Sonos Inc. announced that their new wireless speaker, the Play:5, will be released in the U.S. on November 20th, for $499. Pre-orders begin today.
The new model, replacing its antecessor, the Play:3 (priced for $299), will bring users the new Trueplay home audio tuning system, a sonic adjustment that “reads” the environment of the room where it’s placed to adjust the sound output of the speakers. Although this is an automatic feature of the initial setup, you can always reboot it as you move the speaker from room to room, a process that takes just a few seconds.
“Trueplay is a revolutionary system that gives music lovers confidence that they’re hearing what their favorite artists labored to produce, independent of the room’s acoustics and speaker location,” said CEO John MacFarlane, according to a press release from the company. “Finally there’s a simple, reliable process that delivers studio-quality listening experiences in each room of the home.”
The California-based company, founded in 2002 by John MacFarlane, Trung Mai, Tom Cullen and Craig Shelburne, has been developing a series of Wi-Fi connected and multi-room sounds systems, that adapt to the space surrounding the audio output.
Play:5, the most expensive model of the Sonos Play line, doubles the number of drivers found in the Play:3, and also includes three woofers and three tweeters that produce a powerful and filling sound. Its lightweight —only 14 pounds— makes it comfortable to lift with one hand, as well as its 14-inch x 8-inch x 6-inch size.
“The end goal was to put massively better sound and wireless performance in a really iconic package”, the company said, according to The Verge.
As soon as you take it out of the package and remove the protecting stickers, the sound system is ready to function. It comes with an Ethernet jack to connect it directly into your network, as the device lets you connect it also via Wi-Fi —an app for iOS is also available to control the speaker.
By using the app, you set up the device, and you can link it to another Sonos device in your house. The app lets you control the audio levels in the different rooms, setting all speakers in one volume or handle them separately.
Using your phone, the Sonos app will guide you through the configurational steps, first starting to read the ambient of a quiet room, and then testing how the sound works as you use the microphone of your mobile to walk around the room to keep measuring.
To take the sound to the next level, the Sonos app will warn you if the speaker is being compromised by the position you placed it in the room. By making a few adjustments, the system will find its way to give you the best possible sound.
The device, coming either on black or white, has sensitive touch buttons that control the basic commands of an audio system: play, pause, volume and skipping back and forth. Also, the app lets you access to the music library on your network, music on your phone or even the Sono’s radio stations.
Sonos keeps betting all on the Play line, their flagship, putting all their ideas about digital music, streaming, and the best sound a home can have. The company has presence in more than 60 countries, working with streaming music providers and retailers.
Source: Mashable