STACK #187 May 2020

MUSIC FEATURE

visit stack.com.au

Pump Up Kick out the jams with these smart speakers, soundbars and noise- cancelling headphones. Words Paul Jones Volume! the

T here are three audio essentials that have the ability to assist in the day- to-day restrictions and challenges of social distancing in the home. If, like many of us, you’re working from home while the rest of the house and its occupants are in the same orbit, a good pair of noise-cancelling headphones – or earbuds – is essential. For beats to keep the spirits high and creativity flowing, decent smart speakers linked throughout the house offer the perfect solution. And finally, when you can throw yourself down onto a couch for some hard- earned R&R, a quality soundbar will lift the action from your screen and cast it into your entertainment space. If you’re looking for all three or just one of the aforementioned audio essentials, we’ve road-tested a handful of products that more than fit the brief. SONOS ONE Sonos is a name synonymous with speakers and needs no introduction. The company that gave us the Wi-Fi connected multi-room speaker concept, it continues to evolve its products to remain on the lip of the technological wave. Sonos One, released last year, is the company’s first voice-assisted speaker. I had the Sonos Play 1, sadly not compatible with the new One, as a forefront home speaker for six years. It’s never skipped a beat. However, with the advent – and consequent implementation – of voice assistant technology, the Play 1 has been relegated to the bedroom. Weighty and sleekly designed, set-up is an absolute cinch through the Sonos app – the

SONOS ONE

SONOS MOVE

SONOS BEAM

control it – or indeed your voice. The One supports Google Assistant, Alexa and Siri through AirPlay 2, so alongside fulfilling the music requests being called out, it can tell you the latest world news. But how does it sound? Commanding. Tested in a large living room and in the garden, it compensates admirably across a playlist of everything from Edvard Grieg to Black Sabbath. Full, rich sounds that perform straight out the box. Where bass and tone can be adjusted, the factory fit is spot on.

One was ready to play from my iPhone in around five minutes. “True Play” tuning is how the speaker assesses the room to deliver the best sound possible, and is always entertaining; using the microphone on your smartphone, which you slowly wave around the room like a digital thurible, your smartphone emits a vintage Doctor Who -like electronic throb as it tunes the room. On top of the One are touch-activated commands to skip tracks, play, pause and adjust volume, but you’ll definitely use the app to

100 MAY 2020

jbhifi.com.au