Sonos Owners... nice little upgrade + iPhone Support

Sonos®, Inc., the leading developer of wireless multi-room music systems for the home, today released Sonos System Software 2.7. Sonos 2.7 delivers a world of music to every room of the house-free of charge-by providing instant, computer-free access to Last.fm and Pandora® personalized radio services, plus more than 15,000 radio stations and shows via Sonos Radio. The free one-button software update is available to all Sonos customers and is available now for download.

The Sonos Multi-Room Music System is a unique multi-room music experience that keeps getting better over time with free software updates that connect music lovers to new content, features and more. Sonos now offers an unmatched suite of both subscription-based services (Napster®, Rhapsody® and SIRIUS®) and free music services (Last.fm, Pandora and Sonos Radio) right out of the box. All of these services stream music directly from the Internet to the house so they work even when the computer is turned off – no need to download songs or have a server running.

"Sonos now brings music from every corner of the world to every corner of the house with control from the palm of the hand," said Phil Abram, President & COO, Sonos, Inc. "By offering our customers a suite of free content with this update, we continue to provide even more ways to listen to the music they love, all over their home."

Sonos' new Radio guide, powered by RadioTime, lets you tune in to more than 15,000 free Internet radio stations, radio shows and more. You can browse easily for both local and international stations or use Search to find a specific station, show or host. When you find what you want, simply add it to Favorites for your future listening.

Last.fm on Sonos is a free global music service that lets you discover, play and share new songs and artists based on your unique musical tastes - right from any Sonos Controller. After an account is created on Last.fm, Sonos customers can enjoy continuous music streaming all over the house. Simply enter the name of a favorite artist or tag keywords and Last.fm's unique recommendation system instantly creates a personalized radio station featuring music you're sure to love. Last.fm on Sonos also features the capability to scrobble all of the music you play on your Sonos Multi-Room Music System. Every song you listen to on Sonos - whether it's from your personal music library or a music service like Napster®, Rhapsody®, Pandora®, and of course, Last.fm - is automatically added to your personal music profile. This allows Last.fm to customize your music recommendations and open the doors to even more music discovery, in more rooms of the house.

Pandora, the popular personal radio service is now available for free on Sonos. After creating a free account on Pandora.com, Pandora lets you create and play up to 100 radio stations based on your favorite songs or artists. Using Pandora's Music Genome Project®, Pandora's highly-trained musicians analyze songs, one at a time, using close to 400 musical traits including melody, harmony, instrumentation, rhythm, vocals, lyrics, and more to automatically build a station with songs that share interesting musical similarities. With a Sonos Controller in hand, you can rate the music you hear to further refine the station's playlist on the fly. Play the same Pandora radio station in each room, perfectly synchronized; or, play different stations in different rooms to fit the mood.

Other new features of Sonos System Software 2.7 include:
• Updated Rhapsody support with improved sound quality. Rhapsody now streams at 192 MP3 (versus 128 kbps WMA previously).
• Support for RTSP streaming protocol which allows for expanded Internet Radio coverage.
• Dutch and Swedish languages are now supported in the Sonos system software. Sonos already supports English, French, German, Italian, and Spanish.
• For more information about the features of Sonos Software 2.7, please visit: http://www.sonos.com/support/software_update.aspx.

In conjunction with today's software update, Sonos also introduced the brand new Sonos Controller for iPhone; which is a free download on the iPhone App Store. Now, you can use your iPhone, iPhone 3G or iPod® touch to control the best multi-room music system in the world. The Sonos Controller for iPhone is the only iPhone Controller app that provides multi-room music control and direct access to a world of music including Last.fm, Napster, Pandora, Rhapsody, SIRIUS® Internet Radio, 15,000 radio stations, shows and more. Plus, the Sonos Controller for iPhone gives music lovers control over their entire music collection* located on any computer on their home network, a Network Attached Storage (NAS) and even an Apple® Time Capsule.

I really want a Sonos box, I just can't justify it right now

Originally Posted by Hercules

I really want a Sonos box, I just can't justify it right now

I have a handful of Zones and love it. One thing that may make it more attractive now is the iPod Touch/iPhone control. You could pickup a ZP80 for under $200 (ebay or BestBuy Auctions) and if you have an iPod Touch/iPhone you are set.

I just "discovered" the new podcast directory feature. Right now, I have iTunes grab the podcasts, then the Sonos indexes them at 9pm. Forget all that, the podcasts ae now available on the Sonos directly, just add to a favorite and you have them all right there on the controller. Great feature

I know they released an upgrade some time ago, but I didn't bother. In my experience if something works fine, don't upgrade the firmware

I have 5 zones (ZP80s), a ZoneBridge and two controllers. Absolutely LOVE my Sonos.

Originally Posted by GeneArch

I have a handful of Zones and love it. One thing that may make it more attractive now is the iPod Touch/iPhone control. You could pickup a ZP80 for under $200 (ebay or BestBuy Auctions) and if you have an iPod Touch/iPhone you are set.

No need for a controller/iPhone, you can use the Sonos desktop controller instead (free). You'll be up and running for under $300.

Best thing Sonos ever did was create the Sound Bridge; I was wasting a ZP80 as my router and gear are in different rooms.

Originally Posted by Scott ZHP

No need for a controller/iPhone, you can use the Sonos desktop controller instead (free). You'll be up and running for under $300.

Best thing Sonos ever did was create the Sound Bridge; I was wasting a ZP80 as my router and gear are in different rooms.

Sure, but it's no fun without a handheld controller

I'm using 4 ZP100's and a single ZP80, the whole house was wired from day 1 so the wireless does not really come into play. I really wanted the music system to be separate from any other system so all but the garage have in ceiling speakers.

I spent a few minutes using the new controller on my iPod Touch. Looks pretty good, but functionality like alarms and sleep timers are still done on the desktop or handheld controllers.

To me, the "killer" feature of this one is the access to Podcasts. That alone is huge for my needs. No more iTunes indexing.

All in all a great upgrade and the Pandora and Last.Fm are good stuff.

Originally Posted by GeneArch

Sure, but it's no fun without a handheld controller

All in all a great upgrade and the Pandora and Last.Fm are good stuff.

One of my kids messed with a controller and it died. $400 paperweight. I called Sonos and they sent me brand new one for $100.

I don't use Pandora, but I have a subscription to Rhapsody.

Downloaded from the appstore; works great!

Originally Posted by Scott ZHP

Downloaded from the appstore; works great!

Sure does

I just picked up a used ZP100 from BestBuy Auctions for $305. I could have done a tad better on ebay but everything I have bought from BB Auctions has been darned near brand new.

I may go out and grab another iPod Touch, I'm still looking for the right cradle to go with my entertainment center.

Here's a little of the iPhone/iPod Touch goodness for those on the edge

I suspect there are not many people "on the edge". Sonos is probably the single best piece of A/V gear I've bought in the last 20 years.

Originally Posted by Scott ZHP

I suspect there are not many people "on the edge". Sonos is probably the single best piece of A/V gear I've bought in the last 20 years.

Same here.. most likely just don't "get it". (The WAF is huge)

I love it because it simply "works". I've been down the Roku/Squeezebox route and they were seriously lacking. Others will say "Xbox 360" or "Airport Express", but at the end of the day the Sonos just works like it should. I'm actually not left wanting for much with this system. Pandora is actually pretty cool as well.

Originally Posted by GeneArch

Same here.. most likely just don't "get it". (The WAF is huge)

I love it because it simply "works". I've been down the Roku/Squeezebox route and they were seriously lacking. Others will say "Xbox 360" or "Airport Express", but at the end of the day the Sonos just works like it should. I'm actually not left wanting for much with this system. Pandora is actually pretty cool as well.

I just ordered a zonebridge and two Play3's. I can't wait for the set-up to arrive.

I also ordered the Sub.

And another nice little update last night from Sonos...

These Sonos folks sure are hitting their stride

Sonos is excited to announce software version 3.8.3 and introduce Wireless iTunes Playback from the iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad.

How does Wireless iTunes Playback from the iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad on Sonos work?

You can select and play music and podcasts stored on any iPhone or iPod touch that’s on the same network as your Sonos components. Playback is perfectly synchronized, in any or every room of your home. Simply use your iPhone or iPod touch to make audio selections, and then you can use any Sonos controller to control playback.

What do I need to start using Wireless iTunes Playback on Sonos?

You'll need an iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch with DRM-free music in MP3 or AAC format stored on the device itself. Wireless iTunes Playback is compatible with the iPhone (3GS or later), iPod touch (4th generation or later), or iPad (2nd generation or later) running iOS 6 or higher. The device will need to be connected to your home WiFi network.

Make sure your Sonos system is on software version 3.8.3 or higher. If your device is not capable of running iOS 6, you won't be able to use Wireless iTunes Playback, but you can still use the Sonos Controller App. The Sonos Controller is compatible with all iOS versions higher then 4.1.

I bought my first Sonos components back in 2005 and it remains one of the best things I've ever bought. It is just awesome. It was cutting edge upon release, and Sonos has done an excellent job in keeping it up to date via software and functionality updates. About to add another zone or two pre Christmas, and also the Sub. Absolutely love the system.

Originally Posted by swajames

I bought my first Sonos components back in 2005 and it remains one of the best things I've ever bought. It is just awesome. It was cutting edge upon release, and Sonos has done an excellent job in keeping it up to date via software and functionality updates. About to add another zone or two pre Christmas, and also the Sub. Absolutely love the system.

Do you have the Play 5 or Play 3s?

Set-up my Sonos system last night. Two Play 3s, a Bridge, and a Sub. First, the pieces were ordered online and delivered. They were packed perfectly. Sonos takes great care to pack the pieces so they travel safely. The fit and finish on the pieces is excellent. The set-up was super easy. I had no glitches. The access to Pandora and Spotify is seemless and using my iphone as the controller is wonderful. The Sub sounds amazing. It's very powerful...almost too powerful. I made some adjustments to the settings to soften it. The Play 3s look great and in most instances sound very good. However, they come up a little short of what I expected. Maybe I need to upgrade to Play 5s. I have the Play 3s paired and they work perfectly fine in stereo. As I said, no glitches. Just not sure about the sound quality. I expected a bit more from them. Maybe I need to tweak the settings a bit.

Anyone have issues with the Sonos app on an iPhone 5? Downloaded the app and had problems getting my iPhone to find the ZP80. Checked the support forum and several have the same issue.

Originally Posted by Scott ZHP

Anyone have issues with the Sonos app on an iPhone 5? Downloaded the app and had problems getting my iPhone to find the ZP80. Checked the support forum and several have the same issue.

I have an iphone 4s. I haven't had any problems. I love the execution of this system. Very clean and works exceptionally well. I have made adjustments to the Sub and the system sounds great. I would love for Sonos to put out some higher-end speakers to go with the Sub. I would definitely buy them. Don't get me wrong, Play 3s sound very good, but I would like something with a little better mid-range. Overall, very happy with this system.

Originally Posted by Scott ZHP

Anyone have issues with the Sonos app on an iPhone 5? Downloaded the app and had problems getting my iPhone to find the ZP80. Checked the support forum and several have the same issue.

Zero issues with iPhone 5, use it daily