88 |MAMAMAXIMXIMXIMXIMUUUUMMPPPCC| HOLIDAY 08 | http://www.maximumpc.com
Y
ou know a product is uncommonly
designed when each of its successors
looks and functions pretty much like
the original. Such is the case with the lat-
est revamp of the Sonos multiroom audio
system. All the latest changes are inside the
product or the software or are related to
third-party services linked to the product.
But that doesn’t mean they’re insignificant.
The Sonos mesh network is independent
of any other Wi-Fi network you might be
operating, so you don’t need to worry about
music clogging up the pipes of your data
network. The new hardware is backward-
compatible with older Sonos products: We
merged the new ZP120 (the self-amplified
model), the new ZP90 (the passive model),
and a second controller into our existing
Sonos network without a hitch.
We’ve always considered the amplified
ZonePlayer to be the system’s weakest link,
but the new ZonePlayer 120 does much to
change our mind. It produces only 55 watts
per channel (five more watts per channel
than the original), but when paired with a
set of high-quality speakers (we used TBI
Audio Systems’s Diamond IRs), it more
than adequately filled a small room with
sound. There’s a subwoofer output if you
crave more bottom end, and since the amp
supports a 4-ohm load, you can connect two
pairs of 8-ohm speakers. And we’re pleased
to report that the spring-loaded binding
posts now accommodate banana plugs.
The system still requires at least one
module to be hard-wired to your network,
but now that you can plop the ZoneBridgeBR100 ($100) next to your router, you won’t
feel as though you’re wasting a ZonePlayer
just to achieve connectivity. The bridges are
also handy in larger homes where the mesh
network can’t quite reach every corner.
Support for FLAC and Apple Lossless has
been added, but the system still can’t handle
WMA Lossless. You can stream playlists
from iTunes, WinAmp, Windows Media
Player, and Rhapsody, but the system still
can’t play DRM-protected iTunes tracks (is
anyone still buying those?).
The system already makes it supremely
easy to sample the riches of Internet radio,
but Sonos is now in the midst of overhaul-
ing the software to incorporate elements of
the RadioTime service, which helps you find
Internet radio stations that suit your musical
tastes (those changes weren’t finished in
time for this review). And now Sonos owners
get to enjoy free subscriptions to the music-
discovery services Last.fm and Pandora
(we’re not talking about free trials—the
services are now free to Sonos customers).
At this point, the only way the Sonos
controller could get any better is with a
tricked-out multitouch interface reminiscent
of Apple’s iPod and iPhone. Well, if you own
one of those devices, you can now download
a free utility from the App Store that rendersit capable of controlling the Sonos system.
We consider the Sonos the gold standard
in music streaming. But we do wish the
company offered more bundle choices. Buy-
ing the ZP90, ZP120, and CR100 controller
in this package provides a $250 discount
over buying the pieces separately, but if you
already have powered speakers and would
prefer to have two ZP90s and a control-
ler, you must buy the pieces a la carte—at
a $100 premium over this bundle (money
that would be better spent on a bridge—or
music!). – M I C H A E L B R O W NSonos Bundle 150
The world’s best multiroom audio system just keeps getting better
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IN THE LAB^
REVIEWS OF THE LATEST HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE+ -
VERDICT$1,000, http://www.sonos.com9
Easy to set up and
expand; free subs to
Pandora and Last.fm;
awesome controller.Bundle pushes you
into buying an ampli-
fied ZonePlayer you
might not want.RAIN STICKSONOS BUNDLE 150RAIN SLICKSorry, folks, the
cradle the controller
is sitting in here is
not included in the
bundle; it’s a $40
accessory.