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Now that we’ve logged some time with the Beam, we can vouch for that claim. While watching Planet Earth II,we noted Sir David Attenborough’s voice sounding almost suspended in midair just in front of our LG E8 OLED TV’s screen, even while the film’s soaring soundtrack swelled in and out among myriad nature sounds. The fact that the Beam has new competition from the Fire TV Cube – unveiled just a day after the Beam – only increases the likelihood that both of these devices will continue to improve with updates over time.
Otherwise, setup of the One is pretty streamlined, and adding Alexa to your account is performed automatically. Be aware that it virtually forces you to do a TruePlay setup when you install it, which involves waving your phone around the room for 60 seconds. Also, you may want to check the EQ as by default the Loudness control is set to "On", and I found it sounded better with it off.
Happy Holidays and Thank You to all of our Secrets Supporters
But is the Beam as “Sonos simple” as the company’s prior products? I must admit, I was quite confused as to what Sonos is trying to accomplish with this new product. Yes, it has more power than the Connect Amp and I know it’s aimed at custom installers , but what else does it offer and is there a wow factor for homeowners? I did an A-B comparison of the new Amp and the old Connect Amp to see if I could hear the differences. Let’s see if the new Amp is worth the $100 premium over the old Connect Amp. It’s time to check out another new Sonos product, this time it’s the all new Sonos Amp.
I could also AirPlay through an AirPort Express if I had to. But it's not convenient, and convenience is the whole reason I went with Sonos.
Sonos One review
Unlike the newer Sonos Beam, there's no voice control option here. You'll need the Beam if you want Google Assistant, Alexa or Siri. One neat little touch is that tucked away with the other connections is a pair of ethernet sockets, which allow you to connect other components, such as a smart TV, to the internet via the Sonos network. If you do take the plunge you’ll start to consider it money well spent as soon as you take the unit from the box.
That means it gives you access to massive amounts of streamed music. The Beam’s ability to produce convincing bass without the aid of a separate subwoofer grew increasingly impressive. Compared to the PlayBarand the PlayBase, the Sonos Beam holds up remarkably well.
The voice
Plug the Sonos One into a wall outlet, pull the Sonos app up on a smartphone or tablet, and let the app walk you through the process. It will begin by having you create a Sonos account if you don’t already have one. The app's ability to add "favorites" to the first screen is nice but too many common controls, such as adding new streaming services or adjusting the EQ, are hidden behind the "..." button.
Thanks to Sonos’ microphone implementation, you can issue these voice commands from just about anywhere within earshot of the speaker. We were also impressed with how music could be blaring at full volume, but the microphones still caught us when we said, “Alexa,” to bring the speaker to attention. With great sound, a compact size and the option of either Google Assistant or Alexa, the Sonos One reaffirms its place as the best smart speaker for the money.
That's too bad, because the Playbase is the best home theater component Sonos has created. With gorgeous looks and vista-like sound, it's the kind of do-everything all-in-one speaker the Playbar never was. While the sound bar really needs the optional Sonos Sub, the Playbase does perfectly well without it. Apple TV finally supports 7.1 surround, and iTunes content is starting to go 7.1.
I expect you’re now thinking, “But I don’t need that much power to drive in-ceiling speakers,” and that’s true, the Connect Amp does the job just fine with 125 watts. But Sonos is showing off the Amp as an amp to drive your front speakers in your main setup. 125 watts just doesn’t cut it for larger tower speakers and some bookshelf speakers.
Otherwise, nothing else really competes with the Sonos Beam. The Sonos One should last longer than most smart speakers given expected updates and Sonos’ ability to build upon its flexible platform. As for build quality, the Sonos One is among the best-built powered speakers you can buy today, with the Riva Arena right up there with it. If you think Alexa is smart now, wait until you use it on a Sonos One speaker. By designing the Alexa Sonos skills from the ground up, the company has made getting the music you want on the speaker you want a breeze. For those who own multiple Sonos speakers, getting your favorite tracks playing in the right place is about to become a whole lot more fun.
Also with the Apple TV Generation 4 now losing the Optical port then it must mean that the Playbar is due for a HDMI model? There must be a white model on the horizon as well they came out with a white Sub very recently. Also Netflix, Hulu with Showtime, HOBNOW, Warner Archives, and CBS all access going to it... AS I'm hard of hearing I don't have any speakers hooked up with it. Once you're fully set up, everything is controllable via your iPhone and/or iPad.
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