After living with the Sonos Play, I think it's the only speaker you need here's why

Date:
Sat, 28 Mar 2026 09:00:00 +0000

Description:
The perfect wireless speaker doesnt exis Oh wait

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Were not exactly short of options when it comes to choosing a wireless
speaker to blast tunes out of either at home or on the go. But how often have you chosen what you believe to be a perfect speaker, only to eventually discover it doesnt quite meet your evolving needs?

Perhaps you have a large, powerful speaker to use at home, but then you want something you can take on the road with you. Or vice versa, you have a portable speaker thats easy to throw into a bag, but the sound quality is disappointing. You've been forced to juggle multiple speakers to cover your life until now. The Sonos Play laughs in the face of that compromise. One speaker. Every scenario. Done. Article continues below You may like Sonos
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Having used it at home, it really does cover all bases. Its impactful audio delivery means it can comfortably be used as a home speaker, as it has little trouble filling a room. And its small enough to go into a bag, and you can stream over Bluetooth when youre away from home. Throw in a long-lasting battery with up to 24 hours of play time, and you really do have what I would consider to be the only speaker you need. Not convinced? Allow me to explain. Filling a gap The current Sonos line up is really aims to have something for everyone (Image credit: Sonos) Looking at Sonos speaker lineup, it would
seem like a fair statement to say the brand has a model for every person and every scenario. There are home speakers including the Era 100 and Era 300 , then you have the Move 2 , which is portable speaker but is too large to
truly carry around, and finally the Roam 2 , thats about as portable as you can get but not as good as a standalone speaker like its bigger brethren. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

That left a little gap between the Move and the Roam that needed filling.

The Sonos Play perfectly slots into the gap, while also crossing over into home speaker territory, sitting above the Era 100 in terms of price, but backing it up with extra features. Tom Conrad has claimed it to be a true Goldilocks speaker I couldnt agree with him more, and I'm amazed it didnt already exist. Today's best Sonos Play deals 299 Preorder 299 View Deal 299 View Deal We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
The joy of music The Plays superb sound quality and its versatile design has had an unexpected knock-on effect for me its got me listening to music even more. With multiple Sonos speakers dotted around my apartment, including a stereo pair of One SLs in the kitchen that I use when working from home, I didnt think Id have a real need for the Play, yet Ive found myself using it the most since it arrived. What to read next The best wireless speakers, all tested by us from Apple, JBL, Sonos and more WiiM VS Sonos which Wi-Fi speaker offers the best sound? I've had this compact B&O speaker for 4 months now here are 3 reasons it's better than the JBL Charge 6

Its been great to be able to have it right next to me on the table where I work, then take it into the bedroom where I have a Sonos Arc and another pair of One speakers already set up. But since the Play is already, well, playing, Ive not seen the need to swap over to that bigger system. (Image credit: Future / Max Langridge) A good reason for not needing to swap over is because the Sonos Play delivers a huge sound that gets better the more you crank up the volume. You can read more about the sound quality in our full in-depth Sonos Play review , but take it from me as someone who not only has other Sonos speakers but also a dedicated hi-fi listening room, the Play sounds tremendous.

If youve never owned a Sonos speaker before, I think the Play is the perfect entry point to the brand. It offers excellent sound quality and usability
from the get go, while also having the capability to open up a wider multi-room audio system thanks to its Wi-Fi support.

And given Sonos found its footing in multi-room audio, I love the fact the Play makes joining that ecosystem ridiculously easy. More than just a pretty face (Image credit: Future / Max Langridge) Ive always been a fan of Sonos aesthetic, so much so that my home is filled with its speakers and soundbars, while the Ace headphones were the first over-ear headphones I truly fell in love with . Every product is lovely to look at and to touch, and the Play continues that trend.

Yes, the buttons on the top panel could be a bit more defined to save you
from needing to actually look at which one youre pressing, but otherwise I cant find any faults with what the Play offers physically.

Theres great cohesion across the lineup too. For example, Sonos has used the same green color for the Plays small carry handle and its charging base thats been used for the interior of the Aces case. Its a subtle nod, but one thats very effective and I, for one, truly appreciate. (Image credit: Future / Max Langridge) Regaining trust Im fully aware of the tumultuous couple of years Sonos has had recently. While the launch of the much-anticipated Arc Ultra soundbar at the end of 2024 could be deemed a genuine success its maintained a spot in our guide to the best soundbars ever since we reviewed it the disastrous app update fiasco certainly would have soured relationships
between the company and its millions of users.

Throw in a number of competitor brands such as WiiM, Audio Pro and Denon also offering a seamless gateway to multi-room audio, and Sonos position as a leader in its field was in serious jeopardy.

While many of the issues that plagued the app have been fixed and with CEO
Tom Conrad confirming the company has plans to improve it further , Sonos still needed something to say to customers were back and were better than
ever and in the Sonos Play, its well and truly proved it. (Image credit: Future / Max Langridge) Today's best prices on Sonos' top music speakers
Sonos Roam 2 179 View Deal See all prices Sonos Play 299 Preorder See all prices Sonos Era 100 Wireless Speaker 199 View Deal See all prices Sonos Era 300 Wireless Speaker 449 View Deal See all prices We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices Follow TechRadar on Google News and
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