Before beginning this review, full disclosure: Sonos sent a review unit that does not need to be returned. That said, they didn’t need to buy any affection, because the Sonos experience is genuinely remarkable.
The review kit included a Sonos Zone Bridge and two S5 wireless speaker systems, all working together to bring audio to any room within reach of a home wireless network.
Setup
The S5 devices have real heft and feel well built. The Zone Bridge is low profile. Setup took about 10 minutes total: install the Sonos desktop software, connect the Zone Bridge to the network, power up the S5 units, install the Android controller app, and you’re playing music. The Zone Bridge serves as a network interface for situations where the router is in an inaccessible location; in smaller homes, a single zone player wired directly to the router works instead.
The Experience
The Sonos system plays networked MP3 files, streams from Pandora, Napster, Rhapsody, Sirius XM, and Last.FM, and picks up local terrestrial radio stations automatically based on ISP location. It found a small town in rural Missouri and had all the local stations available. Stations from any city in the world are also accessible.
The S5 units function as a full stereo system in each room independently. On the back: an ethernet passthrough for wired network connection, a line-in jack for any headphone-out device, and a headphone jack for private listening. On top: a volume rocker, mute button, and network status light. Sound quality is impressive for the size, with clear highs and lows and enough bass to shake a shelf on certain tracks. A single S5 fills a large room comfortably; two units linked as a stereo pair outdoors filled three acres during a bonfire at a relatively low volume.
The real strength is multi-room independence. With multiple S5 units on the network, each can play a different source simultaneously, controlled individually from the Android app. Or they can be linked to play the same content in sync at combined volume.
The Android Controller App
The Android app is intuitive, well laid out, and free. It controls volume, source selection, and playback for each zone individually from the same interface. Album artwork and internet-sourced album info display when available. It’s not a marketing afterthought; it’s a polished piece of software that makes the system genuinely easy to use and extends its value without requiring Sonos’ hardware controller units.
Overall
The only meaningful downside is price. The S5 runs $399 and the Zone Bridge around $99. Both are worth it. The sound quality, multi-room flexibility, and near-unlimited source access make a compelling case. Two people bought the same setup after seeing it over video chat and were equally impressed after receiving it.
