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Sonos Bundle 250 review

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Verdict

There's no denying the new controller is gorgeous, but it's priced beyond the pockets of all but the most dedicated multiroom music fans

Review Date: 26 Aug 2009

Price when reviewed: £695 (£799 inc VAT)

Overall Rating

Features & Design
6 stars out of 6

Value for Money
3 stars out of 6

Elsewhere, the system is just as capable as before. We were supplied with the BU250 for review, which adds two ZonePlayers - one 90 and one 120 - to the CR200 controller. The former hooks into your router, providing a bridge between your home network and the Sonos system's mesh network technology, while the latter boasts an integrated Class-D 110W amplifier for direct connection to a pair of speakers.

Setting everything up is also just as much of a doddle as before. Plug everything into the wall, hook the ZonePlayer 90 up to your router and creating the Sonos network is as simple as pressing a couple of buttons. Better still, it gets one up immediately on the cheaper Logitech Squeezebox Duet system by not requiring a PC running proprietary software. You can access music on any UPnP-media server device.

Making it cheaper

It seems as much of a waste as it always did to simply use the ZonePlayer 90 as a network bridge when it boasts all the kit to be a streamer in its own right (stereo phono, plus optical and electrical S/PDIF outputs), and especially when buying one costs a not-inconsiderable £279 inc VAT.

There are options if your want to save a little bit of cash, though. The Sonos ZoneBridge does a similar job to the ZonePlayer 90, but costs £200 less at £79 when purchased separately, while for iPhone and iPod Touch owners, there's an app that echoes much of the CR200's capability for absolutely nothing. You could then, in theory build a full Sonos system for £360 inc VAT - a considerable saving on the huge £799 for the Bundle 250.

Conclusion

But if you're thinking of pinching the pennies you've probably missed the point of Sonos systems - they're designed for those who want a reliable, simple wireless multiroom system that won't look out of place next to their van der Rohe armchair and Joseph Hoffman sofa.

It's undeniably expensive, but nothing else quite matches its combination of engineering excellence and all-round ease of use.

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Comments

User comments

Better than anything at the price

I searched for a long time to find a system that would allow me to archive my CD collection in lossless format and would allow playback from a NAS drive. I connected a ZP80 to my router and Arcam amp, recorded my CDs to my Buffalo NAS drive using Mediamonkey (try the free download) and now I have a very versatile system that plays back with more clarity than my £900 Arcam CD player. It connects to internet radio (again the quality is amazing) and I am listening to my music more and more. All that is needed is a ZP90 and a controller and you can find some real bargains at present - really do check it out if you like listening to music. Sonos have committed themselves to this product and it will be a long term asset. No background hum of fans as NAS is hidden in a cupboard two rooms away and muvh more eco friendly than leaving a PC switched on.

By malcolmv on 27 Aug 2009

@malcolmv - as someone who's just got a mini hi-fi (albeit an Onkyo) hooked up to their computer, can I say I'm very jealous of your setup.

By pbryanw on 27 Aug 2009

Don't be jealous

I really would say look at the good discounts on last years models at Richersounds. This and a low price amp and speakers will be amazing - I am very fortunate to have what I have but I saved for 3 years before putting it all together. Just try Mediamonkey - its free and is a big improvement over Windows Media Player and iTunes which lock you into their format.

By malcolmv on 28 Aug 2009

Exceptional!

It's sad, but when I purchase technology these days, I generally expect to be a little disappointed with it. With most high tech devices there is usually a reliability niggle, a slight compatibility gottcha or a feature that doesn't quite live up to the marketing hype.

Sonos stands out as the exception to this rule!

I've owned a system for about three months now and I have to say it has performed flawlessly in daily use. I've not had to do a single reboot, not had a single problem connecting, never been unable to play music. This equipment does exactly what it says on the tin and does it exceptionally well. Other manufacturers would do well to take a leaf out of the Sonos book!

My only criticism is the lack of a headphone output on the zone players. I use a ZP-120 (the amplified one) with a pair of bookshelf speakers in my home-office and it would be nice to be able to plug in a pair of headphones for late night working when my other half has gone to bed!

Apart from this one small wish, I cannot fault Sonos - this is a 10/10 product!

By kendolondon on 23 Sep 2009

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