Sonos Play:3 Wireless Speaker Delivers Big Sound In a Smaller Package [PICS]

News Bot · Jul 22, 2011

Sonos released its smaller but still powerful Play:3 all-in-one speaker this week. We tried the new speaker side-by-side with the larger Sonos Play:5 (formerly the S5) to determine if there’s any sacrifice to spending $299 on a Wi-Fi compatible speaker compared with the Play:5′s $399 price.
These wireless (except for an electrical cable) speaker systems can be configured either as single speakers or in stereo pairs, and placed throughout the home. They can play the same music at the same time, or each can play different songs. And they can connect with practically any Internet music source (think Spotify and Pandora) as well as iOS devices, mobile phones, music players, Android phones and tablets.
With a $49 Sonos wireless bridge plugged into your home network, the speakers communicate with each other, your computers and mobile devices via Wi-Fi, allowing you to place up to 16 of the speakers wherever you like.
The Play:3 (available in black or white) is intended to offer the same robust sound of its larger and more expensive brother, but costs $100 less and fits in tighter spaces. The Play:3 has three drivers inside — two woofers and a tweeter — along with three digital amplifiers. The Play:5 has five drivers and five digital amplifiers.
How does the Play:3 sound? In a word: clean. In a sentence: It’s almost as powerful as the Play:5, but you probably won’t notice the difference unless you compare them side-by-side.
The Play:3 can’t play quite as loud as its bigger brandmate, and I detected slightly less bass response. But that’s not to say the Play:3 is a slouch in the bass department — to the contrary, it cranks out a surprising amount of thump for its size.
As can be expected, the larger Play:5 sounds slightly tighter and cleaner in the midrange when directly comparing the two models, delivers floor-shaking bass powerful enough to irritate even the most patient neighbors, and will play so loud that someone will be yelling “turn that down!” before you reach the end of your first song.
It’s been said that once you go Sonos, you’ll never go back, and even though the company’s speaker systems are more expensive than most, they sound better than most, too. You actually get what you pay for here, and once you start collecting these Sonos speakers, you’ll probably want one (or maybe a pair of these playing in stereo) in your bathroom. Perfect for small rooms, the Sonos Play:3 is a worthy addition to this exclusive club.
Check out the tour of the Play:3 below, where we compare its size and girth with that of its larger sibling:

Sonos Play:3 Gallery

Here's the Sonos Play:3 next to an average-sized apple, to give you an idea of its size. For the numerically inclined, its dimensions are 10.5" x 5.2" x 6.3".

Sonos Play:3 Front View

Sonos Play:3 : Side View

Notice the rubber feet, allowing you to orient the speaker vertically as well.

Sonos Play:3 front/side view

Sonos Play:3 Rear View

There's an Ethernet port if you're not using Wi-Fi, and there's also a tripod mount for placing the unit on a stand.

Sonos Play:3 Top View

Sonos Play:3 Controls

Situated identically to the larger Sonos Play:5, the Play:3's controls are simple -- a volume up/down rocker switch and a mute button. Between them is a pilot light. For setup, you push the up-volume and mute buttons at the same time.

Sonos Play:3 and Play:5 Comparison

Here are the two side-by-side, with an apple between to give you an idea of their size. For the amount of sound these speakers emit, they're surprisingly small -- the Play:3 is 10.5″ x 5.2″ x 6.3″ (W x H x D) and the Play:5 is 14.4" x 8.5" x 4.8".

Sonos Play:3 and Play:5 Comparison

The $299 Play:3 has three drivers and amplifiers inside, while the $399 Play:5 has five of each.

Sonos Play:3 and Play:5 Comparison

The Play:3 is smaller overall, but about 2 inches deeper than the Play:5

Sonos Play:3 and Play:5 Comparison

Both are equally handsome.

Sonos Play:3 and Play:5 Comparison

Another depth and size comparison
More About: review, S5, sonos, Sonos Play:3, wi-fi, Wireless speakers
For more Tech & Gadgets coverage: