Side by Side Comparison of: Sonos

Our teevee audio is now a thousand times better. I picked up the sound bar and subwoofer and are looking forward to adding a couple of play 1s when I have a room more suited for surround sound. The sound from these components are rich and deep. After putting in hundreds of hours into playing Fallout 4, I have heard sounds that I didn't even know I was missing until we upgraded to the sonos system. Set up was stupid easy and the companion app is really useful for control. My only draw back so far is I can't have both my XBox and PlayStation remotes programed for volume control, only one or the other.

Have used other soundbars in the past but nothing meets the quality of the Sonos sounbar. My only problem is SONOS has introduced a new product that I might have purchased instead of the sound bar.

Sonos is really great, easy to set up the dolby 5.1. took some menu hunting on my xbox one to get it to work fully, however a quick search online and I found the answer. Really slick interface on the smart phones. I will be putting play 3's or play 5's all over my house (slowly, their expensive).

Great sound to fill the room however i would say that if you want to full effect of surround sound you would need to buy the Play 1 or Play 3 and to get that bass you need the subwoofer. Its not a requirement but just something to think about. I already had a set of Play 1 and Play 3 so i was fine.Not cheep at all however I bought this refurbish for the fraction of the price (with a 1 year warranty from Sonos) and i could not be any more happier!

Look, I have a really nice 5.1 surround sound system in my family room. Marantz receiver, in wall LCR's, Martin Logan Dynamo 700, RTI remote, all hidden in a closet and sending HDMI via baluns. With all the HDMI headaches I have dealt with, I decided to give the Sonos Playbar a try. I mounted it below my Sony XBR75X850C. Packaging amazing. Instructions amazing. Clean look with minimal equipment. Let me say this, the playbar and sub really amazed me. Sound is awesome and exceeds my expectations. And I can have the world of music at my hands. Truly an amazing job by Sonos. Next I plan on adding surrounds. Even works with my normal TV remote.

Sonos is legendary for a good reason - because they really produce these components for the discerning consumer as well as for the neophyte looking for new sonic frontiers...It all started when I bought the LG ND8630 (the white washtub Airplay speaker). I loved the Airplay ability, the looks, and the deep sound. Now discontinued, it is a killer speaker for a killer price. Then, I happened to drop into a Bose store (big mistake), and walked out with the Gold Standard of wifi-speakers, the Bose Soundtouch 30. Wow, this has the "Bose Sound", deep with crisp highs and an OK interface (I hated the limiting 6-favorite Bose app) that worked with Airplay, Spotify Connect, and aux inputs. It is the best in a single speaker one can find, in my mind, for $500. The Bose was King of my music experience at home...but something was missing...Comparing the Bose 30 with the Bose QC15 headphones, I noticed what most (if not all) wifi- or wireless speakers were missing - the ambience of stereo separation! Music is produced with a lot consideration about how the track will sound in a stereo environment; the typical wireless speaker mixes or blends the two channels together - by virtue of the fact that any left-right channels are only inches- to two feet apart. Sounds great but is hardly a listening "experience".So, I noticed the Sonos Play:1 world. I had not given Sonos any consideration because i was not into the "music in every room" advertising approach. With caution, I bought a single Play:1 and liked the deep sound from a relatively small coffee-can sized speaker. Wow, then I discovered that by adding a second Play:1, I could easily make these into a left and right stereo pair, over wifi and with zero expertise, they just worked!For only $400, I had a pair of totally wireless speakers that filled the living room with the most amazing sound. I had been missing the true ambience of songs by playing Apple Music and Spotify, Amazon, Google Play, and Pandora over a single speaker. Note that compared to the Bose Soundtouch 30, each individual Sonos Play:1 could not match its presence, but together, the Sonos Play:1 pair just killed the Bose, sad to say! Rich bass (go figure!) and crisp highs, they sound great. Every playlist on every service was a new experience.Thanks for reading to this point. So, I thought...I went from 1-D sound (on the wireless speakers) to a much richer 2-D stereo sound with the Sonos Play:1 pair, why not expand into 3-D sound with the added Sonos Playbar? Yes, it is $699 but I had spent double that much of goofy surround systems, subwoofers, and gadgets. So, Amazon delivered the Playbar (1-Day shipping!) and I plugged it in. The iPhone Sonos app is an example of simplicity and yet flexibility (learn this lesson, Bose!) and within a minute I had a true surround system! It uses your old TV or Cable remote for volume, has an IR-repeater strip across the back, in case the Playbar blocks the TV remote, has only a power cord, an optical connect to the TV, and an ethernet cable for the connectivity to the Play:1 pair. It uses its own wifi band so it offloads any wifi traffic over this completely wireless surroundsound system. Amazing! BTW, did you know that many of the commercials have incredible 5.1 DD sound! Imagine that shock. Yes, most modern TV's do throughput 5.1 Dolby digital over the HDMI-optical pathway. Yes, Comcast and Dish do broadcast most shows and movies in 5.1. And yes, the Playbar-Play:1 combo is incredibly lifelike. You have number of variables, like the surround and ambient effects, the rear speaker adjustments, and a sound calibration with the TV volume (I left my TV speakers disconnected). The Playbar comes on with the TV and shuts off with the TV. I don't even have to think about it...easy!But wait, there's more! Using the iPhone Sonos app (...now I found the perfect solution for an old iphone or ipad laying about...!) I played my Spotify playlists over the Sonos Playbar-Play combo. WHOA. Amazing sounds, not only left- to right but also across the room. The playbar sits in front the TV while the Play:1's sit behind the sofa. The sound is very airy, and each instrument appears in different parts of the room - eery! It's more like an expanded sound field across the room, even for the standard mp3 two-channel streaming files.So, what have I got? A killer surround system that just works ( I decided against getting the SUB woofer from Sonos for now) in addition to a very fascinating room stereo experience. The Sonos combo knows if content is 5.1 and if so, the rear channels play the surround information, otherwise, it fills the room with the Left-Right stereo content.What about my gripes? I thought I would hate the app as much as I had no love for the Bose app. Actually, the Sonos app has a lot to offer; each Sonos playlist can contain content from each or any of the music services you have, all rolled into one playlist. So, until Sonos supports Apple Music, I am stuck to iTunes content that I have downloaded onto my iPhone or iPad. Cmon, Apple and Sonos - fix this! I wish the Playbar would recognize more than 5.1 (I don't think DTS is supported). Before you buy the Playbar, MAKE SURE: your TV has HDMI inputs for each of your devices such as cable, PS3, PS4, etc. Make sure your TV can support 5.1 over the HDMI and then out to the Sonos on the optical SPDIF output. Make sure, you can plug the Playbar into an ethernet router in the room, so that the Sonos combo can operate on its own net. You cannot play the Playbar and both rear Play:1's only on the local wifi network, you have to use a Bridge, Connect, or the Playbar through the router. I think...So, get these components and experience the best in 2-D and 3-D sound. I'll add more as I gain insights.

I have three of the PLAY:1's and decided to add this sub in. It totally transformed my listening experience! The lows that this thing has are absolutely impressive. I even stuck something on the top of it to see if it vibrated off, and it didn't even move! Sonos put a lot of time and effort into this sub. It's unfortunate that it's so pricy, but I see why. I love the fact that I can control bass/treble on the PLAY:1's, and increase the volume of the sub separately. Awesome!!

very happy with this sub. i'm a bose person, so switching to sonos was a big step. i like the wi-fi feature and being able to play from anywhere in the house. app is nice as well and easy to use - syncs with my spotify account. waiting for alexa integration, was a main reason i purchased. setup was easy and it just comes on and works when i turn the tv on, unlike other systems i've had where you have to turn everything on separately.

WOW!I added it to a stereo pair of PLAY:1's and it transformed the listening experience.It arrived today. Setup took about 20 minutes from the time I picked it up at the front door until I was enjoying the sound.Setup was about as simple as it could be. Plug it in, add it to the system using the instructions in the app and enjoyAppearance is simple and clean, a real benefit considering many subwoofers are a decorating disaster.

With Subwoofer, my surround sound system is complete. Easy to setup and up to the mark. Sonos system is one of the best purchases that makes me happy every time I think of. Great bass!!! For surround sound system, I got one playbar, two sonos play1 and subwoofer.

Awesome bass...tight & low frequency. This is one-of-three Sonos SUBS I have around my house (along with other various Sonos speakers). EXCELLENT sounding system, and very convenient & easy to use (iPhone, iPad or desktop computer).

Absolutely love this sub!! I recommend this system to anyone. It's very modern looking And sounds amazing !!

This thing is awesome. I spent nearly a year obsessing and planning to buy a Playbar. I already own two Play:1s. I even purchased a TV specifically because it could pass through 5.1 to the Playbar. The shound is great and SONOS is pretty much the coolest thing ever. I'm knocking a star off simply for cost and it still requires a bit more for the ecosystem. EVENTUALLY, this will be the flagship of an amazing music/entertainment system. It is already pretty cool, but I don't know how much better it sounds than my past sound bar + subwoofer combo. When I get the Play:Sub, I'm sure the comparison won't be close, but then there's just more cost. If you are into SONOS, have a TV that can pass through 5.1, the Playbar is the way to go. When I saw the price drop like $150 for a refurb, I jumped on it and am very happy about.

Great addition to the sonos ecosystem. I love the flexibility of pairing with my play 1's. I waited over a year to pull the trigger, and I am glad I did as I have no regrets. I agree that for the price, there are probably better options if you are building a traditional surround system. However, you cannot beat the flexibility of this system and being able to cater to the occasion that you are hosting.Sonos continues to be a top notch company that puts out quality products and support. Looking forward to the release of TruePlay later on this year.

First off, I went to the Best Buy store to purchase and was painfully reminded why I like Amazon! After a frustrating hour and half of trying to buy a TV, Sonos and installation there, I gave up and logged in. I've never been disappointed in the Amazon experience. Ever.I like two things about this sound bar: It sounds nice, and it is dead simple. I also added a Sub (I recommend this!) to the setup and am quite happy. We recently moved into a smaller home and my old setup would not fit. While Sonos does not match what I had (Martin Logan) they are more than adequate for movies and music.Con: They are a bit pricey in my opinion. A little competition will improve the sound quality as well as price.In the end, I'd recommend them to anyone. Wireless is a great way to go and this technology is fully capable.

I'm torn between a 'Love' and a 'Like'. I had a Sony Sound Bar previously, which I'd had for 6 or 7 years. This sounds very good. Very Clear. It's a little finicky with my Harmony Remote (Mute, mutes the bar. However, Mute again doesn't turn volume back on.), but I've not taken the time to 'fix' on the Harmony. I did like the sound enough (Music and TV) to purchase the SONOS Sub. I am very pleased with the fact I rarely find myself adjusting the volume to pick up words, etc. on TV shows (once again, very clear) and I rarely rewind for the same. With this and the sub I find myself listening to more music from phone, etc. I'm looking at the Play 1's next. I do recommend this, but caution people the price isn't for everyone.

While they market the Sonos speakers as wireless speakers for streaming music, we replaced our AV Receiver with the Soundbar, a bridge, and four Play: 1 speakers. The setup was very easy. We have it configured with the Soundbar in front of the TV plus (2) speakers for the surround and two more speakers in the kitchen to allow someone to hear the television or music without having to crank up the volume. I love the ability to control the system from our iPads or iPhones. The only shortfall is the organization of the controls in the app. It took forever to figure out where to adjust the volume for the kitchen speakers when grouped with the family room speakers. It was also a challenge to find the setting for volume control on the rear speakers. If not for the confusing structure of the app, I would give it 5 stars.

Sonos is to be admired for a system of speakers that all integrate so easily with the Android tablet app. The packing and build quality as well as audio quality is excellent and the only reason for four stars is that by itself, the soundbar does not have the sound of a full-range speaker but the treble and mid-range is truly audiophile quality -- it is somewhat lacking bass. Installation and setup was a breeze, taking less than 5 minutes using the excellent Android tablet app. I spent four weeks with just the soundbar connected to my HDTV via the Toslink (optical) cable and thus have many hours of experience with it -- BUT after adding the Sonos subwoofer, it integrated so well with the soundbar that it just came alive and seemed as though it was an audiophile floor-standing full-range speaker. While excellent in its own right, the soundbar together with the dedicated subwoofer was so much better than just the soundbar by itself (NO comparison). The ability and ease of streaming internet audio or music from my desktop computer was amazing -- all controlled by Android apps on my cell phone and tablet. To make volume adjustments easier (necessary due to different volumes from programming OTA, from the Tivo or from various Roku channels) it took less than a minute to sync the HDTV's remote for volume control which was more convenient than having to use a cell phone or tablet app on a routine basis even though the quality of those apps is superb.

Amazing sub.

This sub is heavy and feels very expensive. I placed my sub behind my sofa and can really feel the bass when watching movies. It's a noticeable change and significantly improved the overall quality of my system (playbar and play 5).

works as advertised

Exactly what I was expecting.

I love Sonos in spite of the high prices. They are high quality - best in their space. This is a really good sub - buy without hesitation. Expected a bit more 'thump' being that it's a sonos product.

Reasonably small in size, flexible in positioning, it is really ugly because it is shiny plastic – but it can be tucked behind a curtain, because it's not too bulky. No flexibility in relative loudness or frequency adjustment. Well worth the cost when paired with play 3s or play 5s.

I had bought this along with a mode sound touch 300 so I could try each side by side. I honestly was not impressed with the play bar as I am with other sonos speakers. I knew it only had a digital audio out but expected a little more. Sound quality was a step up over tv speakers, but for my music it lacked sound clarity.My bose sound touch sounded great for tv and music. Handles bass very well so I ended up sending the play bar back.

Great whole home system! Only reason for three stars is the connection issue with a Samsung "one connect " box on a new 4K tv. We've had the sound bar and subwoofer hooked up to three tvs and the one connect was the only one that had an issue. Overall I love how it works just not the intermittent cutout with the new tv!

For the price I was really expecting to be blown away, and honestly, it does appear to fall short. I do not have the Playbar paired with a Sub or additional rear channel speakers. You can audibly detect when bass would be playing because the Playbar drops the volume to compensate and avoid distorting. Undoubtedly lacks bass and honestly, I have a newer generation Play 5 and I think the sound is far superior in that unit.Obviously the Sonos system itself is great and thats why I bought it because I've already invested in other Sonos products, of which I love. I wont return the Playbar, but I suppose I'll pair it with a Sub in the future to remedy its lack of a low end frequency response.

A really good concept with only one major hole in it. As others have mentioned, there's only an optical in and not an hdmi in. Sonos expects you to use the TV as your central switching device. I bought it because I wanted to stream music and I liked that the system as a whole is configurable. Would have been a no-brainer if they had included hdmi inputs and one output to the tv. I then could have used it to totally replace my A/V receiver.

High sound quality, but no Wireless N or Windows Phone 8 support for a $700 speaker??? Really no excuse for this.

I hooked this up to a 55" HDTV that has a built in soundbar and while I could tell there was a clear difference between left and right channels and it was more crisp than the TV speakers, the difference was minimal at best. A much cheaper soundbar would suffice. Maybe it would have sounded better if I also bought surround sound speakers with it, but this was an expensive purchase to begin with and I wasn't going to drop even more money on a product that I wasn't fully satisfied with.

I wanted to love it - I definitely like it and it adds a noticeable bottom end to music with a lot of modern bass like trance, house, rap, etc. I am using it with an original Sonos Play5 and think a newer P5 might be the winning combo - just haven't shelled out the cash yet. I have not yet tired it for movies however I see no reason why it wouldn't work well. Nice shape, nice size, well built and designed...

For Sonos, this was a huge disappointment. We have a total of 11 units, and by far this is the most poorly conceived. Sound quality is poor, and the software integration is disappointing. I understand many users might treat the television differently than the rest of the stereo system, but we use everything in "party mode" all the time. When we use the tv as an input, we don't want to loose the groupings!But mainly, the sound quality is terrible.

First off, I am a big Sonos fan. I had toyed with the idea of purchasing a Playbar for some time. The idea of wireless rear speakers and sub combined with all the music streaming features Sonos offers was very appealing to me, even though it came with a high price tag.When I finally bought the Playbar, it was as quick and simple as it can be to set and I had great sound coming from my TV in no time. I added my two Sonos Play:1 speakers for 5.0 sound. When I played a Bluray disc with my PS3 I had no sound at first. This didn't shock me since I knew the Playbar does not support DTS sound and most Blurays are encoded with DTS. I changed the sound settings in my PS3 that it pass on only Dolby Digital 5.1 and PCM 2.0 as it is recommended by Sonos. After I did that, I had sound on all speakers, but it didn't seem like true surround sound. Checking the Sonos app confirmed that the input to the Playbar was Stereo sound. When I played the same scene in a foreign language, that is encoded in Dolby Digital 5.1, I instantly heard a significant difference and the Sonos app showed that the input is Dolby Digital 5.1.I am no expert in home theater electronics and standards. I assumed the lack of DTS functionality is something that is only of concern for audiophiles. However, it turns out that if you hope to get true surround sound, your source must be Dolby Digital 5.1. I have spent hours of research and troubleshooting with my hardware and have found no solution to this issue. This is in stark contrast to the "simplicity" approach of Sonos.Simplicity in setup and use does not exclude supporting more than one audio standard!While I would give any other Sonos device 5 stars, I can't give the Playbar more than 2. By itself it is a great device, which is reflected in all the positive reviews. But if you hope to get a great surround sound system when you couple it with two more Sonos Play:1 or Play:3 speakers, you will very likely be disappointed. It is beyond me why Sonos ignores an industry standard like DTS that is used by nearly all Bluray releases and any other modern $200 home theater system supports.Pros:++ Easy Setup++ Music Streaming functionality+ Good soundbar for 3.0 configurationCons:--- Very limited support of audio standards--- No true surround sound for nearly all Blurays-- Only one Toslink input, so you need to rely on your TV to pass through Dolby Digital-- ExpensiveSo much potential, so poorly executed...

As I was looking at purchasing the Play 5s possibly, my playbar just went dead. No reason...It worked for 18 moths, i have had it plugged into a surge protector, and there wasn't a surge anyway. I contacted customer support, and it is out of warranty. They will send me a rebuilt one (used) for $200. So basically 1/3 of the price I can get a rebuilt one that only comes with a 3 month warranty. Considering I am not sure what happened to this, I decided to try something else.I was not satisfied with this for movies anyway. So i purchased the W Studio from Definitive Tech. WOW...what a change and i finally see what I was missing. True 5.1 sound with movies.Sonos is simple, and easy to setup. I am very disappointed how many people I recommended this too, and now after less than 2 years, the playbar just died. The "repair" policy is ridiculous.When this was first out there were limited options for a soundbar. Now...there are a lot more and many that do it much better. Do your research before committing to this...now that I hear a different company, i realize how much great sound I truly was missing.That's my opinion...and I am frustrated at this just dying. Interesting it happened after the most recent update...

I'm sending back the Sonos Playbar we just bought. Audio DRM issues make it impossible to actually do what it promises for most people. Most (but not all) TVs take in multiple HDMI inputs from a variety of sources that can include surround sound. Most TVs have a handy optical audio out port that sends the sound from your TV to a more awesomer sound system...and most TVs change it into a lame 2-channel stereo signal on the way out. WTF? Is that to keep us from pirating the audio from Star Wars? The whole reason I got the Playbar and two additional Sonos speakers was to get surround (as they tout on their site and on Amazon). Will your TV pass through the full surround audio to your new Sonos Playbar? No real way of knowing. There is a partial list on the Sonos support site, but TV vendors don't list this feature (or even have a standard name for it), so good luck. If you are one of the lucky few with a magic TV that *does* pass through full 5.1, this is a great solution. That a big 'if' for most people.

I have my playbar joined with a sub and two play 3's to make a 5.1 system. It is connected to a Panasonic plasma tv TC-P60GT50. The GT50 does NOT pass through to the optical out DD 5.1 when watching content from HDMI connected source. It WILL pass DD 5.1 out when watching content from Netflix or Amazon apps on the TV. I solved this problem by buying an optical switch and using it to switch the outputs from my various sources (Apple TV, Sony Blu-Ray, Direct TV box) to the playbar. This allows the DD 5.1 to go from my devices to the playbar and works really well in my opinion. I also use the setup as my alarm clock, my music device etc etc. I really like the Sonos system, I use the spotify and the radio apps most of the time. I use my ipad, kindle fire, and iphone as the controller and to me all work equally well.The one main problem I have with this is that it does not decode Dolby Digital + or DTS. Though these suggestions are under consideration over on the Sonos support website.2 Aug 13just a little updating here...The problem with DTS is getting to be more of a problem for me. Several streaming sites are adding DTS to their movie content, so those + blu rays I cannot play in the bedroom where I have the play bar.I have read that PS 3's can downgrade DTS to 5.1 but I myself have no knowledge of it, and dont want to buy a PS3 just for movies in the bedroom.But now to the good news, I love the playbar for watching TV and listening to music. Some people have said it's not good for music, but to me I love it. To each his own I guess.I mostly airplay my music now from my macbook air ---> apple TV -----> optical switch ----> play bar. I also turn the game on in the bedroom, then group my zones together and have the game playing through the house.20 Jan 14 Update *****Sonos has finally decided to NOT support DTS which is really disappointing to me. It's great hardware but the software side of the house is really being neglected due to choices by the sonos company. I have dropped my review and actually have to say I regret my purchase now. For the past year, sonos had DTS support under consideration, but recently changed that to not planned. Supposedly it's just a software update that will enable DTS but they are not going to undertake it. This is a problem because from most tv's they only output stereo 2.0 from the optical out when the source is fed from HDMI into the tv. And when this is the case the sonos system really sounds lousy. It really sounds good when you send Dolby 5.1 to the system or as I had hoped I could do, DTS. But as it is, my blu-rays are encoded in DTS and as such I can't watch them using the play bar, the only option is to use tv speakers while staring at a silent 700 dollar play bar.

I'm a HUGE Sonos fan. I own 3 Play:5's and a Sub. I'd been wanting to replace my bulky 5.1 speaker system with a Playbar since it was rumored. All their products have incredible sound quality so I was optimistic about this set up.Set up is easy, sound quality is good for the unit. It's a nice product and looks great while being easy to operate (although more reliant on the Sonos application than I'd prefer). It's the typical awesomeness that you get with any Sonos product.When testing the Playbar with a direct connection to a device (e.g. Apple TV) and running it compared to my 5 speaker system through my receiver I was impressed with the quality. Sound was more spread out and filled the room better but dialog/center was ultimately a bit shallow feeling. If you turn on speech enhancement in the menu it helps out but something still feels slightly off. It's something you're unlikely to notice unless you're actively comparing like I was but to the Playbar's credit it was no slouch. I had a few people compare with me and everyone picked the typical 5.1 setup for better sound but had positive things to say about the Playbar - mainly noting its shallow feel in certain rangers and with dialog as the main issues.Here's the issue though: Sonos says they want you to use your TV as a hub, all the inputs going to the TV and then optical audio out from the TV to the Playbar. Great idea - but the problem is that most TV's won't pass Dolby Digital (DD) 5.1 surround from HDMI to the digital/optical audio. If it's from the TV itself (such as Netflix on a smart TV) or input directly from the coaxial cable it will pass 5.1 through the optical port BUT not from HDMI. This is either required to be HDCP compliant or is a licensing/cost issue (not sure). There are a few tv's that do this but they're few and far between and hard to verify.So if you have multiple sources (say an Xbox 360, Blu-Ray player, Apple TV, etc) there's no way for those sources to ever deliver 5.1 to the Playbar as Sonos intended (assuming you add a sub and some Play:3's to the mix). And you can't wire multiple inputs directly to the Playbar because they have a single input for the sake of simplicity. Normally I'm fine with this, but in light of the limitation with HDMI => optical pass through on TVs this became an oversight to me upon learning about the pass through issue. You can solve this by finding a TV or receiver that does pass through DD 5.1 through the optical audio, but you shouldn't have to. Alternatively you can use an optical audio switch, which is fine most of the time but may not work with a blu-ray player since Playbar lacks DTS support and are also limited on inputs, but this doesn't solve what to do for certain devices that don't have an optical audio port (e.g. most computers, Wii U, etc).In the end you're left with a system that is capable of producing much better sound (especially if a sub and some Play:3s are added) that most everyone won't be able to hear and results in this not sounding as good as it costs. And that's just a shame to me.Pros:++Easy set up++Sonos+Decent sound from stereo sourceCons:---Single optical input only--No DTS support--Entire package is expensive for 5.1 (or even 3.1)The only scenario I can see this being a good thing is if you have a room where you want to add a Sonos component and a soundbar to and you want to do it in a single package without caring about other components, like for a Den or a bedroom. Any other solution seems like there'd be a better option.Ultimately I'm disappointed. Had Sonos included multiple audio inputs or HDMI pass through, or even better yet HDMI switching (in place of a receiver) then this could have been an amazing piece. But the reliance on a single optical input being provided from the TV, one which will down convert any HDMI source's audio to stereo sound, in the name of simplicity just seems like a bad idea.Had I known about the tv's not passing through audio I wouldn't have bought this. My mistake, honestly, but it just makes it baffling as to why Sonos didn't provide different input options. As it stands I'm returning it. Hopefully Sonos will look in to making an HDMI hub option as an accessory.** Update **The landscape has changed in terms of tvs that do pass 5.1 through and it's better. It's still difficult to determine precisely so I'd suggest checking forums to see if your TV does in indeed pass 5.1 out. My 2015 LG OLED does not but I'm under the impression the 2017 models do, possibly the 2016 models for example. That all said I think my points made above still stand. Most existing TVs don't do this and it's still very hard to verify.Additionally I'd like to note the omission of another audio format, Dolby Atmos. Sonos says they elected to omit this on the Playbase (the related product to this) because so few things used it and they wanted to focus on streaming but the issue is this limits user choice. Vudu, Netflix, and iTunes support or will support Dolby Atmos. There are likely more services that do as well.They have their very specific viewpoint of how people should use this product and with what (5.1 over optical in DD, steaming services) and that options aren't needed. There are better products out there, especially for the total money spent. I'm not saying there's no market for this or it's terrible - if you have a TV that passes 5.1 and you don't care about DTS and Dolby Atmos it's a fine product and exactly the scenario that Sonos has in mind. But if you want options or don't have a TV that will and you'll be limited to stereo, look elsewhere then. You can do better or cheaper. It's just a shame that Sonos continues to limit this product as, when it works as they want it to, it's great.

Listen, to most people who are not true audiophiles, this sub will be a fine. Sadly, most reviewers/reviews have never experienced what a truly powerful/deep/gut punching sub sounds like. I have. I own two REL No. 25’s $($15,000.00) combined with B&W CM 10 speakers. Trust me when I tell you, the SONOS Sub sounds like a mouse squeak compared to the REL’s. Now, I realize there is a $14,300 price difference so it’s an unfair comparison. With that being said, after reading a bunch of reviews here talking about the ‘deep bass’, I decided to go for the SONOS sub to add to my two Play 5’s in my office. Set up was a breeze but I frankly was dissappointed with the sound-namely that there’s not alot of added ‘uumph’ until the volume gets turned up loud. I guess my expectations were too high. Sure, it did add some depth to the low frequencies, but if you listen to music at low to mid volume range most of the time (which most people do), and already own 2nd gen Play 5’s...which put out solid bass on their own...save your money. If you own Play 3’s or 1’s...then go for it.

Not sure why people rate this Sub so well. The bass is good, but definitely not as smooth as some other Subs, including Bose Sub, its very overwhelming and uncomfortable to the ears. If you are looking for easy set up and overwhelming bass that will make your listeners uncomfortable this is your choice, if you want to enjoy your music and movies, I think Bose Sub is a better choice, I returned this Sonos Sub and Playbar and bougth Bose 300 w/Sub. I only gave it 2 stars because the set up was super easy, otherwise it would have been 1 star. This sub reminds me of when I was 16yrs old and wanted a subwoofer in my car, the quality of the base didn't matter, if I got a headache after 5 minutes of listening to music, that didn't' matter, as long as base was loud and obnoxious.

I've tried to give it some time (7 months to be exact), but the Sonos system hasn't worked right since I purchased. The audio constantly drops, and they've been trying to figure out what's causing this even though they've said they're working on an update with Samsung for the 8000 series for months. This is a 2016 model. Be hesitant if you own a Samsung.

Optical port failed after 2 years. $175 for a reconditioned replacement. Not the quality I expect of a $700 speaker

Awful. I've had the Sonos system for two years. It seldom works correctly; there's always some minor issue. The aps, especially SiriusXM are faulty and do not allow you to listen to in-demand features or see all the data related to what you are listening to. The sound quality is mediocre, like an arcade more than anything else. This purchase was a waste of money.

Disappointing soundbar. Thought it would be a great purchase and am already invested with a bunch of other Sonos gear. Bought the Playbar and two Play:1s since Sonos says they can work together to do 5.1 surround. Turns out the Playbar doesn't support DTS and because it only has optical in (no HDMI ARC) it can't even support Dolby Digital Plus. So the $700 Playbar 90% of the time is playing 2-channel PCM stereo while my $199 soundbar downstairs plays every format I throw at it. After reading the Sonos support forums it appears DTS would be an easy software upgrade which has been requested by tons of their users, but Sonos refuses to do it. Pretty disappointed all around with both product and company after that.

I really enjoyed this while it worked but it recently lost all connectivity. For 2 years and 8 months of a product life for so much money, go look at Bose instead. It had "quirks" since day one. After all the hours that I put into trying to make this work after it forgot it's connection on occasion, I've really come to regret the purchase.

I have 3 Sonos Play 1 speakers that I love. Recently ordered a new Sonos Playbar. It showed up badly dented and with the internal packaging open. Since the internal packaging was open and the speaker damaged, but the box undamaged and sealed it appears that Sonos took a returned speaker and put it in a new box. Very disappointing from a company that sells a quality product.

Purchased on the promise of 15% anniversary cashback. Sonos stalls and delays in accepting the claim and after finally approving, has yet to pay out. Sound ok, customer service terrible.

So lazy

not very good

With only three months of light use the sub is crackling and sounds like a piece of paper or something is rattling inside. Very disappointed for such a high purchase. Reached out to tech support will keep everyone posted.