This is not your Momma’s music player people!  If I could go to a super-inventor kind of guy and say “Hey Mister super-inventor guy… I’d like you to make me the most technologically advanced and easiest to use wireless music system ever”, the Sonos S5 would be his brain child.  Let’s start with the important part… sound!  While the S5 indeed kicks out a room-filling wicked powerful sound, including a serious bass-line, I do have to say that their clarity is a bit lacking.  Both myself and another reviewer noticed a little bit of a “muffled” sound when it was cranked up to its greatest potential.  The design is wonderfully simplistic and near buttonless (see below for functionality) so it can go anywhere.

Now let’s talk tech:  Set-up was incredibly easy, although the instructions were slightly confusing… apparently if you are planning to set-up your speaker system away from your router you must first attached a Sonos Zonebridge.  A very small piece of equipment that will go entirely unnoticed after setting up.  However, after having everything in place… the S5 sets up very quickly.  As a bonus… simply unplug the S5 from its power outlet and place anywhere else in the house for music at your literal fingertips.

Note: I put the S5 on the other side of my home (a modest 1,600 sq ft) and while it still syncs easily with both the over-air radio and internet radio… it did give me a few re-syncing issues when playing my iTunes.

What it works with:  This, in my opinion, is the best part!  This bad-boy will play your basic over-the-air radio stations; it plays a wide variety of internet radio (by genre); it plays an equally wide variety of internet radio sites (LastFM, Pandora, Wolfgang’s Vault, etc.); and (my personal fav) it plays your entire iTunes media library (and Windows Media Player Library too if that’s what floats your boat).

How does it work you ask?

You can run everything from your computer desktop and either purchase the quasi-dorky Sonos remote for ridiculous amounts of money ($350+), or you can whip out your iPod touch or iPhone and control it from there.  Okay, that is my favorite part.

With the system you can play different music, from different sources, in different rooms… or play this same thing everywhere… or play in one room, but leave another room off… or, okay… shut the hell up, you get the point.

All-in-all…

I dig it, and can even see recommending it to friends (like you).  In fact, I’m a bit bummed I have to send it back.

My final answer – Buy it, if you love music and don’t mind dropping $500+ on a wireless multi-room system.

For a cool video, with a hot chick, to explain a bit more (HERE)