Decent speaker set up for music in our living room?

[kinger8938]

I have been thinking about getting a speaker or tv speaker set up for some time and think it's time to look into it.

I really only use Spotify for music as I don't really own any music these days.

Are the Sonos 1 systems any good? Or should I hit 2 birds with one stone and get something that improves our TV sound and can also be used for music?

Don't want to break the bank so £200ish would have to do it though I doubt I'd get too far

Thanks

 

[lucid]

£200 won't buy you much in the way of a sound bar or TV audio system that's passable for music too, so at this stage I'd recommend focussing on just one thing; music or TV. Leave the bird killing until you can afford to chuck bigger stones

The Sonos 1 is (a) much bigger in real life than you'd expect from the pictures, and (b) sounds pretty good for its size.

 

[kinger8938]

£200 won't buy you much in the way of a sound bar or TV audio system that's passable for music too, so at this stage I'd recommend focussing on just one thing; music or TV. Leave the bird killing until you can afford to chuck bigger stones

The Sonos 1 is (a) much bigger in real life than you'd expect from the pictures, and (b) sounds pretty good for its size.

Ha! I enjoy that analogy, thanks

I did the the Sonos One looked small so that makes me feel a bit better. I see it has all that alexa stuff built into it too? I've never considered using any of those smart devices before.

Would it do a good enough job to fill a mid sized room (I would say)?

I guess I just send Spotify from my phone to play through the Sonos or does it work differently?

Thanks

 

[lucid]

Of all the streaming network speakers available today, Sonos has the biggest selection of apps and services available.

The speaker connects to your home Wi-Fi, and via that it can also communicate with your phone. The choice is yours, you can stream from your phone if you wish, or you can use your phone simply as the controller and have the speaker use its built-in Spotify.

People with premium Spotify can add the account to the Sonos speaker too.

If you just want something to pick up Bluetooth from your phone then a Bluetooth speaker would be a lot cheaper, but obviously lacking in network and Alexa type functionality.

Room filling capability is a bit subjective, but I'd say it's more than equal to a similarly priced sound bar in volume, but with better fidelity. If you are an Apple iPhone or iPad user, you can also make use of the acoustic room EQ feature (free download) to tweak and optimise the sound further.

 

[kinger8938]

Of all the streaming network speakers available today, Sonos has the biggest selection of apps and services available.

The speaker connects to your home Wi-Fi, and via that it can also communicate with your phone. The choice is yours, you can stream from your phone if you wish, or you can use your phone simply as the controller and have the speaker use its built-in Spotify.

People with premium Spotify can add the account to the Sonos speaker too.

If you just want something to pick up Bluetooth from your phone then a Bluetooth speaker would be a lot cheaper, but obviously lacking in network and Alexa type functionality.

Room filling capability is a bit subjective, but I'd say it's more than equal to a similarly priced sound bar in volume, but with better fidelity. If you are an Apple iPhone or iPad user, you can also make use of the acoustic room EQ feature (free download) to tweak and optimise the sound further.

Thanks for all the info. I don't think I'd go far wrong with one of these then for our needs

I guess 199 is the going rate across the board so will just take the plunge shortly

 

[dowie]

Are the Sonos 1 systems any good? Or should I hit 2 birds with one stone and get something that improves our TV sound and can also be used for music?

Don't want to break the bank so £200ish would have to do it though I doubt I'd get too far

I'm not a big fan of these soundbars or tiny speaker set ups - people are placing a single speaker in a room and using them in mono even, it seems like a move backwards in terms of sound quality. I can see why some people buy them though for the convenience, features etc.. though since this is a tech forum ostensibly aimed at people who at one point overclocked computer processors (i.e. technical peeps who tried to make their cash go a bit further) then I have another suggestion:

Buy some second hand or discontinued speakers and an amp then either hook up your phone/laptop whatever via a 9mm to phono cable (you can get one for like £10) or buy a raspberry pi and set it up as a media centre.

You're on a very small budget as far as hi fi stuff goes but you could definitely improve on your TV speakers and have the ability to play music too for sure - for example a quick search shows you could pick up some "new" or rather not-used (as they are old...) Wharfdale Diamond 9.1 speakers for circa £90 from the auction site or the marketplace on the rainforest site.

It is apparently controversial to say on here but amplification has been solved for a while and you really don't need to spend much to get a decent enough amp for a couple of bookshelf speakers like those mentioned above. You could easily afford a raspberry pi and some extras on top too and come in within budget.

 

[lucid]

I'm not a big fan of these soundbars or tiny speaker set ups - people are placing a single speaker in a room and using them in mono even, it seems like a move backwards in terms of sound quality. I can see why some people buy them though for the convenience, features etc.. though since this is a tech forum ostensibly aimed at people who at one point overclocked computer processors (i.e. technical peeps who tried to make their cash go a bit further) then I have another suggestion:

Buy some second hand or discontinued speakers and an amp then either hook up your phone/laptop whatever via a 9mm to phono cable (you can get one for like £10) or buy a raspberry pi and set it up as a media centre.

You're on a very small budget as far as hi fi stuff goes but you could definitely improve on your TV speakers and have the ability to play music too for sure - for example a quick search shows you could pick up some "new" or rather not-used (as they are old...) Wharfdale Diamond 9.1 speakers for circa £90 from the auction site or the marketplace on the rainforest site.

It is apparently controversial to say on here but amplification has been solved for a while and you really don't need to spend much to get a decent enough amp for a couple of bookshelf speakers like those mentioned above. You could easily afford a raspberry pi and some extras on top too and come in within budget.

It's a 3.5mm phono cable. 9mm is a bit on the thick side i.e. thicker than most phones

The sort of system you're suggesting is okay for someone who will be the sole user. I'm not sure how well the hotch-potch of a Rasp Pi, T-amp and bookshelf speakers would go down though with non-tech-savvy significant others. I do take your point about mono systems though. However, I would counter with what happens (or used to happen) when people bought little micro or mini systems. These were displayed in store with the speakers wedged up against the main unit, and that's invariably how they were used in the purchaser's homes. It defeated the object of having stereo speakers when they were little more than 6"-8" apart. Is the single mono speaker really so different?

Regarding amplification, there's still an Achilles heel with the sort of small T-amps that are touted as the budget solution for home music systems. It's the gulf between the specs and the real life performance. Often the spec sheet will claim 2x 20/30/40 Watts, but those of us who can interpret the manufacture claims can see through the hype. Almost without fail the power claims are unrealistic: 4 Ohms load, high distortion and powered by a higher-current wall wart transformer than is supplied at the purchase price. Its the equivalent of measuring a cars 0-60 speed by firing it from a canon

 

[dowie]

It's a 3.5mm phono cable. 9mm is a bit on the thick side i.e. thicker than most phones

Doh, yup not sure why I wrote 9mm there... headphone jack not firearm!!! It was late.

However, I would counter with what happens (or used to happen) when people bought little micro or mini systems. These were displayed in store with the speakers wedged up against the main unit, and that's invariably how they were used in the purchaser's homes. It defeated the object of having stereo speakers when they were little more than 6"-8" apart. Is the single mono speaker really so different?

I'm not suggesting a micro or mini system. I'm just suggesting he gets some previous generation(s) hi fi gear. Why not stick an amp in the TV stand and put a couple of bookshelf speakers on stands. A mono speaker isn't going to improve the sound of the TV. He could even grab a second hand AV receiver (quick browse on the auction site shows you could grab something for less than £100 too) and then potentially add additional speakers later too if desired.

As for speaker position - I'm sure he can put them a suitable distance apart and orient them towards the sofa etc... It's hardly just people buying budget systems who are guilty of that sort of thing, plenty of people seem to post pictures online of say fairly expensive speakers hooked up to expensive niche separates squashed right next to either side of a TV in some room with say wooden flooring and a big glass coffee table right in front of the TV.

 

[lucid]

Doh, yup not sure why I wrote 9mm there... headphone jack not firearm!!! It was late.

Lol... don't worry, you're not alone. I've done similar in the past... ha ha ha

I'm not suggesting a micro or mini system. I'm just suggesting he gets some previous generation(s) hi fi gear. Why not stick an amp in the TV stand and put a couple of bookshelf speakers on stands. A mono speaker isn't going to improve the sound of the TV. He could even grab a second hand AV receiver (quick browse on the auction site shows you could grab something for less than £100 too) and then potentially add additional speakers later too if desired.


As for speaker position - I'm sure he can put them a suitable distance apart and orient them towards the sofa etc... It's hardly just people buying budget systems who are guilty of that sort of thing, plenty of people seem to post pictures online of say fairly expensive speakers hooked up to expensive niche separates squashed right next to either side of a TV in some room with say wooden flooring and a big glass coffee table right in front of the TV.

I quite realise you're not suggesting a mini/micro system. Neither was I. It was simply used as an example of defeating stereo by having the speakers very close together, and further to that, to illustrate that lots of people in that situation were happy with what was effectively a mono source since there wasn't enough separation to create convincing stereo imaging.

As for the rest; yes, there are lots of alternative solutions looking at the used market. However, sometimes... or a lot of the time... folk just aren't interested in all the hassle. Money isn't the major factor, nor is ultimate performance. Quite often it's more a case of getting something acceptable to significant others as well as servicing the basic requirement. In this case it's a streaming music system. TV audio has been put on the back burner.

Oh, and a good mono speaker can and will improve the quality of TV audio. That's exactly what a centre speaker is within a 5.1 surround system. Sound quality isn't determined by mono/stereo but by fidelity. A bigger and better speaker gets closer to the original sound. It doesn't really matter that it's mono.

 

[dowie]

Oh, and a good mono speaker can and will improve the quality of TV audio. That's exactly what a centre speaker is within a 5.1 surround system. Sound quality isn't determined by mono/stereo but by fidelity. A bigger and better speaker gets closer to the original sound. It doesn't really matter that it's mono.

I know what centre speakers are. I should have clarified with "a mono speaker [like a sonos one]" - maybe it does offer some improvement - it might be a bit moot anyway as I'm not sure you can easily connect that particular product to a TV they're more for streaming music.

As for getting bigger, better speakers that is essentially what I'm suggesting.

I guess the toss up is whether OP wants minimum fuss, lots of functionality with some wireless mono thing they can just plug in and play or better sound.

 

[lucid]

This thread is in danger of getting lost up its own backside.

I think the OP's requirements have been met.

 

[kinger8938]

This thread is in danger of getting lost up its own backside.

I think the OP's requirements have been met.

By all means please debate, I'm new to this stuff. I think for solely listening to music from time the time the Sonos would suit my needs.

I haven't got a clue where to even start with amps, speakers and getting it all hooked up by I have always liked the idea of a speaker each side of the tv, not sure why

Maybe I should look into that stuff too but yeah as I say, going in blind I'll just confuse myself

 

[tom_nieto]

The more I go through this sort of thing in my head, the more I think that simplicity is the way to go. Ask yourself: “can I fulfil my needs with fewer boxes?”. Perhaps the trend towards the smart home has helped push me away from getting up and switching inputs manually and disconnecting from the listening experience. I however believe it has allowed me to listen to a vast library of artists much more readily and discover music which I would never have had a hope of listening to before... I digress.

Sonos is extremely popular because it provides a brilliant interface which sounds better than average. Small speaker tech has improved massively over the last few years and Sonos have jumped on it. Sure they’re not going to sound as good as a dedicated separates setup, but they’ll sound just as good (if not better) than a Curry’s mini system which has been most people’s benchmark for ages, but in a much more elegant format.

If you’re really interested in the kit and want to tinker with loads of different setups and bits of equipment, then a raspberry pi and a T amp would be a great place to start.

I would look at something slightly in the middle, as I can’t quite see a Sonos one being the solution to making tv watching more immersive or better. I still rate airplay via Apple TV as a really decent way of listening to music. The reason I mention this is that I’m amazed how many people own the tech and never use it.

TLDR - Sonos is a great way to start, if you find that it’s not much cop for the TV then move it and invest in something more TV focused.

 

[jpaul]

for Sonos option, they seem a bit reluctant to show their speaker drivers, have found the Ifixit teardown's interesting in this repsect
https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/Sonos+Play:3+Teardown/12475
good to know what kind of tweeter, mid, bass 'radiator' and circuit board design you get.