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1952 reviews
Apr, 2025
alaTest has collected and analyzed 1952 reviews of Sonos PLAY:5 / ZonePlayer S5 (1st Gen). The average rating for this product is 4.5/5, compared to an average rating of 4.3/5 for other products in the same category for all reviews. Reviews about the reliability and sound are on the whole positive. The design and size also get good views. Opinions are divided on the price.
usability, size, design, sound, reliability
We analyzed user and expert ratings, product age and more factors. Compared to other products in the same category the Sonos PLAY:5 / ZonePlayer S5 (1st Gen) is awarded an overall alaScore™ of 93/100 = Excellent quality.
Consumer review (amazon.co.uk)
alaTest has collected and analyzed 234 user reviews of Sonos PLAY:5 / ZonePlayer S5 (1st Gen) from Amazon.co.uk. The average user rating for this product is 4.4/5, compared to an average user rating of 4.4/5 for other products in the same category on Amazon.co.uk. Reviewers really like the design. The size is also mentioned favorably. Opinions are divided on the reliability. There are some less positive comments about the price.
usability, size, design
price
89% of the reviews on Amazon.co.uk give this product a positive rating.
Consumer review (amazon.com)
alaTest has collected and analyzed 45 user reviews of Sonos PLAY:5 / ZonePlayer S5 (1st Gen) from Amazon.com. The average user rating for this product is 3.8/5, compared to an average user rating of 4.2/5 for other products in the same category on Amazon.com. People are impressed by the design. The price also gets good feedback. Opinions are divided on the size.
usability, price, design
76% of the reviews on Amazon.com give this product a positive rating.
Expert review by : Riyad Emeran (trustedreviews.com)
Entry into the world of Sonos wireless music just got cheaper and easier.
The ZonePlayer S5 is a natural progression for Sonos, taking the simplicity of its wireless music system to the next level. Coupled with the Sonos iPhone app, the ZP-S5 will open up Sonos wireless music to a whole new market, acting as an affordable...
Expert review by : Marc Chacksfield (techradar.com)
For its size, this flagship speaker packs a punch
Great look ; Easy to setup ; Powerful sound.
App could do with a refresh ; speaker legs are apparent ; Very simple design.
An elegant looking and bombastic sounding speaker that proves Sonos is still king of the streamers.
Expert review by (t3.com)
Can the slickest Apple add-on around head-off the AirPlay challenge?
Expert review by : What Hi-Fi? (whathifi.com)
This compact, simple one-box network player has a superb, room-filling sound
Dynamic, room-filling sound from a compact all-in-one ; good bass depth and weight ; solid build ; impressive wireless network and features
If this is your first ZonePlayer you'll need to wire it to your router or buy a £79 ZoneBridge ; expensive standalone controller
The Play:5's simplicity and superb sound make this an ideal one-box network player
Expert review by : Stuart Miles (pocket-lint.com)
We'll cut to the chase, the Sonos music system is one of the best music systems we've experienced here at Pocket-lint, not just because it sounds good, but because it is so damn easy to setup and use. The trouble is, for most, it's an expensive system...
Setup takes about 5 minutes, sounds good, 25,000 internet radio stations, Music services support, the ability to add another 41 zones
You'll need to sit it next to a router unless you buy the ZoneBridge, you'll need to buy the controller or have an iPod touch/iPhone to get the most out of it
Where the Sonos S5 ZonePlayer appeals to us is not only in the price, but the ease in which it allows you to get into the system. If you've got a iPod touch or iPhone, the app doubles as the controller and the ability to add more zones throughout your...
Expert review by : Alex Todd (recombu.com)
The Sonos PLAY:5 just received a long-overdue refresh and the 2nd-generation looks like it packs a serious punch. Here's our review. We met with Sonos...
Minimalist design ; Great user experience ; Excellent sound quality
Expensive
The company bills the new PLAY:5 as ‘the ultimate smart speaker’ and whilst we haven’t tested every rival device out there, the complete experience Sonos has wrapped up alongside this unit certainly places it at the top of our list of recommendations..
Expert review by : Verity Burns (stuff.tv)
The original big wireless speaker is back. But is it still best?
Tremendous, spacious sound ; Composed at volume ; Punchy bass
Less connectivity than Bluetooth rivals ; No high-res support
A reinvention in all but name, the new Play:5 offers even more boom for your buck.
Expert review by : David Carnoy (cnet.co.uk)
In the last few years Sonos has been steadily adding wireless speakers to its multiroom audio lineup , but its flagship tabletop speaker, the Play:5 hasn't changed in six years. Until now, that is. This is the new Play:5 (2015), and it's a bigger,...
The second-generation Sonos Play:5 is a sleek, well-designed Wi-Fi speaker that delivers rich sound for its size and strong bass. It offers the full Sonos wireless experience, controllable from iPhone, iPad and Android apps, with compatibility with...
Rather expensive, especially if you want to buy a second one for stereo sound.
While fairly pricey, the second-gen Play:5 is the best-sounding Sonos speaker yet.
Expert review by : Ian Morris (cnet.co.uk)
The children being born now won't own physical media when they reach record-buying maturity. And while we might lament this sad fact, their lofts will be less cluttered, they'll have a high-quality archive of every piece of music they ever bought and,...
Beautiful and well designed; good sound quality; easy to use; superb online services.
Very expensive; addictive -- you'll want one for each room; headphone output not brilliant.
If we could, we'd fill our houses with stunning Sonos hardware. The only problem would be figuring out how to pay for it all. The Sonos Play 5 is a fantastic home audio system and one we rate very highly indeed.
Expert review by : Stuff.tv (stuff.tv)
Back in 2004, Sonos appeared with a multi-zone music system that anyone could buy and set up in minutes. It was perfectly pitched, stylistically and technologically. We loved it. The range has evolved, with the ZonePlayers getting more compact, and...
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