Petty Bourgeoisie - Sonos Home Theater 5.1 (Standard Edition) Experience

When we talk about home theaters, do we think of many speakers, clunky amplifiers, and complicated wiring? These were overturned in front of the Sonos wireless living room theater system. The ultimate simplicity and smart wireless make the layout of the theater easy. , Good sound quality brings us a good immersion experience. This time I was fortunate enough to get Sonos's home theater 5.1 (Standard Edition). It feels very good to use it, so let's share it with everyone.

one. Foreword

two. Out of the box

three. System formation and wireless experience

four. APP manipulation experience

Fives. Wifi cloud music playback

six. Local HD movie playback and decoding capabilities

Seven. Comparison test with traditional theater

Eight. to sum up.

one. Foreword

Before the official writing, first talk about our traditional theater model and some troubles, the general 5.1 theater system consists of power amplifier, front, center and surround, subwoofer, if there is a 7.1 side surround, if you upgrade to 7.1. 4 There will be sky sounds for the panoramic sound. In this way, there will be 12 speakers in a set of theaters. If it is not before the home improvement, it will be very complicated and unsightly.

This is the cable behind my TV cabinet. Is it impossible to look directly at it?

5.1 The power amplifier behind the system is also more

The surrounding lines are also aesthetically pleasing

This is also why many people are interested in the wireless system. They can get rid of the embarrassment of the cable and make the space more concise and beautiful. This is especially true for those who haven't pre-wired before home improvement.

two. Out of the box

Received Sonos's parcel or scared me a jump, very large 3 cardboard boxes, the weight is still not light, especially the subwoofer, quite heavy, a person resistance to the 5th floor or let my old waist a little can not stand. .

Sonos this set down is not small, especially PLAYBAR and SUB, each set has two packages inside and outside, very kind, for the violent transport industry has a certain resistance. Here we give you one by one out of the box.

To start with a small one, the space is too small to be tossed. The Sonos 5.1 System (Standard Edition) chose to use two PLAY:1 for rear surround.

PLAY:1 is Sonos launched the latest PLAY series members in 2013, the smallest, only 161.45x 119.7 x 119.7 mm, but the weight is not light, reaching 1.85Kg, it is hard to imagine how this small physique will be so heavy Are there bones in the bones? Sonos uses a non-woven outer jacket for each speaker to provide good protection. This is a common practice in many high-end products.

PLAY:1 The top and bottom are relatively simple, the top 3 buttons and 1 indicator are all, and when the networking is successful, any button on the speaker can control the whole system, which is very convenient. At the bottom there is only one power outlet.

Sonos is also more concerned about the power interface, not the traditional vertical interface, but the L-type, which helps prevent the cable from pulling off, and after installation, and the base is flat, will not hinder the placement.

The side of the speaker is exquisite dust-proof network, feel very good, the interface has a fixed mouth of a network port, but also relatively simple.

From the official exploded view we can see that the PLAY:1 is composed of a 3.5-inch bass unit and a tweeter. The power amplifier is driven by two Class D amplifiers. This is a relatively rare design. It is a power amplifier to drive a speaker, and there is rarely a power amplifier to drive a unit. The advantage of this is that it can be tailored to the different characteristics of different units to achieve better sound quality.

Through the dustproof net we can see the bass and bass units, and the work is still quite fine. In addition, the brand building of Sonos is more interesting. It is a fully symmetrical structure. You see the same thing, both positively and negatively.

Next, we remove the biggest one: SUB. The theaters all know that artillery is a symbol of the environment, and how important it is to create an atmosphere. Even artillery is the soul of the theater. Sonos' SUB is quite a part of the show. I personally think that the SUB is the most unexpected and most satisfying of me in the Sonos cinema.

The volume of the SUB is not large in the subwoofer, but its weight has reached 16KG, and it is also marked on the packaging to remind the Peugeot. Let us be careful when we take it.

The appearance of the SUB is relatively fashionable, and the piano painting process is also very good. It can be used as a mirror, and it can be seen that the reflection of light is quite beautiful. The problem is of course the commonality of all piano paints: it is easy to collect fingerprints and it is easy to be scratched.

Compared to traditional subwoofers, you can see that Sonos is delicate. The sense of home is better, and it is quite possible to integrate into the environment in a Nordic style home.

Unlike the large subwoofers with traditional subwoofers, the SUB uses two oval-shaped bass units. This is relatively rare. I think Sonos pays more attention to appearance considerations.

Sonos uses shock-absorbing technology on the SUB. According to the official slogan, this technology brings the advantage of the two horns being placed opposite to each other. This will allow us to generate no box movements or noises no matter how loud the box structure is. The use of guide tube technology, compared to the closed box, will bring better low-frequency volume and dynamic effects, the lack of low-frequency control and speed will be slightly weaker. In terms of power amplifiers, the SUB contains two Class D digital amplifiers to drive two woofer units.

The bottom of the interface is also simple, a power outlet a cable jack, four non-slip rubber with 16KG of the weight of the box firmly fixed to the ground, while reducing vibration.

There is only one button on the SUB: the start/pause button, and there are no volume control buttons on other speakers. This is more for the consideration of placement position. Generally, our subwoofers are placed in the corner or next to the TV cabinet. You will not be watching movies or listening to songs in this place, so you will not adjust your control here.

Finally, let's look at the core part: PLAYBAR, which is the longest and basically equal to a 50-inch TV. As the center of the Sonos system, it is not only responsible for the sound playback of the main speakers and center speakers, but also responsible for the decoding of sounds and the calculation and distribution of channels. Therefore, the structure of PLAYBAR is also the most complicated.

The appearance of the PLAYBAR is still a black body framed with a gray border that looks very comfortable and coordinated. PLAYBAR supports flat and upright placement. For different environments, we can choose the most suitable placement method. But for users who use a cradle, vertical placement will block TV, so lying is the best choice.

The dust cover of PLAYBAR is made of flannel material and feels good, but the problem is that it is easy to pick up dust. Close-up of the infrared receiver window, Sonos this time a major feature is to learn to support most of the infrared remote control on the market, a more practical one function, we can use the TV's remote control to complete the TV and audio control.

As the core of this system, Sonos, PLAYBAR in addition to all the other PLAY series of audio playback and WIFI connection functions, but also an additional fiber input and decoding functions, at the same time, when the 5.1 system networking is completed, all DSP operations are also This is done by PLAYBAR.

Borrowing from the official decomposition map, we can see from the figure that there are densely packed loudspeaker units in the PLAYBAR, a total of nine, consisting of six midranges and three trebles, of which one for every two middle tones is one. The group consists of three components, of which the two sides are a high-pitched side, with two woofer units simulating the main speaker, and the middle two woofer units with a treble are arranged in a dumbbell order to simulate the traditional mid-position. In addition, we can see that the arrangement is not the same as the normal speakers are arranged vertically, but the distribution of the skewed 45 °, the advantage of doing so is that PLAYBAR can be a horizontal or vertical can get more correct sound pointing However, the problem is due to the oblique upward pointing. Therefore, the placement of the speakers should be slightly lower than our listening position. This is somewhat the same as the traditional medium-sized design. In terms of power amplifiers, PLAYBAR continues its fine tradition of matching one unit to a power amplifier. It has 9 D-type digital amplifiers built in. Each speaker has an independent power amplifier to push. It can be said that it is still extravagant.

Side of the button, the same is the play button and volume adjustment buttons, but in terms of location settings, I feel better than on the front smoothly, after all, such a long body, the side has been more aside, and put the front will be easier to manipulate points.

Attachments, compared to other boxes of power cords and network cables, PLAYBAR accessories are undoubtedly more abundant, an extra fiber optic cable, which we use to connect TV or PS4 equipment.

Finally, a large group photo, we can see that this set of Sonos 5.1 system, although the production of different time, span a few years, but the overall style is still very uniform, black and gray color tone throughout the entire series.

three. System formation and wireless experience

Both PLAYBAR and SUB support flat and upright placement, which is convenient, and since SUB does not have directivity, it is not sensitive to position placement and can be placed in areas where we do not occupy space, such as corners and TV cabinets. . The PLAYBAR placement is not much choice, it is best to be in the middle of the space, height is lower than our listening plane, pay attention to the design of 45 ° oblique.

The PLAY:1 placement, I personally recommend the bracket, this is relatively easy to place, generally no place on the sofa can be directly placed, and then the wall will have to hit the wall, the bracket is a better solution, and the height And the location is easier to adjust. Regarding the installation position of the surround back, according to the requirements of the DTS, the surround is to be about 1.8M higher or 40-50cm higher than the ear (can refer to the surround placement of my old theater), but in the request of the panoramic sound, the surround back It's required to be flat or slightly taller. For Sonos, I chose to follow the height of the panoramic sound.

Optical fiber access, accurate interface insertion, there is not much technical content.

After the installation is complete, the PLAYBAR is still two lines, is still very simple, this is where Sonos most moved, bid farewell to the chaos of the cable winding.

After the hardware is installed, we also need to set up a network. First we need to download an APP to complete. For the first time, the APP will give a guide to teach us the network step by step.

Since Sonos is a system that is connected via WIFI, we first need to set WIFI access, and then according to the prompt, we will simply identify the PLAYBAR and access the system. Navigation is still very good.

Same access SUB.

Since the two are surrounded, the access process is a bit more complicated, but it is also step by step.

Followed by the completion of the registration and firmware updates, SONOS launched the first PLAY series in 2009: PLAY5, has been providing firmware updates until now, this is indeed a conscience, if the mobile phone, not to mention 2009, is 1, Many of the machines in 2 years have not been updated.

When all devices are plugged in, Sonos provides a simple environmental test to set the SUB and surround effects to provide the best listening experience. This is a very important step and plays a decisive role in the construction of the listening environment. If you have played traditional power amplifiers, especially those using Onkyo and Denon users, they are very fond of the Odyssey. The SONOS test is a similar function, but it is very simple. However, SONOS provides an advanced function on the IOS system: Trueplay, in Trueplay we can call the phone's microphone to test the environment, which is basically a simplified version of the test environment on the amplifier, but unfortunately not yet on the Android system Support, expect the late firmware to provide this useful function as soon as possible.

Then, we have to connect the TV to the system and take over the TV's sound system. Step by step, it is also very tolerant.

Sonos itself does not have a remote control. For the traditional PLAY series, the volume adjustment, we either through the buttons on the box, or through the mobile phone APP, but for the PLAYBAR, provides a remote control learning function, we can pass Learning other infrared remote controllers to achieve support for remote controls is no doubt much easier.

When this test is completed, our system setup is basically successful and we can listen to it.

After finishing the system, let's talk about the main features and selling points of Sonos: WIFI connection. Compared to the wired connection of traditional theaters, SONOS uses WIFI transmission to get rid of the shackles of cables. As long as there are WIFIs in the home, we can deploy Sonos to every place that WIFI can cover, and it is more applicable than wireless speakers currently available in the market. The Bluetooth connection, WIFI's transmission distance and transmission bandwidth are undoubtedly much stronger, and in terms of scalability, it is just seconds of Bluetooth. Bluetooth speakers are generally one to one, and the transmission bandwidth is too small, the delay is too long, we often hear people say that the Bluetooth speaker audio and video are not synchronized, this is the problem of delay. Sonos's delay is definitely certain, but in terms of my current experience, I'm basically not aware of it, and I haven't encountered the situation where video and audio are not synchronized. Said so many WIFI advantages, the following also talk about the SONOS problem: does not support the 5G band. With the increase of 2.4G band devices, channel congestion and interference will become more and more serious. Supporting 5G is undoubtedly a better choice. First, 5G bandwidth is undoubtedly much higher, and we can transmit more data. The sound quality is better, followed by the current 5G band congestion situation is much better, anti-jamming ability will be better, the only problem is probably the ability to wear through the wall is weak, if used in the same room, this problem can also be ignored .

four. APP manipulation experience

Since Sonos itself does not have a display system, all manipulations need to be realized through the APP. The control experience of the APP directly affects the experience of using the Sonos theater system. Now I will show you the Sonos's APP control experience. Since I don't have fruit equipment, all APPs are under this Android environment. . It is said that the functions under IOS will be more powerful, so that when I have a fruit device to give everyone test. .

Sonos's control interface is still relatively simple, in addition to regular playback, up and down songs, volume adjustment function, but also provides two more practical features of night mode and voice enhancement. The night mode can reduce the output of low frequency, let us not disturb people at night. Speech enhancement can increase the clarity of dialogue, this recommendation is always open. Also worth mentioning is that with the volume control we can use the phone's volume button, which is more convenient to use.

In addition to simple manipulations, Sonos offers more extensive tuning options, including adding and removing players, room environment settings, and more. The regulatable parameters are still very much.

Among them, for the balance, SUB and surround sound settings are more useful, we can adjust your own listening to the most comfortable sound. .

In general, APP is the only display screen of Sonos. Its operation is still relatively simple, functions are rich, and it is easy to get started. The default setting is sufficient, and if there is a tossing spirit, APP's rich adjustment options can also provide you with enough room for development.

Fives. Wifi cloud music playback

Sonos as a WIFI speaker, cloud music playback is a very good selling point. The difference from the traditional Bluetooth speaker is that Sonos has a built-in processing system and storage system that can be played without relying on mobile devices. All we have to do is select the content we want to listen to, and after pushing the cloud music, we can not rely on it. Mobile phone terminal, we can turn off the phone can also listen to, this is the Bluetooth speaker does not have, but also the most unique charm of WIFI speakers.

I have also used other brands of WIFI speakers. Generally, they need to be projected through music apps. They are more dependent on third-party apps, but Sonos directly integrates the current domestic mainstream music APP content directly in the Sonos app. To complete the music delivery, and in order to ensure the quality of the songs, Sonos and the online music service provider signed an agreement to allow them to play their highest quality music on Sonos, which is very much liked. This combination of hard and soft is the reason why SONOS can firmly grasp users.

The authorization and addition of content are also very simple, and some APPs can be added without an account password, which is more convenient, such as 蜻蜓FM.

In these music apps, I recommend 蜻蜓 FM because I personally like to listen to radio. Passive listening is always more comfortable than active picking songs. Recommend a good program: CNR literary voice of the evening of eight: Li Yu's old song. It is a very good and nostalgic music program. Li Zhen's voice is not particularly magnetic and will not be very sensational, but it can gently move the nostalgic string in your heart, listening quietly, a touch of feelings.

In addition to playing cloud music, Sonos can also play local music on mobile phones. We can push music from mobile phones to Sonos to get a good playback effect. Second, we can share with people better, and bring them better than wearing earphones alone. Sharing with others will undoubtedly be happier. And Sonos supports FLAC's lossless audio, which is a boon for our sound quality party. In addition, we must note that TV and WIFI can not run at the same time, when we push WIFI cloud music then it will disconnect the TV broadcast.

The highest bit rate can reach 1411kbps, 16bit/44.1 kHz. Unfortunately, Sonos does not support APE, and there are certain problems for WAV uncompressed format support. We should pay attention when downloading.

Then said the next sound performance, Sonos is a set of advertised HIFI system, sound quality, the performance is remarkable, especially the low frequency is quite outstanding, for the pop, dance performance is good, but we need to distinguish the next listening The types and habits, because SONOS will use the built-in DSP to stereo virtual into a 5.1 surround system, so the most suitable music for the Sonos 5.1 system is those concerts, LIVE atmosphere heavy songs, then surrounded by a sense of surround system is very All right, let us feel like we are in the immersive environment and have a strong sense of substitution. However, for those traditional 2.0 recordings, the virtual surround will lead to ambiguous positioning, which is different from the listening experience we played with the 2.0 system. As for which kind you like, you need to listen to it personally. For this traditional school, I prefer to use two. Only PLAY:1 is composed of stereo sound.

six. Local HD movie playback and decoding capabilities

The Sonos 5.1 cinema system is not simply a WIFI music system, but has added fiber input capabilities. This allows us to use the SPDIF source code to hard-wire the system for better sound effects. How about the decoding capability of this theater system of Sonos? From the official data, everyone may be disappointed.

Judging from the official support list, the only multi-channel model that Sonos currently supports is only the Dolby 5.1 system. In addition, Dolby stereo can also be decoded. If it is not the two formats, then we can only select the PCM output.

When the multichannel is decoded in the player, it is recalculated by the DSP in Sonos, then most of the vocals are sent to the center, the background effect is sent to the surround, and the main bass is sent to the SUB. This virtualizes a 5.1 sound effect. This is the Sonos virtual technology. The most important thing is the algorithm. The better the algorithm, the closer the effect is to multi-channel decoding. From the actual experience, Sonos's technology in this area is still good. Although there is a gap compared to the actual AC3 decoding, the actual surrounding feeling is still there, but the separation of the vocal tract is not as good as it is. Positioning is not feasible. Demonstration films fly like bullets from the ear, and the aircraft needs spatial positioning from left to right. The sound effects are relatively weak.

The film "Different 3" was recommended here. After the divisors laid the groundwork for the first two, the final curtain was finally opened at 3: as a large experimental base for human self-repairing genes, which revealed us the future of humanity. After grasping the cruel consequences of genetic modulation technology, it can be said that 3 is a climax in the plot. The future scenes of the end and the advanced science fiction scenes bring a strong contrast. The middle battle scene is also very hot, it is worth a Look for a good movie. Although the downloaded version is an AC3 track, the surround effect is quite outstanding, and there are few full surround channels. Whether it is a vocal dialogue, or a fiery scene, or a gentle lyric The performance was very good, especially in several battle scenes. The hot low frequency shook his chest and I had to turn down the volume.

World of Warcraft in the international market is a sad one, whether it is box office or word of mouth is considered a relatively failed blockbuster, but the powerful domestic nostalgia and Wanda's strong marketing support, presented a hot scene, contributed most of the Box office, so that 2 has been put on the agenda. This time, the DTS tracks are downloaded. SONOS cannot be directly decoded. It can only be decoded on the player and then output by the PCM. Then it is again virtualized by SONOS. As far as the playback performance is concerned, the overall performance is still possible. The scene momentum is expressed well under the strong bass of the SUB. In particular, several alliance tribal wars have caused people to see the blood boiling. However, the degree of separation and positioning of the sound is much worse, and there is not so precise sense of trajectory movement.

In addition, for users with smart TVs or high-definition boxes, online video may be more to see, for this type of film, there are generally few multi-channel audio tracks, at this time, SONOS for the two-channel virtualization It will bring better surround effect, especially SONOS with a pair of PLAY:1 to do physical back-surrounding, compared to the general whispering wall brings virtual surround is really strong too much, you can really hear the surround The sound effects that are sent out can greatly enhance the immersion we see in movies. This is where SONOS makes me most surprised.

Seven. Comparison test with traditional theater

In this section we compare the difference between Sonos and a traditional home theater to see what are the advantages and disadvantages.

1. Quantity and scalability

In traditional theaters, we usually have a front main speaker, a center, a surround back, a subwoofer, and a power amplifier. If it is a panoramic sound and there are still sky sound channels, it is usually 5.1, 7.1 or 5.1.2, 5.1.4, 7.1.4, etc. , The number and scalability is relatively strong, of course, the more speakers more demanding amplifier, the only flagship or sub-flagship products will provide 11 channels.

The Sonos replaced the front and center by PLAYBAR, so although SONOS is also known as 5.1, but there are only four physical speakers, compared to traditional theaters, the number has decreased, so that it takes up less space, but scalability Relatively weak, it has not been heard that SONOS has more channels to expand.

2. Connectivity

Speakers in traditional theaters are all passive systems. Pushers need to rely on amplifiers to achieve through the speaker cable. Therefore, we need long cables, especially surround channels. If we are not in advance of the installation before the wiring, then the impact on the aesthetics of the home is still great,

The Sonos uses the WIFI 2.4G connection, eliminating the need for speaker cable, but since the Sonos are all active systems, there will be a power cord on the speaker, which is also an ugly and troublesome thing if Sonos can launch If you have a built-in battery or an active system with a replaceable module battery, then you will be able to implement a true wireless HIFI system. This is my recommendation.

3. Functionality

The power amplifier is the core of the theater system, and now the performance of the cinema power amplifier is very powerful. In addition to the conventional audio decoding, better video enhancement, online network playback, USB playback, etc., so the function of the traditional theater is undoubtedly much stronger .

SONOS's PLAYBAR is its functional center, its function is relatively weak, and its audio decoding capability is also much weaker, but its localization of cloud music is much stronger than Japan-US power amplifiers. We can basically do so. SONOS's APP completes the search, push, and playback of the music we need, which is quite strong.

4. Sound

In the final analysis, the most important thing in a theater system is sound performance.

Here originally intended to record video to listen to the sound resolution, can be found after recording and actual listening to the sound too much difference, just like we can see the gun version, can not feel the real sound effects, so this test is meaningless This continues to be described in words.

I don't have much to say about traditional theaters. A powerful decoder, corresponding to physical speakers, if the theater is not too low, the playback effect is quite good, and of course it is proportional to money.

To be honest, I had some doubts about the small speakers like Sonos and the sound quality of the wireless connection, but the actual results greatly exceeded my expectation. The energy emitted by small boxes was quite outstanding. In particular, the SUB's low frequency is very fierce, and the performance of the big scene does not lose my Marantz's push (although they are all entry-level), especially the native AC3 track. To say that there is a deficiency lies in the fact that the mid-range is weaker, especially if the vocals are more pronounced than white, and the large-sized speakers in traditional theaters (my center is a double 5.5 mid-bass) are loose and thick. It was Sonos's little horn that couldn't be reached.

Eight. Summary

advantage:

1 no main speaker design, compact size, does not take up too much space

2. Beautiful industrial design, exquisite workmanship,

3.WIFI connection, no wiring trouble. 5.1 and 2.0 systems can be freely combined to meet different listening needs.

4. Easy to use and powerful APP, especially cloud music localization is very good.

5. For mobile devices with good support, we can easily push online and local music, but also support FLAC lossless format. .

6. Good sound quality performance, whether it is music playback or theater reproduction, have shown a good quality.

insufficient:

1. Multi-channel decoding capability is poor, especially DTS does not support, which allows us to choose when the film is not much, after all, DTS tracks to be more popular, and the effect must be better.

2. The expansion performance is weak, and Sonos does not have any more channel news yet.

3. There is also trouble with the power cord at the rear, and it is expected that there will be a battery version later.

4. It is not as easy to use Bluetooth as it can't be pushed to the speakers when the video is played on the mobile phone.

5. There is no physical switch, speakers are always standby, although it is a Class D amplifier, but it is also a waste

Sonos, as the leading wireless audio solution provider in the world, has achieved great success in both word of mouth and market. In particular, the user stickiness is even higher than that of fruits. This 5.1-theater system is undoubtedly the grandest of Sonos’s current technology. The use of time, still let me very satisfied with it. Through the above advantages and disadvantages, we can see that the advantages and disadvantages of the Sonos system are more obvious. We must combine our own habits when choosing. If you are a serious AV fan, care about performance and scalability, then Traditional theater is your choice. Build a set of panoramic sound with Blu-ray disc and projection, you will get good audio and video enjoyment; if you like a simple home improvement style to watch online video, like to use mobile phones to listen to songs, So choose SONOS is your right decision.

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