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Sonos Five review

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Summary

Quick Verdict: Sonos' updated standalone speaker pushes out some powerful sound, but it doesn't feel like the innovative speaker it should be.

  • Good sound output
  • Easy setup
  • Audio input jack
  • Lacks voice assistant
  • Only a small upgrade from the Play:5 for now

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Sonos Five soundbar

Alongside the fancy (and very appealing) Sonos Arc, Sonos also recently upgraded two of its other speaker components, with a new-generation Sonos Sub and a slight remix of the Sonos Play:5 into the simpler-sounding Sonos Five.

Like the Play:5 it's a standalone wired or wireless speaker with a focus on music streaming. Audio output is (as you'd expect from Sonos) very good indeed, but it can't help but feel like the smallest possible upgrade from the Play:5, and one that could have perhaps benefitted from more of a feature bump at launch.


Design

Design

  • Black or white all over
  • 3.5mm audio line in socket
Nubia Z20

Installation

Installation

  • Simple setup in theory
  • No voice assistant to configure
Nubia Z20

Performance

Performance

  • Great audio output
  • Advantages over older models not apparent at launch
Nubia Z20

Verdict

Verdict

  • A good standalone speaker
Nubia Z20
Should you buy it?

Sonos went all out for the Sonos Arc adding a host of new features and audio quality to differentiate it from its predecessors. It's not quite the same story with the Sonos Five, which fundamentally offers just a small specification bump over the existing Play:5 speakers. As such, there's not much of an argument to upgrade if you've already got one of those.

If you're looking at the Sonos Five as a standalone speaker, or as a stereo pair it's a different story. Audio output is excellent, but it does feel jarring that the cheaper Sonos One and Sonos Move speakers can manage voice control, but Sonos has seen fit to leave it out of the Sonos Five.


Pricing and availability

Price

RRP $749

Where to buy


Specifications

Build

Dimensions
203 x 364 x 154 mm
Weight
6.36 kg
UI
Capacitive Touch Controls
Colours
White or black

Connectivity

Bluetooth
No
WiFi
802.11b/g
Power supply
Auto-switching 100-240 V, 50-60 Hz AC universal input
Ethernet port
1

Images: Alex Kidman

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