Customer Ratings & Reviews

Best sound for your garden or back yard with a good subwoofer. This combination with Sonance and SONOS

Overall, very nice system with awesome sound. I installed it myself bypassing Best Buy’s installation cost at $2000, more than the unit itself when bought on sale. Plenty of videos out there to assist with your own installation. Again, overall very happy!

Great Product. Very happy with the sound quality. As others mention you have to bury the cable which requires effort but it’s worth the high quality sound. Also the Sonos Amp has to be indoors. I added it around a new 45”x20” patio with an outdoor kitchen. So far everyone is impressed with the sound coverage and clarity. Speakers are well concealed in landscaping. Well worth the purchase.

Great sounds, as a test I only set up the sub and two of the satellite speakers and this system rocks purchased a second set to cover more area.

Impeccable sound from Sonance/Sonos as always! Have had over a year now with zero issues!

Love the product I had 4 friends also buy the same product after me demo the system in my backyards. We all love it. Party in all 4 houses now.

System is very clean even at night volume. Very easy to use. If you don’t want speaker’s seen around you our property this is the speaker system to get.

Great sounding landscape speaker system. Very happy with the quality.

Absolutely love this system! Put it around pool and added the move and two speaker Sonos system around tv. Highly recommended it’s amazing.

The best landscape surround sound I’ve ever heard! Smooth connectivity, clean and crisp audio

Love the emmersive sound from the entire system!!!

Awesome sound quality. The backyard sounds as if we are in a theater.

Great sound - even distribution and a big upgrade!

Like many people we were accustomed to using a Bluetooth, portable speaker out by the pool or moving it around the yard depending on where we were located. Well, those days are gone now after installing this Sonance MAG6.1 outdoor streaming sound system. When the box arrived one can tell you’re definitely stepping up to a complete sound system. The box is on the large size and once opened it’s easy to understand why since the subwoofer itself is a pretty good size at about 11” across. The six speakers and the subwoofer are a nice brown color that feel very good quality wise and hopefully for the price tag will prove to be very durable to the outside elements. We chose to take on installation of the system ourselves, but those who don’t have the time or ability to do so may want to pay the Geek Squad or others to take care of this. Before starting the process I went online and ordered 14/4 CL3 speaker wire. The instruction manual is nicely done in text and illustrations and includes a chart on what speaker wire is recommended based on the distance from the amp to the furthest speaker. The speaker wire we purchased was over a $100 so just keep in mind that you’ll be incurring this expense too. After that, it was on to digging a trench from the point of the last speaker location to the entry point into the house and digging a 11” hole for the subwoofer. Yes, this is not the fun part and takes a while! Then on to rolling out the speaker wire in the trench, partially burying the subwoofer, connecting each speaker with the supplied silicone filled wire connectors and connecting the amp. We drilled a hole through the back wall of our house and took the speaker wire through that into our laundry room. The amp is sitting on a shelf in our laundry room where power is available and the WiFi signal is adequate. Once done, it was rewarding to download the Sonos app, create an account and link to our Spotify service to test the sound out. The sound quality does not disappoint and can be taken to a level that the neighbors will take notice. It does help that each of the six speakers is easily placed to control the direction of the sound. Ours can be enjoyed by the pool and on our back patio without being too invasive to our neighbors. The Sonos app is user friendly and everyone in our household was able to sign on to the same Sonos account. Within the app we can select which family members Spotify account to play from by simply using the drop down arrow under the Spotify logo. It looks like we can access our Iphone’s music library by uploading it to a streaming music service, using Apple AirPlay or playing your tracks to Sonos from a mac, pc or NAS drive. The climate where we live allows outdoor enjoyment of our yard a good part of the year so the cost of this system is worthwhile to get quality sound in a large portion of our yard by simply accessing the Sonos mobile phone app. For those with Sonos speaker systems in other parts of their home the continuity to outdoor spaces seems logical for simplicity of use. Given the great sound, user friendly Sonos app and nice landscape aesthetic of system components we’d recommend the Sonance MAG6.1 outdoor steaming sound system.

UNBOXING, AND INITIAL IMPRESSIONS: First and foremost, this packaging is NOT “environmentally friendly”. While the six primary speakers are packed inside two large ‘egg crates’ (three speakers per), the subwoofer & Sonos Amp are all packed huge pieces of environmentally-UNfriendly Styrofoam. Also, be forewarned that the primary box is HUGE & HEAVY. Instructions are divided into two separate manuals…one from Sonance (for the MAG6.1 speaker system, and the other from Sonos (for the Amp). Both are quite sparce, but the great majority of information needed. Unfortunately, speaker wire is NOT included, so be sure to remember this when ordering and/or picking up the MAG6.1 system. Not knowing this caused a delay in my being able to install the system. One final thing to note before getting into the review – although this is called a “6.1” system, it is NOT a ‘surround’ system…you will have three “left” speakers, three “right” speakers (thus the ‘6’), and a subwoofer (thus the “.1’). SETUP: Setup, like the instructions, is a 2-part order. The Sonance instructions covers everything you need to know to install the speakers, wire gauge needed, and connecting to the Sonos Amp, while the Sonos instructions covers the incredibly simple 3-step process for getting the Amp operational. Starting with the speakers, you will need between 100-250ft of 18-14 gauge speaker wire. While it is possible to use traditional 2-conductor speaker wire, it is advisable (and HIGHLY recommended) to use 4-conductor wire (commonly referred to as 14/4, which is exactly what caused my delay, as all three of my local Best Buy stores didn’t have any in-stock, and I had to order it. Also, due to the “lay of the land”, I did NOT follow the wiring as specified in Figure 3 (more on this in a bit). Finally, the speakers should be placed (depending on the siz of the yard) approx 8-10 feet apart. The primary reason for using 4-conductor wire is so that you can alternate between “left” & “right” speakers. As such, when wiring the speakers, you NEED to remember which wires (colors are red, black, green, & white) you’re using for “left”, and which you’re using for “right” – crossing them could produce ‘interesting’ results…or no audio at all. Whereas Figure 3 indicates wiring should be in this order – Amp, left, right, left, sub, right, left, right, my wiring is more like a ’T’, going from Amp to sub, and then 4 left/right speakers to the right, and 2 left/right speakers to the left (see diagram at end of review). This is because I decided to run 4 of the speakers (and sub) along the back fence, and the other 2 speakers along the open area on the right side of the house. If you want, you could even run all 6 speakers, one after the other, with the sub before, or after, all 6 speakers. The choice is entirely yours. However you choose to wire them, it is HIGHLY advisable to test the system BEFORE burying the wires, and BEFORE setting the sub in the hole you dug. Speaking of the sub, and that hole I just mentioned, in case you weren’t getting it, approximately two-thirds of the sub is placed below ground level (Figure 2 give the dimensions needed). Once all wiring has been connected, and you’d tested the system (to be certain it’s working), only then should you bury the wires & sub. Moving onto the Sonos instructions, as I said, it’s a simple 3-step process. Step 1 is to connect the speakers to the Amp (which also happens to be step 1 of the Sonance instructions, as shown in the previously-mentioned Figure 3). Step 2 is to download the Sonos app. For those already owning other Sonos speakers (or another Sonos Amp, as I have), you can skip step 2, and just go to ‘Add Product’ within the app’s settings. Step 3 is optional, as it allows you to connect your Amp (via HDMI cable) to your TV. You can also add another audio source, as there is a L/R ‘Line-in’ (for example, if you wanted to add a CD player, or have your TV’s audio, so that those outside can listen to whatever game is on TV). IN-USE: If you already own, or have owned in the past, any Sonos components, then you’re already aware of their outstanding streaming ability, as well as the incredibly-good sound quality their amplification components can create. Additionally, if you own, or have owned, any Sonance speakers, you already know the fantastic sound quality of their speakers. Put these two together, and you’ve got one of the best streaming sound systems you can get. Although (officially) designed for outdoors, I have the original Sonos Amp, as well as a pair of Sonance Mariner 54 Outdoor speakers, set up in the master bedroom, with the speakers wall-mounted above the bed…and, I can confirm that the sound quality is extremely good, and powerful. Now, not only do I have that same ability for outside, but there’s the addition of the “boom” of a sub…plus, I can hear the music no matter where I am in the back yard. Ok…gotta be truthful…it’s not so much a “boom”, as it is powerful low-frequency audio. It’s not exactly the same as having a subwoofer producing low-frequency tones via its own dedicated sub output (although, it DOES need to be said that the Sonos Amp DOES have a dedicated sub output, but it is NOT a powered output. At the same time, it does do a VERY good job at filtering/producing only the sub frequencies. What I suspect (I’d have to disassemble the sub, and one of the satellite speakers, in order to prove/disprove it) is that each of the seven speakers (the sub, plus the 6 satellites) each have their own built-in crossover, with the sub filtering out the above-80Hz frequencies, and the satellites filtering out the below-80Hz frequencies. As for the sound quality, and power, color me ‘impressed’, as it sounded better than I expected (due to it being an outdoor system. Although the Amp only has three touch controls, the majority of true control will be done through the Sonos app…so, get used to using it. I’m not going to go into the app, as it’s (mostly) self-explanatory. If you’ve used iTunes, Google Play Music, iHeartRadio, or any other mobile music app, then you already have an understanding of how the app functions. My best suggestion is to just “play around” with the app, and learn it’s abilities. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: I know I already mentioned this…but, I feel the NEED to reiterate it once more – this system does NOT come with speaker wires. And, to be completely honest, I don’t understand why. When you purchased a security camera system that uses PoE cameras, the system ALWAYS comes with Ethernet cables (typically one 50ft cable for each camera). While you might need a longer cable (or cables) for 1-2 cameras, at least it comes with cables. As such, the Sonance MAG6.1 Sonos System SHOULD come with speaker wire…even if it’s not the length, or gauge, that the buyer needs…as it would, at least, get the buyer started. If the buyer wants/needs longer wires and/or the buyer wants a thicker gauge, they’d have the option of buying it. FINAL THOUGHTS: Overall, I thoroughly like the Sonance MAG6.1 Sonos System. I really only have two complaints – the price, and the lack of including speaker wire. For each, I deducted 0.5 stars, thus the reason behind the 4-star rating. If you’re looking for an all-in-one outdoor streaming system, this is an excellent choice. As for the “Would you recommend this” question, honestly, I don’t think I even need to answer, as I’m guessing you already know my answer…but, since Best Buy requires an answer, it is where it’s supposed to be. If it wasn’t for the overly-high price, or the lack of including speaker wire, this would have received a 5-star rating. On the ‘plus’ side, Best Buy DOES put this system on sale, and, when they do, it’s at a very reasonable price. If it’s on sale, and you’re looking to get an outdoor streaming system, grab it, QUICK. Disclaimer: This product was provided free, or at reduced cost, for the purpose of reviewing the product. Nevertheless, the above review, be it positive, negative, or somewhere in-between, is a 100% honest review, and the price paid absolutely no part in my review.

The Sonos Sonance MAG6.1 is an outdoor speaker set designed to be placed unobtrusively through your hard. It comes with 6 speakers, an amplifier, and a subwoofer. Not included is a 100 feet or so of 14/1 speaker wire which you will need to complete the job of wiring everything. If you're doing it yourself, and will be trenching wire to hide it, expect 3-4 hours of installation time, maybe more depending on how hard your ground is and any final adjustments you make to your plan to lay out the speakers and sub. While there are 6 speakers, this is actually just a stereo system. Three speakers (and the sub) are wired for L and the other three speakers (and sub) are wired for R. There are instructions that provide guidance for placement to get best L/R and speaker area coverage with the sub to be placed (and wired) ideally in the midpoint of all the speakers. The speakers are on stakes for easy insertion into typical backyard/garden soil/grass. The sub is designed to be buried, but in my installation, I had a natural curve in a tree in my yard that made it a good place to semi "hide" the sub. The whole point is for the entire system to be essentially hidden, unobtrusive in your yard with sound seemingly coming out of nowhere. While my yard wasn't 100% conducive to meeting this goal, they are still pretty unobtrusive once installed (I think having installed them myself, they were more likely to catch my eye) and with the normal growth that comes with spring, even I would start having a hard time spotting anything but the sub. The speakers and sub are a brown color, perhaps to blend in with the ground or soil and by not being shiny, won't draw attention due to sunlight reflecting off of it. That also fits well with positioning near a tree, it actually doesn't look too out of place. The material seems durable, on par with premium exterior furniture, so I'm not worried out the finish wearing quickly due to UV exposure and rain. There was some concern with water and rust on the electrical connections, but each speaker comes with some water resistent wire nuts. The amp/controller itself is just a matte black affair, the usual color of home electronic devices. If anything, that may be the one that catches the most attention as one doens't typically have something like that in the back yard. However, it can be hidden depending on what you end up using to supply audio. It has HDMI, actual speaker inputs, and wireless streaming. The wireless streaming made the most sense for me as my backyard wasn't already wired with audio. The HDMI option isn't that great - there's no passthru so really, it means you'd be running this off an audio recevier that has HDMI out. Luckily, my projector (which I use for random movie nights during the summer) has stereo audio out, so I can make do with that. As there are only three touch sensitive buttons on the amp, you'd need to Sonos app to actually configure the amp and act as the connection to whatever streaming service you want to use (there's also an ethernet input if you want to route yet another set of wires though you'd still need to configure things with the app). Luckily, it seems to support all the major players, pun intended. The sound quality was good. Surprising even for a system of this size that was dispersed through the backyard. There is clealy some position dependent behavior, but that's to be expected from a stereo system like this. But being within the large "sweet spot" of L/R coverage, the sound was pretty good considering it was just stereo and over a wide area. I was very pleased. The sub provided a detectible bass, especially if you were leaning against the tree. The instructions suggest putting it against something solid or structural to help enhance the bass effect if you want more. I now wonder what it would be like actually partially buried in the ground! While you could play/pause advance music from the amp, as it was out of the way, the simpler thing is to use the mobile app or another device. I already use a mini device from a certain rainforest named company which previously was paired to a set of bluetooth speakers that I'd put outside for parties. This gives me both app control and a physical device that is located in a more accessible setting. Volume wise, this will get loud enough to cause enforcement level disturbance calls. I didn't even push it to the max during the period that I was playing with the Sonance for this review. Perhaps a summer party will give me the excuse to do so. In summary, I think is a a great speaker system. You are limited to stereo and a lot of sources will need to be gated by the Sonos app, but you get great sound with decent coverage in a large yard. Everything is easy to setup, though the initial speaker placement and wiring running in particular is labor and time intensive. It does a good job of hiding away in the background, though your ability to do that will depend on your yard configuration. Given the directionality of the speakers, that can be tough in some areas. What would make this system perfect from that standpoint are omni-directional speakers that you could essentially bury in the ground - pretty much having a similar setup to the sub, though perhaps without a dome. Another plus is that it appears that you can expand the number of speakers on each side. This could be nice to cover a larger yard or perhaps completely surround a centrally located patio or backyard area.

Drove an hour to pick up an open box item that was described, and priced, as excellent. Speakers were just thrown in the box and covered in dirt. Very disappointed.

I bought it about a year ago. The screens broke 6 months after and replacing it’s $35 each! One of the small speakers already stop working.

Might be good, might be bad, one will never know. When you buy "OPEN BOX EXCELLENT" - it arrives with bird poop and mud on it, and there is nothing they will do to remedy. Good luck....you are going to need it!

Do not buy this. I paid for the system and to have it installed almost &2k, 18 months later all the connections are corroded away and the wires are gone at the connections. Called geek squad and was told there is only a 30 day warranty on installation and if I wanted to have someone come look at it I had to pay the installation fee again. System itself is good. But don’t have geek squad install it.