Also: Sonos’ new line of smart speakers feature spatial audio and USB-C This second-generation Sonos One speaker is nearly the same as the first generation, with an improved processor, more memory, and Bluetooth Low Energy. Note that Bluetooth LE is not used for streaming audio to the speaker. So, the questions are how does the speaker perform and is it worth the money? Read on for my weeks’ worth of experience with the Sonos One.
Specifications
Hardware and design
To start, the speaker is all black with a matte black grille. It’s quite heavy for its size at just over four pounds. This heft is fine though as it helps keep the speaker in place when plugged in and set on a table. There are no hardware buttons on the top, but there are touch-sensitive areas that you can tap and swipe on to control the speaker physically. There are four buttons around the outside for volume down, volume up, and microphone toggle so you can turn off the mic and voice assistant control quickly and easily. A center button serves to play/pause while a swipe across the middle lets you skip ahead or back a track. Also: Best stereo speakers ranked by size, build, and cost Bass output was a bit weaker than I hoped, but I tried out the other speakers I have around the house and the Sonos One still sounds the best overall. I only tested one Sonos speaker, so the singular audio experience was a bit limited. With two speakers in the same space, you can set up a true stereo experience that I am sure would satisfy most music fans.
Sonos smartphone app
The Sonos smartphone app, available for Android and iOS, has the same interface on each platform and is used to set up the speaker. Surprisingly, I had unresolvable issues with my iPhone XS and could not get the Sonos One setup. I tried an Android phone, the OnePlus 7 Pro, and was able to get the Sonos One connected to the proper WiFi network with a selected smart assistant to try out first. Also: Best wireless surround sound systems you can buy The smartphone app has five icons at the bottom labeled My Sonos, Browse, Rooms, Search, and Settings. When you are playing content a status bar of this content appears above the five labels for quick control of your playback. The page interfaces are made with a simple UX, proving useful for easy navigation. And while I didn’t get much use out of the “rooms” page, it would prove especially useful for those who capitalize on Sonos’ trademark speaker-to-speaker multi-connectivity ecosystem. The app acts as a one-stop control center for multiple speakers scattered around various rooms. Within the settings, you will find your account login, system settings, services (voice and music), app preferences, help & tips, and more. This is also the hub for customizing alarms, AirPlay, audio compression, and your music library.
Apple AirPlay 2 integration
Even though I’ve been using iPhones since 2007, I’m a bit embarrassed to admit I never used AirPlay or really explored the functionality. Given that the Sonos One has Apple AirPlay 2 support, I finally tried it out and my eyes have been opened to a whole new world. With AirPlay 2 support you can have music and podcasts from your iOS device play to the Sonos One. This includes using Siri through your iOS device to control your music too. As an avid podcast listener, I was also pleased with how easy it was to continually play the podcasts from the Sonos One while working in my home office. I can even use the Sonos app on an Android phone to control the playback of content from an iOS device through Apple AirPlay. In addition to AirPlay 2 support, Sonos offers iOS users the ability to fine-tune the Sonos One for their room through its Trueplay utility. It was easy to access and adjust the equalizer settings on iPhone even after the TruePlay tuning.
Welcoming Alexa and Google Assistant
Also: The 5 best Sonos speakers: One, Arc, Beam and more compared
Fulfilling a “music first” mission
Bottom Line
Overall, the Sonos One (Gen 2) is a solid speaker. While you might be limited to listening via a WiFi connection, the sound quality is uniquely impressive. And at $219, it may be the best-sounding speaker I’ve found in the price range while managing to fulfill Sonos’ focus on “music first,” providing a high-quality audio experience.
Should I buy it?
If you enjoy high-quality audio at the cost of cutting Bluetooth from the equation and possibly some bugs with voice assistants, then yes. Given my issues with the voice assistants, I think the Sonos One SL may be a better option for me since it provides all the greatness of the Sonos One without the smart assistants.
Alternatives to consider
Open to other smart speakers? Check out these alternatives.
