Last month, there were rumblings that Sonos was planning a smaller, more affordable streaming music option. Today, the company is getting official with the PLAY:3 Wireless Music Player.
The new product is an all-in-one Sonos player, meaning this one $299 box can stream every type of music imaginable. Boasting Sonos HiFi sound, the PLAY:3 has three integrated speakers and three Class-D digital amplifiers. Still, it can fit into any room where endless music is needed -- and we do mean any. Besides being compact, the box is designed to work both vertically and horizontally.
According to the company's product page, the only thing that PLAY:3 needs is a web connection and the $49 Sonos ZoneBridge. From there, you can tap into all of your stored digital music, including everything on iTunes. Other music options include over 100,000 radio stations, shows and podcasts, and services such as Napster, Last.fm, Pandora, and much more. The PLAY:3 can even access the new Spotify service, which promises on-demand music programming.
Of course, if you don't want to carry all of that music around like one massive (but lightweight, at 5.7 pounds) boombox, you can add other PLAY:3 devices around the house. Sonos also says that you can put two PLAY:3 boxes in one room for dedicated left- and right-channel sound. The whole thing can be controlled via the free Sonos Controller for Mac or PC or one of the Sonos Controller apps for Android, the iPhone or the iPad. A dedicated Sonos Control device is also available, and sold separately.
"PLAY:3 gives music fans an incredibly easy way to listen to all the music on earth," said John MacFarlane, CEO, Sonos, Inc. "PLAY:3's innovative design sets a new bar for Hi Fidelity audio in a compact package and makes it simple to amplify the music experience in any room of the home."
Where to Buy:
