There’s a coaxial S/PDIF connector should you own a cherished outboard DAC-or simply want to keep the signal in the digital domain until it reaches your DAC-equipped receiver or pre-amp (which is how I chose to set it up).īut I’m disappointed that Sonos decided not to also carry over the Toslink digital audio output from the Connect. The ethernet ports on the backside of the Port are joined by one set of analog stereo inputs for a CD player or turntable preamp (or a turntable itself, if it has a preamp built in), and one set of analog stereo outputs for connecting an amplifier or self-powered speakers. Most especially, something that would appeal to the custom-installer community, who will find the Port easy to use and won’t balk at its price tag (which they’ll mark way up in their quotes to their well-heeled clients). Then the engineers went to work, squeezing in what they could to deliver a slim, trim box that looks good on a retail shelf-and that almost disappears when perched atop an A/V receiver. I get the impression that the Sonos product-management team started with an idealized sketch of a smaller, prettier, market-friendly successor to the clunky-looking Connect. The Sonos DAC delivered the goods in satisfying fashion, although it wasn’t quite as sweet sounding and resistant to shrill microphone peakiness as you’ll find with a primo DAC built into a high-end receiver. I ran comparison tests with the high-res remastered version of Van Morrison’s classic Moondance, which is ripe with his honkin’ jazzed vocals, brassy horns, breathy harmonica, and delicately brushed drums.
In that case, variable output works just fine. The other alternative, of course, is to forgo your favorite outboard DAC and use the Port’s analog audio outputs. That’s not a big deal if you’ve paired the Port with a receiver and passive loudspeakers, or if you’re using powered speakers that have their own volume control, but giving up the convenience of adjusting the volume with the device that’s nearly always within easy reach-your smartphone-is kind of a drag. The obvious downside to this settings change is that you’ll no longer be able to control the volume levels using the Sonos app. Once I did that, the Port sounded just as wide open and almost as detailed as the Connect. Find the Port you wish to configure (you’ll want to repeat these steps for each Port you own), and scroll down to the Line Out setting. First, open the Sonos app, tap Settings, and then System. This change will bypass the offending DSP circuitry. But as I said, we don’t yet know.įor now, if you encounter this phenomenon and are bothered by it, Sonos recommends going into the Sonos app and changing the Port’s line-out setting from the factory-default Variable to Fixed. We’re still waiting to find out exactly how high that resolution will be, but it could enable the Port to deliver frequencies you might not even hear if the air conditioning is running, and uber-KA-BOOM-ing bass notes and crescendos that might agitate your next-door neighbor. Why the difference? Perhaps it’s because the Port is capable of handling higher-resolution audio than the Connect. But for whatever reason, it’s so heavy-handed on the Port that I was ready to give up on the new component. This processing is nearly transparent on the Connect. Sonos says its older hardware doesn’t have enough processor power or memory to run the S2 OS, so any Sonos system that includes a mix of older and new components must be bifurcated and the two groups controlled separately (you’ll find more details in this story). ) The situation grows even more stressful if you have any combination of newer and legacy (pre-2013) Sonos hardware: The latter includes the aged Connect:Amp/ZP120 and the first-gen Play:5 speaker. (Note: Second-gen Connects-i.e., Connects manufactured after 2015-are S2 compatible. Now that Sonos has launched its S2 operating system, Sonos Connect (Gen 1) owners must make a crucial decision: Replace every first-generation Connect with a Port-at $449 a pop-or forgo upgrading to S2. That product has been succeeded by the topic of this review, the Sonos Port.
The ZP90 was later relaunched as the Sonos Connect.
And for customers who want streaming music delivered to their own favorite amp or receiver and higher-end speakers, the company launched an add-on, tuner-like component: the Sonos ZonePlayer 80 in early 2006, which was succeeded by the ZonePlayer 90 in 2008. Sonos covers all the bases: The audio component maker builds a range of powered speakers and soundbars to stream music from every source, local or on the web, but it also offers a stand-alone tuner/amp if you want to use higher-end passive loudspeakers.
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