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The Sonos amp may not be cheap at $600, but it's a great choice for people who want to scratch build a streaming hi-fi or home theater system.
The amp is an update of one of the company's oldest designs, the 13 year old Zone Player 100.
While Sonos is pitching the amp at custom installers in commercial.
It's actually a really flexible music system.
On board is a beefy 125 watt per channel amplifier, which I found could easily drive speakers worth many times the price.
This is a small black box, only 9 inches square and it is stackable.
Connections are sparse, yet well chosen.
And this includes an onboard HDMI ARC port for connecting to a TV alongside lip sync adjustment.
You can add your own sub to the dedicated output, or by the Sonos sub.
You can then add a second amp for the rears or add a couple of Sonos Play 1. Set up is as straight forward as you expect.
The amp also includes an analog input for connecting a turntable for example.
And this can be then transmitted around the house.
The speaker terminals at the back offer the ability to connect bare wires or banana plugs.
The end can be controlled with the Sonus app, but it also offers Apple Airplay 2, Spotify Connect, or Pandora support.
You can also control the system with the Alexa Voice Assistant, and Google Assistant is coming in 2019.
I found the app to be very dynamic with music and movies, more so than any other receiver or other digital amp I've heard at the price.
The app sound stage is fantastic.
The only issue I had is that it's really, really bright, and there's no calibration routine to tame it.
However, if you adjust the EQ to reduce the treble, it can sound great.
While I wouldn't suggest this product to owners of boutique speakers, it should have no issues with speakers under a grand, like Elac or Q Acoustics.
Though the Sonos [UNKNOWN] play base offers better bang for buck, the app is great for enthusiasts who already own a good set of speakers.
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