SONOS – PLAY:3 Wireless Speaker Review
The Sonos Play: 3 is the unit most versatile for the wireless devices. For years now, Sonos is known as a solution for streaming high-quality audio, but too expensive, and now that the price is affordable for all, the quality will remain unchanged? Let’s find out together!
Sonos audio units are traditionally considered as multi-room, but the Sonos Play: 3 can easily replace an iPod dock or the like. Using a Wi-Fi connection, you can spread the streaming your music collection from a NAS or a computer, or listen to millions of songs available through online services such as Spotify.
The Sonos Play: 3 comes in a package that is simple but elegant, contains in addition to the speaker, power cable, Ethernet cable, and quick-start guide. The Sonos Play: 3 weighs about 2.6 pounds and is available with a white or black finish. It a small speaker unpretentious, 26 cm wide, 16 cm deep and 13 cm high, even small enough to fit on a bedside table, and if it was still too cumbersome, designed to operate in a vertical position.
The Sonos Play: 3 has rubber feet at the sides and on the bottom to avoid scratching the surface on which it rests, while a built-in accelerometer will allow you to learn when the speaker is in a vertical position, changing the sound processing.
The rear and the front edge have a rubber coating to give some protection against accidental knocks, while the front of the speaker is covered with a grid graphite slightly flexible. Behind the grill are two mid-range drivers 3″ and a tweeter, each powered by a class D digital amplifier, There is also a bass radiator oriented toward the rear with an area of 60 cm2, which enhances the bass performance.
The simplicity of the Sonos Play: 3 is also found in controls and sockets. At the top, we find the commands and mute, and volume – while an Ethernet port in the back, even when the speaker is equipped with Wi-Fi, one for power and an attack on the media.
In order to use the Wi-Fi, we need a unit of Sonos Bridge, but if you wish to do, you can always connect the Sonos Play: 3 directly to your router via an Ethernet cable.
The installation of the Sonos Play: 3 is simple, and is guided through the Sonos app from Android or iOS devices. Using a Wi-Fi connection, you can simply press the button on top of the Bridge, and the two buttons on the speaker. At this point, you are ready to listen to your favorite music. The controller will allow you to surf over 100,000 radio stations or search for your favorite radio station using the call letters.
The controller integrates different services such as Pandora, iHeartRadio, Napster, Rdio, Deezer, Last.fm, Rhapsody, SiriusXM Internet Radio, Spotify, Wolfgang’s Vault and downloads from any service offering DRM-free tracks. For more information on the operation of the app and the Sonos Bridge, you can read the review of the SONOS PLAYBAR TV Soundbar. Anyone familiar with the Sonos products, you know that the streaming software has been its raison d’être from the beginning.
As we mentioned previously, the Sonos Play: 3 uses two mid-range drivers 3″ and a tweeter, each powered by a class D digital amplifier, There is no dedicated subwoofer, just a passive bass radiator on the back to help improves the bass response.
The iPod dock of this size and of the same price, they offer a decent sound quality, but they tend to suffer from high volumes.
The Sonos Play: 3 plays music at volumes well above the average, providing a surprisingly low amount of well-controlled. As already mentioned for the system Playbar, also the Play: 3 is not able to replace a good Hi-Fi system, but Sonos has a solution also for this.
Simply combine two Sonos Play: 3 together, one for each channel. With this configuration, the bass response is further improved, as the volume of the sound output. Use each of the devices as a speaker in a 2.0 system is formidable, and capable of filling in a surprising manner each environment. Of course, for such a configuration will have to spend another $299, but it is worth considering the purchase if you want a great alternative to the competition.
The brilliant Sonos streaming solutions are now available at a more affordable price. Sonos Play: 3 sounds so superb, provides access to a multitude of content and can be controlled entirely with a smartphone Android or iOS. Versatility, performance, solid, clean design aesthetic, and a host of features available, make your Sonos Play: 3 wireless speaker one of the best out there.
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