We've got yet another great audio giveaway for the holidays lined up this week: A complete starter system from Sonos, including the Play:3 connected speaker and a Bridge network interface (the package means that you can connect the Bridge to your home network, giving you maximum flexibility of placement for the Play:3 (and the Sonos players you'll inevitably be picking up for the other parts of your home once you get hooked on the system's convenience).
As usual, to qualify to win all you need to do is share your thoughts with us. This week's topic — do you currently use some sort of networked music playback system in your home? And if not, do you plan on installing such a system in the future? We want to know, and we want to know all about it. Do you do something as simple as putting your iTunes library on a networked drive so you can log in with your computer and tablet, or as complex as running a custom-integrator-installed whole-house system? Let us know.
One winner will be chosen randomly from among those who leave on-topic comments. The winner will receive a Sonos Play:3 and Bridge bundle, valued at $299, courtesy of Sonos. Remember, please feel free to say what you like, so long as it's on topic.
You will have to register as a user of our site (If you haven't commented before, head on up to the top of the page to the "Register" link, or go straight to the registration page) — no anonymous commenters, we need a valid e-mail contact address to inform you of your win. For shipping reasons, we can only accept entrants with shipping addresses in the contiguous 48 US states (apologies, international readers and intrepid residents of Alaska and Hawaii). We'll take entries until midnight (Eastern Time), on Wednesday, December 12, and notify the winner via e-mail by Friday, December 14th.
Good luck
I have a Yamaha receiver (RX-A710) that connects to the internet and I stream music from my hard drive to it. As I type this entry I am listening to music on my phone through my receiver using Tunein. ( internet radio station) The Sonos looks really nice. Have read some reviews on your site in the past.
I use a shared library and Apple Airplay, but it's only through Apple TV and my TV speakers; not nearly nice-sounding enough to warrant listening for any length of time. Maybe with a better speaker setup.
We have audio receivers in the living room and in our hobby rooms. Other than that we use our smart phones.
This would be a really good room speaker!
I had a Sonos system demonstrated to me. Seems like a cool way to do things without wires...
i don't currently have this sort of system, i would consider it in the fututre, it's more a question of finances
Yes, I stream iTunes through my Roku using Plex. I can also use DLNA, but it's not as reliable.
We are so old school...we have a stereo system (Kenwood) that we bought in the mid 80s (??) any way if you point the speakers the right way, we have music through the house. My husband is smart and does have the tv sound cabled to the stereo but that's as fancy as it gets. So this would be a real step up for our listening to music.
I have used Apple air play.
The only networked media setup I have is a wireless link from my PC to my PS3, which plays through my receiver. This is cool!
I just connect my iPod into by stereo via a cable. For the kitchen I connect them to another set of cheap portable speakers, the sound is horrible but it beats nothing. Really considering getting a Sonos for myself; it would be even better if I can win one.
There is a better way, I know, but I use Google Music to access my music library from my computer to my phone. Then play it most of the time through my headphones but will occasionally just hook it up through my stereo speakers with the headphone/rca adapter. It's a roundabout way. But it's all right I guess.
There is a better way, I know, But I access my music from my computer to my phone through google music. Then just hook it up to my stereo speakers through the headphone/rca adapter
I have always wanted networked playback. I had 2 of the old systems that use a transmitter to send music to the cordless speakers. Signal was limited and they almost always sounded terrible. Using an xBox as a media extender is the closest that I have come but with portable cordless speakers and Bluetooth, it is easier to just listen to your phone. I plan to one day have a whole house system that works and sounds good. The Sonos systems seem to be the way to go unless I want to have a wired system built in.
Thanks for the chance to move up to something that I have been wanting for a long time.
I currently use my Yamaha RXV-3900 to listen to music through my computer on my network. I was thinking about getting an Appletv so that I can use the airplay since that is an awesome feature. Sonos is the best solution though in my opinion. If you have not used it yet you gotta check it out. I would love to have the sonos connect to hook to my home stereo. I love the interface and how easy it is to use. Their connect Amp is something else too. It's a little 55w x2 class D that would drive almost any speakers no problem, plus it's way small and can be controlled completely out of sight. It's even stable at 4 ohms. When I heard it it was powering a pair of Monitor Audio RX8's and it was amazing.
My son has been after me to let him set me up with a system like this because I lug my laptop everywhere I go in order to have my music with me (I detest burned CDs as they inevitably get horribly scratched & I forget to label them so it becomes a guessing game...so the lap top it is!). I have purchased my first smart phone (it hasn't even come in yet!) & am going to have to have him teach me how to use it (ha ha ...yep, I know, I know...I'm a cave-woman when it comes to the tech world...if it wasn't for my son, I still wouldn't have a cell phone OR a computer, but he has dragged me kicking & screaming into this century whether I wanted to be here or not. I am of course, very thankful NOW, but not so much at first) as he has with everything else (ha ha). If I win this, you will make me look incredibly cool in my son's eyes & trust me, I NEED some cool points these days! Thanks for the chance to win this & Merry Christmas to everyone!!
I use Sonos and love it. I have a NAS disk with my music library, and also use Rhapsody and XM internet radio with the system. The integration with all the different sources is what makes the system so compelling for me. I listen to music much more than I did before I had the Sonos system; it's wherever I am in the house and it's effortless to get anything that I'm in the mood for playing.
As one of the few Americans whose home is a one bedroom condo with open kitchen and not a multiroom house, I don't see much reason to spend money on a multiroom system. I would definitely look into Sonos if I did live in a multiroom place - it seems to have a lot to offer for not that high of a price.
The only network music streaming I use now is Pandora (does that count?) I do plan on digitizing my CDs (in FLAC format, of course), though, and creating a system so I can stream them anywhere in my house. I so many CDs that digitizing them is a daunting task, so I've been putting this off for quite a while. But soon...
I'm curious on how flexible and how easy this is to use. I'd like to see what this can do for my listening pleasure.
ive got this awesome hi def onkyo system that streams music from spotify, itunes, bluetooth, etc..
this would be a great win!!!!
I would love to have this for the kitch to jam out to when i am doing the dishes
I just use my iPad as an AirPlay device… cool feature!
Married to a music lover, daughter loves to sing and dance (and is named Lyric), neighbors on the right both have master degrees in music, neighbors on the left go to enough concerts that they should be considered roadies. And then there's me. I'm not that into music but love using technology to bring music to my family and friends. And no one likes "my" music....old school heavy metal.
The only way I can listen to music right now at home is with Pandora, however this doesn't allow me to access the music I have on iTunes so having a unit like the one here would be great.
I currently have my digital music collection on a networked drive accessible by iTunes and Amarok. Music can be streamed to an Airport Express connected to main sound system and also via Apple TV. Expanding via Sonos would be sweet!
I would like to use Sonos but I do not want to pay to convert my itunes to use with Sonos.
I don't yet have any networked system. I have two separate home theater systems upstairs and downstairs. I keep my digital downloads on my laptop and ferry them to either system via a USB stick. Cheap and cheerful! But it's about time I did network all of this stuff, so Sonos would be a big help.
I don't currently use a networked playback system in my home, but I would like to someday.
I do plan on networking the music in our home via the Itunes library and a laptop. Our Yamaha receiver does have multi-zone capabilities, but it's not networked either at this point. Something like sonos or even an i-pad would be an improvement, which would be the next step.
i currently don't have one but plan on getting one sometime in the future
A few months ago,I have purchased the Marantz SR7005 but haven't get it set up and installed yet and when I do that,hopefully I will take advantage of using the Airplay feature on this reciever.
I'm currently still using the Onkyo TX-SR876.
I am trying to learn all about music systems. Thank-you.
I have two Logitech Squeezboxes, one for each floor. Distributed Audio is done with a Xantech Ada-6 and lots of power amps. The system has been in for 25 years. I have a whole house Xantech IR sytem as well for controlling everything. I have a few areas not covered in music & this is where I would use the Sonos gear.
Would love to win this for the holiday! My music system just died.
I'm trying to figure out the best way to get sound from our various iDevices to rooms of the house without running wires and without using Bluetooth solutions (which compromise the already compressed sound). Ideally, I'd like to include a way to get that sound to my old-school Kenwood receiver and beloved Altec Lansing speakers. Sonos is one of the best solutions I've explored to date for solving many of these issues.
There are a mis-mash of ways that we "attempt" to listen to music throughout the house; droid, iPod, PC, etc. Sonos has always looked very attractive. Maybe I should look harder at the entire line.
I play my iTunes library thru my ps3 via WiFi, i would love to have a separate bridge network interface to spread my music around the home
i dont have a networked music playback system yet. But I really would love to have one! I do have a bose sounddock for my ipod but I would love to be able to stream pandora or british radio from my computer throughout the house
I don't have a networked system. It would be nice to have one eventually. The closest we get to one is plugging my bf's smartphone into the kitchen speakers, which are otherwise connected to a portable cd player.
Nah, get all my music streaming through Pandora. I would network my sound system, but would need a bigger music collection first.
Current setup is just a networked drive, and an Apple TV. Have been looking into SONOS recently. This would be great!
We don't currently have a networked music system, would really like to set one up but have no specific time frame in mind. I've been reading about them and the Sonos systems sounds like a good solution.
THE Sonos Play:3 and Bridge Bundle SOUNDS GOOD.
I am way behind in the techno world of music (I still use music CDs) and the Sonos 3 would be a big kick in the butt for a good quality sound experience.
I have been looking at a way to get all my music able to be played throughout the house for several years. thought of media servers, they are pricey and some are large and noisy. Have been just using my laptop, tablet, smartphones, and Blue-ray player with Pandora app and played from their using adapter cables. With the Sonos being able to use our devices wirelessly to control the music that is listened to is now what I am after. I have looked at squeeze box but question the sound quality.
Kind of depends on what you mean by networked. If it's centralized, like from my PC to all other devices in the house, then it's already set up but I don't use it. My PS3 and Xbox 360 can see my PC on the network and use shared photos, video, and music.
What I really use is bluetooth audio. A lot of wireless speakers like the Jambox and the Bose Soundlink require only a bluetooth enabled device and I use my iPhone to stream music without the worry of any wires. Plus the portability allows me to take that music anywhere I go.
I do not have a networked system but would love it. It would be a great addition. thanks.
I don't currently use a networked playback system -- right now I just use whatever device happens to be in the room I'm in (my desktop PC or laptop, Smart TV, or iPad/dock). Thanks!
I do have in house audio that's in the living room and then upstairs in the master bedroom/bathroom. only issue is the components are in the living room and i don't have any way to control them when i'm upstairs. so basically, to use the audio system upstairs, i have to pick my music channel when i'm downstairs and leave it there unless i want to be running up and down the stairs.