All-new Sonos One (Gen 2)
In our test review, we show what Sonos One (Gen 2) can do. If you are looking for a smart speaker, then you are spoiled for choice. But one thing most smart speakers have in common is that they often do not support the music streaming services of their competitors. The speaker streaming pioneer Sonos is a notable exception. The Sonos One (Gen 2) smart speaker integrates Alexa and Google Assistant and is also open for all other streaming services. The Wi-Fi speaker also offers a good sound.
Sonos One (Gen 2) Review – Smart Speaker including Alexa
Speakers from Sonos are known for audio streaming with excellent sound. With its Sonos One (Gen 2) smart speaker, Sonos continues to stay true to this claim. This is the first time that the sound experts have integrated the Alexa voice assistant into the streaming box. In other words, you do not have to reach for your smartphone to search for playlists or change the volume with a tap of your finger in the app. Also, the Sonos One (Gen 2) offers almost all Alexa capabilities, such as the integration and voice control of Alexa-compatible smart home devices or the use of Alexa Skills.
But, some users experience that the Alexa voice on the Sonos One is set too loud by the manufacturer. Unfortunately, the volume of Alexa’s voice playback cannot be controlled yet. So far, Amazon allows setting the volume in 10 percent increments. The option of a more precise fine-tuning would be a good thing here.
Special features
Compared to a HomePod, Echo, or Google Home, Sonos One (Gen 2) supports multiple voice assistants at the same time. That is interesting especially for users who, for example, want to use Apple Music for audio services and Alexa for controlling smart home devices. Users of Sonos speakers have an advantage especially when several speakers are to be added to a multi-room system.
A great advantage of the Sonos sound system is that it supports a wide range of music streaming services. These include, for example:
- Apple Music
- Spotify
- Amazon Music
- Google Play Music
- Juke
- Soundcloud
- Deezer
- TuneIn
- Tidal
- Napster
The radio station TuneIn is already preinstalled on the Sonos app, so users can immediately start streaming without a paid subscription. Spotify or Amazon Music can also be used for free, even if the range of functions is limited.
Sonos One can also play music from any PC, Mac, smartphone, or another storage medium in the user’s network. This means that if you have digitized your analog music collection over time and stored it on a hard drive or home server, you can easily play it back via Sonos One.
Special features of the Sonos One (Gen 2) :
Stereo pairing with the second speaker: The Sonos One Smart Speaker can be paired with a second Sonos speaker to create a stereo pair.
- TruePlay automatic calibration: To get the best sound or to find the perfect speaker location, users can use the TruePlay function. It records the sound of the Sonos One via smartphone and suggests optimization settings.
- AirPlay 2: Users of Apple can enjoy the AirPlay 2 function of the Sonos One Smart Speaker. This enables the sound to be streamed from any AirPlay-compatible iOS app to the Sonos One. It also works for the soundtrack of video apps.
- Siri-compatible: With AirPlay 2 set up on Sonos One, users can control Apple Music via Siri on the Sonos Speakers.
- Audio formats: The Sonos supports the audio formats ALAC, FLAC, AIFF, and WAV as well as the compressed audio formats MP3, WMA, AAC, and OGG.
Accessories
Sonos One can be connected with other Sonos speakers for a multi-room system. Two Flexson wall mounts for Sonos One are available for $44.99, two Flexson stands for the Sonos One cost $79.97.
Installation and setup
- Download the Amazon Alexa app (Android | iOS) and log in.
- Download the Sonos App (Android | iOS)
- Connect the Sonos One Smart Speaker to the mains.
- Follow the setup instructions in the Sonos app
Price and offers
Conclusion
The Sonos One is a classy speaker. Its sound performance meets even higher demands and thanks to the integrated voice assistant Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, owners of a Sonos One enjoy a considerable advantage compared to an Echo or Google Home: Sonos is an open system that allows users to use streaming services without being tied to them. As an example, if an Amazon Echo owner cannot stream Apple’s music service Apple Music, but can stream Amazon Music Unlimited, both streaming services are available to Sonos One users. But the Alexa voice control is only accessible for Alexa-compatible music streaming services.
