Sonos
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| Type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Audio equipment |
| Founded | 2002 |
| Founder(s) | John MacFarlane |
| Headquarters | Santa Barbara, California, United States |
| Number of locations | 3 offices (2008) |
| Key people | John MacFarlane, CEO |
| Products | Sonos Wireless HiFi Music System |
| Employees | 150 (2008 approx.) |
| Website | www.sonos.com |
Sonos is a Santa Barbara, California consumer electronics company founded in 2002 by John MacFarlane, Craig Shelburne, Tom Cullen and Trung Mai. The company’s main product is the Sonos Multi-Room Music System.
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History [edit]
- In 2002 Sonos was founded[1]
- January 2005. Sonos Launches ZonePlayer 100 and CR100
- April 2006. Sonos introduces the ZP80
- Sept. 2006. Sonos adds Rhapsody (online music service)
- May 2007. Sonos adds Pandora Radio
- Aug. 2007. Sonos adds SIRIUS Satellite Radio
- Oct. 2007. Sonos introduces Sonos ZoneBridge
- Aug. 2008. Sonos introduces ZP120 and ZP90
- Oct. 2008. Sonos releases Sonos Controller for iPhone adds Last.FM and RadioTime
- July 2009. Sonos Introduces CR200
- November 2009. Sonos introduces the S5
- May 2010. Sonos adds iheartradio and ability to pair S5s
- September 2010. Sonos adds Spotify
- September 2010. Sonos releases Sonos Controller for iPad
- April 2011. Sonos releases Sonos Controller for Android
- May 2011. Sonos adds MOG (online music)
- July 2011. Sonos introduces the PLAY:3
- July 2011. Sonos adds Spotify
- July 2011. Sonos adds Rdio
- August 2011. Sonos passes the 1 million room mark
- May 2012. Sonos adds QQ Music in China
- May 2012. Sonos introduces the SUB
- August 2012. Sonos adds Amazon Cloud Player
- December 2012 Sonos for iOS adds direct device streaming, takes PCs out of the equation.
- February 2013. Sonos introduces the PLAYBAR
Products [edit]
Multi-Room Music System [edit]
The Sonos Wireless HiFi System allows for streaming of music from internet sources, in multiple rooms within range, via wi-fi (802.11). Expansion can be achieved through the addition of the wireless bridge, which allows for greater range. Control of the system is available by apps for Android and iOS platforms, and Kindle Fire.
There are two main players in the Sonos Music System: all in one speakers and components. Components connect directly to unpowered speakers CONNECT:AMP, or to an amplifier/receiver CONNECT, which allows existing speakers to become Sonos rooms. All-in-one speakers allow any room with a power outlet to play audio. There is also a wireless Subwoofer that connects to any all-in-one speaker or amplified component.
Components [edit]
Components [edit]
The CONNECT:AMP (formerly the ZP120, successor to ZP100) has a reduced footprint, a 2x55 watt RMS amplifier (now Class D rather than analog), analog and digital audio out ports, 2 instead of 4 Ethernet switch ports, as well as the upgrade to SonosNet 2.0. Like the ZP100/ZP120, the CONNECT:AMP has speaker posts for direct hookups to speakers and a sub-woofer out.
The Sonos Play:3[2] is a Zoneplayer[clarification needed] with three integrated speakers and three dedicated digital amplifiers. It features a built-in Ethernet port.
The Sonos Play:5, formerly known as the S5, is a Zoneplayer with integrated five driver speaker system. It features a built-in two-port Ethernet switch. Also includes 3.5 mm headphone connection and a 3.5 mm line in.
The CONNECT (formerly the ZP90, successor to the ZP80) is an amp-less ZonePlayer that includes optical out, coaxial digital out, as well as analog RCA inputs and outputs. It has a built-in two-port Ethernet switch. The CONNECT/ZP90 upgraded the wireless to SonosNet 2.0.
The Sonos SUB integrates itself wirelessly in the rest of the Sonos ecosystem and works with Play:3, Play:5 and CONNECT:AMP. It features two force-cancelling speakers positioned face-to-face to each other and the system automatically adjusts audio settings when it gets connected to other Sonos speakers.
Audio inputs with digital encoding on players (except PLAY:3) allow for connection to external audio sources including MP3 players, mobile phones, CD players, TVs, DVD players, VCRs, and radios. The players with multiple Ethernet ports can be used as virtual Ethernet connections for normal network traffic: network traffic is bridged silently between all the players in a single system. This means stream external sources can be streamed all over the house.
The system also comes with the Desktop Controller that supports Mac and Windows. There is no supported or actively developed controller for Linux, and the latest versions of the Desktop Controller are not supported under Wine.[3]
The Controller for iOS is a free app that allows an iOS device to become a controller for Sonos via an existing home wireless network. The app supports all generations of iPhone, iPad and iPod touch.
The Controller for Android is a free app that allows an Android device to become a controller for Sonos via an existing home wireless network. The app supports Android v2.1 and up.
Wireless mesh network [edit]
Multiple ZonePlayers in a single household will connect to each other on a proprietary peer-to-peer synchronous mesh network using AES encryption. This network, known as SonosNet, allows music to be played simultaneously in separate zones. A single ZonePlayer or ZoneBridge must be wired to a network for access to LAN and Internet music sources. SonosNet 2.0 integrates MIMO on 802.11n hardware, providing a more robust connection. A consequence of this technology is that every Sonos player or bridge has to constantly keep up a wireless connection, even when in standby mode or connected by cable. Sonos devices do not have power buttons. The company claims that they consume between 4 and 8 Watts in standby mode.[4]
Music sources [edit]
The system can stream music from most SMB share (such as a Microsoft Windows or Macintosh file share or a NAS drive that supports CIFS/SMB protocol) to a stereo. NAS support also includes Apple Inc. Time Capsule. A NAS solution provides a computer-free solution to accessing music. It can also stream multi-room audio in many formats including MP3, AAC, Ogg Vorbis, FLAC up to 16 bit / 44.1 kHz,[5] Apple Lossless, WAV, AIFF and WMA. While Sonos was able to stream Plays For Sure protected WMA files up to version 3.6 of the Sonos firmware,[6] it does not support DRM FairPlay protected AAC files from Apple (however, Apple's gradual shift to DRM-free music makes new iTunes music playable in most markets), see iTunes Music Store. WMA lossless and RealPlayer Audio are also not supported.
With a broadband connection, the system includes access to a variety of audio content completely independent of a computer. The system ships with thousands of radio stations and shows from the Internet via TuneIn. The system also features 30-day trials for Napster, Rhapsody and Pandora as well as a 14-day trial of MOG (online music). The Pandora, SIRIUS, MOG (online music) and Rhapsody services are restricted primarily to customers based in the United States. Napster and Last.FM are also available in Germany and the United Kingdom. Napster is no longer available to Canadian customers.[7] Stitcher Radio is also available on the system. Last.FM scrobbling is available worldwide. On September 29, 2010 the Spotify music service announced support for Sonos in all countries supported by Spotify.[8]
Third-party development [edit]
- Power consumption testing For ZP80 [9]
- Web-based Controller [10]
- ZoneMaster application for iPhone [11]
- Zones application for iPhone[12]
See also [edit]
Notes [edit]
- ^ Company Overview of Sonos, Inc.
- ^ Product description
- ^ Sonos Support. "Thread: Sonos Update to 3.7 and Linux". Sonos Forums. Retrieved 24 July 2012.
- ^ "Sonos Components Consume Power When Idle". Sonos. 2005-03-16. Retrieved 2012-06-19.
- ^ "Supported Audio Formats - FLAC Details". Sonos. Retrieved 11 September 2012.
- ^ "3.6 Sonos will no longer support the Windows Media DRM format". Sonos. 2011-11-30. Retrieved 2011-12-22.
- ^ "Important Information For Canadian Napster Subscribers". Sonos. November 21, 2011. Retrieved June 13, 2012. "...Napster has made the decision to cease offering their service in Canada. As of December 16th, the Napster service will no longer be functional. This includes using the Napster service on Sonos."
- ^ Sehr, Andres (2010-09-29). "is now available on your Sonos wireless music system". Spotify. Retrieved 2011-01-22.
- ^ "Jaffa's Juicy Bits". Jaffacake.net. 2008-05-06. Retrieved 2011-01-22.
- ^ "Sonos Web Controller". Purple.org. Retrieved 2011-01-22.
- ^ "ZoneMaster Sonos Controller". Purple.org. Retrieved 2011-01-22.
- ^ Kupuk.com Zones
References [edit]
- Graham, Alan (2008-10-28). "Exclusive first look at Sonos' new iPhone-based controller". BoingBoing.
- Costa, Dan (2008-10-30). "Lose Your Remote Control?". PCMag.com.
- Manjoo, Farhad (2008-08-11). "The Death of Planned Obsolescence". Slate.com.
- Dudley, Brier (2007-12-17). "Music Lovers Take Note". Seattle Times.
- Wildstrom, Stephen (2007-11-15). "The Connected Home—Disconnected". Businessweek.
- Boehret, Katherine (2009-12-15). "Easy Digital Listening: Sonos ZonePlayer S5". Wall Street Journal.
- Pogue, David (2009-11-15). "No ‘System,’ but Music Housewide". New York Times.
