This software measures the acoustics of the room then fine-tunes the soundbar. Supported iOS device required. Why did Sonos create a second home entertainment device? The team did extensive research into how people used their Playbar at home and found that most people didn’t wall mount their televisions or Playbars. To that end, the Playbase was created to allow people to set their televisions right on top of the speaker, allowing for a compact home theater solution.

Band of Horses’ delightful No One’s Gonna Love You, for example, sounds beautifully smooth and solid, but with lots of detail and punch. Couldn't listen without it now. I've been umming and arring about buying a Sonos sub for at least 12 months to compliment a Sonos beam and pair of SL's. Richer Sounds had it on offer, so I decided to take the plunge. The Five is the biggest and most powerful wireless home speaker in Sonos' range, and it sounds every inch as detailed and musically pleasing as we've come to expect from Sonos. This flagship iteration (released in June 2020) adds increased memory, snappier processing and a new, er, wireless radio feature. Not a huge upgrade then? Tap Add on the popup showing your Sonos product. If using the Sonos S1 Controller, tap Continue> Set up products. TVs might look great, but most of them definitely don't sound all that good. That's why Sonos made the Playbar, a soundbar that can produce top-tier audio quality while simultaneously syncing up to your other multi-room speakers. It's definitely expensive, no doubt about it, but there's no other soundbar this well-connected. Here are some specs: First off, it's 3.35 x 35.43 x 5.51 inches (85 x 900 x 140 mm) and weighs 11.9 lbs. (5.4kg). It only comes in one color and requires a separate mounting kit if you want to mount it beneath your screen. Unlike the Play:5, it has nine Class-D amplifiers, three tweeters and six mid-woofers –that can put out a ton of noise.Three years after the company released its first ever soundbar, the Playbar, Sonos has created the Playbase, a unique form factor sound system that combines a stable pedestal for your TV with an audio cabinet. Easily manage your system from any room. Adjust the volume, group speakers to play in sync, save favourites, set alarms, customise settings, and more.

Providing you've got a HDMI-ARC compatible TV (which most modern ones are) it's easy to set-up and, if you've got other compatible Sonos speakers, it's a simple way to get wireless surround sound for your movies, too. The potential downside of relying on a “real” music library rather than a cloud collection like Spotify is that the device you’re streaming from needs to be powered-up all the time. If you use a NAS box, this is hardly a problem, but we’d be less keen on keeping a computer on all day long. This software measures the acoustics of the room then fine-tunes the speaker. Supported iOS device required. For yet another year, the Sonos multi-room system remains the best all-rounder.” ’What Hi-Fi?’ 2023 award-winner.Although it's about the size of a large shoe-box (and heavier than it looks, at 6.36kg) the Sonos Five isn't quite a cuboid since its grille portion is slightly bigger than its rear end and the baffle is slightly bowed out and angled upwards too, to aid with sound dispersal. You don't get any built-in voice assistant here, unlike the Sonos Beam or Sonos Arc. No Alexa, no Google Assistant, and no Sonos Voice Control. That is because there's no mic at all, which seems a little bizarre given Sonos' recent focus on its proprietary Sonos Voice rollout, but there we are. Prices valid in stores (all including VAT) until close of business on 1st November 2023. (Some of these web prices are cheaper than in-store, so please mention that you've seen these offers online.)

The Gen3 version of the Sonos Sub features updated internals with increased memory, processing power and enhanced ability to accept future upgrades. When combined with the new Sonos S2 app, the Sub becomes the smartest subwoofer around. The app also gives you access to an adjustable EQ, for sound tailored to your preferences. The Sonos Five is a hefty beast with a smart, slightly curved grille on the front. (Image credit: TechRadar) The Sonos Play:3 is an unassuming little box. 26cm wide and 16cm deep, it’s small enough to fit on a bedside cabinet without poking over the edge. If that foot print is still too large for your liking, this box is also designed to function just fine on its side, making it just 13cm wide. There are little rubber feet on one side as well as the bottom, to avoid scratches, while a built-in accelerometer lets the box know when it’s on its side, and to change the sound processing accordingly. Connect to WiFi with any 2.4 GHz 802.11/b/g/n broadcast-capable router. For 5 GHz routers, you can either enable 2.4 GHz 802.11b/g/n in router settings or hardwire a Sonos product. The name-plate is positioned so that when you flip it to it's upright orientation, it still reads. (Image credit: TechRadar) Sonos Five review: DesignAs you'd expect from Sonos, the Sonos Sub Gen 3 is a breeze to set up. With no wiring or programming required, simply press one button and follow the prompts from the Sonos app. It automatically adjusts the audio settings to ensure that the Sub is fully optimised to work with your paired Sonos components. The rear of the Sonos Five reveals its power cable, Ethernet and 3.5mm ports –so your turntable is catered for too. (Image credit: TechRadar) Sonos Five review: Features