LOOK OUT! 👀 Sonos’ AMP is FAR BETTER than you think it is

👉🏻 This episode is brought to you by Marantz:
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🎥 Camera: Olaf von Voss
🎬 Editor: John Darko
🕺🏻 Motion GFX: John Darko
💰 Ad segment: Jana Dagdagan
🛋 My listening room in 2022:
darko.audio/da...
🎵 Song IDs? Playlists of all music heard in this video - and other videos - can be found on PATREON: / johndarko
0:00 Intro
0:48 vs. Bluesound Powernode
5:37 Specs
5:53 vs. Bluesound Powernode Edge
8:24 Jimmy Van M
9:49 Analogue sources
11:59 TOSLINK & HDMI
14:06 Apple Music & Roon
15:37 Headphone listening?
17:36 Messrs. Fletcher & Munson
19:27 vs. Rotel All Tribute
21:09 Final thoughts
25:44 WYSIWYG
26:31 Bloopers
👉🏻 As seen in this video...
Sonos AMP:
🛒 www.sonos.com/...
Bluesound Powernode
🛒 howl.me/chGtkx...
Bluesound Powernode Edge
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Monitor Audio Silver 100 7G
🛒 bit.ly/3eWV9zQ
🛒 bit.ly/3QZfgdY
Solid Steel SS-6 speaker stands
🛒 howl.me/ch7ADE...
Rotel A11 Tribute
🛒 howl.me/chL5j1...
Bluesound Node
🛒 howl.me/chXS7S...
Argon Audio Solo
🛒 argonaudio.com...
Jimmy Van M - Balance 10 (3CD set)
🛒 (US) amzn.to/3SCFKmO
🛒 (UK) amzn.to/3BVtcQG
#sonos #spotify #futurefi
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[@SmallRoomAudio]

I have a Sonos AMP and love it - not because it’s the last word in sound quality, but because my wife knows how to use it, bringing a bit of audio joy to everyone in the house through ease of use and accessibility. It’s also great for the occasional 4.1 surround sound experience with Netflix, love the versatility! Move over audio snobbery, long live music!

[@balooo2863]

The family not being intimidated by our Sonos gear is the #1 reason I love it so much. You have some very high end kit passing under your nose ( I follow your channel congrats on the new addition!) what good is having only high end gear if you have a family and momma is afraid to use it ? Been there not going back,I like watching mine sway ;)

[@FootballPicante]

Love the music 🎶✌️😎 definitely I have to upgrade my old school Av to this one to able to use for everyone in the house not just me. 🤣

[@JSVKK]

My aiyima a07 has better sound than sonos amp. Aiyima is cad $90 while sonos $900.10 times pricier.

[@fonkenful]

Likely repeating what I’ve said elsewhere, but my son has been deeply invested in in the Sonos ecosystem for at least 5 years, and while I’m not a huge fan of the sound of any of their speakers I’ve heard so far ( i.e. not yet the ERA300), I hafta admit their ease of use and system expandability is very attractive. He is running one of the amps to power rear surrounds along with the ARC and sub, wherein it’s seamless, and as far as I’m concerned the amp is definitely a sleeper. For my own case, the Node N130 and separate power amp for an upstairs streaming system works like a charm - in fact the only reason for not buying the Powernode was I already had the amp in my collection.

[@robinmarples5198]

Never forger snobery is vital in all domain. Even for Hifi and music

[@spud1300]

The fact that you have to so carefully craft a description to adequately describe the subtle differences between these two is a sure sign that adding a SONOS amp to play nice with the rest of my SONOS products will sound just fine for me.

[@chrisstewart1273]

I've owned Marantz, Hegel and Cambridge audio amplifiers over the years, paired with various DACs and streamers. I now have a Sonos AMP hooked up to a small pair of Monitor Audio silver series bookshelf speakers and I listen to music more than I ever have. Is it as good as separates, likely not. Does it sound good, yes it does. HDMI ARC from my TV is the icing on the cake No qualms from me. One device, one set of speakers. I was very surprised and am more than happy.

[@milhouse5627]

The minimum delay for analog sources to the Sonos Amp is 75ms, not 1 second. The short delay IS noticeable to a degree, but still provides the "real-time" effect of dropping the needle and hearing the "pop". There are 4 delay settings all the up to a full 2 seconds, which allows Sonos to further compress the stream to increase playback reliability.

[@MagnoliaED]

Agreed. I've set up the Sonos Amp and the app provides a delay option that's effectively audibly indetectable....but the setting needs to be changed from the default to this setting in the app.

[@johnnyhickman6798]

Nothing winds up Audiophile’s on the internet like saying Sonos is good / good enough to enjoy music on. I am a fan of Sonos but I have other Audiophile toys also. Sonos helps me listen to more music more often. I love the fact you do these side by side comparisons, it really helps show how small the sound differences can be in reality at similar price points.

[@jdavis234]

Their app updates and planned obsolescence is what I hate about the brand. I threw out my first gen play 5 in frustration because it’s essentially no longer supported. And, there was nothing wrong with the speaker, which is exactly what they wanted.

[@balooo2863]

@@jdavis234 it’s a shame you don’t know anyone you could have given it to. I gave my nephew my gen 1 play 5, worth more me to help somebody then the 30% brick discount and he is happy as can be with the S1 app. His young family uses it every day 😊

[@photobriangray]

@@jdavis234 A gave a friend my S1 devices when the new stuff came out. Years later, still working fine for him. Go figure.

[@TemujinScott80]

Some audiophiles are determined to stay rigid. Some not all.

[@jdavis234]

@@balooo2863 That’s very generous of you. I personally wouldn’t want to subject someone else to a sonos product.

[@Robert.Dickson]

Well done John. One of the few audiophiles to even give Sonos a chance.

[@micahmeng8639]

Dear John, the bluesounds can also do automatic switching of sources between music and TV. You have to enable the auto-sensing toggle in the blueOS settings. It’s a really good feature, but I don’t understand why it’s switched off by default! This functionality needs to come to the bluesound Hub as well, which currently lacks auto-sensing.

[@SeanSisco]

This is true, but with a caveat:. You can only have auto sensing for one input. I have mine one of mine auto sense for HDMI so that my wife has ease of a single remote for watching TV in the bedroom. It's a handy option, but I wish it could be for all input sources.

[@syndicatedshannon]

Thanks Micah. I had been annoyed by this lack of auto-switching on BluOS; but your comment resolved the main reason I was about to rush an expensive AVR purchase.

[@philipmbergman]

The auto-sensing is switched off by default because although it is available on the optical, coax and HDMI inputs it can only be active on one input. It is switched off by default because the manufacturer cannot know which input you will want to use it on.

[@shaunkiely5340]

If you like to watch TV (silently with subtitles) whilst listening to music, then the HDMI auto switching is a no no on the Bluesound. It's great to have the option to enable/disable it.

[@MrMrpony]

Yeah I was wondering- because that’s a large part of ARC 😄

[@DarkFire515]

I'm very grateful for your focus on future-fi. I used to be all about conventional separates with traditional sources but having watched your videos my audio horizons have definitely been broadened.

[@my00t8]

I own 3 Sonos Amps, and am strongly considering a 4th or even 5th. I love the Sonos ecosystem, but find their speakers to be inconsistent. Like you pointed out, for every Five there's an Arc. The Amp essentially gives me all the best parts about Sonos while getting to choose my own drivers. If they ever come out with a 5.2.4- or 7.2.4-channel model supporting eARC for home theater use, I will back a truck full of money up to their HQ's front door.

[@fumpt]

I purchased Sonos Amp to drive ceiling speakers and figured I'd first try it with my Elac FS 207.2 floor stand speakers - provided a great sonic upgrade from the home theatre receiver that had been driving the Elacs. I was going to purchase something like a Bluesound Powernode till I tried this setup. Pleasantly surprised.

[@JLTPhotog]

Love my Sonos stuff,,,, and LOVE the Camera Conspiracy cameo! 😂

[@assafrutenberg]

Like an animal! That's hysterical! I think you are underrated as an entertainer. It's one of the things I love about your reviews.

[@aarongranger]

I've been running two Sonos Amps for in my home for 5+ years. I've got each one connected to a pair of simple waterproof / outdoor speakers on my front and rear porch. They both live in my attic space (get baked in the summer and chilled in the winter) and have performed flawlessly since install. I can't speak to sound quality as I'm neither qualified nor are my speakers of a high grade, but they work beautifully for background music sources.

[@zzxxyy929]

My wife and I like to listen to music while sitting around the kitchen table. I have a Sonos Amp in the living room and a Sonos Play 3 in the kitchen. On those occasions I like to group the two systems together. The Play 3 adds details to the music missed if only the LR system was being played. When grouped together there are separate volume sliders for each system that allows you to nicely balance out the sound between the two systems along with a master control. This arrangement accounts for about 70 percent of how I use the living room system for music. The other times I’m plopped in front of the speakers in the LR and listening just to that system. The Sonos Amp is connected to my main system in the basement via the tape output on the preamp which allows me to use the turntable with any or all of my three Sonos groupings. The sound quality of vinyl through the Sonos is very good and difficult to distinguish from performance of main system which is all analog. I’m pretty certain the ability to use vinyl in a grouped system is not possible with Bluesound so was a non-starter for me.

[@headphoneboy]

Can’t believe you were recently listening to Balance 010 by Jimmy Van M! I was just revisiting that one myself - what an amazing journey of a compilation.

[@NeilLavitt]

I love that mix set as well.

[@andyreeves1047]

I’ve had a Sonos Amp for close to a year now, used for TV and music. Upgraded speakers to a pair of KEF Q150s and very happy. New to having decent audio equipment but it’s a really great, easy to use system so far.

[@stuart.s.]

Having just got a pair of KEF Q150s a Sonos Amp might just be the next step. Glad you like it.

[@Fickle-Gamer]

Great review. Think you covered most things. Got my Sonos AMP when it just came out so only cost me £400 as they were doing 20% off the original price of £499. Now for £400 its been amazing driving my B&W floor standing speaker.

[@ALDC_edits_z]

Do you also play vinyl or just stream?

[@AddeDaMan]

I have and same setup. My b&w are a bit too the bright side, so Sonos Amp is perfect. I play a lot of vinyl, works marvelous. Also, having all the vinyl music in all the rooms is a great added bonus)

[@khoiquach]

What model is your B&W? Did the Sonos amp run them ok? I keep hearing those speakers need big amp to run them smoothly.

[@khoiquach]

@@AddeDaMan what model is your B&W? The Sonos runs them ok? I got a 704 s2, and thinking getting the Sonos amp to run those.

[@Fickle-Gamer]

@@khoiquach s2 603. I love the sound but I’m no audiophile. Get loud with no issues and to sounds great too through them.

[@LacayoDe]

Loved the video , love the channel . One little detail to mention ! Sonos sells a OPTICAL to HDMI arc adapter for the AMP. So you can when optical in if you really want to . I’ve connected that adapter to a Optical Switcher and now I am running my Minidisc player in all rooms of my house . As well as my TV (Samsung the frame) as well as a Fiio BTA30PRO reviving LDAC from my DAP all over the house . So even though the amp doesn’t have Optical In (which pisses me off) there is a workaround by getting rid of the HDMI Arc The only thing that is a catastrophe in this method of mine is that the remote of the Samsung can no longer control the volume of the Sonos .. massive flaw but that can be fixed with a Harmony Hub I think . ALSO you can stream Bluetooth into the amp with this tip. If you are willing to spend money on the BTA30Pro and the adapter

[@JaapBol]

Your absolutely right about the one second delay on analogue input. Kind of lipsync with movies. Or gapless playback.

[@markokompic7617]

Dear John, thanks for the nice review, but you are missing the point of the Sonos Amp. I see no reason to consider Sonos Amp as a single room or just one system in your home. It is a part of Sonos network / multiroom system and it should be judged as that. I think it is a pretty good amp, but nowhere near good amps in 1-2k euro range. However, it is a part of Sonos system, so I have them grouped with my other speakers in other rooms, and it works brilliantly. There is a "alarm" function which enables you to auto start music (albums/playlists), so there is music playing in the house when you wake up or arrive home. I would like Sonos to produce better amp such as Marantz Model 40n, but in the mean time, it is very enjoyable. And the subwoofer output works very good, so you can build pretty good system.

[@gaetanquinson2292]

Yes u can stream your vinyl with powernode to other blusound speakers

[@bash3076]

This review really emphasises the point that people need to listen for themselves! I was able to take a Sonos amp and Powernode home for a demo with my Richter Merlin S6’s. After reading many reviews I was almost certain of dropping cash on the Powernode. During the demo I felt like the Powernode was too smooth, it made me feel like the music was digitally enhanced rather than being natural or organic. I found the Sonos Amp was missing the transparency I was after. I kept on searching and settled on the Cyrus OneCast, I found it paired well with my Merlin’s and gave me the sound I was looking for.

[@mdchavez07]

Really enjoyed this video. I built a system for my parents and since they used Sonos before I paired a Sonos amp with Klipsch RP-8000’s. Was pleasantly surprised how good the system sounded for both music and movies. I felt your impressions were spot on, and thx for highlighting the differences with vinyl playback, etc. Cheers!

[@ianwilliamson6063]

Great balanced review from an audiophile, which I am thankfully not. I like my music to sound good though and the convenience, usability and yes simplicity of Sonos for music and home cinema, combined with really decent reproduction is massive for me. Last year I ripped apart my previous amp/separates set up to obtain a system that was usable for everyone in the house and also to ensure that as old age gets ever closer, I am not left scratching my head about what buttons to press to watch a movie or play a record etc. On the subject of the delay when queuing up a record - your main bug bear it seemed; if you go into settings/system and the particular ‘room’ where the record deck is ie ‘amp’, then line in/audio delay you are able to reduce the delay to 75ms making it imperceptible. It was something that bugged me about, for me an otherwise perfect system. I accidentally came across this watching a KZbin channel about using a record deck with Sonos. I hope this may help others decide without the delay being the deal breaker that it was for you. You can also use an autoplay feature without physically swapping sources on the app, from whatever the previous source was to the record as soon as the stylus touches the vinyl (there I said vinyl!) Under the same Line in menu go to ‘auto play’ and tick Amp.

[@1881Gordon]

This is a fantastically well presented video. I hung onto every word... Now I'm in a proper dilema. Which one to buy? Decisions, decisions. I need to listen to them both. Fantastic work Darko Audio.

[@bencompson]

I inherited a pair of like-new Aerial Acoustics 6T tower speakers. I already have a primary system/media room with Aerial Acoustics 7B speakers, AR tube preamp and Levinson amp. My wife grudgingly allowed me to put the 6Ts in our semi-formal living room but she pretty much said no garden hose sized cables and whatever drives them has to be invisible. And the budget was....constrained. I already had a modest Sonos system throughout the rest of the house. So Sonos made sense. As mentioned, pairing the 6Ts with a Sonos Amp is anathema to 'serious' audiophiles but in my case I considered a lot of options in that price range and it fit the bill perfectly and I bought one. I compared the Sonos Amp to a Bryston amp, an older Yamaha amp and, I think, an older Rotel amp. All that I can say is that the Sonos holds its own. The Bryston sounded the best of course but it was a massive 80 pound monster that was not going to be able to stay in our living room. In any case, the Sonos Amp is out of sight behind the couch. I made a modest pair of cables and to me the Amp and the Aerial Acoustic 6Ts sound great together. And yes, the Loudness function is FANTASTIC. It is my understanding that it is in fact a variable loudness at least in that it cuts out as volume is adjusted upwards. I find it to be well done and is a win-win for quiet and louder volume listening. Nothing is lost with a well designed loudness feature. Every pre-amp should have one. My wife, not an audiophile, was familiar with the Sonos system so now she uses the Amp and the 6Ts all the time. Would I want the Sonos Amp as the amp for my primary system. Probably not. But at the same time I don't feel like I'm losing much and if my budget for an amp was under $1000 I would not hesitate based on sound quality.

[@bencompson]

One other point to add, you can access your music server seamlessly through the Sonos. I have mine on a Mac Mini.

[@mrsharps]

Another great video, but I absolutely LOVE the album recommendations! It very much has the vibe of going to a fancy restaurant and the waiter bringing you a sample of something the chef was experimenting with. I grabbed a copy of the cd set.

[@declde]

I just stumbled upon this video, I recently upgraded my soundbar setup to a Sonos AMP and 2 B&W 606 S2 AE speakers and I'm very happy with it. I do hear what you mean by that little difference in the Powernode, something small is missing from the Sonos AMP, but at 649 EUR, the AMP was significantly cheaper than the Powernode at 999 EUR. Now sound quality is 1 thing, reason nr 2 why I went Sonos route is the software. The Sonos app is far ahead of all competitors and ease of use is important to me, since my partner will also use the software to stream. We share playlists on Spotify that we play at dinner, or use the internet radio in the Sonos app. Sonos makes everything so easy. I hope they may improve some things like audio quality over updates, or a next version of the AMP with more hifi audio to compete with the Bluesound Powernode. HDMI ARC is so easy to use, it connects audio of 2 consoles and apps on the TV to the AMP. eARC isn't necessary for me right now, so ARC will do just fine.

[@Discreflections]

Why run sound from Apple TV through the televisions hdmi to the bluesound then Bluetooth to headphones with lip sync issues when you can just connect Bluetooth headphones directly to the Apple TV?

[@robertperry5206]

I got the Sonos amp last December and I have probably used it more than all my other audio gear. It is not the best sounding audio product I have but it does most of the things I need so easily that I just use it more.

[@cmattarei]

Great video John! I really like the AMP, and a feature that I use a lot (not mentioned in the video) is the IR remote control learning to change volume and play/pause. Regarding the poor quality of the line in, also audiosciencereview measured a huge difference of THD+N (more than an order of magnitude) between line in and full digital path.

[@ednewmy]

Once you've done the remote learning can you use it to control the volume when streaming/using the line in or does it only work for TV? Thanks!

[@andyreeves1047]

@@ednewmy TV remote will control volume of music even when TV is off, works really well

[@michaelbussing9475]

Thanks John for another excellent video. I've been really pleased with my Sonos Amp, which I have set up for a different use case. It's hidden away in a cupboard that also houses my router and smart doorbell, so I never see it. It's wired up to Sonos Architectural in-ceiling speakers built into the open plan kitchen / living room, where we do most of our music listening as we live life with our young son. In addition to digital radio and Spotify, I'm able to stream CDs and records to it (and to other speakers throughout the house) from my main listening set up, which is an Audiolab 6000a / 6000CDT, Rega Planar 1 and Sonos Port with Wharfedale Diamond 12.1s. I love that I can control sources, speakers, volume levels and EQ all from the app on my phone, and I've integrated an Ikea Symfonisk remote on the fridge for the joy of a physical volume dial. We also have a Beam Soundbar that we can stream to and that also adds the TV as a streaming source. The whole-house integration is fantastic, which is what led me to choose this option over the Bluesound route.

[@edshull]

Thank you for doing a fair review on this. Sonos has become almost Bose in the sense audiophiles never like speaking the name. Sonos is by no means reference level equipment. I have a few systems in different rooms and homes and blend Sonos as part them. I have a room with a Sonos Amp driving Klipsch RP600-M’s, with Sonos sub. It is surprisingly decent sound for the money and the simplicity of single box. More recently I decided to use a Sonos amp in my beach condo to drive a pair of Klipsch La Scala’s. Is it the best I’ve hear La Scala’s sound? Absolutely not. But, for a simple system used like you mentioned, with a TV, it’s great for non-reference listening. The La Scala’s rock out, and the dual subs add punch to music and movies, all while only using an Apple Remote for the TV and iPhone for music. I try to keep my digital life in the Apple ecosystem, which means I listen mostly to Apple Music, aside from listening to Tidal and Quboz on my Innuous streamer in my reference system. So, the fact Sonos can use Apple Music is a plus. I’m also a Roon user in my main house, and find the Sonos integration to be simple and useful. I use a Sonos Playbar with the Sub in guest bedrooms. Once again, great sound boost with incredible simplicity with the Sony TV. I have a combo of built-in speakers powered by Sonos Amp’s in my home, as well as the Sonos Ones and other small speakers through the house. Sonos makes a decent product. They are a bit stagnant on upgrades when it comes to sound; I’d like to see hi-res support, and would love to see them step up in amp sound quality to better compete with the Bluesound, but for the money and convenience, they’re pretty good.

[@ednewmy]

Great review as always John. Wasn't expecting you to like the Amp as much as this, so that was a pleasant surprise. My hovering over the buy button for months may become an actual purchase now! For me the Amp would be primarily for TV and movies (paired with some Sonos Ones as surrounds), some casual streaming and vinyl playback so I'm not too concerned about audio quality being the absolute best via the aux input. My understanding is you can adjust the input lag on the Amp to as low as 75ms. So that would effectively solve the concern regarding the delay between needle drop and hearing the audio!

[@JesseShauffer]

I am an apple user and airplay user since the beginning since AirTunes and I switched from airplay 2 to the Sonos app 100% because of the integrations are flawless.

[@germansaez]

Loved to see Cameras Conspiracies in the thumb 😂.

[@ccwnyc5671]

That you heard a difference in the store and again at home tells me Sonus is improving, but hasn't caught Blue Sound yet. As for UI, I just use Tidal Connect.

[@RezaKhalili0]

THIS is how all tech reviews should be done ... 1) A proper knowledgable person. 2) Detailed end-to-end coverage Top quality !! Thanks...

[@vdavidovic]

Need one more digital input on Sonos Amp? Just plug the HDMI to Optical adapter to the HDMI port of Sonos Amp and there you go. 😊 Works perfectly.

[@timculler1454]

It is a good sound for many of us and easy setup. The big problem, imho, is that there are many problems (see the fora) in using third party subs, which are much better value than the Sonos sub.

[@paulgeorge9742]

I recently bought the Sonos port as a streamer, running it through a zen one signature dac, a Rega brio, and q acoustics speakers, all this gives me great sound, but more importantly listening position ease with brilliant app and ability to switch easily between tidal and Spotify

[@damienlahoz]

So i can get a $400 Yamaha receiver that has every connection known to man, with room correction, and subwoofer integration. But in order to get any of that in a 2 channel amp, i have to pay 3,4,10 x as much? Idk why those features are so easy to incorporate into a receiver but are seemingly so difficult and or expensive to incorporate into 2 channel

[@johnpischedda6951]

Yes the Yamaha products are great value ! really well built for the money and feature packed. Not on John's radar , though it seems?

[@lloydranola]

Shoutout for being a fellow Camera Conspiracies fan!

[@stevepollard7107]

Great video, John. The Sonos AMP has been around for a few years now and is a great piece of kit when everything is considered and very underrated in my opinion. I used mine to upgrade from a Sonos Playbar to improve music payback whilst maintaining a 5.1 surround sound tv/movie capability. I think it does this very well and the multi room capability is also a feature that I make a lot of use of around my home. Whilst I use Airplay 2 a lot I prefer to use the inbuilt services directly via the Sonos App which includes Apple Music and BBC Sounds which is a huge selling plus for me as it means one of my portable devices is not tied up and out of action and is available to use for other audio/video purposes.

[@Defrag1978]

As always, a great review. I have an older Sonos ZP style amp and can alter the input latency, and as I don’t use it as a multi room set up it’s happy at the lowest latency. Also there’s an option to change the compression level on the input, or choose no compression. Not sure if these options are available on the newer Amp however. May be worth a look.

[@richarddcrossley]

They are and I asked the same as I noticed a fair improvement even with my budget turntable!

[@moribnd]

I think that the Bluesound Powernode really hits the mark below $1000. I thought I would end up with a class A/B amp for the long haul after listening to the CA AXR100 for many weeks and hearing other amps recently. The Bluesound Powernode has remarkably better sound than sub-$1000 Yamaha class D receivers, way better than NAD for sound and bass, good software, HDMI, sub out, tone controls in-app, better bass than other class D amps I have tried, minimalistic design and the ability to learn your TV remote’s button functions using the Bluesound app. I recommend the Powernode for all these reasons, plus you don’t get the listening fatigue you would get from class A/B amps such as the AXR100 or a Marantz.

[@simontompkins301]

What I really like about your video is that it is packed with information and next to no faff. Drives me so mad when you have to hear all kinds of non relevant info before the person gets to the point. With any other video I'd have been extremely annoyed by the bloopers at the end, with yours, I felt you really earned it - and thoroughly enjoyed the bloopers too, Thank you so much for passing on the knowledge and helping me make a decision. Happy holidays and coming New year :)

[@koffie123]

Hi John, love your videos and I think this one very valuable to a lot of people. No point in being snobbish about Sonos, for a lot of people this is the default option, or maybe a first step into audio. And the comment at the end makes sense for them: ditch your soundbar and get the Amp instead! Having said that, allow me to make a suggestion for a stereo amp with HDMI-ARC from my own experience because I bought the Sonos Amp as main stereo and TV receiver but returned it. Sound quality was the main reason for me, another is that Sonos is 'not great' at streaming from a NAS drive. Too little interest in their userbase so they don't really develop this part. Since then I upgraded the house from Sonos to Bluesound and never looked back. But the Bluesound Powernode2i also wasn't the best choice for my stereo/TV setup. I missed the inputs my old receiver had, wanted to keep my CD/Bluray player, etc. So my setup ended up like this: - Marantz NR1200 (4K receiver but stereo amplification only, 75W per channel A/B) - TV attached via HDMI-ARC - Bluesound Node2i streamer attached via coaxial digital input (could be analogue but now using the DAC in the Marantz) - Marantz UD5007 CD/Bluray player, attached two ways: analogue for CD and HDMI for Bluray - plenty of other HDMI inputs to be used for whatever you like (sat receiver, game) I'm no audio expert but I highly recommend the NR1200 for those seeking a TV/stereo setup with traditional stereo amplification and all the inputs a surround receiver would otherwise provide.

[@davehorwell1841]

Fantastic content again. I must say though, your "bloopers" are funny. The look on your face each time suggests you don't know how you ever get it wrong. Excellent.

[@mjmdiver1137]

I'm a bit of an audiophine and have had a dedicated "large" system for 25+ years now. Back in 2008, I put a SONOS system into my home because of the multiroom capability and the ability to stream radio (my local public radio mostly), so the multi-room synch capabilitites was really, really important... Nobody ever talks about how well the other products do on multiroom playback, and John didn't on this review as well (but it was a great review, so that you John). I need to upgrade my SONOS system because of the S1->S2 transition (I hate that SONOS did that to us early adopters, in fact, just three months before the made that change, I bought a replacement amp for a dead one, only to discover that it is incompatible with the S2 software! WTF...) SONOS allows me a 30% discount on upgrtading my existing equipment, so I have some questions for anyone who has done any review of these systems (Bluesound and the SONOS). SONOS is still limited to Redbook sound correct? I can't seem to find that on their website. I have some hi def audio, but because the SONOS can't play it, I convert it down for the SONOS library. Does the Bluesound product line work in multi-room audio the way the SONOS does (that it, with perfect playback alignment?) My current system is 100% S1 compatible, except for the Move that I have, so I need to update 3-4 Amps to get the system fully S2 or maybe a couple of Amps and a couple of the Port boxes and some external amps (tubes maybe? YES). COnsidering I can get the 30% discount, would anyone consider the Bluenot hardware over the SONOS? It's not really comparable in price with the doscount, but I feel like I shouldn't reward SONOS for screwing me over on the S2 transition... Any opinions are much appreciated.

[@budgetaudiophilelife-long5461]

🤗😁JOHN,WE LOVE ❤YOUR ATTITUDE AND ADVICE …LISTENING FOR OURSELVES 👍💯💚💚💚

[@budgetaudiophilelife-long5461]

Also the outtakes 😂

[@petenaylor1751]

One big advantage of the Bluesound for those of us who still prefer their own local libraries: Sonos is still restricted to 65000 indexed tracks (which is infuriating when they had every chance to increase that limit with the release of their S2 firmware - they'd always previously claimed that backwards compatibility prevented them from increasing it). As for Bluesound, I'm sure I've read somewhere that their limit is now approx 200,000 tracks, dependent on metadata.

[@luminousfractal420]

That's interesting. That's the same file limit they pinned on cowon devices years ago. Rebuilding the library was a frequent thing for me (I had over 100,000 flac/mp3's. But yeah...I wonder if theyre using cowon systems inside it. Certainly the description of the audio fits the cowon experience. And cowon stopped making new models of their media players a few years ago. Strange given they were dominating the audiophile world.

[@dimangiful7695]

A bit late in the game, but would appreciate your comments, since you've tested a lot of these products! I'm looking at Wiim amp, Sonos Amp, and the Bluesound. The specs I need is _proper_ sound quality and probably more so _proper_ software. I will be leaving the amp on, and I have multiple family members using the TV and stream (mainly via airplay or chromecast from Spotify). The concern or question is, which of the three knows how to a) properly switch between sound sources, turn on HDMI ARC when TV turns on, stream from Spotify when app is asking it b) turn off automatically when TV turns off, or when streaming is closed I''ve had 2 subwoofers die during the last 10 years, probably because the auto-power off hasn't worked properly. I will be driving bookshelf speakers (currently amphion Ions, in the future probably the Monitor Audio Bronze 100s) and a subwoofer. I've read and heard in youtuve the Wiim Amp power management isn't top notch, so that's probably off the table. How about Sonos vs. Bluesound?

[@stuart.s.]

Having watched this about 5/6 times, and various others Darko reviews (Wiim/Bluesound), and after about 6 months with the Beam 2, I finally took the plunge and changed to the Amp. First impressions are excellent. The Beam 2 was a huge step up to the standard TV audio, bigger soundstage, bass etc and has provided the family with a much better experience, but the Amp with a pair of KEF Q150s sounds great. I am more of a music person, and wanted to move away from a separate hifi and tv set up, but one that works with our current Sonos environment. This is working perfectly. 👍

[@nakedcellist]

Great video. Also liked the brief clip of camera conspiracies..

[@Burritosarebetterthantacos]

Connect headphones to the apple tv. It works very well. I agree with other comments, including an easy to use device for wife and kids makes Sonos more viable. Watching her try and setup my 70’s era analog system is hilarious.

[@thewaygokid3135]

I have the previous version of the Amp with 55 wpc. I use the Sonos V2 app because the amp just shows up as another speaker group along with the speakers I have in my kitchen, living room bath and garage. I can play them separately or together with a tap. I primarily use Amazon for the music. My amp powers outdoor speakers from Definitive Tech. They sound pretty good and do the job with the amp. If the new amp has the same sound with just more power then I would think most would be happy with it. However, I wouldn’t buy the amp only to power my 2 channel premium setup. Only as a way to integrate one set of non Sonos speakers to one zone in my system. Since Sonos doesn’t sell outdoor speakers mine is a good use case.

[@jhayd11]

It’s still easier to play whole home audio in the Sonos app. I know a lot of audiophiles don’t think whole home audio is a priority, but to longtime Sonos users it’s what sets them apart from most other options.

[@kiangdv]

ever tried bluos? no issues at all and to me, better (not way) experience than the sonos app

[@jimmythefish]

I’m running the Sonos amp through vintage Energy Pro 22s and love it. I use Tidal. Sounds great, very convenient. I add two Ones for rear surrounds for watching tv, movies and gaming. Just a great setup.

[@johnmerriman274]

Hi John...any way you can do a top 50 cd/album list? It would be a truly eclectic list.

[@richarddcrossley]

I was really looking forward to this and found it very informative. I bought the Sonos Amp before the price increase and with 30% off for older upgrades that I kept. I’m just curious for the turntable did you selected uncompressed audio in the Sonos settings? I found what you said about speaker choices interesting as I’ve been much happier with the amp with B&W 686 than the KEF Q100s I have. I only have a cheap AT-LP60 anyway as I’m more a steamer that likes the occasional physical feeling of vinyl. I’ll have a similar setup to you in a few weeks. Frame 85 inch. Sonos amp to 686s2 and REL T Zero with rears of 2 play 1s (also a big perk of the Sonos amp and you can even use another amp for wireless rears with proper speakers that might be of use to some). As am Apple Music family plan user another nice thing with the built in Apple Music is being able to play different music on each Sonos around the house.

[@davidfriedman5154]

Sonos speakers do competent job to play background music around the house when entertaining and this Sonos amp does good job powering my 4 outdoor speakers. It's a great product as long as you're not expecting to consciously listen.

[@littlebigben9484]

Dear John, I use the Sonos amp together with a Project turntable and I never experienced a gap between the needle touching the vinyl and the starting of the sound. It is instantly there! I am using a preamp though which is always on.

[@jcsivelli]

you can setup de delay to avoid that second... i use my old sonos amp for desktop amp... works without problem (using just analog)

[@SBin-xt5kn]

John, thank you. I was thinking soundbar but just can't get passed the aesthetic. I've also been sitting on the fence between these 2 amplifiers with passive or in-wall speakers. Your post has helped in so many ways. Wonderful work John.

[@jsteer]

Great video! Thanks for approaching Sonos as well, it allows many of us to better imagine what the compared products are like.

[@migo33]

One advantage the sonos amp has is its centre speaker modulation when connected to the TV via HDMI. This makes thee amp a very versatile device.

[@adamlink7561]

THANK YOU!!!!!! finally someone has mentioned the fact that Apple Music is native!!!! Best benefit. Honestly that is what keeps me from even trying the Blue Sound. I really dislike Airplay and Bluetooth because once streaming your device is useless for anything else with audio. But I have A/B compared to my 6000a play thinking I would love the extra watts, but it sounds so thin.

[@engineer4862]

@21:51 This is the question I am asking in these days and I could not find an answer yet. I have a TV with eARC port along with different kind of audio format support. The options are 1- AVR 2- Something like Bluesound or Sonos 3- Amp with an HDMI port + eARC extractor + something else + some other thing else .... The question is considering the cost of the second option, I can get more by going with the 1st option. However, there are countless reports of eARC issues that comes with many AVRs. The third options is a complicated scenario due to the number of components involved in the path to the TV. I think that an AVR is the way to go if a version of AVR that does not come with eARC issues is picked.

[@hadouken2123]

What option did you go with in the end…?

[@samsstuff1482]

Dear John. I really like your style of doing these reviews and side by side comparisons. I would, however, like to add one advantage to the two way Bluetooth on Bluesound devices. As an Apple user I do not have access to higher end BT codecs from my phone (other than the obvious AAC) but with Bluesound I can use aptX HD when using that as a source. Not a huge difference but still a nice little workaround on the codec limitations, that doesn’t bother me the slightest. Keep up the good work 👍

[@skidmarcz6747]

Great review. Don't pass over the Amp if you are looking for a streaming amp, with great connectivity, and sound. I sort of got it by accident, but have paired it with Sonus Faber Lumina 1, Cyrus CDi and Technics 1500c (with a switching box to have multiple sources). Oh, and a Beam and 2 x Sonos One/SL's for the TV. I've owned Cyrus, Meridian, Aragon, Audiolab amps over the years, but I just love this set up, for ease of use, terrific sound from all sources, and a great app for streaming. Ok, not Audiophile, but give the little black box a chance 😬

[@eliotcole]

Nice to see the BRA and FSOL albums in there, mate. Both were CDs that I enjoyed on a decent setup ... something I've not had for a while whilst having to move back in with 'rents.

[@gregoryfrassetti1276]

You can use 2 subs as well. 2 Sonos Subs or one Sonos sub plus a non-sonos sub hardwired to the sub out. And you can EQ the system overall. Very pleasing system overall.

[@davdidit6]

Omg the 👀 on the 🌱 is amazing

[@JP-zh6ss]

Hi John, love your videos. The Powernode has a auto sense setting, it works well with eArc connection to my Sony tv.

[@bynahelemaal]

I want the opposite off loudness, I’d like a drop in bass and treble for late night usage, so voices become more clear and less of a monotone hum. This applies to watching tv/movies, not music.

[@Zingwale]

I have an AMP associated with Triangle Antal and I love it so much for the ease of use & global quality (70 tv - 30 music)

[@WietsedeJong]

My Yammaha N601 has a loudness rotary dail and it works amazingly well for late night listening or background music..

[@litenbrandbil]

Hi John, I also did the side by side comparison at hifi klubben, and I do agree with the comparison between the powernode and Sonos AMP. You made a very good point that the Sonso AMP has loudness, and many modern amps are lacking that functionality, has this feature gone missing or just ignored as it is very valuable during nighttime/ low volume listening?

[@Flu_Tang_Clan]

I'm paired this to my vintage Sony SSM3's along with the Mini Sub, and I'm quite impressed.

[@paulhewitt6953]

I guess the advantage of Bluetooth streaming from Powernode is that you can stream with aptx hd rather than iPhone codec

[@RobbyPedrica]

The highlight of this video was the camera conspiracies insert on your TV 😁

[@mychildrenareashamedtobese3398]

I bought an open box Rotel A12 MkII and a Sonos AMP to compare. I fed the dac in the A12 with a WIIM and I added a Rega Fono Mini to the Sonos...The price all in is relatively close. I ran them through a pair of DeFTech D9's and a pair of Elac Unify B52's. The Definitive Technology do a decent job with detail but are more laid back than the Elacs (You can check measurements at audio science that show a bigger scoop around 3-4k with the DefTechs). With the Sonos amp the Def Techs were lifeless the treble just wasn't. There was no detail, a quick listen killed that combo. Then I ran the Sonos into the B52's and it sounded pretty good, though listening to one of my favorite test tracks exposed that a soft ride cymbal was missing. I could not hear it even while straining to do so. Then I tested the A12 MKII with the super cheap WIIM streaming puck running an optical cable into the built in dac. It sounded better. Bass was bassier, the missing Cymbal showed up and most importantly, low volume listening was more representative of all frequencies. That combo made me decide to keep the Elac's which were very likely to be returned. The sonos was great with the TV and not needing remotes was pretty appealing but the Rotel worked fine w the TV using typical optical table (it has two optical inputs). That's my 2 pennies.

[@josexavierjr.5633]

Good video, John. Even though I'm not much of a streaming guy, I appreciate the knowledge you share about this topic. Maybe one day I'll invest in a streamer amp, but for now use my iPad Pro (2nd Gen) connected to a Dragonfly DAC, then connected to my system. Works pretty well, and sounds really good.............. BTW, I really enjoy your music recommendations; you've opened my ears to new electronic music I didn't know about.....Thanks!

[@dailycrittersinmyyard4849]

Ahhh, those New Electronica comps…so good.

[@ianetchells7358]

Nice review. I’m running a Sonos amp with a pair of B&W 707 S2 speakers and the Sonos sub (v1). It’s great for casual music listening (from NAS and Amazon music unlimited) and tv audio. Adding the sub has noticeably opened up the mids on the 707s. Great sound stage when sitting in the sweet spot. Tried the analogue input with my turntable but the lag John mentions is annoying and the sound quality isn’t great….that could be more to do with my elderly turntable.

[@FabianFP]

Guys, please don’t forget that Bluesound is supporting every normal IR-remote and even got their own one! Super convenient and really easy to use! Check that out… (And two-way Bluetooth 😅)

[@WhatEver-dx3eu]

Great vid! Couldn't find the Jimmy van M's Balance album on spotify (but many other great tracks). As far as Mom & Dad are concerned, the Bluesounds have it with their (optional) IR remote control capability. My parents don't want to have to grab their phone, unlock it, go to the app to just change volume, skip a track or access one of the presets (another great Bluesound feature for radio stations). That more than overrides the one-time setup complexity which actually is not that difficult for Bluesound either. Apple music integration for the Sonos is great though.

[@gusgusnft8231]

My BlueSound PowerNode amplifier died. I ended up buying a Sonos Gen2 Connect for $60 USD added an old Onkyo 2 channel amp, and it sounds great. I really like the Sonos app better than BlueOS. I only use it for music listening in the backyard / garage.

[@morganrowe]

Love the record recommendations! Keep em coming ✌️

[@tiagodanieldasilvacoelho3968]

Great video! By the way, you can actually remove the analogue input latency in the settings. I believe the default is set to 2000ms but can be reduced to 75ms. I was also baffled by this at the time, whilst testing my vinyl player. Sonos claim it's for "more reliable audio" which must mean they need some processing buffer to allow you to stream it to other Sonos devices.

[@frankthetank8508]

So true. The default delay is a nogo for record listening. So i switch to 75ms. This leads to drop outs. Even a nonevergo. The final solution was connecting a sonos device via cable. Than sonos creates it's own wireless network channel for music transfer. So i get a used sonos boost and placed it near to my router to connect it via cable. Now i'm able to stream from my turntable in all 3 levels of my house with the 75ms delay.

[@nickthegun]

Yes, lowered the delay immediately, too. But, if you look at the Sonos subreddit and support forums, 90% of problems people have are with bad Wi-Fi so you can’t entirely blame them for turning it on out of the box.

[@TonyRoberts]

Yep, just set it to 75ms and that latency all but disappears. I have mine connected via RJ45 so there's no dropouts

[@halkdc]

I used the AMP to power my computer speakers for a while, and dropping that delay down to 75 is a must. I can't imagine how annoying the default delay would be with a vinyl player, but it makes it useless on a computer. The only thing I don't really like on on their inputs is that it won't leave it on if there is no audio. So there is a initial portion that is cutoff once it senses sound. I wish you could over ride that function as well.

[@digitalmat75]

Finally I ve kept Nad C700 & Sonos Amp 😉

[@darkblueturbo]

I love my Sonos setup for the convenience. The record player thing is annoying but you can reduce that delay until it’s ALMOST imperceptible in the turntable settings in the app. As an Apple Music subscriber I mostly airplay to the Sonos speakers, but I use the app for the radio and Mixcloud.

[@stnkpalm]

Another great review and relevant comparison. Thank you for all the great content on your channel.

[@chrish4483]

Thanks for the comparo John. very well thiught out and presented. For me the biggest no go for Sonos is that if you use the RCA outs and pair them as rear surround speakers the software turns off the subwoofer output on all Sonos products which is a real bummer. The Bluesound does not do this as far as I'm aware.

[@cbaskakis]

Love the Camera Conspiracies easter egg at 16:30! Is that Olaf's doing?

[@dennisb8826]

I have the AMP and I found it works really great with my Buchardt Audio S400. I also connected a Sonos Sub s2 for the extra punch.

[@KRBY555]

How do you find the sub? Obviously you could buy any other sub - the Sonos wireless has a premium. Trying to decide if I buy 3rd party or just get the Sonos

[@Milele]

Is it worth having the Sonos amp or Powernode when you have Bang&Olufsen speakers?

[@J4sonkempson]

I'm not into home theatre, but I have to run my TV through it 😂

[@nikolakeviczrnic4159]

A couple of days ago I listened to the Mission LX Connect system, wonderful sound, very easy to use, 10 times better than any soundbar in that price range.