Sonos

MP3 Insider 121: The more affordable

Donald and Jasmine discuss a new PVP from Cowon with an attractive price point.

Plus, Sonos inadvertently lowers the entry price point for its excellent in-home audio networking system--for those who already own iPhones or the iPod Touch. We interview Sonos co-founder Tom Cullen to get all the details.

Also this week: cute multimedia speakers, an overpriced in-car charger dock, and Jasmine's favorite music gadgets.

Listen now: Download today's podcast… Read more

Sonos adds free iPhone app, Last.fm, expanded Internet radio options

Add iPhone control, Last.fm, and an expanded Internet radio roster to Sonos' bag of tricks.

Starting Tuesday, a free application available at the iTunes App Store will allow iPhone and iPod Touch owners to control their Sonos digital audio system via their home's Wi-Fi network. The Sonos Controller for iPhone provides the Apple handheld with most of the same functions as the Sonos CR100 Controller, but provides direct touch-screen access not available on the latter device.

The Sonos system can already be controlled via its companion Windows and Mac software, but the iPhone Controller provides a much more convenient and accessible interface to the multiroom music system.

In addition to providing a secondary control option for existing Sonos owners, the Controller App also lowers the effective entry-level price for the Sonos. The company's two-room bundle, the $1,000 BU150, includes a ZP120 base station (with built-in amplifier), ZP90 base station (no amp), and CR100 remote. Previously, those looking for a single-room option were left with purchasing a separate ZP90 ($350) and CR100 ($400), netting out to a very pricey $750.

But the availability of the iPhone application means consumers can grab a ZP90 and an iPod Touch for $580. Still a lot of money, to be sure, but now you're getting top-notch home and portable digital music players. And existing iPhone or iPod Touch owners, of course, need only get the ZP90 or ZP120.

Photos: Sonos Controller iPhone App

Sonos is also updating the product's firmware to version 2.7. The free upgrade (it's a one-touch automatic free download for all Sonos systems, available now) adds the following: … Read more

Sonos, Logitech Squeezebox, or Apple: What's the best audio streamer for you?

Back in the day, the easiest way to listen to your PC-based digital music collection on your home stereo was to drag the two into the same room, and hook up the stereo to the PC's headphone output--easy with a laptop, a bit harder with a desktop. Over the past few years, a variety of network audio streamers have made that process considerably easier and less disruptive. These products connect directly to your home stereo (or minisystem, boombox, whatever--anything with speakers and an auxiliary input), and access a variety of digital audio selections via your home network--all the MP3s on your PC's hard drive, Internet radio, podcasts, and many Internet music services (some free, some paid).

A quick perusal of CNET's list of best network music players shows that the three top dogs in the category are the Logitech Squeezebox Duet, the Sonos, and the Apple TV. But that hierarchy doesn't quite tell the whole story. Finding the best streamer for you involves a bit more research. All three of these products are excellent overall, and each of them offer an option for perusing your music collection from a screened remote (that is, a handheld remote control with a nice color screen, so you can pull up songs, artists, playlists, and Internet radio stations from the palm of your hand). Of course, each of them has varying strengths and weaknesses, different price points, and may involve purchasing additional accessories to get the full experience. To that end, we've gone beyond the in-depth reviews on all three products to highlight the pluses and minuses of each. … Read more

Sonos BU150: I can stream clearly now the range is long

If you like Sonos and things that are new, you're probably going to love the new gear from Sonos.

You may already have heard of the Sonos digital music system--it scored a high review from our editors, it's got tie-ins with Napster for streaming millions of songs over the Internet, and it'll stream your entire collection over your wired or wireless home network.

It's the music lover's dream, and its amps are capable of driving speakers, meaning you don't need to hook it up to separate hi-fi units, unlike the also excellent Logitech Squeezebox Duet. … Read more

MP3 Insider 107: Interview with Pandora's Tim Westergren

While Jasmine takes a vacation, Donald Bell interviews Pandora Internet radio founder Tim Westergren about the company's future, life after iPhone, and the switch to ad-supported radio streams. Listen now: Download today's podcast

Episode 107

Pandora goes free (and ad-supported) on Logitech Squeezebox--with other devices likely to follow

Photos: Hands-on with Pandora's Internet radio iPhone app

Newsmaker: Revelations from Pandora's music box

Pandora goes free (and ad-supported) on Logitech Squeezebox--with other devices likely to follow

Add Pandora to the list of free online music services you can access through the Logitech Squeezebox. Previously, the music service--which creates the equivalent of personalized radio stations based on your favorite artists and music genres--required a $36 yearly subscription fee to be accessed on a network digital audio player in the home. But there is a trade-off: the free service will be ad-supported (the subscription plan remains available to users who prefer an ad-free experience).

Initially, it appears that the Logitech Squeezebox products will be the only home audio streamer with access to the free Pandora service. However, it's a safe bet that the ad-supported Pandora service will also be making its way to the other two devices that support the current subscription service:… Read more

It's official: Audiophiles are over CDs

The end is near, another war seems imminent, oil prices continue to rise, the dollar is in free fall, and now audiophiles have abandoned the CD.

Don't get the wrong idea: they haven't all dumped their CD players for turntables (I wish). Instead, they've bought music servers of some kind or another. How can this be happening?

I read the sad news on the Stereophile July 6 voting feature (scroll down to see results).

That week's question: how do you listen to digital music? The poll says 34 percent still use CD players as their primary … Read more

Free iTunes remote control app for iPhone and Touch?

A report from the MacRumors blog shows supposedly leaked details of Apple's plans to allow the iPhone and iPod Touch to act as an in-home remote control for iTunes. As CNET's News.com reported this morning, the leaked remote control feature was discovered in a developer-only beta release of iTunes 7.7, evidenced in part by this unconfirmed screen shot.

If the rumors are accurate, the new iTunes remote control feature will be offered as a free application for iPhone and iPod Touch users once the iTunes App Store goes live. Presumably, a touch-screen remote control for iTunes … Read more

Logitech Squeezebox Duet: First hands-on impressions

UPDATE: The full review is now up at CNET.com.

The Logitech Squeezebox Duet, our pick for the best home audio product of CES 2008, has just shown up at the office. We spent a few minutes with the system before at CES, but this has been our first chance to sit down and live with the product in our own environment. A full review will follow, but in the meantime, here are some off-the-bat first impressions: … Read more