Sonos - Amp 250W 2.1-Ch Amplifier - Black

The new Sonos Amp can do the following: 1. It can replace a stereo receiver to bring new life to any vintage stereo system you have lying around by giving it the ability to play streaming music. Most vintage stereo systems have wired speakers that are much better than computer speakers or smart speakers like the Echo Dot or Google Home Mini. The Sonos Amp comes with stereo RCA audio Line-In inputs so you can use legacy components such as a turntable, CD player, or cassette player. 2. It can also be used as a small footprint 5.1 home theater receiver by using two wired speakers as the right and left fronts, adding a standard RCA wired powered subwoofer, and using two Sonos Play:1 speakers as the wireless surrounds. For this review, I’m only testing it for the first use case. I’m currently using the Sonos Amp to bring new life to my beloved vintage stereo system. While a true audiophile might scoff at the components, I have fond memories of this system (consisting of a Sherwood S-2750CP receiver, Technics SL-DB10 turntable, Magnavox CDB465 CD player, Sanyo Ultrx RD C21 stereo cassette deck, and JBL 2500 Bookshelf Speakers) which was put together during my youth. I remember spending hours researching all the components as I put together the system over a period of time with my limited budget. Setup was really easy. Insert the banana plug adapters into the Sonos Amp. Insert the audio cables from my JBL speakers into the banana plugs and plug in my Magnavox CD player into the stereo RCA Line-In ports. Plug in the Sonos Amp to the AC outlet. Then download the Sonos App into my Android phone and follow the directions to connect the Sonos Amp into your network. I also added the Sonos skill to Alexa so I could use my Echo Dot to control the Sonos Amp. With the convenience of listening to digital music on my computer speakers and Echo Dots, I haven’t really listened to my JBL bookshelf speakers in a long time. I have spent the past 4 days listening to my music collection from both Amazon Music and my CD collection and it feels like seeing an old friend again for the very first time. The sound is very clean and smooth. Vocals and instruments are crisp and clear. Much better than listening to music using my Echo Dots or Google Home Mini. I didn’t test it at super loud volumes because I don’t want to disturb my neighbors but it definitely can get loud enough for me with absolutely no distortion. It’s been such a joyful experience using my vintage bookshelf speakers to listen to music again. Rock, Pop, New Wave, Folk Rock, Classical and Movie Soundtracks all sound great! I have been so impressed with the sound quality as a stereo amplifier, I’m really tempted to see how the Sonos Amp would perform as a 5.1 home theater receiver. In the future, I might connect it to my HDTV (since the Sonos Amp includes an HDMI port that supports ARC) and try it out. I would think using separate right and left front bookshelf speakers would create a wider sound field than my current soundbar setup.

Description: Totally amazing crystal clear sound comes from this amp and speakers. I don’t know how it could possibly get any better. I would say this amp is average size (approximately 8 1/2-inch-square box) having a slight concave top with a matte black finish that is attractive enough to leave out in the open. It is 250 watt 2.1 channel (125 watts per channel) amp which is very powerful. The design of this makes it nice to hide and not worry about it over-heating (you don’t need a lot of space for air to keep it cool). It has an AUX plug to use with audio devices, such as a CD player or turntable. The front of this unit is set up with touch controls such as the volume, previous/next track and play/pause for your convenience. I personally don’t think I will ever use them, but they may become useful in the future for something. The back has an HDMI input for the TV and thumb-screw speaker terminals that can be removed to reveal banana plug inputs for two speakers. There is also an Ethernet port so you don’t have to use Wi-Fi, if you choose to go that route. Set up: Download the Sonos app (if you don’t already have it on your phone or tablet) and you just have to follow the instructions from the app to set it up. Sonos has made it so easy for setting up for the average Joe. You can hook this up to nearly every TV on the market, stereo RCA for older TVs and HDMI ARC for newer TVs. This is a nice feature to have in an amp, so you don’t have to have just the latest and greatest TV and still get the Sonos experience. You can stream music easily, I use my Amazon Music account. There are a lot of ways to stream music with this amp…nearly any way you can think of. The Experience: Worth every penny. I have never been so excited about the sound coming out of my speakers. I felt like the whole band was sitting right next to me and seemed I could distinguish every note coming from each instrument in the band or orchestra with my eclectic taste in music. Recommendation: This will be great to use for a home theater system. It can have numerous Sonos wireless speakers hooked up to it. I wired 2 vintage Fisher 100 watt speakers to it on either side of the TV and bought 2 Sonos Play 1 speakers (with stands) for the back of sitting area for surround sound for the TV. WARNING: The Sonos experience can become VERY addictive.

I’m old enough to remember when relatively simple separate amplifiers were a common and key part of every “Hi-Fi Enthusiast’s” sound system along with a separate equalizer, tuner, turntable, tape deck and speakers. But, electronics were evolving rapidly in those days and separate components allowed upgrading individual parts of the system as each sub-category improved. It was part of the “fun” of the hobby. Later, as integrated circuits became cheaper and also far more capable and the average consumer just wanted a thing that worked without the mystery, one box does it all systems became the rage. Everything was incorporated into one device. I’m not saying that this hasn’t been progress and this Sonos Amp and a couple of good speakers (and a Sub-Woofer for great bass) can import music from the internet with its built in LAN/Wi-Fi capabilities. However for ME, its greatest feature is the ability to take the line signal from my stereo vinyl record turntable into the amps left and right Line-In RCA Jacks. 1970’s simple visual aesthetics (the round passive heat-vent on the top resembles a Turntable) on the shelf, with 21st century clear powerful sound. Features: - 125 Watts per Channel - Left and Right RCA Line-In for legacy devices like phono turntables - HDMI ARC connection to connect in from and back to, the speakers or sound bar of an HD TV if the TV and and/or the soundbar are also ARC (two-way over HDMI) compliant. - An optional Optical Audio Adapter is available at extra cost to connect the Sonos Amp to your TV’s optical audio output if your TV doesn't have an HDMI ARC port. - LAN and Wireless Network connections - Can be controlled via the Sonos Phone App, Apple “AirPlay” or many Music Service Apps - Silent convection assisted Air Cooling System. - The included Banana-Plug sets, drop the speaker wires 90 degrees straight down for a clean installation. - Has a separate RCA Out-Jack for a Powered Subwoofer Speaker. - The Amp’s Operating System is designed to be upgradable over the internet connection if it ever becomes necessary. - 1 Year Limited Warranty on Parts PROS: - A Top Spec, High Performance Stereo Amplifier - Attractive design - Very compact for its power - Well cooled with efficient quiet convection vents - Works with many Music Services and input devices CONS: - Uses only 2.4Ghz for Wi-Fi. In some settings, devices have trouble communicating over 2.4Ghz Wi-Fi because there are so many other devices in the home using 2.4Ghz. In these cases, switching to 5Ghz Wi-Fi will solve the communication problem. - Its high end price is totally justified by its high end features. However, if simple stereo amplification of a single Left-Right analog Line-In source is all that’s needed, a less feature laden amplifier might suffice.

This replaces the old Sonos Connect Amp before it and I got to say that I am loving the redesign which moves to match the rest of the Sonos ecosystem. The design is sleek and looks great on the table in the master bedroom with my record player and Polk Monitor 70s. The new Amp only comes in matte black, which does show dust easy, but is easy to clean. The footprint of the device is larger than the previous amp, but the new form factor does come with new benefits – namely the ability to easily stack and also rack mount them in scenarios where you home has in-ceiling/wall speakers. In my case, I placed it on top of my cabinet and it blended right in. Also comes with addition of ARC over HDMI which allows you to hook the Amp into your TV for a home theater setup. This allows for a seamless audio switching experience from streaming to watching TV. Sonos also sells an HDMI to optical audio adapter for $25 if you want to use that as your source. The setup is what you would expect from a Sonos product. It seamlessly integrated into the rest of my system with just a couple steps in the app. The Amp pushes 250W or 125W per channel which is more than enough to drive most setups. It sounds fantastic – with clear highs and deep lows. They include 2 banana plugs to help with your speaker wiring if you are starting from scratch as well! You will still need to buy you own wire, which I picked up from BestBuy as well. I used 16 gauge since my speakers are very close to the Amp. Overall the thought and design that has gone into the product shows through the entire setup and daily use. I'm very impressed! If you have existing Sonos Ones, you can use them to control the audio of the Amp, otherwise you can setup an echo device in the same room to do this. I setup an Echo Dot in the same room and was able to control it with no issues. For $100 more than the previous Sonos Connect Amp, this provides several new features which are sure to impress people with existing Sonos systems or those looking for a seamless experience for their standalone high-end setup.

Previously I had been using the Sonos Connect Amp in my bedroom to power my Sonus Faber Venere 2.5s for music. The Connect Amp is a great product so when I heard that Sonos had added an HDMI input and gave it more power I had to give it a try. I'm not disappointed. The new Sonos Amp provides the same great sound with the added bonus of receiving the Audio Return Channel (ARC) via HDMI from my TV. Now I get my typical on-demand audio driven by the Sonos app and it will automatically switch to the TV when I start watching. I was really pleased with the auto-switching characteristic as I was a bit afraid that I might have to manually switch in the app and that would really take a hit on the convenience factor for me. Plus you can pair the Sonos Amp with some Sonos bookshelf speakers for the rear and go surround sound thanks to the phantom center it can process. Despite the extra power I wouldn't say the Sonos Amp sounds much different than the Connect Amp. The two have a very similar sound signature thanks to their digital amps. Both offer subwoofer line-outs which makes sub pairing pretty painless. Plus, the Sonos Amp (like the Connect Amp before it) is great because you get to bring your speakers to to the Sonos party. All of the benefits of Sonos and potentially better sound (depending on the speakers). In my case, I had my Sonus Faber's sitting in storage until I got the Connect Amp. Instantly brought them back to life and now they get more usage than they ever had before. My only complaint is that it is a much bigger footprint than the Connect Amp and only comes in black which makes it a real dust magnet. Neither of those are significant enough for me to deduct a star though. If you already have some great speakers and want to jump into the world of Sonos then the Sonos Amp is the way to go. Especially if you want to meld this in a room with a TV too. I am already thinking about buying another one for my office now...

This product is great for those who want the Sonos experience and sound quality but maybe have a pair of old passive speakers they’d like to use instead. The amp itself is a small, sleek, and compact black box with just three touch buttons on the front. The rear includes two pairs of banana jacks for your speaker wires (included are adapters to secure bare wires), a subwoofer pre-out, analog RCA inputs, HDMI ARC, and two ethernet ports. With the analog inputs you can connect a turntable, a CD player, or anything really. It does not have an optical input but Sonos sells an optical to HDMI converter for $25 on their website. For myself, I’m not using any of the available inputs but simply streaming music from the Sonos app. The app works like it would with any other Sonos device, allowing you to sync with multiple audio services such as Apple Muisc or Sirius XM. The amp also support’s Apple’s Airplay 2 protocol so it’s easy to send almost any audio from the phone to the, such as the audio from videos on Youtube. I have it connected to a pair of older entry-level Polk Audio bookshelf speakers and at 125W per channel it’s producing some incredibly rich and clean sound. I had a big smile on my face as soon as I played my first song on it. The volume is loud enough to fill the entire house! Unfortunately, I don’t have an extra powered sub lying around or else I would have tested that as well. Overall, there’s a lot to like about this amp. There's really not any negatives other than it is expensive and not going to be for everybody. For example, if you don’t have existing speakers and want a home theater setup you’re probably going to be better off with one of the Sonos soundbars. But if you are building a music room with custom in-wall speakers, or for the outdoor patio and want the simplicity of a Sonos system then this amp may be calling your name.

the good: -crisp, clean power - Class D 125RMS per channel @8ohms, and boy does it deliver. I connected this amp to my Klipsch RP-150m bookshelves, and wow. Clarity, punch, and tons of power. Zero distortion to my ears even at the loudest volumes. It sounds absolutely fantastic. -Sonos connectivity - Stream a multitude of services through the Sonos mobile app. You can also include this amp in "groups", where they're either playing the same music through each connection, or completely different music, depending on the source. Very cool for "connected" homes. -small form factor - Actually quite surprising that this much functionality (and amp power) fit into such a small black box. -multi-purpose, with ability to use non-Sonos speakers and sub - This is one of the things I appreciate most. This versatility allows for placement in something like my setup (2 bookshelves and a sub) or even rear channels where a separate receiver has pre-amp outs. Stack multiples of these amps (as some installers will surely do) and you can build your own high powered surround home theater system. -control via mobile app - No remote needed. Either control with the Mobile app, or via HDMI CEC. the bad: -really none, depending on your application. overall: This amp won't be for everyone. If you don't care about the Sonos ecosystem, you may be better served with a 2.1 channel amp without all the additional features. That being said, it has a ton of very clean power; plenty enough for either book shelves or floor towers. For the somewhat niche market that this feature rich amp will appeal to, it's an easy 5 stars. Highly recommended.

Bought this on a whim as I can’t stand the sound from sound bars and like to have very large speakers. I also didn’t want extra remotes and wanted to use the Sonos app to play with my current existing speakers. I have 2 Polk RTI A7 floor speakers they can handle 20-300 watts. This pushes them exceptionally well in my living room. I also have 2 Sonos ones as the rear channel and they work well in the 4.0 set up. Surround sound through the hdmi arc connection is very good. Immersive and clean. Center image could be better but that’s probably coming up in an upgrade soon. Sound quality is amazing, bass is extremely impressive without distortion volume level is very good as well. I set it to around 1/3-1/2 for music and that’s almost overwhelming for tv/movies it’s around 1/3-3/4 volume level. There is a dialogue increase button for tv as well that doesn’t effect music quality. You can use a powered sub or the Sonos Sub with this unit. It does make you turn on the crossover though if you choose to. I have played music about half way with the speakers shaking my windows then touched the unit after an hour of continuous playback it wasn’t hot just a little warm. Which is great as every other receiver I’ve used has been almost too hot to touch from driving these speakers. Only thing I can find to complain about is the treble. It seems just a bit too bright. Not harsh just bright. I lowered that a bit and it sounds fine. Hopefully they will be able to software update that and clean the eq up a bit. As with all Sonos products they make them future proof. When an update comes out they all update and improve. Truplay would be a nice update