Full disclosure, I am a Sonos user and have fully adopted into their wireless speaker ecosystem. I currently have two Play 5s (Dining Room & Great Room), two Play 3s (Living Room, Guest Bedroom), and a Sonos Home Theater setup in my Media Room (one Sonos Playbar, one Sonos Sub, and two Play 1s).
After hearing all of the pre-release hype about the Denon HEOS Wireless speaker system, I want to compare it to my Sonos system. So I picked two HEOS 3s up this weekend and tried them out.
In my opinion, the Sonos Play system provides a slightly better overall experience and value for the money you spend. However, the Denon HEOS system has a distinct edge over Sonos - not requiring the $99 Denon HEOS Extend Wireless Range Extender just to use the system. News reports have leaked that Sonos is working on a solution to remove the requirement of their $40 SONOS BRIDGE Instant Set-up Solution for SONOS Wireless Network, but until that software/firmware release comes, I can definitely see why the HEOS system will be a serious contender and solid alternative for some households.
MUSIC SOURCES:
Both Sonos and Denon work with the following music service providers:
- Pandora
- Spotify
- Rhapsody
- Tune-In
However, Sonos is able to work with the following additional music services:
- Amazon Cloud Player,
- Google Play Music
- Beats Music
- SiriusXM Internet Radio
- Slacker
- Stitcher SmartRadio
- Songza
- Rdio
- Last.fm
- iHeartRadio
- SoundCloud
- Audible
- and many more lesser known digital music sources
As of the date of this review, Denon has only been able to gain partnerships with Pandora, Spotify, Rhapsody, and
Tune-In. That's nothing to sneeze at, however if you are a subscriber to any other music service, you may want to wait before giving the HEOS system a try. In my opinion, just having access to Google Play Music is a deal maker for me with Sonos. And the ability to control what plays through my Sonos speakers with the native Google Play Music app (versus having to be in the Sonos app) is a serious step in the right direction to satisfy my needs as a customer.
** Point Goes to Sonos **
THE LOOKS:
Cosmetically, the look of the Sonos Play 1 is considerably more traditional versus the HEOS 3. The HEOS 3, measuring 10.7" x 5.1" x 6.5" is taller, sleeker, and stylish than the 6.36" x 4.69" x 4.69" cylindrical Sonos Play 1. However, in my opinion, the Sonos Play 1 has a more solid feel with its metal mesh front plate and and smooth lines with no major edges. It also has a denser feel than the HEOS 3, packing in just over 4lbs of audio hardware in such a small casing.
Depending on your personal style and if you want your speakers to blend in to your room, the winner of the looks category is totally up to you. While I like the minimalist look of the Sonos, the clean edges and sleek design of the Denon is very eye catching. And if you like to have cool lines in design to draw attention to an exceptional piece of audio equipment, the Denon is a clear winner. So for being different by blending elegance with a touch a touch of flash, the winner for this category is Denon.
** Point Goes to Denon **
UNDER THE HOOD:
Both speakers house two class D digital amplifiers pushing a tweeter and mid-woofer that generates a crisp, clean sound for both higher frequency vocals and mid level bass tones. There is no doubt that both Sonos and Denon installed great amplifiers and speakers into their systems as they both generate a solid range for all genres of music - equally.
The HEOS 3 does have a ported designed enclosure, which the Sonos Play 1 does not. I found that the ported enclosure was a nice touch to add a little more depth to the bass, but for certain music tracks played through the device, it seemed the sound was muddier than the Play 1. Nothing horrible, but very noticeable depending on where you have the Play 3 placed in the room.
** Point Goes to Sonos **
THE APP:
Sonos recently changes their app's user interface for iOS, Android, Mac, and PC. This was another big development for Sonos as the old user interface for their controller looked like it was stuck in the early 2000s. And while it still leaves mush to be desired, the Denon HEOS controller app is not much better. It adds features like grouping rooms by dragging widgets together within the app and other functions that seem to be geared towards easier control. However, depending on the phone you are using, pinching and dragging are more cumbersome than tapping to select. Again, this is not a big issue, but something I found slightly clunky and annoying with my smaller iPhone screen.
Again, this is a personal preference. I like the new Sonos controller app, but can definitely understand why Denon went a different direction. Denon seems more built for a tablet experience, in my opinion as some of the key actions call for pinching, dragging, and precision dropping.
** Sonos & Denon Tie **
THE SETUP:
Both Denon and Sonos are extremely easy to setup and both customer service teams are OUTSTANDING. However, given the fact that Sonos currently requires more steps in their setup process (connect a Sonos Bridge), the point goes to Denon for sure.
During the initial setup of your first Sonos speaker, you must either connect it directly to your network router or purchase a Sonos Bridge, connect the bridge to the router, then wirelessly connect the speaker to the SONOSNet network created by the Sonos Bridge. Did that sound confusing? Well, it may be for the first time user of novice electronics buyer. The really nice people at Sonos customer service had to hold my mother's hand in setting up her first Play 1 and it took almost an hour as she was not familiar or comfortable with making changes to the router the cable company had installed in her home - true story. On the other hand, once you have a bridge set up, adding additional Sonos components is extremely easy.
Denon, on the other hand, has an extremely easy setup from the beginning. Plug the speaker in the wall, download the app, use the supplied cable to connect the speaker's AUX jack into your phone's headphone jack, follow the in-app directions to connect to your network, unplug the speaker from the phone, place the speaker in any room, blast music from the app. Simple!
** Point Goes to Denon **
EXPANDABILITY:
Both the Sonos and Denon systems allow for multiple speakers to be added. Additional speaker may be played independently, paired as a group, or paired as a stereo pair. In my test, I only purchased two HEOS 3s. So, I cannot speak for pairing different size HEOS speakers together.
The biggest advantage regarding expandability goes to Sonos. With a playbar and subwoofer in their arsenal of components, Sonos has a huge advantage for users who also want to bring the wireless music technology to home entertainment. The Sonos Playbar and Sonos Sub can run as a 2.1 home theater or 5.1 home theater system when paired with two Play 1s. And believe me the sound is amazing. So, with Denon only building an ecosystem for music based consumption, I think it leaves room for growth to catch up with Sonos' expandability into home entertainment. Again, this is not a deal breaker for getting into the HEOS ecosystem, but should definitely be considered before going too far down the Denon rabbit hole.
** Point Goes to Sonos **
THE RESULTS:
The Sonos Play 1 is a great, compact speaker that will definitely bring attention to your home's sound system. It has a bigger sound than you would expect from such a small speaker and having two play 1s paired together can fill most rooms with a crisp, clean sound.
The Sonos Play system does require a Sonos Bridge (for now) and that is the biggest negative that I would give it in my book. But that is not a deal breaker as the Play ecosystem as a whole is much more powerful than the Denon HEOS ecosystem is currently.
At a $199 price makes me give the Sonos Play 1, 5 out of 5 stars. I definitely don't think you will be disappointed with the performance or functionality of the HEOS system. I just believe that you can get more for your money with Sonos.
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When I first got a pair of Sonos Play:1s I was very hesitant about them. I've always used Bluetooth speakers and thought they were great. I honestly figured I'd try them and return them in a couple of weeks. However, after using them for a while I was completely sold on them. I started with just the two Play:1s but I've added 3 more and a Playbar Sonos PLAYBAR TV Soundbar/ Wireless Streaming TV and Music Speaker. Works with Alexa.. I even replaced my Yamaha 5.1 surround sound system with just two Play:1s and the Playbar. It doesn't have quite as much bass since I haven't added the subwoofer yet, but it sounds SO much better. I didn't have a high end receiver or speakers, but they were OK. The surround sound on this setup is amazing compared to my old setup.The speakers themselves are quite small but don't let that fool you. They sound amazing! They stay crystal clear even at full volume where it's shaking the floor.If you want to wall mount them I recommend this cheap wall mount Monoprice 114536 Swivel Speaker Mount for Sonos PLAY:1, Black . But be sure to go to the hardware store and buy short 1/4"-20 bolts as the ones that come with the mount DO NOT FIT. You'll strip your speaker if you use them. Be sure to read my full review of the mount here: https://www.amazon.com/review/R3JX7WEGCK2KNK/ref=cm_cr_srp_d_rdp_perm?ie=UTF8One note with wall mounting is that the speakers can be installed with the controls on the top or the bottom. The logo is symmetrical so it looks the same either way. SONOS upside down is still SONOS. :) I have a couple of them mounted 'upside down' and higher up on the wall. You can then still reach the buttons and you aren't looking at the bottom where the power cord goes in..I love being able to have my music playing everywhere in the house. When walking around doing chores it's so nice to keep listening to the music without having to wear headphones. It's also nice to be able to listen to one thing in the bedroom and something else in another room if my wife wants different music than I do at the time. It's also great being able to play music from just about any source. You can play from all the big and most of the small streaming services (Amazon, Apple, Tidal, etc.). You can also play music from your PC or Mac and your iOS or Android devices. I like to play my podcasts through the Sonos app.
Reviewed in the United States on December 27, 2017
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