Sonos - Greatest Sound Machine Ever!

About two years ago, a friend of mine tried to sell me on Sonos.  At the time, I laughed it off.  I had access to everything I needed in the "cloud" and could use my existing system to access it.  Furthermore, if I needed a wireless speaker, I could always just get a bluetooth or airplay speaker and use my iPhone.  I simply did not have the need or the money to spend on yet another gadget.  For those of you who don't know what Sonos is, here is a link to their website.  In simple terms, it's a wireless speaker system that streams music.

Fast forward to the holidays 2013.  My in-laws wanted to get us a gift and I suggested a Play 1 Sonos speaker.  Sonos had just released a new line of speakers to try and tap into the home theater market.  The Play 1 is a small satellite speaker that alone provides good sound for a small room or in tandem with another Play 1 would offer stereo sound.  I figured I would try the Play 1 and see how everything went.  At the time, I did not imagine it becoming a sound machine for the twins.  After the speaker arrived, we used it for holiday music and it worked well.  It couldn't fill up a large room, but it worked fine in smaller, more intimate settings.  

About a week or so later, I placed the speaker in the boys room to listen to some music.  I went to Spotify and launched a kid friendly playlist.  Soon it was time for their nap and instead of using my old iPod, I decided to find a playlist for nap time.  I found one that started with music and ended with ocean and other white noise.  The list worked great and I've been using it ever since.  

Setup

The setup for the unit is simple.  Plug it in and then either connect it via ethernet or wifi.  You can use your phone, tablet or computer to set it from there using the Sonos application.  

Ease of Use

There are a variety of ways to control your Sonos speaker: a computer, iOS or android device are the most common options.  The original units came with remotes, but they have been discontinued.   I use my computer, iPhone and iPad.  From the application, I simply navigate to what I want to listen to: music from my phone or the internet.  There are tons of internet music options such as Spotify, Pandora, Sirius, Beats Music, Rhapsody, BBC, NPR.  You can save shortcuts to your favorite music which makes it easier to access for future sessions.  You control everything from the app.  There is a play/pause button along with volume controls on the speakers though.

The Pros

As mentioned above, Sonos is easy to set up and you have access to all kinds of music and music applications.  However, our favorite feature is the ability to control volume and playlist remotely.  Once I start the nap time playlist and leave the room, I check in after about 15 minutes to make sure they are asleep.  Once they are asleep or falling asleep, I can adjust the volume down on the speaker and at that point it really becomes a sound machine.

The Play 1 is also small.  As you can see from the picture, it easily fits on our boys bookcase.

The Cons

It's not cheap.  Regardless of which route you go, you will spend money.  

There are also plenty of other devices that you can use for the same purpose.  As I mentioned above, a bluetooth speaker and an iPhone will allow you to play music and access the same apps.  That option can be a lot cheaper depending on what type of speaker quality you are looking for.   

Overall

For us, we couldn't be happier with the Play 1.  We use it for every nap and sometimes during playtime.  If you are looking for a wireless speaker and are on the fence about Sonos, pick one up and give it a week.  We did and I couldn't imagine a day without it.