Sonos One (Gen 2) – The Powerful Smart Speaker with Alexa Built-In, Black
| Dimensions: | 12 x 12 x 16.2 cm; 1.85 Kilograms |
| Model: | ONEG2UK1BLK |
| Manufacture: | SONOS |
| Origin: | United Kingdom |
| Dimensions: | 12 x 12 x 16.2 cm; 1.85 Kilograms |
| Model: | ONEG2UK1BLK |
| Manufacture: | SONOS |
| Origin: | United Kingdom |
Great sound from a tiny device
I’ve owned this for around 6 months now and here are my main points:
Positives
– This is quite a small speaker considering what else is out there. So very good when space is limited.
– It has great bass, too much actually, had to tone it right down in case it annoyed the neighbors! 😉
– Love the look and design of it.
– The App is okay. Could be better, but could also be a lot worse, and it’s really nice to have it!
– Really pleased with the sound at high volumes, no distortions and so clear!
Negatives
– The sound does sound better if you stand / sit in certain places so you might need to think about placement.
– Alexa Commands. This needs some serious work from the SONOS team. It has issues with the timer, where it would either not go off, or wouldn’t acknowledge that you had set one.
– Alexa Routines. They don’t work.
– Alexa Limitations. The weather is fixed to KPH when talking about wind (I’d like MPH). You can choose either of these if you have an Amazon Alexa device, but this third party SONOS does not give you that option.
– Alexa Music Commands. On any Amazon Alexa device you ask it to “repeat the song” and she says “I’ll repeat the song” (ONCE!) and you can tell it to repeat constantly if you want. The SONOS locks you into a repeat cycle from the initial command. When you ask it to stop playing it does. Then starts the song again. I actually had to pull the power cable out to stop it several times as nothing worked. Tip – I later found out you can make it stop, by saying “Alexa stop repeating the song”. This is not intuitive and should be changed.
I think this is a great speaker and if sound is your goal this is a serious contender. If you’re looking for good sound but also want it primarily for Alexa then maybe look at the Amazon own devices first. The problems with Alexa integration were quite bad I felt and I was so close to to sending this back. However I found a way to get the timer function to work in the nick of time ,so kept it (I use this feature almost daily).
Premium product at a real world price
Audio quality amazing for price. Easy to setup just follow prompts. As Sonos is an independent company there are dozens of streaming services you can subscribe to. The new Sonos S2 app wasn’t good at launch in June but is much better now. Bonus you can play you own music stored on your device over wi-fi rather than the limits of Bluetooth. Your not limited to Alexa for voice integration but it is the best.
Superb sound and build quality
A quality smart speaker with a huge quality sound from such a small unit. Great depth of bass and clarity. These are my go to for music now as I also use Spotify. After all how many times do you sit in front of a stereo pair? No problem if you do as they can be paired or synchronised. With a choice of Alexa or Google assistant they are extremely versatile. Well done Sonos, the house is filling up with them now! Expensive but worth it!
Superb sound and build quality
A quality smart speaker with a huge quality sound from such a small unit. Great depth of bass and clarity. These are my go to for music now as I also use Spotify. After all how many times do you sit in front of a stereo pair? No problem if you do as they can be paired or synchronised. With a choice of Alexa or Google assistant they are extremely versatile. Well done Sonos, the house is filling up with them now! Expensive but worth it!
Very impressed with sound
I bought this for use in the family room to replace a broken HiFi unit. Initially I bought just the one speaker, but I was so impressed with the sound quality that I bought another one and paired the two of them. They work brilliantly together, sound quality is impressive and stereo separation first class. With Alexa built in I can access all the radio stations that I want to as well as listen to a vast choice of music. Perfect for me.
Very impressed with sound
I bought this for use in the family room to replace a broken HiFi unit. Initially I bought just the one speaker, but I was so impressed with the sound quality that I bought another one and paired the two of them. They work brilliantly together, sound quality is impressive and stereo separation first class. With Alexa built in I can access all the radio stations that I want to as well as listen to a vast choice of music. Perfect for me.
Great quality sound
The speaker has a great quality sound with little distortion even at high volume. Yes it’s expensive compared to similar devices but I think its worth it if you love your music. My only negative is that I find the Alexa app challenging to use on my mobile but voice recognition on the Sonus speaker is good.
Great Speaker (Alexa?)
As expected from Sonos, a great all around speaker, amazing quality.
Although Alexa could be better, sometimes does not obey commands (I have an actual Alexa too which is more efficient than the Sonos integrated one.
Sonos 1 vs Echo Studio
I had the Amazon studio, bass was overwhelming. So I bought a Sonos 1 with Alexa built in. The quality is outstanding. Only downside is not being able to change the wake word. The definitive Smart speaker in my opinion. It’s got some serious punch for a small size.
Sonos One ... only sorry I never bought it sooner.
I’ve been wanting a Sonos for ages and I though why wait treat myself … I’m over the moon with my sonos one and not even using it to its full potential … Don’t think about buying one, get one you won’t be disappointed
Incredible sound you can build o
First time I’ve bought Sonos. I’ve had a few Bose speakers and Bose surround speakers but have never been 100% happy with the sound.
Bought one of these ad was immediately blown away. Smart looking with a good weight to it. Incredible spacial sound. I was so impressed that we bought a second one to have full stereo sound. Having heard that, we then bought the new Sonos sound bar and use these two speakers as rear surround. The sound and surround effect is phenomenal. Even without a woofer, two of these speakers along with the sound bar, beat the Bose system I had hands down. Two of these and the new sound bar would set you back about 1000. But they totally out perform the 1400 Bose system I had.
I love the fact that you can buy one of these and add to it at a later date.
Highly recommended.
Incredible sound you can build o
First time I’ve bought Sonos. I’ve had a few Bose speakers and Bose surround speakers but have never been 100% happy with the sound.
Bought one of these ad was immediately blown away. Smart looking with a good weight to it. Incredible spacial sound. I was so impressed that we bought a second one to have full stereo sound. Having heard that, we then bought the new Sonos sound bar and use these two speakers as rear surround. The sound and surround effect is phenomenal. Even without a woofer, two of these speakers along with the sound bar, beat the Bose system I had hands down. Two of these and the new sound bar would set you back about 1000. But they totally out perform the 1400 Bose system I had.
I love the fact that you can buy one of these and add to it at a later date.
Highly recommended.
Pure quality
I should of read the review from RJS first. Was led to believe I could purchase this to pair with my Sony Bluetooth turntable but you can’t. The product description clearly states this though so my frustration was short lived. The picture above is just to show what the speaker looks like. Speaker comes in a nice box. First impressions was the weight of the speaker, very heavy for a Bluetooth speaker which means quality. Love the design. Had it plugged in and set up in about 5 minutes. Used the Sonos app and starting testing it gently with songs by the Prodigy and Traffic. The sound is incredible. Now set up in my kitchen. Swapped with my Google home which links to my turntable while displaying family photos. Will get more use in kitchen to be honest so worked out well. Have already set up Alexa voice control to use for cooking timers while listening to my playlists. Have yet to try it on full volume. Love the hip hop station on Sonos radio. If your looking for a Bluetooth speaker to link with your phone then this won’t be beaten for the price. The sound quality is just so impressive. Only had it a few days so still playing about with settings but overall I’m very pleased with it (175 at time of purchase).
Pure quality
I should of read the review from RJS first. Was led to believe I could purchase this to pair with my Sony Bluetooth turntable but you can’t. The product description clearly states this though so my frustration was short lived. The picture above is just to show what the speaker looks like. Speaker comes in a nice box. First impressions was the weight of the speaker, very heavy for a Bluetooth speaker which means quality. Love the design. Had it plugged in and set up in about 5 minutes. Used the Sonos app and starting testing it gently with songs by the Prodigy and Traffic. The sound is incredible. Now set up in my kitchen. Swapped with my Google home which links to my turntable while displaying family photos. Will get more use in kitchen to be honest so worked out well. Have already set up Alexa voice control to use for cooking timers while listening to my playlists. Have yet to try it on full volume. Love the hip hop station on Sonos radio. If your looking for a Bluetooth speaker to link with your phone then this won’t be beaten for the price. The sound quality is just so impressive. Only had it a few days so still playing about with settings but overall I’m very pleased with it (175 at time of purchase).
Great sound and environmentally friendly packaging
The sound out of this is marvellous. If you have an Apple phone or iPad it works seamlessly with airplay. I debated whether to get the Bose but I am glad I went with this. Design will last long – it’s finished to a high quality. Also like the way it comes in environmentally friendly packaging – no plastic.
sleek and efficient little machine
Good sound quality as expected. quick set up and compatible with iphone / samsung phone & tablets. used with spotify mostly. Voice command with Google assistant only seem to answer to the husband 🙁 Never mind, the phone commands work well.
Awesome speake
Pros –
Great quality sound
Alexa Built in
Best in house speaker system you can get for enthusiasts
Cons-
Normal issues with alexa working (Poor understanding) Will improve with time
Bit of a mess to set up, jumping from alexa app to sonos,
Sonos app is very poor in general
Once up and running this speaker is a dream
My husbands purchase which I didn’t think was needed! However I’ve found myself using it all the time!!! So easy to use, great sound and a really nice size. Have it in the kitchen with the radio on in the mornings and tunes in the afternoon / evenings. Very easy app to change what you want to listen too as we don’t use the Alexa feature.
(Can’t stand everyone shouting “Alexa” all the time, would be good if you could personalise it!!! “Bob turn the tunes up”!)
Highly recommend.
Stunning audio quality and volume in such a discrete and smart device, I love it. It’s an all-rounder party speaker that’ll blast bass and bangers all night or play your chill playlist in the background of your room as you study. The alexa integration aswell makes this even better, I wouldn’t be nearly as happy with the original Sonos one. I barely use the app thanks to alexa. Great product.
Highly recommend.
Stunning audio quality and volume in such a discrete and smart device, I love it. It’s an all-rounder party speaker that’ll blast bass and bangers all night or play your chill playlist in the background of your room as you study. The alexa integration aswell makes this even better, I wouldn’t be nearly as happy with the original Sonos one. I barely use the app thanks to alexa. Great product.
My husbands purchase which I didn’t think was needed! However I’ve found myself using it all the time!!! So easy to use, great sound and a really nice size. Have it in the kitchen with the radio on in the mornings and tunes in the afternoon / evenings. Very easy app to change what you want to listen too as we don’t use the Alexa feature.
(Can’t stand everyone shouting “Alexa” all the time, would be good if you could personalise it!!! “Bob turn the tunes up”!)
Works for Surround Sound speakers
Bought two of these to pair with a Beam to create a surround sound system for my TV. Initially very simple to set up but was completely underwhelming, virtually no sound. Then the devices dropped off the Sonos network and stopped working. Was an utter pig to get them back on and re-tuned again. Sound still poor. Then realised my Sky Q box sound output was set to ‘Normal’ not ‘Dolby’ so changed it. The speakers then literally took off. Amazing difference. So pleased! Have to keep turning the volume down! To me this is the best TV sound option as, when I upgrade it in future, I can still use these bad boys elsewhere in the house.
Works for Surround Sound speakers
Bought two of these to pair with a Beam to create a surround sound system for my TV. Initially very simple to set up but was completely underwhelming, virtually no sound. Then the devices dropped off the Sonos network and stopped working. Was an utter pig to get them back on and re-tuned again. Sound still poor. Then realised my Sky Q box sound output was set to ‘Normal’ not ‘Dolby’ so changed it. The speakers then literally took off. Amazing difference. So pleased! Have to keep turning the volume down! To me this is the best TV sound option as, when I upgrade it in future, I can still use these bad boys elsewhere in the house.
I started with just one of these speakers. First thoughts its easy to set up. App is reliable, makes it super easy to play music.
I then brought a second to create a stereo pair… that was the WOW factor. It completely changes the listening experience. The audio sounds so much richer. I was shocked on how much it changed the music I was playing and now there’s two we havent actually gone above 50% volume because its so loud.
We was so impressed we brought a third for the bedroom. Now I can play music everywhere while I’m wondering around and doing the house work!
My issues with these speakers… all three of them in fact.
ALEXA just seems to have bugs on Sonos.
1st. If your broadband drops, well Alexa will refuse to reconnect, she just constantly says something along the lines “i’m struggling to connect at the moment, please check your Internet connection”. The weird thing is the Sonos side works fine and reconnects fine after a drop. E.g. I can play music via the app. You are forced to restart all the speaker everytime the internet drops to rekick in the Alexa integration.
2nd. Some features are limited compared to Amazons own devices. E.g. Alexa cant phone people. You can’t connect any multirooms with Amazons own alexa devices.
3rd. Alexa just randomly does not play music when you ask her to. “Alexa, play music from Harry’s Spotify account” and then she just stops… Check the Alexa app… and she heard me perfectly and understood (you can see your speech against text on how alexa understood what you asked).
Although we have now got to a point where we just don’t use Alexa, which isn’t a big deal for us but might be for others. All said, Generally Sonos is a fantastic eco system and Sonos Ones don’t fall short from what you should expect from the brand.
Great product completing a full house of Sonos
The noise from such a small unit is impressive and a long way from the traditional speakers which were comparable to a coffee table or a Nissan Micra!
The punch these speakers give when Trueplay is finely matched to its resting place is really clear with the system handling all different music genre’s with ease.
Note that trueplay only appears to be an option from Apple devices so if u have other mobile products use someone’s Apple device to set up to achieve the best sound this unit can give.
Great product completing a full house of Sonos
The noise from such a small unit is impressive and a long way from the traditional speakers which were comparable to a coffee table or a Nissan Micra!
The punch these speakers give when Trueplay is finely matched to its resting place is really clear with the system handling all different music genre’s with ease.
Note that trueplay only appears to be an option from Apple devices so if u have other mobile products use someone’s Apple device to set up to achieve the best sound this unit can give.
Good speakers, need more!
Will be buying another when it’s on discount again. I got two for 159 each, and took advantage of Amazon’s buy now, pay over 5 months interest free, fee free too (no brainer!). One’s in the lounge, one in the kitchen, though I’ve discovered I NEED another in the lounge to get Stereo sound, otherwise it just feels a bit weird sitting on the sofa listening from one direction. Otherwise good and easy to set up.
Good speakers, need more!
Will be buying another when it’s on discount again. I got two for 159 each, and took advantage of Amazon’s buy now, pay over 5 months interest free, fee free too (no brainer!). One’s in the lounge, one in the kitchen, though I’ve discovered I NEED another in the lounge to get Stereo sound, otherwise it just feels a bit weird sitting on the sofa listening from one direction. Otherwise good and easy to set up.
Absolutely beautiful
Build quality fantastic
Sound quality Beautiful
Initial set up Easy
In stereo it will blow you away – buy a pair!
Keep a look out for a sale and get a second one.
It is expensive but you will never have to buy another sound system the rest of your life!
I’m just delighted with this purchase.
Set up tip – don’t forget to add alexa or google to your Sonos device in services or voice section under the setting tab of the Sonos app
Absolutely beautiful
Build quality fantastic
Sound quality Beautiful
Initial set up Easy
In stereo it will blow you away – buy a pair!
Keep a look out for a sale and get a second one.
It is expensive but you will never have to buy another sound system the rest of your life!
I’m just delighted with this purchase.
Set up tip – don’t forget to add alexa or google to your Sonos device in services or voice section under the setting tab of the Sonos app
It sounds amazing for what it costs
I had the original Echo in the kitchen and wanted something that sounded better. I was going to get the Echo Studio thing but did a bit of research and went for this instead. I must say the sound in on a whole new level compared to the old Echo, a little bit too much bass but you can tone that down in the app. Set it up to work with Alexa with no issues at all so can just ask for Radio 6 or a Spotify playlist like before. Believe the hype this is an absolute bargain. Oh, and those negative reviews about not being able to get it working or dropping wifi, never once has it caused me any connection issues. I’m seriously thinking about getting another one for the other side of the room.
It sounds amazing for what it costs
I had the original Echo in the kitchen and wanted something that sounded better. I was going to get the Echo Studio thing but did a bit of research and went for this instead. I must say the sound in on a whole new level compared to the old Echo, a little bit too much bass but you can tone that down in the app. Set it up to work with Alexa with no issues at all so can just ask for Radio 6 or a Spotify playlist like before. Believe the hype this is an absolute bargain. Oh, and those negative reviews about not being able to get it working or dropping wifi, never once has it caused me any connection issues. I’m seriously thinking about getting another one for the other side of the room.
Brilliant little product, buy two
Look, you’re always going to want to get a stereo pair of these. Unlike a lot of other smart speakers, these are not “omni-directional” and a single speaker on it’s own won’t support stereo…whereas you do (hopefully) have two ears.
Buy two, set them up as a stereo pair, and the quality for the size is really remarkable, including bass (which totally floored me).
I wish we’d bought these earlier instead of wasting our time with single omni-directional competitor products.
Brilliant little product, buy two
Look, you’re always going to want to get a stereo pair of these. Unlike a lot of other smart speakers, these are not “omni-directional” and a single speaker on it’s own won’t support stereo…whereas you do (hopefully) have two ears.
Buy two, set them up as a stereo pair, and the quality for the size is really remarkable, including bass (which totally floored me).
I wish we’d bought these earlier instead of wasting our time with single omni-directional competitor products.
Sonos 1 with Alexa, flexibility with convenience.
Used for playing music via streaming services, listening to podcasts, drama from BBC Sounds, Internet radio, interrogating Alexa, setting alarms and much more. I have a number of Sonos devices around the house, all of which are well used. This one though with Alexa built in gives an additional layer of functionality. Sonos has effectively made my CD collection obsolete, sound quality for such a small unit is very impressive!
Sonos 1 with Alexa, flexibility with convenience.
Used for playing music via streaming services, listening to podcasts, drama from BBC Sounds, Internet radio, interrogating Alexa, setting alarms and much more. I have a number of Sonos devices around the house, all of which are well used. This one though with Alexa built in gives an additional layer of functionality. Sonos has effectively made my CD collection obsolete, sound quality for such a small unit is very impressive!
Connectivity
I brought this to supplement my old Sonos speakers which I play music downloaded on my I Pod touch. I don’t stream. Unfortunately Sonos stopped the connectivity with my old speakers about a year ago so I brought this speaker as it has apple play and so reconnects all the speakers back to said i pod. I hate manufacturers withdrawing services – it should not be allowed! With this I can hear music from my i pod again!
This is my first sonus product, and if this one is anything to go by then I will be buying more .
Really pleased with this device, it’s connectivity, ease of use and the sound quality is excellent , truly amazing for such a small device .
It has a smart look to it , very stylish and has a high quality feel and is really heavy which is a good sign it’s packed full of quality components.
Thumbs well and truly up from me .
This is my first sonus product, and if this one is anything to go by then I will be buying more .
Really pleased with this device, it’s connectivity, ease of use and the sound quality is excellent , truly amazing for such a small device .
It has a smart look to it , very stylish and has a high quality feel and is really heavy which is a good sign it’s packed full of quality components.
Thumbs well and truly up from me .
A good bit of kit - well worth the money!
The Speaker works very well, and the sound quality is excellent, although there is no way to adjust tone,(bass /treble). I generally keep the microphone switched off, because Alexa can be triggered inadvertently by general chit-chat in the room. It could also be a security issue. I usually play music and radio by means of the Sonos app downloaded on my phone, and this works very well. I switch on the microphone if I want to use Alexa, and I am impressed at how effective and useful this can be.
Good speaker. Though, beware of the ecosystem.
It works well, feels well built and sounds good even for a small speaker. Note that if you want to make a stereo pair, it must be paired with another sonos one (gen1 or 2 seems to work), and not a sonos play:1.
As well as Alexa, it supports the Google assistant, and it looks like it would be possible for sonos to add support for other assistants in the future.
However, having purchased a number of sonos speakers in the past, recent events where they drop support for older speakers has left me considering whether I’d purchase more, as it effectively gives some upper bound on how long this speaker will work, even if the hardware is well constructed. However, I suspect this will affect many (if not all) smart speaker brands eventually, as they do not have the resources to maintain firmware for endless iterations of historic models (and for security reasons as well as new functionality, firmware should be kept up to date).
When you buy sonos, you lock yourself into the sonos ecosystem, so you have to be content with the supported services. From what I’ve seen, Sonos tend to be very tight-lipped regarding their APIs, so third party integration and APIs is basically non-existent. Having said that, there are a number of services that are approved and supported by sonos including Spotify, Deezer, Tidal, YouTube music, Soundcloud, mixcloud, TuneIn to name a few.
Good speaker. Though, beware of the ecosystem.
It works well, feels well built and sounds good even for a small speaker. Note that if you want to make a stereo pair, it must be paired with another sonos one (gen1 or 2 seems to work), and not a sonos play:1.
As well as Alexa, it supports the Google assistant, and it looks like it would be possible for sonos to add support for other assistants in the future.
However, having purchased a number of sonos speakers in the past, recent events where they drop support for older speakers has left me considering whether I’d purchase more, as it effectively gives some upper bound on how long this speaker will work, even if the hardware is well constructed. However, I suspect this will affect many (if not all) smart speaker brands eventually, as they do not have the resources to maintain firmware for endless iterations of historic models (and for security reasons as well as new functionality, firmware should be kept up to date).
When you buy sonos, you lock yourself into the sonos ecosystem, so you have to be content with the supported services. From what I’ve seen, Sonos tend to be very tight-lipped regarding their APIs, so third party integration and APIs is basically non-existent. Having said that, there are a number of services that are approved and supported by sonos including Spotify, Deezer, Tidal, YouTube music, Soundcloud, mixcloud, TuneIn to name a few.
They do sound pretty good
Playing music through these speakers, reveals a lot of detail, that just wasn’t there before.
A breeze to set up, though to the set up for a room, you do need an iOS device.
Loses a star for the Alexa integration, as it can’t do quite everything a standard Echo does, though it does about 95% of it.
Great sound, not so great functions.
Sound quality is great. I was really nervous but yeah it’s good.
It sucks massively that it doesn’t have a line in so that I can play youtube through my phone, instead you have to have a PAID account which i think is really cheeky. I already have spotify pro set up so am not paying for you tube as well otherwise I am paying nearly 20 p/m to use my own sound system
Really miffed that some of the alexa directions don’t work on here also.
Great sound, not so great functions.
Sound quality is great. I was really nervous but yeah it’s good.
It sucks massively that it doesn’t have a line in so that I can play youtube through my phone, instead you have to have a PAID account which i think is really cheeky. I already have spotify pro set up so am not paying for you tube as well otherwise I am paying nearly 20 p/m to use my own sound system
Really miffed that some of the alexa directions don’t work on here also.
Excellent for multi-room and stereo setup
Excellent speaker, bought 2 and paired each one with a Sonos SL – one in lounge, one in bedroom, for stereo sound in each room.
Works perfectly, Sonos app is so easy to use and control multi-room music.
The Alexa and Google Assistant integration works really well.
Did loads of research re: best multi-room set-up and pretty much everyone said Sonos was the best – can’t say I disagree, it just works. And with adding in a (rather expensive and heavy) Sonos Move, I now have true multi-room music in my apartment – perfect!
Excellent for multi-room and stereo setup
Excellent speaker, bought 2 and paired each one with a Sonos SL – one in lounge, one in bedroom, for stereo sound in each room.
Works perfectly, Sonos app is so easy to use and control multi-room music.
The Alexa and Google Assistant integration works really well.
Did loads of research re: best multi-room set-up and pretty much everyone said Sonos was the best – can’t say I disagree, it just works. And with adding in a (rather expensive and heavy) Sonos Move, I now have true multi-room music in my apartment – perfect!
Good gadget but overpriced
Sound is ok for our living room . We got 2 Sonos for stereo . Alexa works well , linked to iTunes . Was unable to link Google Assistant with iTunes which is shame as would prefer this over Alexa. Overall no regrets . Children love asking Alexa to play the song of their choosing .
Sonos Speakers Just Get Bette
The secret to setting up these speakers is to follow the instructions..! You need the Sonos App for a start. As I already had 2 Sonos speakers I had the app. I have BT WiFi around the house with good reception in all rooms and I do have a WiFi extender plugged into the electrical mains ring. I plugged the new Sonos One (Gen2) into a kitchen wall socket, opened the app and followed the instructions to ‘add a new speaker’. The entire process took no more than 5 minutes. I downloaded the Alexa app from the Apple Store and had no difficulty setting up this new facility. If you stick to the instructions and have a little patience you will succeed..!!
Sonos Speakers Just Get Bette
The secret to setting up these speakers is to follow the instructions..! You need the Sonos App for a start. As I already had 2 Sonos speakers I had the app. I have BT WiFi around the house with good reception in all rooms and I do have a WiFi extender plugged into the electrical mains ring. I plugged the new Sonos One (Gen2) into a kitchen wall socket, opened the app and followed the instructions to ‘add a new speaker’. The entire process took no more than 5 minutes. I downloaded the Alexa app from the Apple Store and had no difficulty setting up this new facility. If you stick to the instructions and have a little patience you will succeed..!!
Buy it for the sound and smarts
This is not the best sounding speaker for the price, it is not the smartest speaker for the price, yet I think it balances out as the best speaker overall for the price.
The sound seems clear and detailed, I would recommend using TruePlay using an iOS device (it doesn’t work on Android) which makes the speaker great in most rooms. The bass is deep, yet not overpowering, the treble is crisp and the mids are well done. It certainly isn’t a flat sound signature but there is an EQ so you can alter it to taste if the preset doesn’t suit you.
A headlining feature is voice control. Don’t buy it for this alone. I used the Google Assistant and it is very unreliable, where my Google Home requires asking only once, the Sonos One very often requires several attempts. However, this feature oisnt so bad as to be unusable, see it instead as a backup means of control if you don’t have your phone on hand.
The app works well in normal operation, it’s clear, easy to use and handles music playback well. It’s great being able to easily start playlists and change settings. This is where Sonos excells. Unfortunately the app occasionally can’t find the speaker.
My complaints about the device are the lackluster voice control, lack of device audio streaming on Android (as in direct audio output, most streaming services work excellently) and app inconsistencies with connecting to the One. Some people complain about Sonos ending support for products, these comments are mainly fearmongering. Sonos stops updating software on a product after at least five years of direct sales. Even after the updates stop the product will stream music for many years.
Overall I enjoy the speaker very much.
Buy it for the sound and smarts
This is not the best sounding speaker for the price, it is not the smartest speaker for the price, yet I think it balances out as the best speaker overall for the price.
The sound seems clear and detailed, I would recommend using TruePlay using an iOS device (it doesn’t work on Android) which makes the speaker great in most rooms. The bass is deep, yet not overpowering, the treble is crisp and the mids are well done. It certainly isn’t a flat sound signature but there is an EQ so you can alter it to taste if the preset doesn’t suit you.
A headlining feature is voice control. Don’t buy it for this alone. I used the Google Assistant and it is very unreliable, where my Google Home requires asking only once, the Sonos One very often requires several attempts. However, this feature oisnt so bad as to be unusable, see it instead as a backup means of control if you don’t have your phone on hand.
The app works well in normal operation, it’s clear, easy to use and handles music playback well. It’s great being able to easily start playlists and change settings. This is where Sonos excells. Unfortunately the app occasionally can’t find the speaker.
My complaints about the device are the lackluster voice control, lack of device audio streaming on Android (as in direct audio output, most streaming services work excellently) and app inconsistencies with connecting to the One. Some people complain about Sonos ending support for products, these comments are mainly fearmongering. Sonos stops updating software on a product after at least five years of direct sales. Even after the updates stop the product will stream music for many years.
Overall I enjoy the speaker very much.
Gif
Bought as a gift for someone who already has 2 sonos one’s, unfortunately they don’t want to be spied on so have not activated the the voice control, however the sound quality and volume are of the high standard I have come to expect from sonos.
Fantastic Alexa speake
Whats not to like? Oozes quality in the sound, the weighty tactile construction and the packaging. Full integration with Amazon, Spotify and Itunes. Tune In radio compatibility is perfect for instantly finding every radio station you can think of. Phone bluetooth streaming is perfect every time. The sound quality and voice recognition is fantastic. Wish we had bought one sooner. Will be buying another to replace a Pure FM/DAB radio in another part of the house. Just an awesome piece of kit.
Fantastic Alexa speake
Whats not to like? Oozes quality in the sound, the weighty tactile construction and the packaging. Full integration with Amazon, Spotify and Itunes. Tune In radio compatibility is perfect for instantly finding every radio station you can think of. Phone bluetooth streaming is perfect every time. The sound quality and voice recognition is fantastic. Wish we had bought one sooner. Will be buying another to replace a Pure FM/DAB radio in another part of the house. Just an awesome piece of kit.
Originally I bought two of these to create a Stereo Pair so I could have a great music setup and stop relying on a Beats Pill.
My goodness…
I returned one because boy do these pack a punch! One speaker alone is enough to power an entire room, and Sonos don’t mess around. The sound quality is amazing, the bass is intense and crisp! I wish I could have found a purpose for the second one but the one device filled my flat with music and that was only at half volume!
The Sonos app allows you to add multiple song services, so you can have the widest selection of songs possible! I have my Apple Music and my Girlfriends Spotify account linked so we can bounce between our own playlists easily, or even add a song to a queue.
Alexa is also a great addition, however she doesn’t have the same abilities as an Echo device. Rather, she does, but will tell you she can’t do it before actually doing it anyway. It’s quite irritating. For Example, I set up a routine on the Alexa App to turn my lights low for when i’m watching a movie. Echo would say the phrase I asked, “No Spoilers Please!” (Cheesy, I know), but the Sonos Alexa would say “Audio actions and routines are currently not supported on this device. No spoilers please!”. So routines work, but there just seems to be this irritating speech that precedes it every time.
Overall, I couldn’t recommend this highly enough. If you don’t need or want Alexa, go for the SL option which makes it cheaper for the same high quality audio.
Originally I bought two of these to create a Stereo Pair so I could have a great music setup and stop relying on a Beats Pill.
My goodness…
I returned one because boy do these pack a punch! One speaker alone is enough to power an entire room, and Sonos don’t mess around. The sound quality is amazing, the bass is intense and crisp! I wish I could have found a purpose for the second one but the one device filled my flat with music and that was only at half volume!
The Sonos app allows you to add multiple song services, so you can have the widest selection of songs possible! I have my Apple Music and my Girlfriends Spotify account linked so we can bounce between our own playlists easily, or even add a song to a queue.
Alexa is also a great addition, however she doesn’t have the same abilities as an Echo device. Rather, she does, but will tell you she can’t do it before actually doing it anyway. It’s quite irritating. For Example, I set up a routine on the Alexa App to turn my lights low for when i’m watching a movie. Echo would say the phrase I asked, “No Spoilers Please!” (Cheesy, I know), but the Sonos Alexa would say “Audio actions and routines are currently not supported on this device. No spoilers please!”. So routines work, but there just seems to be this irritating speech that precedes it every time.
Overall, I couldn’t recommend this highly enough. If you don’t need or want Alexa, go for the SL option which makes it cheaper for the same high quality audio.
Sonos One (Gen 2)
Good sound reproduction if combined with playbar/sound bar & even better if you add the Sonos subwoofer, that combination really blows your socks off, Alexa is pretty good most of the time, if you speak clearly & loud enough, but although I bought all mine when on offer, I am still of the opinion that the purchase price is still out of reach for many consumers.
Better than Play1s
Not sure why but compared to my Play1s this definitely sounds like it has a much better sound even though the actual hardware is the same.
If you are contemplating whether to buy One or Play1 just remember that the later versions of One and Five can’t be stereo matched to the older versions so if you ever have a choice always go for the newer versions.
Excellent sound quality
I bought these to add to my Sonos sound bar for a complete surround sound and they are excellent for this. I can also AirPlay music from my iPhone through the system, I believe, you would have difficulty finding a system that gives a better sound quality. On the down side they are expensive but shopping around can save some money.
Sounds better than anticipated with
Sounds better than I thought it would be at the new reduced price and the sound really carries across my bungalow. I have placed Sorbothane feet under a a piece of granite, with oak cone feet (point upwards) under the Sonos One which has helped to open up the sound with better clarity in voices as well as the individual musical instruments: I have been warming this up during the past few days which has also provided the necessary assistance to achieve a smoother sound all around but still with good punch at the bottom end which is surprising when looking at the size of the unit !
The only slight down is Alexa not being able to play certain radio stations through voice commands, although Alexa has no such problems playing the same radio stations through an Echo Dot?
Sounds better than anticipated with
Sounds better than I thought it would be at the new reduced price and the sound really carries across my bungalow. I have placed Sorbothane feet under a a piece of granite, with oak cone feet (point upwards) under the Sonos One which has helped to open up the sound with better clarity in voices as well as the individual musical instruments: I have been warming this up during the past few days which has also provided the necessary assistance to achieve a smoother sound all around but still with good punch at the bottom end which is surprising when looking at the size of the unit !
The only slight down is Alexa not being able to play certain radio stations through voice commands, although Alexa has no such problems playing the same radio stations through an Echo Dot?
Lack of password disappointing but great otherwise.
Great sound quality and easy to set up, the only downside is the lack of a password to stop my teenagers changing my music selection to Snoop Dogg or NWA at full blast. (A bit sweary for my 3 year old and the neighbours) If the app could be updated to include a password it would be perfect.
Lack of password disappointing but great otherwise.
Great sound quality and easy to set up, the only downside is the lack of a password to stop my teenagers changing my music selection to Snoop Dogg or NWA at full blast. (A bit sweary for my 3 year old and the neighbours) If the app could be updated to include a password it would be perfect.
Great value for what it is.
Great sound from a small speaker…… much better than the echo in all iterations. It isn’t hi-fi but good enough for worthwhile casual listening. This from someone who is very choosy about sound quality. Am now thinking about linking it up with an SL as a stereo pair………. boys and their toys !!!!
Having taken the plunge to install some smart lights and sockets, when I read about this product it appeared that the Alexa voice component was for use with audio features however it also allows us to use voice control of anything that “she” is linked to. Once we had added the Sonos skill to Alexa we did not need the Echo in our kitchen any longer and were able to re-purpose it in another room.
The unit itself is very smart, small, satin black plastic in appearance with the metal grill around the middle outer surface. The sound from such a small device is however very clear, crisp and has a surprisingly rich bass to it for the size. At higher volumes it is not as good as the larger Play5 unit but common sense dictates that at the end of the day.
Touch controls on the top surface are very easy to use, regardless of how dry, damp or greasy your fingers may be but it would be advisable to only use dry and clean hands to prevent muck being deposited into the ring of very small holes that constitute aperture for the microphone array.
When using voice control the speaker can be trained with the Alexa app to better understand a particular user’s voice however the generic “out the box” settings work perfectly for all my family as none of us have strong regional dialects. I cannot speak for anyone from Newcastle or Glasgow but when I was reading the reviews on this unit on some hifi websites they did state that for such accents the training would be beneficial so that it does not keep moaning about not understanding voice commands. Just be aware that if you put the unit in a corner and run it at anything about about 6/10 on the volume scale then it is likely it will not respond to voice at all as the system will be making so much noise that it may not accurately hear your commands.
Fantastic little speaker, allows use of Alexa without need for Echo or Dot devices.
Having taken the plunge to install some smart lights and sockets, when I read about this product it appeared that the Alexa voice component was for use with audio features however it also allows us to use voice control of anything that “she” is linked to. Once we had added the Sonos skill to Alexa we did not need the Echo in our kitchen any longer and were able to re-purpose it in another room.
The unit itself is very smart, small, satin black plastic in appearance with the metal grill around the middle outer surface. The sound from such a small device is however very clear, crisp and has a surprisingly rich bass to it for the size. At higher volumes it is not as good as the larger Play5 unit but common sense dictates that at the end of the day.
Touch controls on the top surface are very easy to use, regardless of how dry, damp or greasy your fingers may be but it would be advisable to only use dry and clean hands to prevent muck being deposited into the ring of very small holes that constitute aperture for the microphone array.
When using voice control the speaker can be trained with the Alexa app to better understand a particular user’s voice however the generic “out the box” settings work perfectly for all my family as none of us have strong regional dialects. I cannot speak for anyone from Newcastle or Glasgow but when I was reading the reviews on this unit on some hifi websites they did state that for such accents the training would be beneficial so that it does not keep moaning about not understanding voice commands. Just be aware that if you put the unit in a corner and run it at anything about about 6/10 on the volume scale then it is likely it will not respond to voice at all as the system will be making so much noise that it may not accurately hear your commands.
Excellent sound + Airplay 2 at a great price
Using it with Apple HomeKit – works perfectly – no Siri functionality but you can use it with Siri on HomePod or Apple TV. Ideal option if you want to extend your existing HomePod to multi-room experience at a great price. There is simply not many speakers with good Airplay 2 comparability at the moment or are very expensive. Once added to HomeKit the Sonos shows itself in Airplay menu on your iOS devices with multi-select option available (if you have other Airplay 2 devices). You can also use it Standalone or with Alexa via Sonos app (I did not enabled Alexa though). Sound is great but not as good as Apple HomePod (which is an of course an expensive option).
Excellent sound + Airplay 2 at a great price
Using it with Apple HomeKit – works perfectly – no Siri functionality but you can use it with Siri on HomePod or Apple TV. Ideal option if you want to extend your existing HomePod to multi-room experience at a great price. There is simply not many speakers with good Airplay 2 comparability at the moment or are very expensive. Once added to HomeKit the Sonos shows itself in Airplay menu on your iOS devices with multi-select option available (if you have other Airplay 2 devices). You can also use it Standalone or with Alexa via Sonos app (I did not enabled Alexa though). Sound is great but not as good as Apple HomePod (which is an of course an expensive option).
Very good but could be simpler..
Really good sound and once you figure how to put alexa on it its works really well the alexa bit is a bit confusing cos at no point does it say it has alexa built in you have to add an app then add service bit confusing but after a15 minute call to amazon to a guy who I couldmt understand then sonos I worked it out but still a good buy dont let me being stupid put you off.
Sit back & enjoy the superb sound quality of Sonos
I have 4 Sonos 5 speakers throughout my property. It is a fantastic system, we have 2 paired in the lounge for watching films, which is like a surround sound, we don’t have a TV, so this is very important to us.
This new Sonos 1 speaker is for my kitchen, it has finished off the sound system now.
What a lovely clean white the speaker is. The sound as always is superb. It is so easy to use & the set up is so simple a 3yr old could do it!! I don’t understand anyone having issues with the setting up of the product. If you have the Sonos app, you just follow the instructions in the booklet, & it practically does it by itself, it really is that simple, so don’t be put off by negative people, it is not the Sonos!!
I would recommend this system to anyone, obviously the only possible problem is if your WiFi goes down, so always wise to have another source of radio etc in the cupboard. Having said that, I have hardly ever had this issue. I love my Sonos & listen to it constantly throughout the day. If you want a treat, buy Sonos, you won’t regret it. Enjoy.
Sit back & enjoy the superb sound quality of Sonos
I have 4 Sonos 5 speakers throughout my property. It is a fantastic system, we have 2 paired in the lounge for watching films, which is like a surround sound, we don’t have a TV, so this is very important to us.
This new Sonos 1 speaker is for my kitchen, it has finished off the sound system now.
What a lovely clean white the speaker is. The sound as always is superb. It is so easy to use & the set up is so simple a 3yr old could do it!! I don’t understand anyone having issues with the setting up of the product. If you have the Sonos app, you just follow the instructions in the booklet, & it practically does it by itself, it really is that simple, so don’t be put off by negative people, it is not the Sonos!!
I would recommend this system to anyone, obviously the only possible problem is if your WiFi goes down, so always wise to have another source of radio etc in the cupboard. Having said that, I have hardly ever had this issue. I love my Sonos & listen to it constantly throughout the day. If you want a treat, buy Sonos, you won’t regret it. Enjoy.
Airplay and voice assist have made it a must buy for me.
My first Sonos, and my first Alexa-enabled device. A relative owned a play 3 and when I used it, I found it quite restrictive being limited to the the ok-ish Sonos app.
Now that they’ve integrated a voice assistant and airplay, that was my cue to get onboard. The restriction I felt previously has now been replaced with an abundance of options. I have linked Apple Music, Spotify, Bandcamp, Audible and Pocket Casts to create a seamless experience where I can start listening via voice command, multiple apps, or just casting from my phone or laptop.
I think I have the bug now and would fancy multiple Sonos around the house. I would love to pair this One with another, but for a single speaker solution, it sounds pretty great in my kitchen. It will never beat a good stereo setup on its own but that’s ok, the fact it is expandable and offers loads of options down the line is plenty.
I have found the connection and performance to be very good so far. I have a decent connection and ok WiFi in an average bungalow at the moment and it has been rock solid.
Ultimately, I think this device is the perfect introduction to Sonos. Alexa is a nice bonus too, but something I am still getting to grips with.
Great improvement on the original
I already had the original Sonos play:1 so adding this with Alexa has been superb – sound quality is tremendous from such a small item but the quality is there from deep sub bass to the ting of a triangle, you can hear it all. Add in Alexa and music/Spotify and you can play all your songs and playlists as easy as abc – super produc
Super Sonos now with voice control
Bought to replace echo dot and integrate with existing sonos play 1 in same room. Easy to set up with Sonos but needed to search for instructions to set up with Alexa. Didn’t want to set up as stereo pair but run as a grouped pair I now have super sound throughout the room.
Easy Setup and Superb Sound Quality
Have just received a pair of Gen 2 Sonos One speakers and am now enjoying high quality sound around my flat. The setup process is as simple as downloading the Sonos App and following the onscreen instructions. Very easy to alternate between using them as a stereo pair or listening to the same music in separate rooms (again by using the Sonos App). Added Alexa control via the Alexa App.
There is only one negative to mention, which does not relate to the product but to the way they were packed for delivery. The speakers individually are well packaged but were dispatched in an oversize box with no additional packing material.
All I need to do now is convince ‘her indoors’ that a third one is needed! 😉
Pop music good. Classical music less so
Very easy to set up from the app on my iPhone. I bought this for use in my study to stream Spotify from my MAC over my wireless network. This works very well. Pop music is rich and full with a surprising amount of bass from such a small speaker. Classical music on the other hand comes over as thin and lacking life. Therefore if your musical tastes are predominately classical I’d give this speaker a miss. However if your tastes are predominately pop then you are likely to be a happy with your purchase.
Not installed the Smart features so cannot comment on Alexa handling.
Pop music good. Classical music less so
Very easy to set up from the app on my iPhone. I bought this for use in my study to stream Spotify from my MAC over my wireless network. This works very well. Pop music is rich and full with a surprising amount of bass from such a small speaker. Classical music on the other hand comes over as thin and lacking life. Therefore if your musical tastes are predominately classical I’d give this speaker a miss. However if your tastes are predominately pop then you are likely to be a happy with your purchase.
Not installed the Smart features so cannot comment on Alexa handling.
Can't beat Sonos.
I love the sonos eco system. Used it a few years ago and then sold it all as I moved to a differnt system.
I returned to the Sonos ecosystem a few months back and now have a small collection (again). There’s nothing else like the reliability, audio quality and audio sync between the units – it’s all flawless.
All of this at what is now a very reasonable price.
Probably the best compact wireless speaker you can buy.
Had this for a few months now. Am very pleased with it.
– Easy to setup.
– Good sound quality for the size (I’m using it in single speaker mode).
– Easy to use.
Make sure you have a great WiFi router and that you aren’t trying to use the device out of WiFi or Bluetooth range, if you want best performance.
Probably the best compact wireless speaker you can buy.
Had this for a few months now. Am very pleased with it.
– Easy to setup.
– Good sound quality for the size (I’m using it in single speaker mode).
– Easy to use.
Make sure you have a great WiFi router and that you aren’t trying to use the device out of WiFi or Bluetooth range, if you want best performance.
Quality kit - as usual
As usual with Sonos, the Sonos One is a quality item. I had an initial problem with the Sonos/Alexa interface but then realised that there was a toothbrush charger next to the unit and guessed the magnetic signal caused by its induction charging mechanism was interfering. Moving the Sonos One 6 inches away cured the problem!
Nice speake
First step into the Sonos world. We were Not disappointed. Good sound. Easy setup. Looks good. Will be getting more Sonos products based on this purchase. Lots of posts about Sonos being expensive, but this is a first level premium product and the build quality shows why the extra cost. Minor niggle, as this is not a dedicated Alex product there are a couple of options missing that I would have liked to use, so I docked half a star, which is a whole one unfortunately, so I gave the full 5 as a compromise.
Nice speake
First step into the Sonos world. We were Not disappointed. Good sound. Easy setup. Looks good. Will be getting more Sonos products based on this purchase. Lots of posts about Sonos being expensive, but this is a first level premium product and the build quality shows why the extra cost. Minor niggle, as this is not a dedicated Alex product there are a couple of options missing that I would have liked to use, so I docked half a star, which is a whole one unfortunately, so I gave the full 5 as a compromise.
Overall very happy with this speaker. Sonically I’d say my Audio Pro t3 bluetooth speaker edges it with vocals but the Sonos has better bass extension. I found the trueplay tuning to be worthwhile (once I’d borrowed an iPhone to do it) and I do think the sound has improved slightly now the speaker has “run in”.
My only negative comment would be the patchy sevice I experienced with Google assistant installed on the speaker. It would only respond to a question or command about 1 in 5 times despite uninstalling and reinstalling this feature several times as suggested by Sonos. I know its relatively early days for Google on Sonos but it’s a pity it’s not reliable as I have found Google to be a bit more “intelligent” than Alexa (which works and responds faultlessly within its limitations by the way).
Overall very happy with this speaker. Sonically I’d say my Audio Pro t3 bluetooth speaker edges it with vocals but the Sonos has better bass extension. I found the trueplay tuning to be worthwhile (once I’d borrowed an iPhone to do it) and I do think the sound has improved slightly now the speaker has “run in”.
My only negative comment would be the patchy sevice I experienced with Google assistant installed on the speaker. It would only respond to a question or command about 1 in 5 times despite uninstalling and reinstalling this feature several times as suggested by Sonos. I know its relatively early days for Google on Sonos but it’s a pity it’s not reliable as I have found Google to be a bit more “intelligent” than Alexa (which works and responds faultlessly within its limitations by the way).
I bought this because I wanted a speaker that could handle Airplay2 – something that’s relatively rare among speakers.
I’ve never known any device so easy and intuitive to set up. Download the app and it pretty much does the rest for you, even joining the WiFi without having to type in your wireless key. I was up and rolling in five minutes.
I’m blown away by the volume and sound quality of such a small speaker. Its integration with Airplay is seamless, and while I wasn’t really keen on getting an Alexa speaker I am very pleased with how it responds – particularly playing radio stations.
I think the price is steep compared to other speakers in its market but overall given it does absolutely everything I need it to and flawlessly so, I’m happy.
I bought this because I wanted a speaker that could handle Airplay2 – something that’s relatively rare among speakers.
I’ve never known any device so easy and intuitive to set up. Download the app and it pretty much does the rest for you, even joining the WiFi without having to type in your wireless key. I was up and rolling in five minutes.
I’m blown away by the volume and sound quality of such a small speaker. Its integration with Airplay is seamless, and while I wasn’t really keen on getting an Alexa speaker I am very pleased with how it responds – particularly playing radio stations.
I think the price is steep compared to other speakers in its market but overall given it does absolutely everything I need it to and flawlessly so, I’m happy.
I brought this speaker as it has alexa build in and I already had the version without Alexa
Speaker and sound are great but Alexa a bit flakey, instructions not always processed and I often have to turn off at the socket to reset.
I brought this speaker as it has alexa build in and I already had the version without Alexa
Speaker and sound are great but Alexa a bit flakey, instructions not always processed and I often have to turn off at the socket to reset.
I bought this speaker to upgrade from a Google Home mini in a small/medium kitchen. I wanted a better listening experience whilst retaining the Google assistants which has recently become available via the SONOS ONE (as an alternative to Alexa). This speaker is incredibly well made and premium feeling, sound quality is great but i was so let down by the Google assistant integration I had to sadly return it. It would activate to ‘hey google’ consistently but <50% would not be able to process a command and would then not respond. This is in direct comparison to a 25 google Home mini which missed commands <5% of time in my experience. At first i thought this may be a WiFi strength problem but it was the same when directly next to the router. I know integration of google assistant is fairly new in the UK (June 2019) and so maybe this could just be a software issue that will be fixed down the line but for a speaker of this price I wasn't prepared to take the risk and hold on to it! Having said that as mentioned in every other way i was impressed by the speaker and will seriously consider the Play 1 and other Sonos products in the future.
I bought this speaker to upgrade from a Google Home mini in a small/medium kitchen. I wanted a better listening experience whilst retaining the Google assistants which has recently become available via the SONOS ONE (as an alternative to Alexa). This speaker is incredibly well made and premium feeling, sound quality is great but i was so let down by the Google assistant integration I had to sadly return it. It would activate to ‘hey google’ consistently but <50% would not be able to process a command and would then not respond. This is in direct comparison to a 25 google Home mini which missed commands <5% of time in my experience. At first i thought this may be a WiFi strength problem but it was the same when directly next to the router. I know integration of google assistant is fairly new in the UK (June 2019) and so maybe this could just be a software issue that will be fixed down the line but for a speaker of this price I wasn't prepared to take the risk and hold on to it! Having said that as mentioned in every other way i was impressed by the speaker and will seriously consider the Play 1 and other Sonos products in the future.
Great product, I’ve been using this for about a month now, the controller app is a great feature for this speaker as well. One controller feature I’m happy with is EQ which lets me swivel my bass and treble up and down. Although setting it up over different WiFi’s may be a bit of a hassle the first couple of times it is totally worth it. One other thing to NOTE is that it only works when plugged to the POWER socket, and the power plug into the speaker is not so easy to remove once connected to it. Seems like it is intended for INDOOR USE rather than OUTDOOR use. Great for INDOOR USE from my experience, I will be trying it OUTSIDE in my backyard with an EXTENDED POWER SOCKET. I’m looking forward to purchasing another one for even better room coverage
Great product, I’ve been using this for about a month now, the controller app is a great feature for this speaker as well. One controller feature I’m happy with is EQ which lets me swivel my bass and treble up and down. Although setting it up over different WiFi’s may be a bit of a hassle the first couple of times it is totally worth it. One other thing to NOTE is that it only works when plugged to the POWER socket, and the power plug into the speaker is not so easy to remove once connected to it. Seems like it is intended for INDOOR USE rather than OUTDOOR use. Great for INDOOR USE from my experience, I will be trying it OUTSIDE in my backyard with an EXTENDED POWER SOCKET. I’m looking forward to purchasing another one for even better room coverage
Love these. i bought two and stereo paired them. The stereo separation and the sound quality is superb. Easy to set up and easy to use. Alexa takes a bit of getting used to but she grows on you. You listen to much more music as it’s really easy to just go Alexa play 60’s rock or whatever and of ye go. Quite expensive but you get what you pay for.
I bought one of these,and although impressed, knew instantly it would benefit from a second speaker to set up as a stereo pair. Other reviewers are right about sound quality and I have nothing to add, they sound sublime. I was so impressed that I bought a Sonos Beam, but will leave that for a a less unfortunate review…
Bought a pair of these to go with the playbase under the TV. I wanted to get 5.1 surround and the ability to listen to FLAC audio from a NAS. The surround sound works beautifully, especially after calibrating with true play (wave iPhone around whilst SONOS plays strange noises). This makes a huge difference. When playing audio, with the correct preset (not ambient), the pair play precise, warm sound accompanied by the playbase. It sounds really good, especially when listening to Yello “live in Berlin” on FLAC. I use Alexa for things like “play radio 2″, ” volume 3″, “stop” or “what time is it?”. Alexa is handy for technophobes but it does have limitations. These are very good quality speakers that rely on WiFi or a wired area network, They are easy to set up and they sound good. The way they integrate with each other and the overall sound after integration is very impressive. Very highly recommended.
To look at, the Sonos One (Gen 2) is identical to the Sonos One, with the only difference being that it has “Gen 2” printed on the base. The changes are internal — it has an updated processor, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) and increased memory. The BLE does NOT support Bluetooth streaming, it’s just used to temporarily communicate with your phone or tablet to simplify the first time setup process. The Gen 2 can be paired with a Sonos One for stereo playback but NOT a Sonos PLAY:1.
The build is superb. All black with built in Alexa, it’s reassuringly heavy with ‘invisible’ control buttons on the top. I’ve been using Sonos speakers for three years and out of the box, it took no longer than 5 minutes to add it to my existing set up, including activating Alexa, using the Sonos app. It really is straightforward even for a first time setup — just follow the app’s instructions.
Other than basic commands (“skip”, “volume up”, “volume down”, etc.) I don’t have much use for Alexa but it works exactly the same as any of Amazon’s Alexa devices and you can switch it Off or On at the press of a button on the top of the speaker. It’s very responsive and you don’t need to shout “Alexa!” to be heard.
I’ve set the Gen 2 up in my kitchen and when playing music on my stereo paired Sonos Ones which act as surrounds for my Sonos Beam, I can play the same music simultaneously on the Gen 2 or play something different.
There’s been an inevitable price drop on the Sonos One but if you want the bang up to date Sonos, I definitely recommend investing a little bit more for the Gen 2. As Sonos add new services such as the (albeit for a long time) mooted “OK Google” support, the updated processor and extra memory should come in handy.
Often imitated but never bettered, if you want quality sound, first class functionally & compatibility and a good looking speaker, Sonos still leads the way.
If you’re new to Sonos you might find the following of use:
I definitely recommend buying two Gen 2 speakers and pairing them together in stereo mode. Using one by itself is adequate but playback is in mono. Pairing two together gives you the sound quality equivalent to that of a very good mid-range amplifier and speaker setup. Unlike Bluetooth, I’ve never experienced a single dropout with Sonos. Music is seamlessly streamed over my Wi-Fi and it sounds fabulously clear.
In the Sonos app settings you can adjust the Bass, Treble and Balance and if you have Loudness toggled to ‘On’, it makes a very noticeable difference. If you have an Apple device or know someone who has one, a one time tuning using Trueplay (it’s only available in the iOS app) adds another uplift, albeit subtle.
The Sonos app is easy and intuitive to use and when installed on a device it acts like a remote control. It allows you to add ‘Favourites’ (playlists, songs, radio stations, artists, etc.), control room settings if you have multiple Sonos speakers, adjust the EQ, add or remove services, set alarms and all sorts of other things that you can tailor to your exact personal preference. I can also control playback using my Windows 10 PC and you can move from phone, tablet or PC – they display the same information when the Sonos app is opened.
The compatibility is astonishing – Amazon Music, Google Play Music, Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, Tidal, TuneIn Radio, Audible, Bandcamp and loads of other services that I’ve never heard of. Some require you to have a paid subscription (i.e. Spotify Premium). You can also play music stored on a smartphone, tablet or network-attached storage.
I use Spotify, Bandcamp, Network-attached storage (with both MP3 and FLAC files), Google Play Music (I have a backup of my music on it), Amazon (where I have access to my Auto-rip music) and music stored on my Phone. Basically, I’m spoilt for choice when it comes to accessing my music and finding it is a breeze with the Sonos app. If I search for an Artist, Album, Track, etc. it will show all matches from the services I’ve added and also the device I’m using.
I don’t own any Apple devices but like the Sonos One, it does support Apple Airplay 2. Press the Airplay icon in any apps that support it and select the Sonos speaker(s) you want to cast the sound to. You can also setup Siri for voice commands.
On my Android devices, in Google Play Music and Amazon Music, if I press on the Cast icon, I can choose which Sonos speaker(s) to cast to. I can also select which speaker(s) to play music on from within the Spotify app.
Finally, just like its predecessors, the Sonos One (Gen 2) does NOT have a 3.5mm input and it does NOT support Bluetooth playback. You CANNOT use it directly with a TV either. For that you’ll need either a Sonos Beam, Playbase or Playbar and a couple of Sonos One (Gen2) can be set up as surrounds.
I have a Sonos Beam already set up in my lounge, I wanted to get a further speaker for my office. This speaker is surprisingly heavy and feels well made and robust. looks very slick sat in a corner. It was a breeze to setup the app provides extremely straightforward instructions and it just works.
Sounds is high quality as you would expect from a Sonos speaker. I have also tried playing the same music through this speaker and the Beam and again it just works, the playback syncs exactly.
Also worth noting is the extremely satisfying packaging, it comes in a sleek box with compressed cardboard inserts to hold the speaker still during transport, the speaker itself is then in a custom made cotton bag (no excess plastic or polystyrene to dispose of). receiving and un-boxing one is a very satisfying experience.
Decided to delve into the world of Sonos with this device and am extremely happy with it.
Was easy to get Alexa installed and connect up my music accounts.
Looks fantastic (white) and packs a mighty punch considering it’s size. The bass it emits is surprisingly good and it doesn’t distort at max volume (sorry neighbours).
Overall very pleased with it and might start building a Sonos empire off the back of this.