Now that everyone stores digital MP3 music files on their computers, the questions is, how can I play my MP3 files on my home stereo or around my house? With wireless networks proliferating, there has got to be a way, right? Well, there is. The Sonos Digital Music System is the answer, albeit an expensive answer. Its crisp, clean, iPod-like design foreshadows the way it works - very simple. You connect these Sonos Zone Players in any room of your house, and they connectly wirelessly to your 802.11x home network and access all the songs stored on your PC. Plug speakers into the Zone Players (any speakers), and out comes the music. (there are larger pictures below).
The first Zone Player must connect to your system via an ethernet cable (like in the same room as your PC) - after that, slap a Zone Player anywhere and it automatically connects to your wireless network - no security settings, no passwords, nothing. There is a built in amplifier that pumps out 50W per channel. The real magic though is in the Sonos Controller, a small handheld wireless remote that controls the whole system. You no longer have to touch your PC in order to access or play or change your music - the Controller does it all. It has a large color LCD screen, making it easy to build or select playlists. Battery life is supposed to be about a week, but half that under real use seems more likely. A nice feature is that you can play the same of different songs in every room equipped with a Zone Player.
Pricing: As we said, these systems aren't cheap. The starter kit for 2 rooms is $1200 list. Each additional Zone Player is around $499 list, while the Controller retails for $399. Verdict - product and idea is excellent, but price is keeping me from adding 10 Zones in my house.
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