subscribing to my own NAS, with the music I "own" already.

Oh, and a proper Sonos setup for room sound needs an Apple device (iphone, etc) which I don't have, and don't know anybody (close to me) that does. Which means I can only do the "quick" setup, not the full job.

But the Sonos, especially Era 100) IF they sound good, are pretty much perfect in firm factor, i that they'll fit pretty much where two Echo's currently sit. One appealling aspect of Sonos is a 100-day return option, if I don't like them, which goes a long way to solving the problem of buying speakers without hearing them first.

Anyone got experience of these new "Era" speakers, especially the 100?

[Saracen999]

Managed to get a fairly brief listen.

My conclusions :-

- Era 300 - very good, but should be at that price. Main benefit is either as part of a surround sound system, which I'm not looking for, or for "spatial" sound which again, I'm not looking for.

- Era 100 - replacment for Sonos 1 and good for that, but for the price. The only way I'd upgrade is if I had further use for existing (if I had any) Sonus 1's, elsewhere. Otherwise, better in virtally every way (other than needing a £39 adapter to get the ethernet port (built in to Sonos 1)) back. But you get Bluetoth, Wifi 6, improved drivers and a sort-of stereo, there being two tweeters pointing outwards a bit.

Best use for 100 is either as a single "room" speaker, like in the kitchen, for background music or radio, or as a stereo pair (i.e. buy two). That latter option is my intended use and for what I want, i suspect they'll do the job fine.

My brief listen certainly didn't rule them out and, apparently, if I buy direct from the Sonos website, I get a 100-day "return if you don't like" guarantee, and it won't take me anywhere near that long to be sure.

It's still a lot to pay for speakers for the bedroom, but still, it's half the price of the KEF's, so it'll talk me off that ledge.

[Jonj1611]

Honestly its all out of my range when it comes to audio. I know what I like but what someone else likes is something else entirely. Though I must admit for technical matters I have always found avforums helpful. I mean you will probably get the hardcore enthusiast listing of a million reasons why you should/should not get something.

Just for another point of view if nothing else

[g8ina]

While not being directly connected I thought Saracen might like to see my new toys ....

https://www.dropbox.com/s/z5ie5n9wab...0Test.mp4?dl=0

What do you reckon ?

[Saracen999]

...

What do you reckon ?

It took me a moment to click what they are. The way that photo looks on first glimpse made me think they were about 3 feet tall. Then the mists cleared in my mind.

What do I think? NIIIIIIIIIICE !!!!!

There's a reason they've been at the top of their game for so long.

I nearly scored a pair some years ago. A friend (well, work colleague but yeah, friend too) had a pair in the loft. He wasn't using them. I asked what he wanted for them and agreed, when he told me. Somehow, it just never quite happened. I think that despite wanting to sell them, he also sort-of didn't, at heart.

It wasn't just the speakers, though. Oh no. He had them attached to one of my favourite pre-power combo's too - Quad 33/303.

Damn. I mean, just damn.

For what they are, size-wise, they still sound great. The world's moved on, though, and i'm trying to catch up. Now, I'm also looking for active, and supporting both wifi and BT (and 5.x at that) with some of the more useful BT protocols. And preferably, digital-in, too. I want to be able to play straight from phone, from laptop (Mediamonkey linked to my NAS) and at some point, probably a decent media server/streamer too. I had even been thinking about Roon (lifetime licence 'cos I hate subscriptions).

And you know me, dude. I always enjoy seeing your toys. Audio-type, at least. I love seeing the turntable projects. They make me almost wish I was buying a turntable, not contemplating selling the Mitchell.

[g8ina]

hehehehe I thought you'd like that.

Bought the drivers from RetroTech a few weeks ago for .... wait for it .... 90 quid... Yeah, I know !

Then theres a guy in my Vintage hifi sales group in Facebook makes the cabs to full spec, even has a Panzerholz front panel and KEF CS1a xovers - £110 delivered.

I also have the bare PCB from China to build a full spec pair of 15 ohm xovers. when I can get the funds for the trannies.

So for 200 quid I now have one of the most detailed, revealing speakers in the world.

Wanna come have a listen ?

[Saracen999]

....

Wanna come have a listen ?

Oh Lordy, do I ever.
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Be nice to see you two, too.

I'm not terribly mobile these days though. We do about 1500 miles per year, these days, most of it to/from local shops for weekly (plus a mid-session 1/2 shop irritatingly often) shop. If I ever get over your way, though, you gotta date.

[g8ina]

You are, as always, most welcome my friend

[Saracen999]

Will bear it mind, and would love to. Don't hold your breath, though. It's at that awkward distance - close enough to be viable, far enough to be a strain. My best bet is combining with a trip to see one of my best friends, in Raunds. Haven't even managed that for about 2 years though.