SlashGear

The Controller Interface

The full color screen on the controller was very bright and crisp. The overall interface was very easy to navigate. The only quibble I had was with a slight lag in response time I experienced when operating the controller while beside my computer. I don’t know if this has something to do with signal interference, but I often had to turn around and aim the controller directly at the ZP80 to avoid the lag. There is also no on/off button on the controller. Instead you have to navigate through a few menus to click the device off.

I took one video of the interface in action and some other screenshots.

Working with PC and Mac

So, the system is spectacular in its simplicity and quality while playing songs off Rhapsody, but how does it do with an existing collection of MP3s? Well, for that I installed the software on to both my PC and Macbook Pro. And again, within minutes I am playing music off both of them with ease. The software setup was incredibly fast and below is a screenshot of the Desktop Controller that shows up after the install is finished. I had to set up the music library and let the software index my songs, but that process was fairly intuitive.

The unfortunate part, but expectedly so, was that songs purchased off iTunes could not be played on the Sonos, at least not directly. Sonos claims that it is compatible with iTunes, but only so much in that it can play imported playlists from iTunes that consist of songs that were not purchased from the iTunes music store. So, what good does that do? Nothing really. A potential solution around this is connecting your PC or Mac directly to one of the ZPs via the included RCA mono-to-stereo cable and play your iTunes music as a line-in option. But then again, why make this effort, when you can probably find all the same songs on Rhapsody, play them and transfer them unlimited times, and get Rhapsody Radio for just $14.99 a month.

Line-In from other Audio Devices

Sonos lets you play music from external audio sources such as a CD player, portable MP3 player, or even your television via the line-in option. I decided to try and hook up my Sansa e280 MP3 player to the system using the included RCA mono-to-stereo cable. I was able to have both zones playing songs from my Sansa, and I could play, pause, and adjust the volume for each zone separately. But besides play, pause, and volume there was little else I could control, such as skipping forward or backwards and browsing the playlist. All that still had to be adjusted on the line-in source, the Sansa.

Conclusion

This system gets a big thumbs up. It’s not your traditional hefty audiophile wiring monstrosity that needs professional installation. Instead, it’s a clean and simple modular package for all music lovers that can be easily installed even by those with no sense of wiring, such as myself. To my untrained ears, the sound quality was excellent. The integrated Rhapsody music service makes getting new music very convenient and cost effective. Overall, the basic ability to wirelessly stream music from multiple sources to multiple zones while being able to sychronize the music in all zones as well as separately control the music in each zone via multiple controllers or computers makes one drown in a pool of drool. The price tag is a mighty $999 for this ZP80 bundle that I got my lucky hands on. But sadly I must bid it farewell as it is a review unit. Additional ZP80s are $349.99 each and ZP100s are $499 each. OUCH. Yes, it hurts, but the pain is worth it. And when better to find an excuse for dropping a grand on home audio than this merry holiday season. It sure beats the $12k you’d have to spend for the Sooloos, although that has other merits of its own.
Pros

• Able to access over 1 million songs from the Rhapsody music service and internet radio, all without even turning on your computer
• Incredibly easy and painless hardware setup
• Wirelessly stream digital music from multiple sources to multiple zones and control all this from multiple locations
• Line-in from external sources such as a portable audio player or television
• Works with both PCs and Macs
• Quick and simple software installation
• Easy to navigate interface
• Excellent sound quality
• Aesthetically pleasing modern design

Cons

• Slight lag in controller’s response; may be due to all the wireless peripherals I had around my computer
• Cannot play songs purchased off iTunes music store
• No on/off button on the controller, must click through the menus to shut off
• One ZonePlayer must be connected to your cable/dsl router, which is typically close to your computer, which you typically already have speakers for
• ZP80s require you to have existing stereos or amplifiers
• Empties at least a grand from your pockets for a basic two-room setup