The Sonos wireless music system is one our favourite gadgets at the moment but the one thing that puts many people off is the price. Well Sonos have designed a free app that works on either the Apple iphone or iPod touch, this eliminates the need for the Sonos controller which is quite expensive to buy.
We have been putting the app through its paces to see if it can measure up to stand alone controller available from Sonos.
Sonos iPhone App Review
Once you have located and installed the app you will have to set the app up to work with your system. Thankfully the process is amazingly simple, once you open the app for the first time you will be given two options. You can add it to your set up system or use the app to set up your system for the first time. Both options work equally well but I would suggest you set up the system using your pc and then add the app as this was quicker.
The home screen of the app gives you a number of options including music Library, playlists, radio (including internet radio), line in and settings. The most popular options will be your music library, radio and external services.
Your music library follows a similar format to your standard iTunes library. You can access your music from a range of options including artists, imported music, genres, albums, tracks and imported playlists. The system is very simple to navigate and actually easier to use than the dedicated Sonos controller because there are a lot less buttons to fiddle with. God bless touch screen!
The radio feature allows you to listen to a choice on over 25,000 radio stations from around the world. You can select different sources for different rooms, so you can be listening to the radio in one room while someone in the other room can listen to their mp3’s.
Sonos gives users the opportunity to access web based services like Napster, last.fm, Pandora, Rhapsody and SIRIUS satellite radio. Sonos have managed to swing a 30 day free trial for Napster so you can try it out, a lot of the other providers offer similar offers.
The system settings option allows you to change or add things to your system. For example you can switch music sources, make or add playlists, update your system or contact the help desk.
The best thing about having the app over the dedicated controller is that you can carry it around in your pocket and it is free. There really is no feasible reason to purchase the controller so long as you have an iphone or itouch.
Read our sonos 250 bundle review
