Customer Reviews

Sonos ZP90/CR100 Bundle (SZ90)

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As my CD collection grew, I looked for a way to organize and catalog them. Sometimes it's difficult to remember whether I already own a certain title or not. I looked at the CD players that hold 200 or more CDs and work like a jukebox - the expert reviews seemed to say not to use them if you care about your CDs. Even if there was a gentle one, there doesn't seem to be a satisfactory way to catalog/index a large collection. Then, I heard there were computerized systems which could store the contents of the CDs and then retrieve them in an orderly fashion. All of the ones I looked at were very expensive and required extensive wiring to any desired listening area in the house.
Recently, I heard of the Sonos system which stores music on a computer or similar "MAS" storage device and it requires NO wiring. That seemed to be the ticket and I have to say it really delivers what they promise.
If you want to store CDs like I do, there are a few things they don't tell you. First, you have to be fairly knowledgeable in using your computer. You don't just put the CD in and it magically copies into a Sonos readable format. You use Windows Media Player to extract (i.e. "rip") the sound files from the CD. If the CD has other data (e.g. track title/composer listings and the album cover), that will also be copied. If the other data is not there, you have to enter it manually if you want that information to show up on either the computer or the remote control's screen. Entering the data manually and scanning the album cover is not difficult, but it makes the time required to copy the data significantly longer. Then, you also have to spend some time figuring out a logical way to store the data. I created a "Sonos" folder under "My Music" and then sub-folders (e.g. Jazz, Piano, Organ, Symphonic, Choral, etc.). Then, I set up sub-sub-folders for each composer and then a folder under that for each album. Sounds complicated - it isn't.
I think the Sonos instructions are intended for people downloading mp3 files, etc. Even if you are doing this, you should still take time to think about a logical way to organize your music so you can find it later.
I love the system - it really works! Now that my library is getting organized (still a lot more CDs to input), I'm enjoying my CDs more. I also like the numerous radio stations available through the Internet. I can listen to stations from all over - not all stations are available through Sonos (BBC 3 for example), however.
You must have a good Internet connection because Sonos updates and synchronizes itself using the Internet. It's unclear what effect the computer has on the system except for storage and retrieval. I have a fairly robust system with plenty of space on the hard drive for the Sonos music. I recommend that you not destroy your CD collection unless you also maintain regular backups of the music library. Sonos recommends having a home network (i.e. including a router), but you can use the system without one. You do have to leave the computer turned on to access the CD music but you don't to listen to Internet radio stations.
Sonos still isn't cheap. I spent about $1,500 to connect two room stereo systems. I didn't need any Sonos amplification or speaker equipment (i.e. which would increase the cost). I feel that's a bargain when compared to the several thousand it would cost to install a wired system to do the same thing. I notice no interference with any other electronic device and it's invisible when I use my computer for other things.