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The Sonos Five is a hefty beast with a smart, slightly curved grille on the front. (Image credit: TechRadar) Use the included USB A-C charging cable with any 5V/1.5A (7.5W) or higher USB power adapter. You can also use the Sonos Roam Wireless Charger or any Qi-certified wireless charger. I am a current Sonos product user. I have two Five’s in stereo. I’ve previously had a 1st Gen Beam, two One SL’s and a 1st Gen Play:5.
With its smooth good looks, the Sonos One is designed to look every bit as good in years to come as it does now. Yet Sonos have taken the idea of design longevity further by engineering in the ability to update the electronics through future software updates. With its increased memory and updated processor, the One has more potential for future upgrades than ever. The Sonos wireless sound system is simply one of the best-sounding, most reliable and flexible there is. With the latest Sonos components, you don't even require a BRIDGE or BOOST, as they are capable of linking via your home Wi-Fi system. For the very best results, though, linking one component to an Ethernet connection will allow you to take advantage of the famous Sonos 'Mesh' system. Use the capacitive touch controls on the product to play, pause, skip, replay, adjust the volume, turn off the microphones, and more. Lights on the product indicate connection, charge status, mute status, microphone activation and errors.In traditional Sonos style, the Five is not interested in a shy, retiring sound – it's here to bring the bass and make you feel it, and we're not complaining. However (and we've said this before) it's important to note that we like it more if you can use TruePlay tuning, and not everyone is granted that privilege. For sound quality, the Sonos Five actually isn't just good value, it's absolutely great value. But it's a case of different strokes for different folks; if Bluetooth streaming is important to you and you own an Android phone, you should look elsewhere. Prices valid in stores (all including VAT) until close of business on 1st November 2023. (Some of these web prices are cheaper than in-store, so please mention that you've seen these offers online.)
The hissing/white noise starts as soon as audio starts playing. It continues when you pause whatever is playing for 15 seconds (every time as I have timed it). This hissing/white noise remains at the same level no matter the level of volume from the speakers. The quieter the audio, the more you notice it when audio is playing. With AirPlay, stream directly from your Apple devices or ask Siri to play your favourites from Apple Music throughout your home. Enjoy the unmatched Sonos experience on WiFi, and stream audio directly from your smartphone, tablet, or computer using Bluetooth. Sonos One seamlessly syncs voice, app, and touch commands, enabling you to manage music with a single word, tap of the app, or swipe on the speaker touch panel. Combine voice control with the Sonos app to manage all your music in one place. Stream Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No. 2 in C Minor, performed by Andre Previn, the London Symphony Orchestra and Vladimir Ashkenazy, and the flute is never harsh through the sparkling and untethered treble. Piano notes are distinct, three dimensional and lilting with enough space around them to shine in a cohesive mix.
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Although it's about the size of a large shoe-box (and heavier than it looks, at 6.36kg) the Sonos Five isn't quite a cuboid since its grille portion is slightly bigger than its rear end and the baffle is slightly bowed out and angled upwards too, to aid with sound dispersal. I would have to put my ear right up close to a speaker to hear any such hissing. I was wondering if it maybe one of the symptoms of the tinnitus condition mentioned, perhaps? It’s worth perhaps exploring that too, but that’s not something I know too much about either. The more components you add, the stronger the dedicated wireless mesh becomes. Best of all, because it runs independently from your Wi-Fi, the reliability and strength of the signal is unaffected by Wi-Fi dropouts. A soft self-generated hissing noise is so common on active speakers that some manufacturers publish the level of self-generated noise for their products. The Five is the biggest and most powerful wireless home speaker in Sonos' range, and it sounds every inch as detailed and musically pleasing as we've come to expect from Sonos. This flagship iteration (released in June 2020) adds increased memory, snappier processing and a new, er, wireless radio feature. Not a huge upgrade then?
Sonically it's a bargain for the money, but the feature-set means certain serious competition is not far away. The Sonos app combines all your content and settings into one effortless experience. You can also use your voice, Apple AirPlay 2, and more. Hold the Play/Pause button to send sound between Roam and the nearest Sonos product in your system. Under the hood, the speaker array remains exactly the same as its Play:5 predecessor –and Sonos actually makes no bones about this. You're getting the same six custom-designed drivers driven by six class D amplifiers for a combined power output of 120W: three high excursion 10cm mid-woofers across the bottom of the unit and three tweeters above them, two of which are angled outwards.
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If your hearing is sensitive to these things you may want to consider alternatives. Maybe opt for passive speakers perhaps?
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