Fresh to the updated app is the ability to set alarms, waking yourself in the morning (or after a sneaky afternoon nap) with your favorite playlist. There’s also more control over music library management, taking advantage of the extra screen space on offer, along with Twitter support. That allows you to tweet out what you’re currently listening to.

Meanwhile, Sonos has thrown in Slacker Radio support for all users (as long as they’re in North America) offering 150 free streaming music channels. There’s also better integration with Spotify, along with AAC+ track support.

The Sonos Controller for Android app is a free download from the Android Market. You’ll obviously need at least one Sonos device in order to use it, however, along with a suitable Android tablet. The company also offers versions of its app for Android smartphones and iOS devices like the iPad and iPhone.

One local dealer posted a comment on the Sonos blog announcement that wasn’t happy at all about the Target discount. The comment reads, “Thanks for letting the big outlet stores get additional 5% off… and nothing off for the local dealers who have got you to this size in the first place!” The smaller dealers have a point too.

The Play:3 will cost the same money that it sells for everywhere before the 5% discount for people using a Target card to pay. It will sell for $299.99 and the Play:5 will sell for $399.99. This move will certainly help Sonos go more mainstream.

“We are thrilled to bring the new age of listening out loud to Target Guests,” said John MacFarlane, CEO here at Sonos. “Streaming music has gone mainstream and Sonos is dedicated to providing music lovers with the simplest way to enjoy all the music on earth in every room.”

Sonos blamed unforeseen changes in OS X Lion for the lapse in support, though still received plenty of wrath from owners used to the easy-to-use streaming system. The app had originally used SMB for file sharing, but Apple changed from using the open-source Samba implementation of SMB to a proprietary version of its own. Sonos tweaked its system to fix it, but also required changes in Lion be made on Apple’s side.

“We filed a bug with Apple but they were unable to address the issue prior to launch” Sonos explained shortly after the issue was spotted. “We worked through June and July to support the creation of new shares and the restoration of shares from earlier versions. Our goal was to get that code into our 3.5 release. However, there are many different use cases for local music sharing and we were unable to cover them all before our launch.”

To get the new software, choose “Check for Updates” in the Sonos menu in the Sonos Controller for Mac app.

Bach had spent 22 years at Microsoft, where most recently he was President of the Entertainment & Devices Division in charge of such projects as Xbox and Zune. His retirement was announced back in May 2010 - though he didn’t leave the company until the fall – and he left to spend time with his family and on the boards of a number of non-profit organizations.

For Sonos, this could be an important step in getting its distributed audio kit into brick & mortar retailers, where it will stand a greater chance against big-name rivals. The company recently announced the PLAY:3, it’s most affordable model, while MacFarlane has said that he sees home theater kit as a potential future avenue for the firm.

Asked whether Sonos was at risk from AirPlay, MacFarlane insisted that – while his company does compete with high-end manufacturers such as B&W – the two products prioritize very different segments. “ If what you’re after is getting your music off your phone and into the room, AirPlay is a no-brainer” he concedes. “If what you’re after is enjoying a wonderful experience around the home, it’s a no-brainer for us.”

What MacFarlane isn’t willing to do is just use a couple of PLAY:3 units as wireless rear channel speakers and leave it at that. Instead, Sonos is looking at how it can find some of the success of, say, Bose’s 3-2-1 but with the audio quality and wireless convenience the company is known for.

Don’t expect to see Sonos in the car or making personal audio systems, though, despite rumors earlier this year. “The home is really different than an auto or personal, because those are two very personal experiences” the CEO argues, “that’s just a really different world than those other two.”

The 5.2 x 10.6 x 6.3 inch unit can handle both the left and right stereo channels, or two can be paired together to take a channel each. As usual, there’s remote control support for either Sonos’ official units or the Android/iOS apps for iPhone, smartphones and tablets; the PLAY:3 can be stood horizontally or vertically, and comes with a standard mounting socket if you want to fit it to the wall or ceiling.

Volume and mute buttons are provided on the PLAY:3 unit itself, though unlike other Sonos products there’s no line-in input for sharing what your iPod is playing around the home. However, you can pair it with the Sonos DOCK and do that (as well as charge your iPod at the same time).

The Sonos PLAY:3 is on sale today, priced at $299. Sonos has also slashed the price of the BRIDGE – the network adapter that sets up the mesh network – to $49, and renamed the Sonos S5 to the PLAY:5.

Smaller than the existing Sonos S5, the S3/Play:3 is a three driver speaker system, according to Amazon, consisting of three digital amps, a tweeter, two mid-range drivers and a bass radiator. Functionally it’ll be more of what we’ve already seen from Sonos: easy streaming from your own music, whether stored on a computer or a NAS, along with internet radio access, all controlled either from the company’s dedicated remotes or – probably more appealing to the S3 customer – the free apps for Android and iOS devices.

“The smaller, sexier, tuck in a corner and blow out the roof, all-in-one player. Wirelessly stream your entire itunes library, favorite music services, and thousands of radio stations from around the world. Versatile enough to put anywhere and still fill the room with sound. Set up simply, and expand until every room in your home is packed with music. All playing a different song in every room or the same song in perfect synchronization. Control it all from your Android iPhone or iPad using the free Sonos CONTROL app” Amazon product description

Pricing for the Sonos Play:3 is $299, while availability was listed as 2-5 weeks when the page was still active. That would suggest an official announcement sooner rather than later. It’s still more expensive than Logitech’s Squeezebox Radio, which is now down to $179, but the legendary Sonos usability may prove the big temptation.

[via Engadget]

Sonos is perhaps the best-known of the partnerships, and the super-straightforward all-house audio system lends itself well to Spotify’s 15m-strong catalog of tracks and creating a high-tech jukebox. Spotify integration landed for European customers back in late 2010, and now US users can search for content from their Sonos remotes (including the Android and iOS apps) and access personal and shared playlists.

Rival streaming audio system Squeezebox, by Logitech, also began offering the same integration earlier this year, and with hardware generally cheaper than Sonos is a more cost-effective way of getting set up. Conversely, it loses out somewhat in ease of installation and usability. Onkyo’s 2011 range of networked audio receivers will also support Spotify playback, with the company promising an imminent firmware update – beginning with February’s TX-NR609 - that will add compatibility to US models.

Motorola, meanwhile, has been named Spotify’s “exclusive launch partner” in the US, though the exact nature of the deal hasn’t been made clear. “As an exclusive launch partner of Spotify, we are able to provide our consumers not only with innovative products, but also premium access to an unparalleled music experience” Motorola CMO Bill Ogle suggests, hinting that bundled on-device Spotify access might be included with future slates and phones.

Software integration is also growing. Spotify already works with Shazam on iOS and Android, offering an easy way to play back tracks identified using the music fingerprinting app. There’s connectivity with Twitter and other social networking services, too, allowing you to share your currently-playing track and other details.

These existing deals may just be the tip of the iceberg, however. Outside the US, Spotify is currently accessible via TV service through Sweden and Finland’s TeliaSonera, while a UK deal with Virgin Media will see broadband, TV and cellphone subscribers getting subsidized access. Facebook is also expected to announce a significant partnership later this year as well.

Although Spotify’s flexibility is growing, it’s worth remembering that this advanced functionality doesn’t come free. While the music service does offer PC and Mac playback free as long as you listen to adverts, any mobile use or playback through Sonos, Squeezebox or Onkyo systems demands a Premium account, currently priced at $9.99 per month. On the plus side, premium subscribers get higher-quality tracks and offline playback support (platform allowing), as well as being able to jump the queue for free account invites.

For more on Spotify, check out our SlashGear 101 report giving you everything you need to know.

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The new speaker is apparently called the Play:3 and it looks a lot like the speakers that often come with computers. Sonos generally names their speakers with a correlation of the number in the name and the number of speakers actually inside the case. For instance, the Sonos S5 houses five different speakers inside its single cabinet. That would seem to hint that the Play:3 may well have three speakers inside.

Looking at the size of the case to the FCC bench I could see it having a high, mid, and a woofer crammed inside. Down in the gallery is an image of the label for the Play:3 with one in white and the other in black. That would seem to indicate the device will come in white and black colors. We don’t know how large the speaker is, when it will land, or what it will cost at this point.

[via Zatznotfunny]

We played with the Sonos Controller for Android app back in February – you can see it in action in the video below – and found it to be even better than its iOS counterpart. Sonos missed its original release date, but the app will be in the Android Market today.

As for the AirPlay support in Sonos 3.4, that allows for music to be streamed from an iPod, iPhone or iPad, just as the system currently allows for iTunes access. It can be streamed to a single room or synchronized across all rooms.

Press Release:

Sonos Controller for Android Now available on Android Market

Sonos Gives Android Fans Amazing Sound, Unlimited Music and Incredible Wireless Control in Every Room of the Home

London, UK – April 19, 2011 – Sonos, the leading developer of wireless
multi-room music systems for the home, today announced that the Sonos
Controller for Android is now available for download as a free app on the
Android Market™. Sonos Controller for Android transforms most Android™ smartphones into a wireless music controller for the award-winning Sonos Multi-Room Music System. To see a video on how you can use an Android smartphone to control music all over the home with Sonos, please visit www.sonos.com/android.

“We’re pleased to deliver a great new way for music lovers to tap into all the music on earth,” said John MacFarlane, founder and CEO, Sonos, Inc. “Now Android owners can pull out their phones and bring music home with Sonos.”

With the award-winning Sonos S5 in any room and an Android smartphone in hand, music fans can now enjoy an unmatched wireless music experience in the home. Access and play all the music on earth – from the Internet and your personal music library – throughout the home, wirelessly. Play the same song in every room of the house – perfectly synchronized. Or mix it up and play different songs in different rooms. Use the free Sonos Controller for Android to control the music in each room, all from the palm of your hand. Search for songs and stations by typing, or by speaking, thanks to the new Sonos music voice search feature. Also, turn the hard buttons on the Android smartphone into volume control. And because your Android phone is controlling the music – not the source of it – when a text comes in or you need to make a phone call, the music doesn’t stop.

The Sonos Controller for Android works on any Android smartphone running Android 2.1 or later with a screen size of HVGA 320 x 480, WVGA 480 x 800 or WVGA 480 x 854. Sonos Controller for Android joins the family of Sonos Controllers which includes free apps for iPhone and iPad, a dedicated touchscreen controller, the Sonos Controller 200, and free software for your Mac or PC, which is included with every ZonePlayer. All controllers work together seamlessly.

In conjunction with today’s Sonos Controller for Android availability, Sonos has released Sonos System Software v3.4 which features support for Apple AirPlay music sources, iOS multi-tasking and more. For more details, see additional press release or visit:

http://sonos.com/support/software_update.aspx

Press Release:

Now playing all over the home: Apple Airplay music sources on Sonos

Sonos offers the only true, multi-room Apple AirPlay experience with an Apple AirPort Express

London, UK – April 19, 2011 – Sonos, the leading developer of wireless
multi-room music systems for the home, today introduced Sonos System
Software 3.4, a free software update that adds more music and more
features to the Sonos music experience. Sonos 3.4 makes it easy to play
Apple AirPlay music sources all over the home, and adds support for Apple
iPad and Apple iPhone multitasking and Sonos Controller for Android.

“The cool AirPlay feature for music is sending a song from an iOS device to a speaker or receiver,” said John MacFarlane, founder and CEO, Sonos, Inc. “Today Sonos improves the AirPlay experience with party mode so a music lover can send a song from his iPhone or iPad to all the rooms in a home with perfect synchronisation.”

Apple AirPlay Music Sources on Sonos

Now you can stream songs from your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch all over
your home on Sonos. Connect an Apple Airport Express via line-in to any
Sonos ZonePlayer and enjoy the only true, multi-room Apple AirPlay
experience.

• Party Mode: Only on Sonos can you send a song from your iOS device
to multiple ZonePlayers throughout your home and enjoy that song in
every room, simultaneously
• Different songs in different rooms, Sonos-style: Since 2005, only on
Sonos can you play different music from your iTunes library in different
rooms of the home

For more information about how to play Apple AirPlay music sources on
Sonos, for recommended setup and more, please visit www.sonos.com/AirPlay.

Other Sonos 3.4 features include:

Faster wireless control on your iPhone and iPad with iOS multitasking
support. Find and play your music even faster with multitasking updates
available on the free Sonos Controller for iPhone and Sonos Controller for
iPad. Both are available for download from the iTunes App Store.

More control with support for Sonos Controller for Android. Transform your favourite Android smartphone into a full-fledged Sonos Controller with a free app you can download from Android Market today. Sonos Controller for Android features innovative music voice search so you find any artist, album or track by simply speaking into your phone. For more details, see additional press release or visit www.sonos.com/android

Full details of the Sonos 3.4 software release can be found here:
http://sonos.com/support/software_update.aspx

“We know Android fans are anxiously awaiting the Sonos Controller for Android. Unfortunately, testing the app is taking a bit longer than we anticipated. The latest addition to our free controller line-up won’t arrive until April, but when it does, it is going to rock” Andrew Schulert, Vice President, Quality, Sonos

Like the iOS versions of the software-controller, the Android app will allow owners of Sonos’ multi-room streaming audio systems to control playback of their music – whether on the local network or from internet radio stations and services – in all of the zones in their home. A free download, it will significantly lower the entry-cost of ownership for the Sonos system.

Sonos says to listen to your SiriusXM on the S5 all you need is a subscription to the satellite radio service and one of the Sonos controllers like the app for iPhone, iPad, or the recently unveiled Android app when it lands in March. Access to the music is available from the menu of any of the controller apps.

SiriusXM subscriptions are $2.99 monthly for an internet radio subscription when added to an existing satellite radio account for your car or home or $12.95 monthly for an internet only account. Those that already have an account are ready to go according to Sonos, but the passwords have to be updated in your SiriusXM account to be compatible with Sonos.

That includes voice search and use of the hardware volume buttons. Head over to Android Community for all the details, or check out our video demo below.

Voice control also works for searching for new streaming radio stations, and the Android app has the same multi-room volume and track control as its predecessors. It requires a device running Android 2.1 or later, with a screen size of HVGA 320 x 480, WVGA 480 x 800 or WVGA 480 x 854; that basically means most recent phones.

Video demo after the cut

Sonos will be showing off the Sonos Controller for Android app next week at Mobile World Congress 2011, and you can bet we’ll be stopping by to check it out. More details in the video below.

Press Release:

ROCK THE HOUSE: SONOS INTRODUCES SONOS CONTROLLER FOR ANDROID

Wireless Music System for Android Provides Unlimited Music, Incredible Control and Amazing Sound in Every Room

SANTA BARBARA, CA–February 10, 2011–Sonos, the leading developer of wireless multi-room music systems for the home, today introduced the Sonos Controller for Android, a free app that transforms most Android™ smartphones into a wireless music controller for the award-winning Sonos Multi-Room Music System. The Sonos Controller for Android, available in late March as a free download from Android Market™, will make its public debut next week at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. To watch a video introduction of the Sonos Controller for Android, please visit www.sonos.com/android.

With the award-winning Sonos S5 in any room and an Android phone in hand, music lovers will enjoy an unmatched wireless music experience in the home. You’ll be able to access and play all the music on earth–from the Internet and your personal music library–throughout the home, wirelessly. Use the free Sonos Controller for Android app to control all your music and rooms, all from the palm of your hand. And, Sonos Controller for Android features Sonos’ latest innovation in the home music experience–music voice search–allowing users to find any artist, album or track by simply speaking into the phone.

“Sonos’ mission is to fill every home with music,” said John MacFarlane, CEO, Sonos, Inc. “We are thrilled to bring the joy of music to the homes of Android fans worldwide.”

To get started enjoying music in any or every room of the home, all you need is a Sonos ZonePlayer and a Sonos Controller such as the free Sonos Controller for Android. The most popular Sonos ZonePlayer is the Sonos S5, an all-in-one wireless music system you can plug in anywhere. Now you can play any track you like, anytime you like, in any room you like. Wirelessly play the same song in every room of the house–perfectly synchronized. Or, mix it up and play different songs in different rooms.

When it comes to controlling Sonos, you simply reach into your pocket for your Android smartphone. With Sonos Controller for Android, you can search for songs and stations by typing or speaking, choose the music and control the volume in as many rooms as you like. And because your Android phone is controlling the music, and not the source of it, when a text comes in or you need to make a phone call, the music doesn’t stop.

Sonos connects directly to the Internet so you can access a world of music without ever turning on your computer. Search and play more than 100,000 Internet radio stations, shows and podcasts–from around the world. Play songs, playlists and radio from the most popular music services like Deezer, iheartradio, Last.fm, Napster, Pandora, Rdio, Rhapsody, SiriusXM Internet Radio, Spotify, Wolfgang’s Vault, and more. And of course, Sonos can play your entire digital music library (such as iTunes) stored on a computer or Network Attached storage drive.

The Sonos Controller for Android is designed to work on any Android smartphone running Android 2.1 or later with a screen size of HVGA 320 x 480, WVGA 480 x 800 or WVGA 480 x 854. Sonos Controller for Android joins the family of Sonos Controllers which includes free apps for iPhone and iPad, a dedicated touchscreen controller, the Sonos Controller 200, and free software for your Mac or PC, included with every ZonePlayer. All controllers work together seamlessly.

Sonos will be demonstrating the Sonos Controller for Android at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain February 13-17, 2011. For a demonstration in person, you’ll find Sonos at the following locations:

• Android: Hall 8; Booth 8C25
• Motorola: Hall 8, Booth 8A28
• Sonos: Hall 7; Suite 7HS11

For more information about Sonos or to locate an authorized Sonos dealer in your area, please visit www.sonos.com or call 877.80.SONOS.

In fact, the next platform to get a mobile app – Sonos currently has software for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad – will be that which has the best mixture of music fans. “We can see a handful of other potential platforms,” Cullen says, “and we want to see which one has the biggest concentration of music lovers.”

As for sales success, Cullen said that fears the free iOS apps would cannibalize sales of the dedicated Sonos remote and drive down profits have failed to pan out. In fact – as with the launch of the cheaper Sonos S5 all-in-one – sales of new systems have more than offset any initial losses.

Controls are, like with most Sonos products, minimal; the company expects you to manage your music library from a remote control or the iOS app on another Apple product.  Still, there are volume buttons on the side, and a “join household” button on the back.

The Sonos Wireless Dock WD100 is compatible with the iPod touch (1st, 2nd, and 3rd generation), iPod classic, iPod nano (3rd, 4th, and 5th generation), and iPhone (original, 3G, 3GS and 4).  It also supports AutoPlay, which can be set to begin streaming content to one or more ZonePlayers when a device is docked.

As with Sonos, the Raumfeld setup consists of multiple, wirelessly-connected zones that can be controlled with a single remote (though of course more than one remote can be added if you so wish). Raumfeld currently offer four main types of component – Base, Controller, Connector and Speaker – which can be bought individually or as a pre-bundled system. The company sent us a custom bundle for review that’s suitable for distributing audio to three rooms.

The Raumfeld Base is the heart of the system, a router-sized black and silver box with twin WiFi antenna and three LEDs. Not only is it responsible for creating the WiFi b/g network that each Raumfeld component links to – unlike Sonos, the German firm use regular WiFi rather than a proprietary mesh network – it has a 160GB hard-drive inside that can be used to serve up audio without your PC or Mac being switched on. On the back there are two ethernet ports – one for your router, another a simple pass-through – a serial port (for debugging), two USB 2.0 ports which can be used to add external hard-drives and thus boost storage, and a setup button (which we’ll come back to).

The Raumfeld Controller is a chunky, weighty touchscreen device with a capacitive panel and a large volume dial. Beyond the power button that’s the only physical control; everything else is managed via the touchscreen. On the top, under hinged rubber flaps, are a USB port (for manual firmware updates) and a power connector; however the remote comes with a charging station that the Controller sits in horizontally. The display is a bright 480 x 272 resolution panel, while inside there’s a motion sensor – which wakes the remote when picked up – and a WiFi b/g radio.

Raumfeld’s equivalent of the Sonos ZonePlayers are their Connector and Speaker components. The Connector is roughly the size of a hardback book and has analog and digital S/PDIF outputs, an ethernet port if you’re not using the WiFi, and an analog audio input. The latter allows you to hook up an external source – such as a CD player or turntable – and play that not only through the local Connector but through any zone in the Raumfeld system. There’s also a USB port, but that’s only used for system recovery; you can’t add a hard-drive as you can with the Base.

Finally, the Raumfeld Speakers, of which there are currently two sizes. Both the Raumfeld Speaker S and Speaker M systems integrate the networking and amplification into one of the units themselves: all you need is a single power connection (and wired ethernet if you’re not using the WiFi) and you’re running. Sonos’ S5 is the closest comparison, though of course that bundles both left and right channels into the same housing, whereas with the Raumfelds you can stretch the soundstage as far as your room (and speaker cable) allows. Sonos will allow you to pair two S5′s wirelessly and designate one to each stereo channel, but that’s an expensive proposition.

The Speaker S pair get a Cirrus Logic 24-bit DAC and output 2 x 15W RMS via 0.75-inch tweeters and 4-inch woofers. The larger Speaker M pair upgrade the amplification with an ADAM Audio unit, and output 2 x 30W via ART tweeters and 5.5-inch Rohacell woofers. As with the Connector, both sets of speakers have an analog audio input for piping an external source through the Raumfeld system, but they can also use that as a source in standalone mode (i.e. playing media locally); Raumfeld offer them in black or white finishes. A neat touch is that, during setup, you can choose which speaker handles which stereo channel, useful for working around unhelpfully placed AC sockets.

So far, so good, and the Raumfeld kit certainly feels well put together. The Base and Connector are a little on the plasticky side – similar in feel to a router, in fact – but are neither creaky nor cheap to the touch, while the speakers are heavy, solid and – with their brushed aluminum bezels and volume controls – pleasing to the touch.

If the setup process was a headache, all that flexibility would be for naught; happily that’s not the case. On the back of each unit is a setup button which basically triggers the component announcing itself to the network. When the Controller is first powered on, it walks you through connecting to the Base – a case of holding the setup button on the Base down for a few seconds, and allowing the system to pair them together – and after that registering each Speaker pair or Connector unit is a case of choosing “Add Room” from the Controller’s settings and hitting the setup button on the back.

During that process, each room can be named using an on-screen keyboard, and those names are then used for zone management. Like with Sonos, you can have separate content playing in each zone, or group multiple zones together and synchronize the media across them all. It’s a straightforward process, too: tapping Connect All from the zone management pane links every available room, or you can hit the plus buttons next to the individual zone listings to group or ungroup them. At the bottom of the Controller display are three persistent controls – Home, Zones and Media – and you can pin your favorite sources to the homescreen.

Those sources can be pretty varied, too. As well as the 160GB hard-drive in the Raumfeld Base – which shows up as a standard shared drive to PCs and Macs on the network – there’s internet radio support (split into categories and locations, and with station artwork), the analog inputs on each Connector/Speaker, and any shared media on PCs, Macs, or network-attached storage. There’s plenty of format support, too, with the Raumfeld handling MP3, WAV, Flac, Ogg Vorbid, ASF, WMA, M4A, AAC and Apple Lossless at standard or variable nitrates, while it can also load WPL, M3U, PLS and iTunes playlists. There’s also RadioTime, Napster and Last.fm streaming integration, if you have accounts with those services. If you want to access your iTunes library, you can either copy it across to the Raumfeld Base or share the relevant folder on your computer. Finally, there’s UPnP support.

It’s certainly flexible, and could easily get overwhelming if the UI wasn’t so straightforward. Start off with a few tracks saved to the Base, and it’s easy to get to grips with the system. Tracks on the Base began playing almost instantly, while those in shared folders would sometimes take a little longer to begin; still, nothing approaching frustrating. Audio quality from the Connector is of course dependent on the amplifier and speakers you’ve hooked up.

As for the Raumfeld Speakers, unsurprisingly the Speaker M set is the more impressive of the two pairs. The Speaker S are clear but do suffer from distortion when cranked up – either by the local volume control or the dial on the Controller – and are short on bass for particularly thumping tracks. It’s not a criticism we’d level at the Speaker M pair, however, which are bright, powerful and clean even at high volumes. Not short on bass, they also do a great job on vocal-heavy audio, with great separation.

Nonetheless, the system isn’t perfect and it’s not hard to pinpoint what Raumfeld need to do in order to catch up with Sonos. The biggest shortcoming is the reliance on the Controller. Sonos offer their own hardware remotes, but also provide users with free software remotes for iOS, Android and PC/Mac. Right now, you can assign audio via UPnP to a Raumfeld zone using Windows Media Player, but there’s no way to control the system from your smartphone or even from your desktop browser. We’d like to see a web interface running on the Raumfeld Base, but failing that a simple software client that replicated the Controller would suffice.

Sonos also has the advantage with their wireless system, which is more flexible than the regular WiFi the Raumfeld Base uses. In short, each Raumfeld component – Controller, Connector and Speakers – links directly to the Base, just as with a normal WiFi router. That means the range is limited to whatever wireless strength the Base itself can muster. In contrast, each Sonos component acts as a node in one large mesh, extending the range in P2P fashion. If you want to extend your Raumfeld system’s wireless range, the company suggests you use a WiFi repeater.

How, then, do the two systems compare in cost? We’re working from UK pricing for both stores, here, since Raumfeld doesn’t currently have US pricing. The Raumfeld Controller is £349 while the Sonos Controller 200 is £279; both the Raumfeld Connector and the Sonos ZonePlayer 90 are also £279. Raumfeld’s speakers – which integrated wireless and amps – are £349 for the Speaker S and £699 for the Speaker M. The obvious Sonos comparison is the ZonePlayer S5, which is £349 but combines both channels into a single unit; you can pair two wirelessly, but obviously that costs £698. Alternatively, you can pick up an amplified ZonePlayer 120 for £399 and add your own speakers.

There’s no real Sonos equivalent to the Raumfeld Base (£299); the £79 ZoneBridge links a regular network to the Sonos mesh network, but lacks the integrated storage. Both systems can pull music from networked computers and NAS. The 3Raumfeld system – which includes one each of the Controller, Connector and Base, and two sets of Speaker S – is £1,381 (saving £244 from if you bought them separately); a 2Raumfeld system, with just one set of speakers, is £1,149.

Making comparisons on price is tricky, given the two systems aren’t like-for-like comparable. You could also argue that there are far cheaper ways to enable streaming audio; the Orb MP-1, for instance, is a $69 WiFi b/g/n audio dongle that works with the company’s free software and does, at its core, what the Raumfeld Connector and Sonos ZonePlayer 90 do. It’s likely to require more technical knowledge, however, and the straightforward setup Raumfeld offers is a real boon.

In the end, Raumfeld’s system shows real promise. Although it’s just as easy as Sonos to set up, there’s a sense that it’s also got more geek flexibility: the USB ports on the Base, for instance, and the UPnP support. Whether Raumfeld develop that potential is what remains to be seen – they need, after all, to differentiate themselves from Sonos, and they’re obviously not choosing the “easy” route and doing it on price alone. An obvious path would’ve been throwing in video and photo streaming, though whether WiFi-g could handle Full HD content is a good question. What we can’t knock is the simplicity and audio quality of the current Raumfeld system, particularly the Speaker M’s, and when fed with high-quality files it adds up to multi-room audio that shines. Sonos may be the knee-jerk option in distributed music, but Raumfeld definitely deserves consideration.

As you’d expect, you can control not only what is playing in the zone you’re currently in, but what music is streaming to other rooms in the house.  You can then group or ungroup different zones, control volume – either independently or collectively – and browse all the music stored in various places in the Sonos network.

For Spotify, meanwhile, you’ll need a premium subscription with the streaming music service, and of course it’s not currently available in the US

Press Release:

SONOS CONTROLLER FOR IPAD NOW AVAILABLE AS FREE APP

Wirelessly control all your music across rooms from any iPad

Hilversum, The Netherlands – September 29, 2010 – Sonos, the leading developer of wireless multi-room music systems for the home, today announced that the Sonos Controller for iPad is now available as a free app in the iTunes App Store.

Building upon the success of the highly rated and very popular Sonos Controller for iPhone, the Sonos Controller for iPad is a new, dedicated music controller that is optimised for the iPad’s large touch screen. From the comfort of your sofa, you and your friends can view your rooms, your music and what songs are playing – all at once – in landscape or portrait mode. Quickly search for your favourite artists by typing on the virtual keyboard and browse through albums by pointing and flicking. The Sonos Controller for iPad allows everyone in the home to be a DJ. You can browse, search and drag and drop to create the perfect playlist. Get a complete view of what’s playing in every zone, complete with full-colour album art, elapsed time of a song and much more. Group your zones together or play different songs in different rooms – without interrupting music playback.

“The iPad, with its large, vibrant touch screen, provides an excellent Controller user experience for music in the home,” said John MacFarlane, CEO, Sonos, Inc. “In keeping with the tradition of getting better over time – and, at no cost to our customers – we’re thrilled to provide another free app that makes it fun and easy to search, find and play music in any and every room of the home.”

Sonos gives you instant access to millions of songs and stations, including your iTunes collection. And because Sonos ZonePlayers connect directly to the Internet, you can access a world of music without ever turning your computer on. All you need is a Sonos ZonePlayer such as the Sonos S5 all-in-one wireless music system and a Sonos Controller such as the free Sonos Controller for iPad. Now you can play any track you like, anytime you like, in any room you like. Wirelessly play the same song in every room of the house – perfectly synchronised. Or, mix it up and play different songs in different rooms. And control it all anywhere you like, right from your iPad or iPhone. Just pick a room, pick a song and touch play.

In conjunction with the Sonos Controller for iPad, Sonos today also released the Sonos Software 3.3 with support for Spotify on Sonos that gives music lovers instant access to more than ten million songs and all of their playlists in any room of the home. Please see additional press release for more details or visit www.sonos.com/Spotify.

To learn more about the Sonos Controller for iPad, please visit www.sonos.com/iPad.

It’s all Apple certified, so there shouldn’t be any annoying “this accessory isn’t supported” pop-ups, and it’ll work with a broad range of the company’s hardware: the iPod touch (1st, 2nd, and 3rd generation), iPod classic, iPod nano (3rd, 4th, and 5th generation), and iPhone (original, 3G, 3GS and 4).  Sadly no iPad support, since the cradle is the wrong shape.

You’ll obviously need a whole Sonos system in order to use it – the wireless standard the company uses is proprietary, so you can’t just stream music from your iPhone 4 to a nearby netbook, for example – so budget that in too.  The new Sonos Wireless Dock WD100 will be available by the end of October, priced at $119.

Press Release:

SONOS INTRODUCES THE SONOS WIRELESS DOCK

New Sonos iPod accessory will be available by the end of October

SANTA BARBARA, CA – September 23, 2010 – Sonos, the leading developer of wireless multi-room music systems for the home, today introduced the Sonos Wireless Dock (WD100), an accessory to the award-winning Sonos Multi-Room Music System. With the Sonos Wireless Dock you can now play all of the music from an iPod or iPhone in every room of the house. The Sonos Wireless Dock will be available for $119 beginning by the end of October.

“The Sonos Wireless Dock is the perfect accessory for our music loving customers who own an iPod or iPhone and want to enjoy the music stored on them in any or every room of the home,” said Phil Abram, President, Sonos, Inc. “This new dock reinforces our mission to provide our customers with access to all of the music on the planet, including everything available on an iPod and iPhone in the home.”

The Sonos Wireless Dock accesses all of the music stored or playing on an iPhone or iPod and sends it wirelessly to Sonos ZonePlayers all throughout your home – before converting the music to analog – guaranteeing the best possible audio quality.

The Sonos Wireless Dock is compatible with the following devices: iPod touch (1st, 2nd, and 3rd generation), iPod classic, iPod nano (3rd, 4th, and 5th generation), iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 3G and iPhone, and has been certified by the developer to meet Apple performance standards.

For more information about Sonos or to locate an authorized Sonos dealer in your area, please visit www.sonos.com.

The Sonos S5 wireless music system will get the ability to stream Spotify all around the house without needing a computer and with no need to dock a music player. Exactly when the new feature will be added is unknown, Sonos only says, “coming soon.”

Spotify on the Sonos S5 will require a premium account with Spotify and will let the user search for any artist, album, and track to play in whatever room the S5 is plugged into. The Spotify music will stream at 320 kbps. The service will only work in the countries where Spotify is available.

“Delivering the highest quality products that exceed our customers’ expectations has always been our mission at Sonos. Nothing less will do. Which is why we are postponing the shipment of our new Sonos Controller for iPad app until the end of September. We’re disappointed, but know that the result will be worth the wait. In the meantime, customers can continue to use the Sonos Controller for iPhone app on their iPad.” Sonos statement

The exact details of the delay have not been given, but we’re assuming Sonos is working on perfecting the stability and functionality of the app before its public release.  The company has made its name on the intuitiveness of their UI – whether on dedicated Sonos remotes or their iPhone app – and releasing patchy software could undermine that.

As for functionality, Sonos Controller for iPad supports internet radio as well as various online streaming media services such as Pandora, Last.fm and Napster.  Track playback and volume levels for all zones can be controlled individually or collectively, and Sonos has promised the app will be free.

Video demo after the cut

As well as local sources, Sonos Controller for iPad will also support internet radio as well as various online streaming media services such as Pandora, Last.fm and Napster.  Volume levels for all zones can be controlled from a single slider, or managed individually.

Sonos Controller for iPad will be a free download from August 2010.

The new color version follows on from Sonos’ recent software upgrade for the S5, which allows two of the units to be paired up as stereo speakers.  While the company still expects most people to use a single S5 as their main source of audio for a room, the ability to couple two up (using one for the left audio channel and the other for the right) is billed as useful for parties and other times you’d want more impressive sound.

Press Release:

The Award-Winning Sonos ZonePlayer S5. Now In Black.

ALL-IN-ONE WIRELESS MUSIC SYSTEM CONTROLLED WITH AN IPHONE PRAISED AS “GADGET OF THE YEAR”

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – June 2, 2010 – Sonos®, Inc., the leading developer of wireless multi-room music systems for the home, today introduced the latest addition to its suite of products – the Sonos ZonePlayer S5 in black. Applauded by experts as one of the Gadgets of the Year, the Sonos S5 is an all-in-one wireless music system that can be controlled with an iPhone™, iPod® touch or any Sonos Controller. The Sonos S5 (in both black and white) has a suggested retail price of $399 and can be purchased at any authorized Sonos retailer or at Sonos.com. To view an introduction video about the Sonos S5, visit www.sonos.com/S5demo.

The key features of the Sonos S5 include:

Room-filling sound: 5 integrated speakers and 5 dedicated digital amplifiers provide crystal-clear audio that fills any room with music.
Unlimited music from iTunes and the Internet: Play way more than what fits on your iPod, including all your iTunes, free Internet radio and millions of songs and stations from the Internet, including iheartradio, Last.fm, Napster®, Pandora®, Rhapsody®, SIRIUS® Internet Radio, and more.
Control with an iPhone or iPod touch: Download the free Sonos Controller for iPhone app and search for songs, choose the music and control the volume in any room from anywhere. Don’t have an iPhone? Use any wireless handheld Sonos Controller or the Sonos Controller for Mac or PC.
Wireless expandability: Add more S5s wirelessly and fill your whole house with music. Then, play the same song in every room or different songs in different rooms.
“We’re thrilled to expand our product portfolio to include the S5 in black,” said Phil Abram, President, Sonos, Inc. “We felt it was important to offer our customers a choice when designing their perfect Sonos setup for different rooms of their home.”

To learn more about Sonos, locate an authorized Sonos retailer or make a purchase, please visit www.sonos.com or call 877.80.SONOS.

The new mode is being added in a new software update and allows the user to use a pair of S5 speakers as stereo speakers. The user can designate each speaker as a left or right unit for better sound. Standard S5 speakers operate on their own.

The feature is a slick way for users who have multiple S5 units to combine two speakers when they want better sound and then return the individual units to stand alone mode when they want music in multiple rooms. The speakers are synchronized to prevent any latency issues when used in stereo pair mode. The new mode will be offered in the 3.2 software release set for this month.

The survey hints at a smaller and less expensive S5 that would replace an alarm clock in the bedroom. Another question hinted at the possibility of an Android device control app, which would be great. Slacker is another possibility to end up on Sonos devices.

Whether or not any of these questions are items that will end up in future products, we will have to wait and see. Everybody has an app for smartphones today and we all want more content and smaller devices so these are not out of the realm of possibility at all.

The Sonos ZonePlayer S5 is available in the US now, priced at $399.  The new wireless music system will also be available in Europe, priced at €399.  As for Sonos Controller for iPhone 3.1 – which will add the same Twitter functionality as the company have introduced onto the CR200 Remote Control – that’s currently going through Apple approval before plopping into the App Store as a free download.

Press Release:

SONOS ZONEPLAYER S5 NOW SHIPPING IN US: ALL-IN-ONE WIRELESS MUSIC SYSTEM CONTROLLED WITH AN IPHONE NOW AVAILABLE

· Wirelessly play music from iTunes® and the Internet in any room for $399 per room
· Enjoy room-filling, high-performance sound with all digital architecture
· Control your music experience with free Sonos Controller for iPhone™ app or any other Sonos Controller
· New Sonos Software 3.1 with Twitter functionality now available for all global Sonos customers

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – November 3, 2009 – Sonos®, Inc., the leading developer of wireless multi-room music systems for the home, today announced that the Sonos ZonePlayer™ S5, the all-in-one wireless music system you can control with an iPhone, iPod® touch or any Sonos Controller, is now available for purchase in the United States. The S5 will be available globally later this month. In addition, Sonos released Sonos Software v3.1, a one-button free software update for all global Sonos customers that includes Twitter functionality. The S5 has a suggested retail price of $399 and can be purchased at Sonos US retailers or www.sonos.com. To view an introduction video about the S5, please visit: www.sonos.com/S5demo.

“This is the best time in history to love music,” said John MacFarlane, CEO, Sonos, Inc. “The marriage of devices such as the iPhone and the Sonos ZonePlayer S5 connects consumers to an entire world of music and gives them an easy way to control it all from the palm of their hand, in any and every room of their home.”

Key features of the S5 include:

Ø Room-filling sound: 5 integrated speakers and 5 dedicated digital amplifiers provide crystal-clear, great-sounding audio that fills any room with music.
Ø Unlimited music from iTunes and the Internet: Play way more than what fits on your iPod, including all your iTunes, free Internet radio and millions of songs and stations from the Internet.
Ø Control with an iPhone or iPod touch: Download the free Sonos Controller for iPhone app and search for songs, choose the music and control the volume in any room from anywhere.
Ø Wireless expandability: Add more S5s wirelessly and fill your whole house with music. Then, play the same song in every room or different songs in different rooms.

Technical specifications of the S5 include:

Ø Amplifiers – Five Class-D digital amplifiers
Ø Speakers – Five driver speaker system includes two tweeters, two 3” mid-range drivers, and one 3.5” woofer
Ø Volume/Mute control – Quick-access controls on the top of every S5
Ø 2-port Ethernet switch – Ideal for connection to your router or bridging Internet connectivity. 2-port switch (0/100Mbps, auto MDI/MDIX) allows Ethernet devices to connect through SonosNet.
Ø Headphone connection – Built-in, auto-detecting connection
Ø Analog audio inputs – Auto-detecting connection for iPod, CD player, TV, and more to your S5 enables music or audio playback on all ZonePlayers in your home.
Ø Audio formats – Support for compressed MP3, iTunes Plus, WMA (including purchased Windows Media downloads), AAC (MPEG4), Ogg Vorbis, Audible (format 4), Apple Lossless, FLAC (lossless) music files, as well as uncompressed WAV and AIFF files. Native support for 44.1kHz sample rates. Additional support for 48kHz, 32kHz, 24kHz, 22kHz, 16kHz, 11kHz, and 8kHz sample rates.
Ø Music services support – Last.fm, Napster®, Pandora®, Rhapsody® 3.0+, SIRIUS® Internet Radio, and downloads from any service offering DRM-free tracks, including iTunes, AmazonMP3
Ø Internet radio support – Pre-loaded 25,000 stations; streaming MP3, WMA support
Ø Operating systems (for stored files) – Windows® XP SP2 and higher; Mac OS X v10.4 and higher; NAS (Network Attached Storage) devices supporting CIFS
Ø Wireless connectivity – SonosNet 2.0, a secure AES encrypted, peer-to-peer wireless mesh network
Ø Power supply – AC 120/240V, 50-60Hz, auto-switchable
Ø Dimensions/Weight – 8.50 x 14.40 x 4.80 in (217 x 365 x 123 mm)/ 9.15 lb (4.15 kg)

Sonos Software v3.1 software integrates Twitter into the Sonos Controller interface enabling customers globally to send the name and artist of the track playing on Sonos to their friends and followers. Sonos makes it easy to send tweets about what you’re listening to by auto-populating a variety of messages with the name of the song and artist. The Twitter functionality is available on the Sonos Controller for iPhone*, the Sonos Controller 200 and the Sonos Controller for Mac or PC. Other features of Sonos Software v3.1 include:
Ø Full support for the S5 allowing it to work seamlessly with all previous generations of Sonos products
Ø Graphical Music Menu featuring icons and logos makes finding music easier and more fun. Available on the Sonos Controller for iPhone and Sonos Controller 200
Ø Unicode metadata for music libraries in the following character sets: Cyrillic, Greek, Japanese, Korean, Simplified Chinese are now displayed on the Sonos Controller 200

To learn more, locate an authorized US Sonos dealer or make a purchase, please visit www.sonos.com/S5Demo or call 877.80.SONOS.

*Sonos Controller for iPhone 3.1 is currently awaiting approval from Apple.

Video demo after the cut

The ZonePlayer S5 has twin tweeters, twin mids and a 3.5-inch subwoofer, together with a headphone socket for private listening.  Setup involves simply plugging the speaker into the mains; assuming you already have a Sonos network, it will connect to the existing mesh wireless system, or you can pick up a $99 ZoneBridge that plugs into your router and hooks up all the ZonePlayers.

Control is either via the Sonos CR200 controller, or you can use the free iPhone/iPod touch app or the free desktop PC/Mac app.  The Sonos ZonePlayer S5 measures a shelft-friendly 217 x 365 x 123 mm and will begin shipping in the US at the end of October and from November 10th in Europe.

Press Release:

SONOS INTRODUCES THE SONOS ZONEPLAYER S5: THE ALL-IN-ONE WIRELESS MUSIC SYSTEM CONTROLLED WITH AN IPHONE

• Wirelessly play music in any or every room of the house for $399 per room
• Enjoy room-filling, high-performance sound with all digital architecture
• Access your iTunes® library, plus thousands of radio stations and millions of songs from the Internet
• Control your music experience with free Sonos Controller for iPhone™ app or any other Sonos Controller

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – October 13, 2009 – Sonos®, Inc., the leading developer of wireless multi-room music systems for the home, today introduced the Sonos ZonePlayer S5, an all-in-one wireless music system that can be controlled with an iPhone, iPod® touch or any Sonos Controller. The S5 delivers crystal-clear, room-filling sound that rivals much larger, more complicated audio equipment. Plus, the S5 provides instant access to unlimited music with control from the palm of your hand. Now music lovers can find and play any song from an iTunes library, plus, a world of music and radio on the Internet, in any room of the house. The S5 will be available for $399 in late October. To see the S5 in action, please visit: www.sonos.com/S5demo.

“Our customers tell us they listen to twice as much music after bringing Sonos into their homes,” said John MacFarlane, CEO of Sonos. “The new S5 is our latest effort to simplify the Sonos experience so more people can enjoy more music than ever before.”

The S5 features a 5-driver speaker system that packs a big sound – filling an entire room with music. Sonos uniquely designed the S5 with an all-digital sound architecture for precise sound reproduction. The S5 includes two tweeters, two mid-range drivers and a built-in single subwoofer – each individually powered by a dedicated digital amplifier and optimized to deliver room-filling sound with smooth tonal balance and deep bass. All filter settings, bass and treble controls, active equalization, and time-alignment are done in the digital domain through state-of-the-art DSP circuitry, so there’s absolutely no loss of audio quality or energy.

With the Internet-connected S5, you can listen to way more music than you can with a dock that only plays the songs that fit on your iPod. The S5 gives you instant access to a world of music, including 25,000 Internet radio stations, shows and podcasts —all free of charge and pre-loaded on Sonos. Sonos works seamlessly with the most popular music services to provide computer-free access to millions of songs and stations from the likes of Last.fm, Napster, Rhapsody, Pandora, SIRIUS Internet Radio, and Deezer. The S5 also gives you instant access to any iTunes library stored on any computer or Network Attached storage, such as an Apple Time Capsule. The S5’s analog audio input lets you connect to an external audio source (such as an iPod, CD player, TV, DVD, VCR, or radio) and play music or audio on all ZonePlayers in the system.

When it comes to controlling your S5, you simply reach into your pocket for your iPhone or iPod touch. With the free Sonos Controller for iPhone app (available on the iTunes App Store), you can search for songs and stations, choose the music and control the volume in as many rooms as you like. And because the iPhone is controlling the music, and not the source of it, when a text comes in or you need to make a phone call, the music doesn’t stop. That also means you can keep your iPhone in your pocket, not stuck in a dock. The S5 also includes free Sonos Controller software for your Mac or PC. Or you can let everyone in the house share the control with the dedicated Sonos Controller 200 (sold separately).

As with all Sonos ZonePlayers, the S5 is simple to set up, easy to expand and 100% compatible with all other Sonos products. Just plug in the S5 wherever you want music. One ZonePlayer or Sonos ZoneBridge™ (sold separately) must be connected to your router and all the rest will work wirelessly. When you’re ready to play more music in more rooms, simply add S5s or other ZonePlayers without adding wires. Now you can play the same song in every room with perfect synchronicity or mix it up by playing different songs in different rooms.

The S5 will be available for purchase in the United States beginning in late October. To learn more or to locate an authorized Sonos dealer, please visit www.sonos.com or call 877.80.SONOS.

Up to five Twitter accounts can be associated with a single Sonos setup, and the client will work on the new CR200 touchscreen remote, the iPhone/iPod touch app and the desktop Sonos software for PC and Mac.  Tweets can contain just the currently playing track information – including artist and song title – or can be edited to include other information.

Examples of what the tweets will look like are in the gallery below, together with screenshots of the iPhone app and the CR200 app.  When it sees its public launch, Sonos System Firmware v3.1 will be a free upgrade to all users.

If shelling out $349 for the CR200 is too big of pill for you to swallow, but you by some chance own an iPhone or iPod – then you’re in luck! Last year, Sonos released a native app for iPhone/iPod. The app miraculously transforms any iPhone or iPod touch into a Sonos controller. It works seamlessly and it’s so awesome that the existing Sonos CR100 remote control is quickly a thing of the past.

During our briefing with Sonos, representative shared that the new CR200 remote is faster than the iPhone / iPod touch app.  SlashGear is due to receive our review unit any day now.  Rest assure that we’ll run a head to head test drive. The CR200 is now bundled with the Bundle 250, priced at $999 (same exact price as the Bundle 120). Included in the Bundle BU250 are the Zone Player 120, the Zone Player 90, and a cradle for the remote.

Once again, be on the look out for a full review of the Bundle 220 on SlashGear.com in the next week.

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – July 28, 2009 – Sonos®, Inc., the leading developer of wireless multi-room music systems, today launched a state of the art music Controller for the home, the Sonos Controller 200 (CR200). The new full-color Sonos Controller features an ultra-responsive touch screen display making it easy to quickly find and play all the music you want, in any room of the house, and all with the touch of a finger.

“Finding and playing music all over the house needs to be so easy that anyone who walks into a home can pick up the Controller and start playing DJ,” says John MacFarlane, CEO, Sonos, Inc. “Sonos has applied our seven years of experience designing wireless music systems for hundreds of thousands of customers in more than 60 countries to deliver the most innovative and intuitive way to find, play and control music anywhere in the home.”

The Sonos CR200 is 100% dedicated to providing a great music experience throughout your home so everything — from the hardware and industrial design to the software and user interface — works together to make controlling the Sonos system fast, easy and fun. The Sonos CR200 features a 3.5” full-color VGA display (640×480 pixels) and comes with a capacitive touch screen for accurate and responsive operation. The convenient touch screen keyboard enables rapid search of the world of music, including multi-million song jukeboxes (Napster® and Rhapsody®), more than 25,000 radio stations and podcasts, SIRIUS® Internet Radio, and of course, your own personal music library. It also makes the creation of custom radio stations from services like Last.fm and Pandora® incredibly easy. The quick intuitive interface provides rich graphics that display what music is playing and in what room all while making it a pleasure to view artist information, cover art and more. The CR00 is styled with an anodized precision machined extruded aluminum case and soft durable rubber backing that fits comfortably in your hand. The CR200 includes ships with the Sonos Charging Cradle 200 so it’s always easy to find and charge your Controller.

Other Sonos Controller 200 features include:

Easy set up – A few simple steps are all that’s needed to get Sonos up and running using the new Controller.

Instant on — Pick up the Controller or touch the screen and it’s instantly ready to play music.
Dedicated buttons — Mute, Volume and Zones buttons provide shortcuts to the most often used functions.
Quick, intuitive search — Instantly find the artist, song, radio station, or radio show you want to listen to by typing on the on-screen keyboard. Suggestions are provided as you type.
Superior wireless performance — The CR200 works on SonosNet (Sonos’ proprietary mesh network) ensuring that you get the best wireless performance of any wireless music product on the market with no interference.

Easy zone management — Take music with you as you move through the house by linking rooms with ease (and without interrupting music playback).

Multi-room volume control — Change the volume in a single room, or in several rooms, all from the same screen.

Great for using outdoors — The CR200 features a transflective screen, making it easy to use while listening to music outdoors on a sunny day.

Long-life and replaceable battery — Comes with a high capacity lithium ion battery that gets about five days of usage between charges and can easily be replaced.
Compatible — The CR200 is compatible with all existing and previously purchased Sonos Multi-Room Music System hardware.

Also today, Sonos Software 3.0, a one-button software update, was made available to all Sonos customers. Sonos 3.0 brings new music discovery tools to the Sonos multi-room music experience when using the Sonos CR200 or Sonos Controller for iPhone – Info View. This new feature provides one-touch access to rich music information, like artist bios, album reviews, concert listings, and lists of similar artists. Info View is available on Last.fm and Rhapsody and can be accessed using the Sonos CR200 or Sonos Controller for iPhone.

In addition to enabling the new features of the CR200, Sonos 3.0 allows the CR200 to work seamlessly with any existing Sonos Controllers, including the CR100, Sonos Controller for iPhone and Sonos Controller for Mac or PC. Sonos 3.0 also provides Controller support for the latest Operating Systems. Sonos now supports Mac OS 10.4 and above (including 10.6), Windows XP and above (including Windows 7) and iPhone OS 3.0. The new Sonos Controller for iPhone 3.0 is expected to be available via the iTunes App Store after receiving approval from Apple Computer.

Pricing & Availability

The Sonos Controller 200, which includes the Sonos Charging Cradle 200, has a suggested retail price of $349 in the United States and is available worldwide beginning today at authorized Sonos dealers and at www.sonos.com. Also, the CR200 is available today as part of the new Sonos Bundle 250 ($999 suggested retail) which also includes a Sonos ZonePlayer 90 and a Sonos ZonePlayer 120. The Sonos CR200 replaces the Sonos Controller 100, which has been discontinued.

The casing is now aluminum rather than plastic, and there’s no more scroll-wheel; in fact, hardware controls are minimal, and limited to a home button, mute and volume controls underneath the display.  It looks as though much of the UI from the iPod touch/iPhone app has basically been ported over to standalone hardware.

Right now the product page appears to be pretty temperamental, often timing out, so along with the absence of an official press release it looks like Sonos aren’t quite ready to go public with the CR200.  It’s listed at $349, though that drops 17-percent (to $290) if you buy it as part of the Sonos Bundle 250; however the “Add to Cart” button also does not work.

[via Engadget]

According to Automated Home, Sonos also have a new bundle in the wings.  Their existing BU150 package will be updated to the BU250, switching the original remote for the new CR200; meanwhile the ZP120 and ZP90 zone-players remain technically the same but get a color change to bring them into line with the new controller.

Right now there’s no word on how much the Sonos CR200 will cost, but it’s expected to go on sale imminently.  Given that the original non-touchscreen CR100 retails for around $399, this isn’t likely to be a particularly cheap remote.  The irony is, Sonos’ remote control app for the iPod touch and iPhone is likely to be the CR200′s biggest competitor.

The whole system uses WiFi b/g to communicate and stream, and can access both music stored locally – on a NAS, PC or MAC, USB stick, Bluetooth device or shared network folder – or streaming from Rhapsody and other internet radio services.  As well as the 3.5-inch touchscreen LCD, the Commander remote control has a trackpad and offers independent or joined control over up to 32 different zones.

In addition to controlling distributed audio, the MusicCAST2 system can be used as a universal remote control; the Commander has an IR port, and Yamaha offer IR blasters to fit to your existing AV rack.  Supported file types include MP3, WMA, AAC, FLAC and WAV, though no DRM-encryption is supported (nor lossless files other than FLAC).

As for pricing, you’re looking at $500 for the Commander remote, then around %$400 for the zone players.

If we’ve been having fun, then it’s perhaps almost as much of a good time as ASUS must be having this week.  Impressive financial performance for the last quarter was in no small part aided by the Eee PC series, and ASUS took the opportunity to reveal their plans for a $200 netbook in 2009.  They’ll also concentrate on their 10-inch models – such as the new 10002HA – as well as giving the touchscreen desktop Eee Top a battery and wireless peripherals.

They won’t have it all their own way, though, not if rivals have anything to say about it.  Samsung’s NC10 has finally seen its first major review and come out smelling of roses, while the upcoming Dell Inspiron Mini 12 looks like to storm the sales charts.  Meanwhile, the HP Mini 1000 – sequel to the highly-esteemed Mini-Note 2133 – has arrived and is turning out to be equally as impressive.

Elsewhere, Microsoft’s Windows 7 pre-beta has been released – check out the overview here and the preliminary netbook build here – and the company’s research arm has been showing off their SecondLight dual-display modification of the multitouch Surface.  Meanwhile Google has released Google Earth for the iPhone and, some judicious investigation has revealed, is planning Street View functionality come firmware v2.2.  In fact it’s been a good week for iPhone software: Sonos released a controller app that lets you remotely operate their multi-room audio system.

Finally, we’ve seen a great mod in the shape of an Eee PC based carputer, the launch of Mitsubishi’s incredible LASERVUE HDTV, and the first confirmed unlocking solution for the T-Mobile G1 (complete with an opportunity to win a few codes of your own).  Oh, and we tested out Iomega’s StorCenter ix2, 1TB of RAID-1 storage with super-simple setup. 

Keep reading SlashGear for the full HTC Touch HD review, the BlackBerry Bold review and one or two more developments we’re not allowed to tell you about yet…

Full multi-room control is possible, with menu options for playing the same or different music in each zone, as well as silencing them all with a single touch, and there’s also Napster and Rhapsody access.  Pandora custom internet radio has also been added, together with fifteen thousand radio stations and Last.fm integration in the new system firmware (version 2.7).

Since the Apple devices lack the proprietary wireless networking that Sonos uses, the iPhone or iPod touch relies on your home WiFi to connect to the Sonos system.  The software should be available on the AppStore today; if these photos from Engadget have whet your appetite you can see a video demo here.  As for the new firmware, v2.7, it’s also available today for all Sonos users.

The ZP120 and ZP90 both now support SonosNet 2.0, which uses MIMO technology to double the distance you can separate each Sonos node.  The larger, 55W amplified ZP120 has also lost weight, down to just 2.3kg.  It will sell for $499, while the unamplified ZP90 will sell for $349.  A bundle with both, plus Sonos’ much-praised remote control, comes in at $999.

As for the updated software, it can now index up to 65,000 tracks whether on your PC, Mac or NAS, and it introduces support for NasBasic firmware which allows more than 15 different brands of NAS devices to serve as a local music source.  We loved the Sonos system when we tested it a while back, and this looks to add icing to the cake.

Unlike the Sonos system, which uses a proprietary wireless format, Logitech have opted for WiFi ‘g’, and the Squeezebox Duet can support multiple remotes and receivers that can either synchronise what they’re playing or have different music in each room.  Logitech also have an online radio/storage service which allows users to listen to their own music without needing their computer on.

Most importantly, perhaps, Logitech are vastly undercutting Sonos: the starter kit will be priced at €399.99 ($589) when it launches in the US and Europe later this month, while extra receivers will run to €149.99 ($221) and remotes €299.99 ($442).

Logitech

The ZoneBridge 100 does one of two things, lets start by saying that without this device, you have to dedicate on of the ZonePlayers to wherever your router or internet connection is, with this device you no longer have to do that, it can take the place of the one device with an internet connection allowing the rest of the system to be wireless. Or, if you’d prefer, and you have a hugemongous house, you can use it as a simple range extender for your Sonos system.

I don’t know if you know how much the standard Sonos equipment go for, but let me assure, its not cheap, well worth it, sure, but not cheap. On that note, this little ditty will be going for about $141 and should be available on or around October 24th.

Sonos ZoneBridge 100 Coming this Month at £69 [via automatedhome]

We did a review of some of their older equipment a while back, you can find that here. Since then they have added a pair of speakers to their lineup and that’s pretty much it. The big news comes in the form of this being one of the first Linux-powered devices to be granted the right to play Sirius.

I used to have Sirius radio, and I loved it, some things financially ceased to workout, and, due solely to the nature of the service, it was on the top of my list of things I could do without. I have never used the Sonos system before myself, but our editor seemed pretty impressed, and I am a big fan of Pandora Internet Radio which you can also stream wirelessly throughout your house using this system. The hardware runs about $1000 for a basic two room setup, Sirius is free for thirty days, then, I assume it reverts back to its usual pricing, which varies from a month to month plan all the way up to the occasional lifetime membership.

Linux-powered device gains Sirius playback [via LinuxDevices]

• You can now register the BD remote control in [Register Bluetooth® Device] under [Accessory Settings].
• [BD/DVD Video Output Format (HDMI)] has been added as an option under [BD/DVD Settings].
• [Backup Utility] has been added as a feature under [System Settings].
• You can now select the hard disk format method in [Format Utility] and [Restore PS3™ System] under [System Settings].
• The method of selecting output resolution has been changed in [Video Output Settings] under [Display Settings].
• The compatibility of USB devices with PlayStation®2 format software titles has changed. For details on USB devices that can be used with system software version 1.30, select here.

[via Gizmodo]

My experience with it was great and I have to say it in the spirit of the golden arches that I’m lov’n it. I am more the typical mp3 hording, iPod toting individual and not an extreme decked out audiophile, and so I feel unqualified to really judge the sound quality. But to my untrained ears, I found the sound quality to be superb.
The system is incredibly simple and flexible, consisting of three basic components: Sonos Controller (CR100), Sonos ZonePlayer 80 (ZP80), and Sonos ZonePlayer 100 (ZP100).The difference between the ZP80 and ZP100, besides the price, is that the ZP80 must connect to a stereo or some other intermediary amplifying audio device that powers a set of speakers, while the ZP100 can directly power a set of speakers and has a built-in amplifier. These components work like modules that can be added or subtracted to fit your needs.

For reviewing purposes, the folks at Sonos were so kind to provide a ZP80 Bundle that consisted of one controller with charging cradle and two ZP80s. This was enough to setup a basic two-room system. One of the ZP80s must be connected directly to a home network such as a cable or DSL modem via an ethernet connection, while the other ZP80 is free to be placed in some other room. Both ZP80s must then be connected to a stereo or amplifying receiver (not included) via the supplied RCA cable.

The ZonePlayer 80

The ZonePlayer 80s have a sleek and clean design that fits nicely with most décor and coexist well with any home theater or stereo system. They sit quite well atop my old-school-ish black stereo systems, pictures of which you’ll see later. On the front are a mute button, a LED light, and a volume control button, while on the back are two ethernet jacks, optical and coaxial digital outputs, analog input/outputs, and a power supply jack. The overall dimensions measure about 5-inch-wide by 5-inch-deep by 3-inch-high. The package comes with a manual, a system setup software disc, and four cables.

The Controller and Cradle

The controller has a very simple and clean iPod-ish feel. Most notable similarity is the touch-sensitive scroll-wheel and the minimal array of buttons. The charging dock or cradle can be placed on your table top or mounted on a wall. The power adapter plug can be removed from the cradle and plugged directly into the controller if you should wish to do so.

Setup and Installation

Since I don’t have an incredibly large and impressive collection of MP3s I opted for my first test run to do the super quick and easy, PC-free setup. There was no need to turn on my computer or install any software whatsoever. And in exactly 5 minutes, the beautiful melodies of chart topping tracks began flowing through my speakers courtesy of the included 30-day free trial of Rhapsody music service. The setup and music access was so easy that I was tempted to just sit back and enjoy the next 30 days. But, instead I repeated the process to take some pictures to prove to you folks just how easy it was.

Before I went about setting up the ZP80s, I made sure to plug in the controller and cradle for charging up.

Then, I setup one ZP80 in my home office next to my cable modem and wireless router. Any router would do, but I happened to have a wireless one. Having to connect one of the ZPs to the router via an ethernet cable was probably the only annoying limitation for me since I had a wireless router that I usually kept in a storage room. Now I had to pull it out and put it in my office next to my stereo. But nonetheless, I hooked it all up in no time. Power supply in, RCA cable in, and ethernet in. Done.

Next, I setup the second ZP80 in my living room. And this setup is even easier. Power supply in. RCA cable in. Done. No need for the ethernet connection on this one, as this ZP communicates wirelessly with the other ZP already connected to the router.

So, then it was time to tinker a bit with the controller. It was still charging in its cradle but that didn’t matter as it’s usable even while charging. Following the prompts on the screen, I setup the two zones as “Office” and “Living Room.” Since my system was already registered, I got a free 30-day Rhapsody Trial at my fingertips. I pressed the Music button, selected the Rhapsody Music Guide and with a few more scrolls and clicks I was on my way to home audio bliss.