‘Big sound from a little speaker’ is a claim that’s bandied around a lot and, in my layman’s opinion, usually doesn’t mean all that much. So I was more than a little dubious of the Sonos Play:3’s ability to create ‘room filling sound’ out of something the size of a lunch box. I’ve tried smaller speakers in the past and have found they usually produce comparatively thin, tinny sound with lacklustre bottom end.
I’m happy to say though, that (at least when it comes to the Play:3) I couldn’t have been further off the mark. This versatile little unit can be tucked away just about anywhere and will hold its own against a half-decent pair of bookshelf speakers. The Play:3 houses three digital amps, three speakers (two mid-range drivers and one tweeter) and a bass radiator to create the sort of rich, full sound you might expect out of a much larger unit.
But the best thing about the Play:3 has got to be the Sonos platform itself. It allows you to wirelessly stream music from services like Spotify, Pandora and Deezer, Internet radio and your iTunes music library. While I must admit there were a couple of minor irritations at first (I couldn’t access ‘your music’ in Spotify so had to use ‘playlists’ and ‘search’ functions), now that I’m used to using the app the convenience and flexibility it affords far outweighs any limitations.
The Play:3 can also be set up as a stereo pair in a bigger room or as part of a system, enabling you to simultaneously play the same track right through the house or a different track in every room. It’s really straightforward to install, and the ability to choose tracks, albums and playlists from your smart device is awesome when you’ve got friends over or just busy cooking dinner.
All in all, the Sonos Play:3 an awesome little unit that sounds great and has changed the way I listen to music.
