Sonos has made its name by providing an easy way to get high-quality digital music in any room in your home, whether it lives on your computer, network-attached storage or the Internet (think Spotify, Rhapsody and Pandora). Wednesday, Sonos lowered its entry-level pricing to $299 with its new Play:3, a small all-in-one that combines a music streamer and speaker.
Measuring 5.2-by-10.5-by-6.3 inches, the Play:3 is much smaller than Sonos’ other all-in-one, the 8.50-by-14.40-by-4.80-inch S5 ($399), making it a good fit for tight spaces like kitchen counters and bathrooms. For larger spaces, a pair can produce stereo sound, with each playing a dedicated left or right channel. The speakers even have a sensor to tell whether they’re positioned horizontally or vertically, so they can adjust their output accordingly.
Inside the Play:3 you’ll find one tweeter, two 3-inch mid-range drivers and a passive, rear-firing bass radiator. Together they put out an impressive amount of sound. And while I wasn’t able to spend a long time listening to the Play:3, a test track of female vocals cranked to maximum volume didn’t show distortion.
The Play:3 plays out of the box if you can plug it directly into your home’s router. If you want wireless streaming, you’ll need the Bridge, with the price for that was just lowered from $99 to $49. And either way, you’ll need a remote control or controller app to select your music and adjust volume. Free apps are available for iPhone, iPad, Android devices or computer, or you can use the stand-alone Sonos Controller 200, which sells for $349.
Measuring 5.2-by-10.5-by-6.3 inches, the Play:3 is much smaller than Sonos’ other all-in-one, the 8.50-by-14.40-by-4.80-inch S5 ($399), making it a good fit for tight spaces like kitchen counters and bathrooms. For larger spaces, a pair can produce stereo sound, with each playing a dedicated left or right channel. The speakers even have a sensor to tell whether they’re positioned horizontally or vertically, so they can adjust their output accordingly.
The Play:3 plays out of the box if you can plug it directly into your home’s router. If you want wireless streaming, you’ll need the Bridge, with the price for that was just lowered from $99 to $49. And either way, you’ll need a remote control or controller app to select your music and adjust volume. Free apps are available for iPhone, iPad, Android devices or computer, or you can use the stand-alone Sonos Controller 200, which sells for $349.
