Best Sonos One Black Friday and Cyber Monday Deals & Sales 2020:

Launched at € 229, the One is the first speaker with integrated voice control from Sonos , and the first speaker in the world to announce its compatibility with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and even AirPlay 2 in the near future. While waiting for the voice functions to be available in our regions, what can we expect from it?

Best Sonos One Black Friday and Cyber Monday Deals & Sales 2020

1. Sonos One (Gen 2) – Voice Controlled Smart Speaker with Amazon Alexa Built-In – White

2. Sonos One SL – Microphone-Free Smart Speaker – Black

3. Sonos One SL – Microphone-Free Smart Speaker – Black (2) with $10 Gift Card

Ergonomics

The Sonos One is strongly inspired by another speaker from the American manufacturer: the Play: 1. The inspiration is such that we could almost confuse them when they are placed side by side. The care taken in the design and finishes is always as high on this model. The One is protected by a dense and thick plastic chassis, completed by a large metal grid. The whole breathes solidity.

The upper side accommodates commands, here in the form of a touch panel giving the possibility of controlling the listening volume, stopping or resuming music playback and navigating between tracks (by sliding your finger from left to right and Conversely). A small button is also present to activate / deactivate the built-in microphone. 

Regarding the start-up and use, there is absolutely nothing to blame him. The application provides a very complete tutorial which allows even the most neophytes to find their way. Audible and luminous indications are there to guide the user. In addition, the controls are extremely responsive.

Unfortunately, there is no change in terms of connectivity. We must always be satisfied with the only connection to the network via Wi-Fi or via the RJ45 port. No 3.5mm mini-jack or even Bluetooth, if only to have a quick connection solution available.

Multimedia

If you agree to enter the Sonos club, being aware of its constraints (closed system, limited connectivity of the park’s enclosures), you will benefit from one of the most efficient multiroom solutions on the market. Configuration and reconfiguration are simple and quick, whether it’s adding an enclosure, creating or deleting a group, assigning names, etc. This is also the case if you use one or more Wi-Fi repeaters in your accommodation. The stability and responsiveness of the sound ecosystem are also essential: we did not experience any unwanted disconnection or disconnection during our test sessions.

The other big highlight of the Sonos multiroom is the direct integration of many music streaming platforms. More than 30 services are offered (Apple Music, Spotify, Amazon Music, Google Play, SoundCloud, Deezer, TuneIn, Bandcamp, Qobuz or Tidal), which simplifies and accelerates both browsing and searching for titles. It is also possible to stream music stored in a music library or a smartphone. Finally there is TruePlay, the sound calibration tool (in iOS), a 2-band EQ and some advanced options for those who would like to personalize their experience of use.

Audio

If you know the Play: 1, you will not be disoriented: the One offers exactly the same listening experience. Given its size, the speaker stands out for its power and its homogeneous and natural sound rendering.

The response at the bottom of the spectrum is the only element that deserves a little more control, especially at the border between the low and the low mid (130-290 Hz approximately). This zone certainly brings a warmer feeling to the sound rendering, but also a box effect, a kind of resonance or veil which reduces its legibility. In addition, the very slight decline in high midrange contributes to the phenomenon. It is possible to contain it by applying a correction with the proposed EQ, but not to make it disappear. 

Apart from that, there is not much that we can really blame this speaker. Its extended response in the bass, although we have known more impressive at equivalent volume, ensures a nice depth and a sufficiently solid seat. The second part of the spectrum takes place naturally. The voice benefits from a beautiful rendering, there is no aggressiveness, no sibilance. The treble is present up to the most extreme frequencies, thus giving expression to the effects of parts, among others.

The One, like the Play: 1, delivers a monophonic rendering. You should therefore not expect any spatial width, unless you choose two speakers of the same type. The restitution of the space is nevertheless convincing in depth. We manage to correctly discriminate the different sources and identify the different strata of the scene.

More

TruePlay calibration is particularly effective in compensating for certain faults. The box effect is considerably reduced, which improves readability at the bottom of the spectrum and provides a better impression of clarity. The rebalancing in the midrange / upper midrange contributes to this improvement: the voice, like many sources, seems clearer, even more intelligible.

However, this correction, even if it is particularly well controlled, is not without consequences. We still feel the processing applied to the signal. The whole seems a little less natural, we lose a little detail and the treble is more “chemical”. Note also that the effectiveness of TruePlay is intimately to the “scan” and the acoustics of the room where you are. In our example above, the TruePlay correction greatly exaggerates the treble / extreme treble, because we stayed longer towards the sides of the speaker rather than facing it. 

Due to the more pronounced directivity of the speaker towards the front and the very “dull” acoustics of our lab (no reverberation), the calibration tried to compensate for a lack in this area, which does not in fact was not one. We then carried out other “scans” by varying our movement. The correction, especially in the treble, was very different.

The One has a very nice reserve of power, which allows it to be used comfortably in any type of room, and this, with a distortion very contained in the vast majority of cases. Be careful though if you decide to push it to its limits: beyond 85% of the maximum volume, pumping effects and a fairly marked distortion may appear, which is more when the speaker is placed on elements sensitive to vibrations.

STRONG POINTS

  • Homogeneous and natural restitution.
  • Nice reserve of power / low distortion.
  • Neat construction.
  • Ease of use.
  • Stable, responsive and intuitive multiroom.

WEAK POINTS

  • Box effect marked without correction.
  • Closed system.
  • Wi-Fi and RJ45 only.

CONCLUSION

The Sonos One is undoubtedly a modernized version of the Play: 1: the design and the connections remain the same, only the controls change. Although there is still a little room for improvement in terms of sound performance, this model offers one of the best compromises between size, performance and price among current multiroom solutions … if of course you agree to enter the universe Sonos to equip your home.

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