At a Glance
Expert’s Rating
Our Verdict
The Sonos One is the best smart speaker we’ve tested. It’s more expensive than rivals but really is worth the extra for a huge difference in sound quality – not forgetting about design and build, too. Alexa and Google Assistant voice control are great – although we’d like more Sonos-specific voice controls.
Best Prices Today: Sonos One
Smart speakers are a must-have gadget for most modern homes, but many don’t offer the kind of high-quality sound you might want for your home. This is the main but not only reason to go with Sonos against rivals. Here’s our Sonos One review.
Note: Sonos has released a Gen 2 version of the Sonos One, with upgraded internals, including the addition of Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), an updated processor, and increased memory. This review is of the Gen 1 but audio quality should be on par.
There’s also now a portable version, read our Sonos Move review .
Price and Availability
The Sonos One is available direct from Sonos in the UK and Sonos in the US . For other countries visit the Sonos Shop here .
The newer Gen 2 Sonos One costs £199 or US$219, while the One SL without microphones and digital assistants is a cheaper option at £179/US$199.
Alternatives from Sony and Panasonic are much more able to compete on sound quality (based on some hands-on time) so are similarly priced.
Design and Build
As expected, the Sonos One is essentially a Play:1, but with new controls and features. Build quality, as we’re accustomed to with Sonos, is exceptional.
The Play:1 is Sonos’ smallest speaker and the One looks just like it on the whole. The classy design features smooth and clean curves and will fit in with modern décor. As usual you can choose from black or white colours.
It’s bigger than the likes of the Google Home but compact enough to fit into small spaces like kitchen worktops and bedside tables.
The obvious difference between the One and the Play:1 is the control panel on the top which is flat rather than dipped.
Like new-generation Play:5, it’s got touch-sensitive buttons for playback and also a set of six microphones for that all-important interaction with the smart assistant – a quick tap will mute the mics for privacy or stop accidental triggers.
Sound quality and features
One of the main reasons to get the One over rival smart speakers is the sound quality on offer. Cheaper ones might be more affordable but you’re getting much poorer sound.
It’s no surprise that the One sounds the same as the Play:1 with room-filling sound that’s rich and detailed. Like previous Sonos devices, the bass is powerful and tight but doesn’t overpower the remainder of the frequency response.
The mid-range is solid so vocals and key instruments are given an appropriate level of importance in the mix. Thanks to a tweeter inside the One, high-end isn’t forgotten and provides brightness resulting into a well-rounded mix that works for a wide range of music.
It’s impressive how good the sound is from such small speakers and the way it doesn’t sound better when directly in front. The sound isn’t 360 but it’s close and you can make use of Trueplay to tune the device to the room it’s in. You can also link two into a stereo pair.
Once you’re up and running you can use Alexa to do all sorts of things, including control various smart home products you may have around or plan to get. These include light bulbs, heating systems and more.
As well as the basic music playback controls you can also do some clever things if you have multiple Sonos speakers in different rooms. You can get Alexa to do things in specific rooms by using the right name – living room, for example.
Sonos One works with 70+ music services
The Alexa skill for Sonos is still quite limited for now, though. We hoped we could group rooms together or the reverse but you can’t do anything like that at the moment which is a shame. It can only do speakers already grouped.
Sonos has now added Google Assistant support to the Sonos One speaker. Google Assistant supports streaming music services including Spotify, YouTube Music, TuneIn and Deezer.
Specs
Sonos One: Specs
- Alexa-enabled
- 6x far-field mics
- 3.5in mid-woofer
- Tweeter
- Two Class-D amplifiers
- Touch controls
- Wi-Fi
- Ethernet port
- 161x120x120mm
- 1.85kg
Best Prices Today: Sonos One
Author: Chris Martin, Managing Editor, Tech Advisor
Tech Advisor Managing Editor Chris got his break as a reporter at infamous site The Inquirer and has been with us for more than 12 years. With a BA degree in Music Technology, audio is his specialism, but over the years he has reviewed all kinds of gadgets, from smartwatches to mesh Wi-Fi to coffee machines.
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