Wifi speaker for bedroom - recommendations please

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jonathan18

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#2323511 23-Sep-2019 19:31

dafman:

I also love my Sonos gear, but agree that the closed system can be frustrating. For me, the biggest shortcoming is not being able to cast audio from apps that support casting (eg. pocketcasts)

And that is enough reason to rule out Sonos. I’m not interested in being told how I need to listen to podcasts, so if I can’t cast directly from my app of choice (in this case, Podcast Addict) the Sonos isn’t going to work for me.

robbon44

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#2323658 24-Sep-2019 07:46

Which is why I went with HEOS. Loved the sound on sonos but HEOS provided slightly better connectivity and interface with our use.

Earbanean

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#2323868 24-Sep-2019 12:26

One thing I find weird about the Sonos One with the smartspeaker feature, is you can only pair them with other Sonos One, not the cheaper Play One

Why you'd want 2 voice activated speakers in the same room is beyond me.

Sonos have just released the Sonos One SL, which is cheaper than a One. It's basically a One, but without the mic and voice activation etc. And you can pair a One with a One SL for a stereo pair with just one mic.

jonathan18

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#2324033 24-Sep-2019 15:00

I've now looked over a wide range of wifi/smart speakers, but all have significant compromises. I think perhaps I've approached this all wrong in expecting to find the holy grail in a single box, and need to reset...

Ultimately, I care more about audio quality, and much prefer having music delivered via a pair of speakers rather than an all-in-one wonderbox. All the 'smarts' that I need can be delivered by the use of an external Chromecast Audio, so I think it'll work fine to have completely 'dumb' speakers. This therefore amends my original question to:

** What are the best options for a pair of active speakers for a bedroom, for a budget under or around $500?? **

This question is discussed to some degree in this recent thread on computer speakers, but my budget's a bit higher and my use is not near-field but to fill a medium-sized room.

I'd really appreciate any advice on specific models that would work for all-room (as opposed to near-field) usage.

An obvious option is the Audioengine A2+;some, such as the Edifer R2000DB at $333, have an 3.5mm SPDIF input which could take the digital output from a Chromecast (useful only depending on the relative qualities of the DACs, I guess).

A post in the computer speaker thread suggested studio monitors as one option, which I'm not averse to.

I'd be looking for speakers with not too large a footprint, given the space where they'd be located.

Thanks for any advice on this revised question.

dafman

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#2324077 24-Sep-2019 17:01

One thing to be wary about Chromecast Audio - from what I understand these are now a discontinued product. So if you go down this route you may want to pick up a spare or two to keep aside as future insurance?

JaseNZ

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#2324078 24-Sep-2019 17:06

If you are able to go a little higher, Probably get them at a cheaper price somewhere but have not looked.

https://www.noelleeming.co.nz/shop/audio/home-audio/multi-room/sonos-sonos-one-2x-blk-one-smart-speakers-2x-black/prod163724.html?&nst=SEM&gclid=CjwKCAjw2qHsBRAGEiwAMbPoDO_lZt_w140HhiN6wK9lXHEVznL6KpSEnoU1wTAtNxYRysabTSTaPRoC-t4QAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

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Earbanean

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#2324082 24-Sep-2019 17:20

It's about $20 cheaper to get a One and One SL, rather than the 2 Pack of Ones.

jonathan18

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#2324153 24-Sep-2019 18:29

Thanks for the ideas re two Sonos Ones, but as per my earlier post I've realised that a system as closed down as Sonos isn't for me.

Yeah, picking up spare Chromecasts isn't a bad idea; it's a real pity it's been discontinued. Luckily DSE/Kogan still sell them, and I picked up an unused one (for my son) from a GZ member.

Earbanean

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#2324171 24-Sep-2019 19:18

Fair point about Sonos being closed down system. However, they have improved a lot with that and will probably keep doing so. The addition of Apple Airplay 2 support was really key for us in transitioning across from a multi-brand Airplay based solution. I don't know how they're tracking with other casting support etc though.

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