Sonos 3/5 vs AE Aego 2.1??

ajf

ajf

ajf

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I know they are different things as the AE Aego 2.1 are not a standalone system, but purely on sound quality and bass, any ideas how a Sonos 3 or 5 would compare?

I really like the idea of thr Sonos, especially for Spotify, nut don't want to lose the sound i get from the 2.1s.

Alternatively, anyone know a way of remotely controlling Spotify using an ipad or similar?
Slightly less practical but i could just use my PC then.
 
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Get an av receiver with spotify, I have the Onkyo TX-NR626 for this. Spotify works perfect from my galaxy S4. Go for the 727 for multi room use.
 
Spofity for iPad (or you could just use iTunes), Airport Express to add multiroom, then speakers AE Aego 2.1 seem pretty good idea. I have 5 Airport Extreme's (old type) dotted around the house and they work well for making sure I have a decent wifi coverage (old large/house) and multiroom music.

Maybe not the full functionality for Sonos but dropping £800 on an AV amp (Onkyo 727) seems like a sledgehammer to crack a nut ;)
 
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Thanks for the comments.
The Onkyo route is a bit bulky really, and would I also need speakers to use this?
Not sure if the Aego's would be able to connect to an amp.

Headrat: How would I connect the Aego 2.1s in your suggestion? I couldn't see what the actual output is?
 
Hi ajf,

http://www.apple.com/uk/airport-express/#airplay

Airport express has a analogue/optical audio jack

So a 3.5mm Jack to 2 x RCA Phono Stereo Audio Cable.

Now the only thing I can see wrong with this solution is that the Spotify App won't let you play the same music to multiple speakers/rooms, you will be able to select one out "only" from the Airplay speakers.

Thanks

HEADRAT
 
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Ah, thanks, I see now.
Didn't realise the Airports had that facility.

That would probably be OK as not really wanting multi room, just the ability to play music without having to be at a PC or have it switched on.
 
You could look for a speaker system with built in Airplay, then you wouldn't need an Airport Express.

I have a B&W Zepplin Air which is great but maybe a little pricey.
 
We sell and use a load of Airplay speakers as well as Sonos at work, we use them to provide the shop's music as well.

My opinion after using them both for months... Sonos is way more reliable. Never ever drops out. Airplay can be a huge pain sometimes, but having said that our wireless network is a bit of a nightmare.

With the free Bridge offer that everyone's doing at the moment, Sonos is really good if you ask me. Way more simple than an airport, plus all the wires and gubbins you get with the Aegos, plus the sub which, I don't know if you've seen it in real life, is absolutely enormous compared to the satellites.

We sell the Aegos as well by the way and they sound great but there's a load of wires involved obviously. Can't be bothered with sub/sat these days.

Edit: As a multi-room setup, the Sonos is head and shoulders above everything else I've seen or used. The setup, the apps, the reliability, the versatility of it... everything is excellent.

Airplay is crap unless you're running it all from a central computer and using the remote app on an iThing which is all well and good if your computer's awake all the time, but if it's not, or you need to restart it, or it's a laptop and someone's gone out with it, or blah blah blah.

In summary, get Sonos, set it up in ten seconds, use it forever with no further faff.
 
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Thanks for the feedback again.
I did look briefly at the Zeppelin and as a dock i love it but as a speaker only it looked a bit odd with the dock stuck on the front when not in use.
Also not convinced it was/is worth £150 more than a Sonos 5.

Regards the Aego 2.1s. I already use these on my PC so it was really a matter of having been really happy with them, would i then be disappointed in changing over to the Sonos 3/5.
I don't want to sacrifice to much quality (relatively) for convenience.
If i went with the Sonos i could then use the Aegos with my TV ( i think).
 
If I were you I'd be buying an airport express and a spotify subscription for ipad/iphone.

You wont need to fanny around with buying new speakers etc. and everything will work seamlessly.

I've got one for my bathroom speakers and one for my hi-fi in the lounge, it's super easy to select which speakers you'd like to play from and I love being able to browse a music library from the sofa on my ipad then stream it instantly.

The main benefit to me of the airport express is that you can plug anything into it. If you decide you want better speakers down the line, buy them, plug them into the airport express and job done.
 
The sonos connect also allows you to have the sonos 'brain' and use external speakers (I assume they are powered speakers)

The sonos amp does the same, but with a built in amplifier to drive a pair of booshelf speakers for example.
 
i had both....they are both .... not very good value for the money in my opinion.

if you dont mind second hand. go onto ebay, pick up a pair of KEF reference model 90 or 100 (they are actually center speakers, but just buy two as they are only around 30-50 quid each). They can easily rival the current R series (say, R100) and not far off from the current reference series (Ref 201/2). (im a KEF fan)

then grab yourself an sonos ZP 120 to power them. so now you get the sonos function but also got the quality of a proper hi-fi system. not entirely sure what kind of music you listern to. but one common misunderstanding is more bass = better. in movie, may be, but for music...i dont agree.
 
Interesting option, but getting bigger and more expensive.
Regardless of value, how do you think the Sonos compared to the Aegos?
 
I personally think Sonos is a better solution than Airplay etc, especially when you have multiple rooms and want seemless control from multiple devices. I have six zones thus far and it's been worth every penny (1 ZP90, 1 ZP120, Play 5, Play 3, play 1 and soundbar). Everyone I know says the same, and when they buy one zone they, like I, go crazy for more...

There is nothing like sitting on "the throne" and streaming football commentary through sonos :P
 
I use the ae 2.1 system. After buying them 6/7 years ago I've tried lots of different setups and always find myself going back to them. Such a versatile little system.
 
BTW the sonos offers a slightly higher audiophile quality. A slightly crisper sound with more seperation. Whereas the ae offers a slightly more bass orientated sound. Some might say muddy as the MIDs drift into the bass
 
ajf said:
Interesting option, but getting bigger and more expensive.
Regardless of value, how do you think the Sonos compared to the Aegos?
Click to expand...

sonos is more powerful (gives you the illusion that the speakers are bigger than they really are), but bass department really relies on an additional bass unit. plus sonos is not strictly a stereo. theres not enough separation between left and right. this is where i think aego might be a better option.

sonos software is very well thought out. remember, for sonos, you are buying into a system where aego is simply another pair of speakers (with sub). if you have airPlay set up properly, you might want to just stick to it.

i think you are better off with aego for the time being. for sonos, you need to prepare to pay for quite a few other things like NAS, bridge, may be additional bass unit etc. hope this helps. ;)

EDIT: i guess my advise is that, if you are prepare to throw more money in, then sonos, but otherwise aegos.
 
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Sonos is easy to set up, ultra-reliable, ultra-expandable and very good sound quality. Not much to dislike really. I use an AV receiver and decent speakers in the living room with a Sonos:Connect and Sonos Play:5/Play:1 everywhere else in the house.
 
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