The Sonos Five is a top-tier speaker that was first released in mid-2020. The speaker is available in black and white, and because it is wired (no battery), it is more suited for indoor use. It offers WiFi connectivity, and as is standard with top-ranking speakers, elements such as bass and treble can also be adjusted through its easy-to-use companion app. The speaker is also capable of stereo sound and compatible with Apple AirPlay. Its latency when using AirPlay is pretty low, making it great for watching music videos and movies. Like most highly rated Bluetooth speakers, its soundstage is also quite large, and it is also capable of a stereo output. Its build quality is also pretty decent, but its lack of Bluetooth connectivity may discourage some people from buying it. For an alternative that has Bluetooth connectivity, make sure to check out our Sonos Move review.
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Sonos Five Review
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True Score
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Absolutely Fresh
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The Sonos Five delighted experts with its low bass response and detailed vocals. They liked that it could get quite loud but were disappointed with its lack of voice assistant support and speakerphone functionality. They also didn’t like that it didn’t have a Bluetooth connection and that its sound quality was not great at loud volumes.
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Product Snapshot
Overview
The Sonos Five is a top-tier speaker that was first released in mid-2020. The speaker is available in black and white, and because it is wired (no battery), it is more suited for indoor use. It offers WiFi connectivity, and as is standard with top-ranking speakers, elements such as bass and treble can also be adjusted through its easy-to-use companion app. The speaker is also capable of stereo sound and compatible with Apple AirPlay. Its latency when using AirPlay is pretty low, making it great for watching music videos and movies. Like most highly rated Bluetooth speakers, its soundstage is also quite large, and it is also capable of a stereo output. Its build quality is also pretty decent, but its lack of Bluetooth connectivity may discourage some people from buying it. For an alternative that has Bluetooth connectivity, make sure to check out our Sonos Move review.
Consensus
our Verdict
Expert reviewers praised the Sonos Five for its low bass and stereo music output. Analysts from Tech Radar were impressed with its room-filling sound, and during their tests, they were able to get it up and going through the Sonos app. They were also impressed with how clear the vocals were. The Sonos Five has no built-in voice assistant support, unlike the Google Home Max (Google Assistant) and the Ultimate Ears Megablast (Alexa). We’ve covered them in our Google Home Max review and our Ultimate Ears Megablast review. Specialists from Sound Guys also liked how loud it got during their tests, but they didn’t quite draw a comparison between it and the best soundbar for hearing impaired.
On the flip side, testers didn’t appreciate its lack of Bluetooth connectivity, and this is a discredit it also shares with the IKEA SYMFONISK speaker. (Feel free to explore it in our IKEA SYMFONISK Speaker lamp review). They also lamented its missing speakerphone functionality and felt that its audio quality was reduced at louder volumes.
ReasonS to Buy
- Good bass response
- Room filling sound
- Low AirPlay latency
- Stereo sound output
- Available in Black or White
Reason to Avoid
- No speakerphone functionality
- No voice assistant support
- Sound distorts at high volume
- No Bluetooth connectivity
Sonos Five Specs
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Product Comparison
 Sonos Five Review | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
True Score | 83 | 84 | 84 | NR |
Ranking | # 16 / 109 | # 10 / 109 | # 11 / 109 | # / |
Market Context |
The Sonos Five is a top-tier speaker that was first released in mid-2020. The speaker is available in black and white, and because it is… |
The first thing buyers will notice between the Sonos Five and the Sonos One SL is that they’re very different in size, as the Sonos… The first thing buyers will notice between the Sonos Five and the Sonos One SL is that they’re very different in size, as the Sonos Five is almost three times as large as the Sonos One SL. However, the Sonos Five is capable of stereo sound while the Sonos One SL is not, and it also has an AUX input that the One SL does not. |
The Sonos Five has a stereo sound output while the Sonos Move does not, but the Sonos Move offers Bluetooth connectivity, voice assistant support and… The Sonos Five has a stereo sound output while the Sonos Move does not, but the Sonos Move offers Bluetooth connectivity, voice assistant support and comes with a battery – features that differentiate it from the Sonos Five. |
The Sonos Five is capable of a stereo output while the Bose Home Speaker 500 is not, but the Bose 500 supports Bluetooth connectivity while… The Sonos Five is capable of a stereo output while the Bose Home Speaker 500 is not, but the Bose 500 supports Bluetooth connectivity while the Sonos Five does not. It also works with Alexa and Google Assistant, while the Sonos Five does not. |
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Score Card
E
Expert Score
*.75
We place a 75% weighted value on Expert Test Scores
C
Customer Score
*.25
We place a 25% weighted value on Customer Scores
True Score
Any product with a True Score above 80 is a Absolutely Fresh
Expert Scores
Publications with higher Trust Ratings are given more weight.
100.6Category Trust Rating
55The Sonos Five is good for music. It’s a stylish home speaker with access to… Read MoreBy:
Unknown
81.17Category Trust Rating
100The Sonos Five makes for a decent option if you’re already immersed in the Sonos… Read MoreBy:
Becky Scarrott
43.1Category Trust Rating
80Offering the best, most room-filling sound of all the speakers we tested, the Sonos Five… Read MoreBy:
What Hi-Fi?
97Category Trust Rating
92“No bottom line found for this product” Read MoreBy:
Britta O’Boyle
54.78Category Trust Rating
90Sonos is the biggest name in the world of multiroom speaker systems, and the Five… Read MoreBy:
What Hi-Fi?
43Category Trust Rating
80The Sonos Five is a beefy, exuberant and zealous beast, but don’t get us wrong;… Read MoreBy:
John Panoryios
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