Surround sound is the difference between watching a movie and enjoying a movie. After all, what is the Star Wars opening crawl without the blaring brassy overture that can reverberate even the walls of the Death Star? Or Jaws without the rhythmic eeriness that foreshadows the presence of something sinister (and has you looking over your own shoulder)?
Quality home audio energizes the action on the screen with sound that brings emotional gravitas to a story, reinventing the soundscape with auditory effects that you can not only hear but that you can also feel.
For sound that moves you, look no further than Sonos. With a Sonos speaker or speaker set, you can enjoy clear, richly detailed sound that fills the room at any volume. But before we immerse ourselves in learning about the top-rated products this manufacturer has to offer, let’s dive into Sonos’s brand story.
Sound good? Excellent.
Sonos Brand Overview
As a software-driven audio company, Sonos creates technology that celebrates sound, continuously refining the listening experience and connecting listeners and creators.
With a team of world-class experts in acoustics and engineering, Sonos meticulously designs speakers from the inside-out, combining custom woofers and tweeters with proprietary software.
Fine-tuned by Oscar- and Grammy-winning producers and mixers, Sonos balances the science of sound with creative input from renowned artists—instilling feedback throughout the product development process to ensure Sonos speakers preserve the emotional intent of artistic works.
Sonos Speakers
Even if you’re far from being a self-proclaimed techie, the Sonos listening experience is effortless. In fact, reaping the benefits of a Sonos speaker is as easy as plugging it in, turning it on, and opening the Sonos app on your smartphone.
Now, here are some of the most innovative Sonos products and how they can revolutionize your home life.
Smart Speakers
Gifting you the ability to streamline your day-to-day routine, Sonos smart speakers can do more than just rattle your house with your favorite music; they give you more control over your home now than ever before.
The Sonos One (Gen 2) Voice Controlled Smart Speaker (ONEG2US1BLK and ONEG2US1WH) gives you hands-free control with the Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa so you can play music, set alarms, ask questions for instant answers, power your media, and more.
Most conveniently, a Sonos smart speaker can be prompted to kickstart a series of actions to start and end your days on the right note. The wake phrase “Alexa, good morning” can trigger your Sonos One smart speaker to give you a personalized news bulletin, read you the daily weather, go over your calendar, deliver the traffic report, and pump you up with your favorite upbeat songs from a music-streaming service of your choice.
By contrast, “Alexa, bedtime” can turn off your smart lights, adjust the temperature on your smart thermostat, and play a white-noise playlist or meditation podcast on your speaker so that you can unwind comfortably and with ease. Whether you’re a morning person or night owl, you’ll equally find that the possibilities are endless with a Sonos smart speaker.
Outdoor Speakers
With a Sonos outdoor speaker, you can easily take the party outside for music-filled evenings on the terrace and afternoon BBQs. Because it’s also a smart speaker, you can ask your portable and weather-resistant Sonos Move Smart Speaker (Move-BK and Move-WH) to adjust the treble and bass to drown out ambient noise.
In-Wall Speakers
If you’re partial to subtle design for your home theater setup, the Sonos In Wall Speakers (Pair) by Sonance (Sonos In-Wall by Sonance) have a flat panel with specially designed grilles that can be painted to match your walls.
To get the full Sonos experience, be sure to power these wired speakers with Amp to unlock customized Trueplay™ tuning, which accounts for the size, construction, and layout of your space to adjust for the best possible sound.
In-Ceiling Speakers
If mere subtlety is not enough, the Sonos In Ceiling Speakers (Pair) by Sonance (Sonos In-Ceiling by Sonance) are designed to disappear with easy-to-tuck-away square and round shapes.
Likewise, you can access customized sound with Trueplay™ by connecting your wired speakers with a Sonos Amp.
Bookshelf Speakers
For a competently designed compact speaker for your home office, bedroom, and other living spaces, a Sonos bookshelf speaker is bound to please, as it is engineered to maximize sound in small- to medium-sized rooms.
Equipped with smart stereo sound, the Sonos Five Bookshelf Speaker (FIVE-BLK and FIVE-WHT) allows you to experience vividly clear sound for music streaming in addition to increased memory and processing power that provide improved performance.
When positioned horizontally, the Sonos Five separates the left and right channels for impressive stereo sound. And when placed vertically, it can pair with another Sonos Five speaker to create an even wider soundstage while both speakers smartly adjust to have more detailed stereo separation.
Sonos Soundbar
When you pair your 4K Ultra HD TV with a Sonos soundbar, perfect picture meets perfect sound. Exquisitely designed to deliver loud, immersive sound that places you right in the center of the action, a Sonos soundbar can grow to a 5.1 surround sound system for the ultimate home theater experience replete with a subwoofer and rear speakers (but more on that later).
With a flexible design that allows you to rest it on your TV stand or mount it on your wall, the Sonos Playbar Wireless Home Theater Soundbar (PLAYBAR) boasts exceptional dialogue clarity and nine speakers designed in a phased speaker array to create a wider soundstage, conveying the directionality of sound according to where the action is taking place on the screen.
And splurging on a Sonos Arc Soundbar (ARC-BLK and ARC-WHT) means investing in a lifelike listening experience with Dolby Atmos and true 3D surround sound.
Sonos Subwoofer
If your floor doesn't rumble when you are watching movies, you are doing it wrong. Sonos subwoofers punctuate your home audio, adding an extra oomph for a well-rounded home theater setup.
For deep bass, connect the Sonos Sub Wireless Subwoofer (SUBG1US1BLK) to your Sonos system—and instantly hear and feel the difference.
Two force-canceling drivers at the center of the Sonos Sub eliminate vibration and rattle so you get powerful bass without any distortion. Sub takes over the lowest frequencies, enhancing the midrange playback from paired speakers so you experience fuller, more detailed sound. In other words, you can appreciate even lower lows and higher highs with a Sonos subwoofer.
Sonos Sets
Sonos audio systems are sets that involve any number of speakers and speaker types for a range of channel systems, depending on your desired experience. From minimal 3.1-channel setups for casual hangouts to 5.1 surround sets for home theater systems, Sonos speaker sets pack a punch. In terms of the number and sizes of speakers you choose, this should largely depend on the room you have, the aesthetic you want, and the volume you crave. (If you ask the audiophiles at Spencer’s TV & Appliance, they will tell you bigger is better).
Nothing anchors home-theater audio like dynamic bass that allows you to experience every boom, crash, and rumble in all its thunderous glory. A Sonos soundbar system makes movies, sports games, and other content come alive in one room so you can appreciate the soaring notes of a John Williams soundtrack or feel like you just experienced that Game 7 buzzer beater in person.
In most 5.1 home theater setups, the two front left and right speakers deliver the bulk of the sound that comes from soundtracks and sound effects. Meanwhile, the soundbar conveys clarity and directionality, and the subwoofer intensifies lower notes and underscores the subtlety in the background noise.
The Sonos 5.1 Entertainment Playbase Set (Sonos Playbase 5.1 Set-Black) comes with a TV-complementing soundbar that boasts 10 amplified speaker drivers as well as adjustable bass, treble, and volume controls to customize your sound preferences. A wireless subwoofer unlocks hidden parts of music that you wouldn’t hear otherwise, and two surround speakers deliver room-filling sound when placed on opposite corners of the room.
Let Us Help You
We hope our Sonos brand guide inspired you to dream bigger. Check out our online inventory of Sonos products, and if you need any assistance in designing your home theater, be sure to contact your friends in the business at Spencer’s TV & Appliance. Call or visit us today!