The Move is better suited for outdoor use as it's battery-powered and has an IP56 rating for dust and water resistance, although we don't currently test for this. However, the Five is better suited for music as it can produce more low-bass, and it can be used in stereo or mono mode, depending on how it's placed. I’m no design expert, but the new one definitely looks more elegant. The Sonos 5 comes in two color variants: 'Black' and 'White'. In our experience, that obsession paid off, as the Five offered the most enjoyable listening experience in our testing. While it lacks an EQ, it has bass and treble sliders to help you customize its sound. It has a bright sound profile that delivers a thumpy, punchy bass. The Ultimate Ears HYPERBOOM is a better speaker overall than the Sonos Five. Android and Windows users unfortunately don't have this luxury. This feature automatically tunes the speaker to your room by measuring how sound reflects off of your walls and other surfaces around it. Its companion app offers bass and treble adjustment sliders and it has a good soundstage. This easily earned it the top overall score when all was said and done. It also has an Ethernet port so you can connect it to your home network. The Play 5 is basically a speaker with a built-in amplifier and, of course, all the Sonos electronic trickery that makes it do awesome things. This speaker can only be used wired. Its companion app … However, the Sonos reproduces more low-bass out-of-the-box, and its default sound profile is more neutral and balanced. How can we improve GearLab? Sonos Play:5. A lot of compression artifacts at max volume. It also supports Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and Google Chromecast. The clarity is likewise superb. The Sonos Five is a wired mid-size speaker that can be used horizontally or vertically. Two four-dotted buttons can be tapped to adjust the volume or swiped to skip tracks. It's the only piece of Sonos … You can find out more about these compatibility issues on Sonos' website. It also offers all of the convenience of Sonos' well-designed multi-speaker management. Our Editors independently research, test, and rate the best products. However, it doesn't support Chromecast built-in. However, the Sonos can produce more low-bass and has a better-balanced sound profile, which makes it better suited for music. Sonos Play:5 has been on the market for a while in the old version, and when Sonos this fall launched a renewed edition, it was the clear signal that they would like to be adopted to the gang. Trying to figure out the best way to fill your home with... the most in-depth and scientific tech reviews, Excellent Sound, Great volume, relatively compact, many connection options, Great sound quality, great volume, battery powered, easy to connect/control multiple speakers, Great sound quality, compact, loud, multiple connection options, Makes guitars sound great, Alexa built-in, loud, Expensive, multi-speaker management leaves a bit to be desired, Expensive, somewhat heavy to move around when used in battery mode, Slightly pricier than some comparable models, Expensive, not the best in its price range, Our top choice for those looking for the best-sounding focal point for a multi-speaker system, The best-sounding speaker we've tested, but asks a high price, A compelling, battery-powered addition to an already impressive lineup, Impressive sound in a package that offers pretty much every connection avenue possible, A good speaker with great aesthetics, but its overall sound quality can't live up to its price tag, Bluetooth, Micro-USB, 3.5mm Aux, WiFi, AirPlay. Even in complex compositions, we were able to easily hear separation between different instruments, and to keep up with fast-paced lyrics. Sonos Play 5 review: Smart, sophisticated, superb. Privacy | Cookies | Terms, The world's most in-depth and scientific product reviews, Provides the best-sounding bass for a multi-speaker system. With crystal clarity audio and lots of high-tech features and … That said, it's a suitable choice for users looking to incorporate a sleek-looking speaker into their Apple ecosystem. It feels sturdy and solid, but it isn't designed to be used in or around water. It also has Siri built-in, which can be voice-activated and can hear you from quite a distance. Luckily, it has low audio latency. You can also share your podcast across several Sonos speakers across your home. Overall, we wouldn't suggest you get the Five instead of the Bose based on sound quality alone, but if you want to build a multi-speaker system the Five is the clear choice. It's larger than the Sonos Move and needs to be plugged into a wall outlet if you want to use it. If you really want Bluetooth you do have the option of getting a third-party Bluetooth receiver and plugging it into the 3.5mm auxiliary port. The Ultimate Ears is battery-powered, so it's more portable and can be used outdoors. If you prefer a different sound, you can tweak its sound profile using the bass and treble adjustment features within its companion app. There are a couple of differences here, so I want to go over those with you, and let you know what the new changes are as compared to the Sonos Play:5 … The Five offers some convenient and low-profile touch controls on the top of the speaker. The Google Nest Audio and the Sonos Five have different strengths and depending on your usage, you may prefer one over the other. The Sonos Five was the frontrunner in pretty much every one of our tests, with the lack of Bluetooth connectivity being its only real tripping point.