Vintage Components or Sonos?
- Thread starter gillsev
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Djcoolray
Addicted Member
I think we are confused....
The OP was wondering if the sound quality loss was worth the trade off for convienece !
There are people that are into buying the latest creation....like iPads and iPods and it looks like this Sanos is lacking in the same regard concerning technical ability....or therefore the lack of it.
How does this Sanos make music sound better ?
If all a person has known is an iPod and mom and dad bring this home cause they don't know any better and they buy a second set for Gramdmamas house.
The OP was wondering if the sound quality loss was worth the trade off for convienece !
There are people that are into buying the latest creation....like iPads and iPods and it looks like this Sanos is lacking in the same regard concerning technical ability....or therefore the lack of it.
How does this Sanos make music sound better ?
If all a person has known is an iPod and mom and dad bring this home cause they don't know any better and they buy a second set for Gramdmamas house.
AlphaEcho35
Super Member
A Sonos Connect (Zoneplayer 90 - the old name) is a source component. You use it to stream music services like Tidal, Spotify, etc. to your own amplifier. You can also stream any of your own music that is connected to the same network as your Sonos Connect.
It does not make music sound "better." It makes music in electronic form more easily accessible. You simply plug its low level outputs into an AUX port on your amplifier.
I have Sonos Connects in both of my systems - and both systems also have turntables.
I'm not crazy about the connect's built in DAC. Fortunately for me, my CDP (Adcom GCD-750) has a coax digital input which allows me to bypass the Connect's DAC and play it thtough the Adcom's DAC and analog section.
This allows me to spin a CD on the Adcom AND play the same song thru the Connect and toggle back and forth with the press of a button.
The SQ is the same either way and I think the Sonos Connect is a fabulous component. It plays mp3, flac and wav, which is as good as it gets.
Thumbs up on the Sonos Connect
This allows me to spin a CD on the Adcom AND play the same song thru the Connect and toggle back and forth with the press of a button.
The SQ is the same either way and I think the Sonos Connect is a fabulous component. It plays mp3, flac and wav, which is as good as it gets.
Thumbs up on the Sonos Connect
First, be civilized and get the name right. SONOS.
There are lots of streaming gadgets around now, 3 or 4 have been mentioned in this thread.
I prefer the gear without a built in amp and speaker, stuff that just acts like a transport between where I keep my music,
and the well integrated gear I have selected over the years for playback. Seems like the Sonos is a musical playback device -
like my Apple Airports, a Logitec Touch, a CD player, or ...
You connect it into your preamp just like any other device and it allows playback of other material - either from your computer,
from paid services, or wherever. Its an addition, not a replacement. I use a discrete DAC with my streamed sources.
This isn't like getting grandma used to lossy music from an ipad - there doesn't need to be a fidelity downgrade.
The fidelity is as good as what you feed it.
[Source quality is everything with digital - I put lossless music on my ipod and later my iPhone, and pretty much JUST use them in the car.]
In my home system, we don't stream music from the iPhone or my wife's ipad - we only use my iPhone or the wife's iPad as a controller for the music that is located on our home server.
I think with Sonos being around for 12 years, its hardly the latest creation.
Some of you guys really ARE confused about all the digital possibilities.
There are lots of streaming gadgets around now, 3 or 4 have been mentioned in this thread.
I prefer the gear without a built in amp and speaker, stuff that just acts like a transport between where I keep my music,
and the well integrated gear I have selected over the years for playback. Seems like the Sonos is a musical playback device -
like my Apple Airports, a Logitec Touch, a CD player, or ...
You connect it into your preamp just like any other device and it allows playback of other material - either from your computer,
from paid services, or wherever. Its an addition, not a replacement. I use a discrete DAC with my streamed sources.
This isn't like getting grandma used to lossy music from an ipad - there doesn't need to be a fidelity downgrade.
The fidelity is as good as what you feed it.
[Source quality is everything with digital - I put lossless music on my ipod and later my iPhone, and pretty much JUST use them in the car.]
In my home system, we don't stream music from the iPhone or my wife's ipad - we only use my iPhone or the wife's iPad as a controller for the music that is located on our home server.
I think with Sonos being around for 12 years, its hardly the latest creation.
Some of you guys really ARE confused about all the digital possibilities.
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AlphaEcho35
Super Member
It's very simple - I don't understand why there is so much confusion and uneducated opinion.
You can connect it to your wireless or wired network via the ethernet ports or the built in wifi. You connect the "Connect" to your amplifier via the RCA outputs or an external DAC via the Coaxial or TOSLINK outputs.
You then load the controller software on just about ANY device, set up your music from your local network, or log in to a music service.
And yes, there are quite a few other products doing the same thing. Whether or not they provide the same quality of service and well designed controller interface is another thing. Not to mention the number of music services that the device will work with.
Here's my current Sonos controller screen. I have two different Connects on two systems. Both are currently streaming from my Tidal account.
The controller interface looks this way on practically all devices. No need for a TV monitor connected to the Connect, just control it from a cell phone, laptop or tablet.
You can connect it to your wireless or wired network via the ethernet ports or the built in wifi. You connect the "Connect" to your amplifier via the RCA outputs or an external DAC via the Coaxial or TOSLINK outputs.
You then load the controller software on just about ANY device, set up your music from your local network, or log in to a music service.
And yes, there are quite a few other products doing the same thing. Whether or not they provide the same quality of service and well designed controller interface is another thing. Not to mention the number of music services that the device will work with.
Here's my current Sonos controller screen. I have two different Connects on two systems. Both are currently streaming from my Tidal account.
The controller interface looks this way on practically all devices. No need for a TV monitor connected to the Connect, just control it from a cell phone, laptop or tablet.
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AlphaEcho35
Super Member
I too use the Connect with an external DAC in my higher-end system where I have a remote volume controller in the integrated preamp of my Cronus Magnum amplifier. On my Fisher 800B system, I set the Connect to "preamp" mode to utilize its internal volume and tone controls, which does go through he internal DAC. There is certainly a noticeable quality difference when using a decent quality DAC.
Some of us are confused, like you and the OP. Not all Sonos devices have amps and speakers:
OP said:Correct me if I'm wrong but I don't think the new SONOS system could match the sound of true Hi Fi the way our old vintage components would generate them. Yes, it's more convenient with its wireless and multiroom capability. Maybe if I had nothing at all to start with, I might go with it, but now that I have amassed my throne entertainment system, it's too late for me to turn my back on them now
He doesn't seem to realize that you can connect a Connect to any vintage component with a spare AUX input, and it is "true Hi Fi". There's no "sound quality loss". It doesn't make the music "sound better", it makes the music more accessible.
As for confusion, I'm fairly confused with this statement:
What lack of technical ability do you perceive Sonos to have? It's actually one of the more technologically advanced devices I've added to my system. I can listen to my what's playing on the turntable in the living room over any other system in the house - and control each volume independently or together. I can listen to a different song on every system in the house and control the volumes independently or together- and switch all of them to the same song on the fly. I can listen to CDs ripped onto a server in one room while streaming music online to another. All of this is controllable off an el-cheapo 7" tablet, you don't even need a cell phone.
So yeah, I think it's safe to say there's a whole lot of confusion about Sonos - from people who don't own or use them. The rest of us, not so much.
chicks
Lunatic Member
Sonos essentially puts a server in every one of its products. The controller app on your phone, tablet or PC is merely a remote control; up to 32 apps can control up to 32 Sonos nodes throughout the house. Sonos uses its own mesh wireless network to support so many nodes without affecting your WiFi; its competitors claim up to 8 nodes, but bog down your WiFi. The Connect has bit-perfect output with the volume set to "fixed", so can be used with an external DAC if desired.
The only thing the Sonos needs to access music files is a shared drive, such as your PCs hard drive or a dumb NAS. It can also read iTunes XML dictionary, so plays well with iTunes. As of 2015, 92% of Sonos users (including me) no longer bother with home music libraries, preferring to use one or more of the 60-odd streaming service providers integrated into all Sonos products. Apple Music, Spotify, Tidal, Deezer, Google Music, Pandora, MixCloud, SoundCloud, Gaaza, you name it, all available, far more than all its competitors combined.
They have stepped up the game considerably in the sound quality of their speakers, using one amplifier per driver, DSP driver correction, an now room correction, which requires an iOS device for room tuning. Their Play:1s, smaller than Minimus 7s, can't be beat in their size/price range.
http://stereos.about.com/od/Wireless/ss/Sonos-Play1-Measurements.htm
The new Play:5s are technologically advanced, and will be competitive with anything in their price range in terms of sound quality and bass extension. Included in the price is an amplifier per driver, DSP correction, room correction, music server, multiroom capability, access to a multitude of sources, and lifetime technical support. Run a diagnostic via their app, and they will tell you exactly what's interfering with the wifi signal, etc, remotely.
Not technologically advanced? I'd say they are a technology leader, and have been for years. They have one of the largest anechoic chambers I've ever seen for hifi development in house; most companies can't afford one, and use government owned chambers. Last I looked, they had over 2,000 employees, over 50% of whom are employed in R&D. I sure wouldn't mind working for them in their Santa Barbara HQ! How many pure audio companies do
$1B in annual revenues, with very little advertising? They've grown mostly due to word of mouth advertising by highly satisfied customers.
KentTeffeteller
Gimpus Stereophilus!
Much of the music I like is not available on streaming services in the best versions. And much of it never got CD issues even once. I would love to see a Sonos component system unit not dependent on a smartphone, there is not one I like yet.
The Connect is not dependent on a smartphone, or tablet. You can control it from a PC.
KentTeffeteller
Gimpus Stereophilus!
Yes, and that would work.
And that's why the Sonos Connect is used in addition to your vinyl collection. The only component it's really capable of replacing is a stand alone cd player connected to your main system (provided you've ripped your cd collection to some form of storage on your network).
Once you have your collection stored on your network, you'll never have to physically pick up a CD to play it.
Djcoolray
Addicted Member
What's the frequency response ?
What's the harmonic distortion rate percentage ?
What's the signal to noise ratio ?
Just because you can hear the music, doesn't mean you can hear the music.....
frankbooth
Super Member
maybe because a stereo system is a collection of gadgets.
DaveVoorhis
Addicted Member
Per the SONOS web site: THD+N 0.009%, 20Hz-20kHz
I didn't see mention of the S/N ratio, but you can generally assume modern digital electronics of reasonable quality will have an excellent S/N ratio.