Sonos One SL (White), The powerful microphone-free speaker for music and more

Product Information

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. Everything works seamlessly together over WiFi. Start with one room and simply add more when you're ready. Use the capacitive touch controls on the product to play, pause, skip, replay, adjust the volume, turn off the microphones, and more. I can’t (hand on heart) say I’ve noticed any excessive hiss from any of my Sonos products and it’s not something I’ve seen complained about before. Use the capacitive touch controls on the product to play, pause, skip, replay, adjust the volume, and more.

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. 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. I also have a separated hi-fi of high end equipment and I get a small amount of hiss/white noise from the speakers but nowhere as bad as Sonos. You don't get any built-in voice assistant here, unlike the Sonos Beam or Sonos Arc. No Alexa, no Google Assistant, and no Sonos Voice Control. That is because there's no mic at all, which seems a little bizarre given Sonos' recent focus on its proprietary Sonos Voice rollout, but there we are. To some extent all electronics will have some level of hiss. From my chair I cannot evaluate if your hiss level is abnormal or not. I tend to be abnormally sensitive to this sort of noise (‘buzz’ -- get it) and I’m not annoyed by the SONOS hiss levels. Hiss is usually masked by normal room noises, but if your rooms are very quiet and you sit very close to a speaker, you are more likely to notice the hiss. Unfortunately, once you are sensitized to the hiss, it never goes away and becomes a “ The Princess and the Pea” drama. The hiss is emitted from the speaker drivers, both woofers and tweeters. There is a potential for another type of noise that is generated by the power supply. I don’t consider this noise as being normal. It is not emitted by the speakers and typically emits from the rear of the unit when there is a problem. Normally this noise is above the frequency range of humans, but if, due to a defect the frequency slips down, it may be audible to some listeners. Since high frequency hearing capability varies from person to person and the high frequency limit of humans diminishes with age, there can be some arguments between listeners over this “obvious” noise. Early ultrasonic alarm systems used in schools operated at a frequency that was easily heard by kids, but not audible to adults. There would be running arguments between the distressed kids and the adults about this noise. (‘What noise!!’) When I was younger you’d observe me take a step into a retail store, then abruptly turn and leave. I was repelled by their “ultrasonic” alarm system that had not been turned OFF during business hours.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. 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. Featuring BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy), increased memory and an updated processor, the Sonos One is more capable than ever. BLE simplifies first-time set-up by temporarily communicating with your smartphone or tablet (note, BLE does not support audio streaming). The new processor and increased memory give the latest version of the Sonos One greater potential for exciting future updates. 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.

Sonically it's a bargain for the money, but the feature-set means certain serious competition is not far away. If your hearing is sensitive to these things you may want to consider alternatives. Maybe opt for passive speakers perhaps? I had the same issue, but worse with Echo Studios. Same with Apple HomePods, not as bad as Sonos though. The name-plate is positioned so that when you flip it to it's upright orientation, it still reads. (Image credit: TechRadar) Sonos Five review: Design

Lights on the product indicate connection, charge status, mute status, microphone activation and errors. The rear of the Sonos Five reveals its power cable, Ethernet and 3.5mm ports –so your turntable is catered for too. (Image credit: TechRadar) Sonos Five review: Features The Sonos Five is a hefty beast with a smart, slightly curved grille on the front. (Image credit: TechRadar) 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.)

You can also use two of them (in the upright position) as rear surrounds for a home theater set-up with a Sonos Arc–though, to partner the smaller Sonos Rayor Sonos Beam 2nd Gen, we'd suggest a pair Sonos One SLunits instead.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? My issue of hissing/white noise was first noticed with my Beam. It was replaced under warranty for a different reason but the hissing remained. All of my previous and also current Sonos equipment experience the same issue. I don’t recall the Play:5 being as bad though. Enjoy the unmatched Sonos experience on WiFi, and stream audio directly from your smartphone, tablet, or computer using Bluetooth. This hissing/white noise happens with HDMI inputs, line-in inputs and streaming via the S2 app, Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect and Roon (Roon to Five, with Five Stereo as an endpoint and also a endpoint via line-in). I have adjusted various settings. Disconnected line-ins and HDMI’s and tried different power cables and also power conditioner extension cables. The issue remains. Find the right music for every moment on Spotify. Search any artist or song, create and share playlists, and get personalized recommendations. Listen on Sonos and control the music with your voice, the Spotify app or the Sonos app. (Requires Spotify Premium account for full features).

That's not to say it's bass-heavy overall though. Listen to Fontaines D.C.'s Skinty Fia and you'll hear a low-end that, while impactful and unwavering, never bloats or muddies other musical passages such as accordions, drum riffs, angered vocals and keys. I can only imagine that once you can hear these things though, that it’s then difficult to not notice them often, as I too would always be listening out for such unwanted sounds. Anyhow I am personally not noticing such sounds, thankfully🙏 With AirPlay, stream directly from your Apple devices or ask Siri to play your favourites from Apple Music throughout your home. So why did it even refresh the product? Well, you're also getting an upgraded processor here, which is key – it signifies that Sonos is likely future-proofing this speaker for potential firmware upgrades, ie. the oft-rumored addition of hi-res music support. So, there's that. 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.The Sonos app combines all your content and settings into one effortless experience. You can also use your voice, Apple AirPlay 2, and more. The Sonos One also features revolutionary TRUEPLAY technology. TRUEPLAY scans your room, analyses the results and then fine-tunes the speaker for the ideal listening experience. Whether your room is large or small and the unit is placed close to a wall or in the centre, the One adapts to give the most natural and realistic sound possible. Use the capacitive touch controls on the product to play, pause, skip, replay, adjust the volume, turn off the microphones. and more. 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.