Sooloos vs. Sonos

Something to consider

I went the Sonos route and really like it, we use it more as an easy to use interface for friends and family. Then the iPhone/iTouch interface gave me more controllers for free, we have 3 zones and multiple controllers – and I have my eyes on an iPad to replace the Sonos controller itself.

However, I really do see the advantage of the Sooloos with regards to navigating my library. The problem is that my library has gotten rather large (it you listened 24 hours a day straight it would take you 31 days to get through it). So the problem with the Sonos is that it’s a bit intimidating and I have noticed when I have company over that we rarely get to groups/titles that start with the letter R or later because so much browsing and scrolling is involved to get through the library. Bottom line – someone needs to figure out how to emulate Sooloos’ “swim” capability – btw, I can almost do this with iTunes Genious, but then I’m not using the Sonos interface.

As for quality, run the digital output into a good DAC, preferably one that re-clocks on its own, like the Benchmark.

I, too, had been searching for a cost-effective way to catalogue my redbook collection and looked to Sooloos and Sonos. I have had the opportunity to play with the Sooloos and admit that it has a "high-end" fit and finish, which I would expect at that price range. The downside was that the 17" touch screen is a fixed solution and not portable. I did like the fact that Sooloos uses FLAC when ripping CD's, which retains bit-integrity of the CD's. As far as the Sonos goes, I think they have a great line up of "modular" components to create a solid whole-house music distribution. Regardless of which Sonos product you go with, in order to get audiophile grade audio, you'll still need a solid DAC, whether external or integrated into a higher end receiver or pre-pro. With that in mind, I built my whole-house music distribution system from scratch using the following. The end-result was a lot more cost-effective than either the Sooloos or Sonos solution.

1. Method of cataloguing CD’s:
iTunes using ALAC (similar to FLAC but Apple proprietary; maintains bit-integrity of the CD’s; roughly 300MB for each CD, compared to 700MB of actual CD)

2. Method of whole-house music distribution:
1st gen. Apple TV’s (with ATV Flash and 1TB external USB HDD in each room where a TV is present; files are “sync’ed” from iTunes in ALAC format; no need to keep HTPC/server on at all time once files are sync’ed)
Apple AirPort Express units (in rooms without TV, like kitchen and deck/patio)

3. Method of converting digital ALAC files to analog output: Integra pre-pro (DHC-80.2) powered by external amp (Arcam P1000); Apple TV’s and Airport Express units use toslink output to connect to pre-pro (Integra DHC-80.2 has built-in 32bit/192kHz DAC); you can substitute with any good external DAC

4. Method of controlling what to play where:
iPhone/iPad (running “Remote” app – free from Apple’s app store; enables you to stream different tracks from one Apple TV to another or Airport Express unit, or the same track from one source to all Apple TV’s and Airport Express units)

Additional benefits: With the latest version of “HD Remote” app included in ATV Flash, you can use 1st gen. Apple TV’s as “Airplay” outlet for both video and audio. If you want to stream what’s playing on your iPad to a TV, you select the appropriate Apple TV via the iPad’s “AirPlay” feature.

If you want the best value to drive an external DAC with, the SB Touch is it. The Sonos is not even close. Sooloos is expensive.

Steve N.
Empirical Audio

The touch is easilly the best and way lowest cost. Add iPad as a remote and it is an amazing interface and server. Only limited by the dac you use.

Another alternative that fits your budget, existing wiring, and desire to use the computer for storage and control would be the Linn Akurate DS ... also a solution where the sound quality is minimally dependent on computer setup, DAC jitter rejection, etc. There are also many wireless handhelds (i.e. iPod touch, iPad) for control.