Last Updated: April 16, 2019 (Refresh Now)
SONOS PLAY 1 Smart Wireless Speaker Black
Last Updated: April 16, 2019 (Refresh Now)
8.8
SCORE
/10
Total Reviews
999
Old Reviews
297
Unverified
102
Spam Test
PASS
No
BLUETOOTH
Review Analysis - 600 recent, verified reviews
Detailed Mode
Sound Quality
295sonos, speaker, stereo, play 1, room
+94%
-6%
" ... Brilliant device, build and sound quality is very high, great volume levels and lovely tone. ... "
" ... These little speakers are just amazing. ... Added the Sonos Sub to give extra depth to the system. ... The quality of sound is jaw dropping. ... "
" ... Fantastic little speaker, I have the Play 5 a soundbar and sub woofer and these are a great addition for the price, I use these for surround sound and the depth of sound they produce I'm very pleased with. ... "
" ... great sound from such a small speaker. ... "
" ... They really sound very pleasant in stereo. ... I love the way the hardware is so neat, you'd hardly know it was there, just a couple of smallish speakers putting out some very warm sound for their size. ... "
" ... Fantastic, compact speaker with surprising depth and volume without distortion and just so easy to set up. ... "
" ... What a great high quality compact speaker. ... I have Sonos in the house and a few rooms set up with sound bars and roof speakers (not by me) Use this one in our home office and its really good. ... "
" ... I already had one speaker but quickly came to realise that you really do need the stereo option for improved audio satisfaction. ... Easy to set up and the sound quality is amazing. ... "
Volume
91room, sonos, rooms, sound quality, living room
+95%
-5%
" ... Where this device really shines, is when paired with a second speaker in a stereo or multi-room setup. ... The sound is so crisp and clear, and not at all distorted even at maximum levels. ... "
" ... In every room. ... "
" ... great sound from such a small speaker. ... "
" ... This smallest speaker is so good you simply don’t need a 3, let alone a 5, both of which I bought before this came out. ... Damn good speaker. ... "
" ... Brilliant speaker with a clear sound, which when loud retains is perfect sound. ... "
" ... It is in my living room which is medium sized , 20sqm , and it feels the room with lovely sound. ... "
" ... I'm not an expert on sound but this is really good and can have it on in the living room and hear it quite clearly upstairs. ... "
" ... As with all the other Sonos speakers the sound in terms of volume and quality out of these small speakers is exceptional . ... "
Ease of Use
90easy to use, easy, set, sound quality, great sound
+98%
-2%
" ... so easy to setup ... "
" ... Other setup features easy. ... "
" ... Very easy to setup and you get a lot of sound for such a small speaker. ... Benefits when setup with TruPlay ... "
" ... Well-built, good sound (as you'd expect from SONOS), and relatively easy to setup. ... "
" ... The Sonos app is very easy to use too. ... "
" ... Very easy to setup with clear and quick instructions. ... "
" ... Plug and play capability + Spotify linkage makes the speaker very easy to use. ... "
" ... It's so easy to set up, if you ever need it Customer support is brilliant, the price is fair. ... "
Device Compatibility
89alexa, spotify, sonos app, dot, via
+63%
-37%
" ... Using the app, either via my apple products or my android phone, is simple. ... "
" ... Never owned a WiFi connected speaker. ... Set up with an echo dot was very easy, works fine. ... "
" ... The best thing is that it allows multiple users to connect so that we can share what music is being played. ... "
" ... Sonos are going to face competition from Apple and Google with their forthcoming Wi-Fi speakers but in the meantime, I highly recommend the Sonos PLAY 1 speakers. ... Update 18/10/17: Amazon Alexa - It is now possible to connect Sonos speakers wirelessly to an Amazon Echo or Echo Dot. ... "
" ... I have three now plus a Sonos Beam for the TV - love them! ... "
" ... The setup was easy and worked well although Tune in radio failed to work via Alexa on any station. ... "
" ... Nowadays, everyone gets it as standard, and within Spotify you can simply select Sonos as the source speaker and stay within the Spotify app, either on mobile or through a laptop/desktop device. ... Pairing with other speakers is trivial, and you can elect to join an existing 'room' or speaker group, or to pair as a stereo combo with another device. ... When in stereo mode, the music is PERFECTLY in sync. ... "
" ... Great sound and easy to connect ... "
Software Platform
71app, alexa, sonos app, updates, spotify
+56%
-44%
" ... Bought this to work with Alexa, as it was advertised to do so. ... "
" ... The Sonos app controls everything easily and organises all your online and downloaded content. ... "
" ... Setting up was incredibly easy using a smart phone and the Sonos app. ... The Alexa function using the Dot is very good. ... The skill has to be added via the Alexa app and works very well. ... I have also added in my personal music collection, which is located on a Synology NAS, which can be linked using the Sonos app. ... "
" ... 4 stars because they are great for what they are but the Alexa stuff needs work and also the stand alone Spotify app tended to lose control of the devices from time to time. ... "
" ... It also helped that thanks to the evolutionary nature of the Brennan B2, it’s software had been updated to allow it to work as a ‘NAS’ – (network attached storage device). ... Set-up went remarkably smoothly, after downloading the Sonos client software to my PC – you can also download Android and iPhone apps to control it, but I choose to take the desk-top path first, preferring to ‘add-in’ the Android app onto two phones later. ... What makes this all so much more logical is the adding in of smart-phone apps to do the same thing from anywhere within reach of your wi-fi. ... I’ve even dug out a redundant smart-phone, and by loading it with only the Sonos app, it is now the remote control in the dining room – but then, that’s just me! ... "
" ... Pros: once you've got a Sonos system up and running adding one of these to your network is a doddle ... "
" ... Great with Spotify/Apple music (Spotify better as can access through Spotify app). ... Sonos app is excellent and is always updating. ... "
" ... Software is superb and so easy to use. ... "
Apps
63sonos app, sonos, spotify, apple music, alexa
+54%
-46%
" ... The app is very quick and easy to use and the multi-room synchronised music is something I didn't think I would use but have quite enjoyed. ... "
" ... App is very easy to use. ... "
" ... The Sonos app controls everything easily and organises all your online and downloaded content. ... "
" ... Easy to set up, great sound, no problems playing both Sonos/Spotify playlists as well as music and podcasts stored on my device: made for a fantastic birthday present. ... "
" ... Or like any system that'd integrate with android too. ... "
" ... You can easily control these thought the sonos app on your phone or desktop/laptop. ... "
" ... The setup was simple and I had no issues setting up the apps on android phone and PC. ... "
" ... Setting up was incredibly easy using a smart phone and the Sonos app. ... The skill has to be added via the Alexa app and works very well. ... I have also added in my personal music collection, which is located on a Synology NAS, which can be linked using the Sonos app. ... "
Capacity
45room, sonos, rooms, kitchen, bedroom
+100%
" ... In the end, I kind of gave up on the idea of having a wireless speaker in, let’s say the dining room. ... Well, I’m glad to report that its position in my house is assured, and within a day I was ordering the second one. ... I’m lucky – my dining room was the previous owner’s office with 6 double mains sockets. ... "
" ... As I only have one, I cannot vouch for the stereo or multi-room setup capabilities, but it's nice to have the option to expand your audio setup with more wireless speakers. ... "
" ... Best bit of tech in my house, now have two ... "
" ... Enjoyed by the whole family! ... "
" ... This one lives in the bedroom so doesn't need to rattle the walls. ... "
" ... Took 10’ including the funny waving the phone around the room. ... "
" ... I have Sonos in the house and a few rooms set up with sound bars and roof speakers (not by me) Use this one in our home office and its really good. ... "
" ... Paired with another Play 1 and the room ... "
Setup
33set, easy, easy to setup, sonos, straightforward
+97%
-3%
" ... Setup is straightforward and it’s all done via the recently overhauled app. ... "
" ... The setup was simple and I had no issues setting up the apps on android phone and PC. ... "
" ... The installation is very easy as there is only a mains cable connection. ... "
" ... Well-built, good sound (as you'd expect from SONOS), and relatively easy to setup. ... "
" ... A doddle to configure and set up then there is the job of pairing it with music to play. ... "
" ... Benefits when setup with TruPlay ... "
" ... Arrived today, the set up is really quick and easy. ... "
" ... I am so blonde but these little beauties are so easy to install and set up. ... "
Price
31expensive, well worth, value, sound quality, worth the money
+81%
-19%
" ... I've always thought that these are expensive but they are definitely worth the price. ... "
" ... Bought it at a good price. ... "
" ... Excellent Value, Quality Product ... "
" ... Excellent addition to any home - expensive but worth it! ... "
" ... Good value and pleased ... "
" ... Price is very enticing . ... "
" ... There's a lot to love, but with the price increase it's not quite as good value as it used to be. ... "
" ... Very happy despite the price tag. ... "
Bass
28sub, base, sound quality, sonos, surround sound
+100%
" ... Crisp, clear sound with good bass. ... "
" ... In my particular case, however, I found that the speakers sound best when the bass is turned down a tad, which can be done with ease thanks to the accompanying Sonos app, which is pretty sleak itself, and also when the speakers are mounted on stands to give the resulting sound room to breathe, as it were. ... "
" ... Already got the sound bar and wasnt sure wether to buy the sub woofer or a pair of Play ones, so glad i did , the music and background sound now comes out of theses and the voices come from the soundbar, took a couple of days to get used to but now wouldnt listen to the tv any other way. ... "
" ... The surround sound sounds great when paired with a Playbar and I'd say that the combined bass is good enough that you don't need to then fork out for the Sub. ... "
" ... The sound quality & bass are excellent. ... "
" ... Fantastic little speaker, I have the Play 5 a soundbar and sub woofer and these are a great addition for the price, I use these for surround sound and the depth of sound they produce I'm very pleased with. ... "
" ... The bass is big and tight without being boomy. ... Fifth, the separate bass unit is eyewateringly expensive. ... So kitting out a full Sonos rig is hugely costly: two speakers and a bass unit are nearly a grand. ... "
" ... More than enough volume and bass on its own. ... "
Size
22small, speaker, compact, heavy, portable
+95%
-5%
" ... What a great high quality compact speaker. ... "
" ... Clear, well-rounded, even sound for its size. ... "
" ... I have the Soundbar and I wanted somethind that was small and compact to fit in the kitchen. ... "
" ... It's a convenient size and unobtrusive, but its heavy and very high quality, comparable to Apple products. ... "
" ... Small compact item that sits neatly in the corner of my bar, looks great and sound great even straight out of the box but even better once I had set them up in the room they are fitted in. ... "
" ... Once working, impressively large sound for its size. ... "
" ... More than compact enough to put it on a bookshelf tucked neatly out of the way. ... "
" ... Perfect small and very powerful speaker. ... "
Bluetooth
20speaker, speakers, sonos, bose, stereo pairing
+60%
-40%
" ... Get a bose bt speaker, thats what I would have done. ... "
" ... * stereo pairing with sonos one, would be great to beneficiate from airplay etc. ... Bose puts bluetooth on theirs as a nice back-up option. ... "
" ... I’ve been using my speakers for four months and unlike with Bluetooth, I’ve not had a single dropout. ... "
" ... Great sound, easy set up but does lose WiFi connection, also have a coupe of Bluetooth speakers and would rate Bluetooth better . ... "
" ... I wanted a wireless link to a remote speaker or speakers. ... It came with a Bluetooth ‘dongle’ (why do I smile EVERY time I write that word?) ... so buying a Bluetooth remote speaker seemed the logical path to take. ... Another plus for those who play the music from their phones to these speakers is that, unlike a Bluetooth link, your music won’t be interrupted by incoming ringing tones, as the link is via the home wi-fi. ... "
" ... If it had Bluetooth and Aux it would get 5 stars ... "
" ... The sound quality was immediately excellent, and a huge upgrade to the cheap bluetooth speaker I had before it. ... Pairing with other speakers is trivial, and you can elect to join an existing 'room' or speaker group, or to pair as a stereo combo with another device. ... "
" ... You need Sonos in your life - great product and so much better than anything Bluetooth related. ... "
Wifi
17wi fi, connection, sonos, signal, router
+41%
-59%
" ... Tons of time with support, changed wifi channel etc but it is just one issue after another. ... "
" ... However had major issues with WiFi connectivity ( Virgin ) . ... Sonos were keen for me to use the Ethernet connection on the speaker which completely goes against WiFi connectivity . ... "
" ... Eventually we established that there was nothing wrong with my wifi network and Sonos claimed that the problem was that the wireless card in my iPhone was faulty. ... "
" ... First the issue that time to time the app can't find the speaker connected to wifi (although indeed it is connected). ... Solution is to turn off and on the wifi router. ... Wi-fi issues? ... "
" ... 1) doesn’t work with a weak WiFi network. ... "
" ... - The Sonos relies on your wifi connection which, in my office, is sometimes temperamental. ... This means that when the wifi is slow the Sonos will just stop playing. ... Then, when the wifi signal is bad it will simply stop playing again. ... "
" ... Had major problems getting it to work with my wifi as well. ... "
" ... You can only connect to it through WiFi. ... "
Product Reliability
15months, years, working, weeks, reliable
+53%
-47%
" ... Had to by other speakers that were reliable. ... "
" ... So happy days. ... "
" ... I'm very pleased with what I have purchased so far, only time will tell if they are robust and reliable. ... "
" ... I’ve been watching the price fluctuate over the past 12 months and saw it come down again,As such I took the plunge and I’ve started replacing my own sound system. ... "
" ... Yes, they are expensive, but I anticipate them being a ten year investment. ... "
" ... Fab when working from home or just in the evenings . ... "
" ... I'm relatively new to the streaming world of Sonos, having bought my first Play 1 only a few weeks ago. ... "
" ... 3 months later and I think it's his favourite gadget! ... "
Network
15router, signal, house, upstairs, sonos
+53%
-47%
" ... Sometimes I have to restart my wifi router, even though every other device works on it fine. ... "
" ... Easy to set up, and our kitchen is at the farthest point from the router, but wireless connection is great. ... "
" ... Always work faultlessly on home WiFi network. ... "
" ... Bought it to use downstairs as we already have one upstairs. ... "
" ... I think you need to have top of the range wifi for it to work at it's best. ... "
" ... This is irrespective of where placed versus your router ... "
" ... This one lives in the bedroom so doesn't need to rattle the walls. ... "
" ... Portability means you can easily take it from room to room and even the garden if wifi allows. ... "
Build Quality
13feels, neat, feel, build quality, build
+77%
-23%
" ... Build quality is excellent and although expensive, you do feel you are getting what you paid for. ... "
" ... This did therefore not meet my needs, although the sound quality when it played was excellent and the build appeared sturdy. ... "
" ... Very good product, quality build, recommended ... "
" ... Excellent build quality. ... "
" ... Feels solidly built. ... "
" ... Really heavy and solid. ... "
" ... It feels like the pricing structure and specification are designed to lock you into the Sonos ecosystem - which reminds me a lot of why I don't buy Apple products . ... "
" ... Design is understated with a neat graphite metal grille all round (there is also a white version), a rubber-footed base with good grip and a lid with one solitary LED, a pause button and a volume up-down rocker. ... "
Controls
12control, songs, play, sonos, library
+58%
-42%
" ... I said yes and when prompted, pressed the top button on the left speaker and set up was done. ... "
" ... Great sound and an easy to use app to control. ... "
" ... Definitely worthy of all the praise you see in the review press. ... "
" ... Also, if you still keep your music on physical media, you may want to look elsewhere, or consider how you're going integrate your existing library with a compatible streaming service. ... "
" ... They’re heavy and very well built and they ooze quality and understated style, with some basic control buttons on top of each speaker. ... It allows you to add 'Favourites' (playlists, songs, radio stations, artists, etc), control room settings if you have multiple Sonos speakers, adjust the EQ, Add or Remove services, set alarms and all sorts of other things that you can tailor to your exact personal preference. ... "
" ... In my case, I wanted to add two music library sources, i.e. ... "
Design
12design, white, understated, stylish, neat
+83%
-17%
" ... Looks good, sounds decent, works badly. ... "
" ... It's not bad looking either. ... "
" ... Acoustic is just perfect and the design is outstanding ... "
" ... I also find these very stylish in almost any setting (I opted for the white, which looks nice even surrounded by the all-black periphery of devices in vicinity of my speakers.) ... "
" ... The pros: it's an aesthetic hit thanks to its understated black and grey colour scheme and its sleak, almost cylindrical shape - a shape, I'm pleased to say, that makes it easy to place the Play 1 in a corner ... "
" ... It looks clean, stylish and minimal and will blend in to any environment. ... "
" ... Design is understated with a neat graphite metal grille all round (there is also a white version), a rubber-footed base with good grip and a lid with one solitary LED, a pause button and a volume up-down rocker. ... "
" ... It looks pretty neat and has a good feel to it, which while unimportant for day to day use, does give you some satisfaction that it looks and feels like a solid, well built product. ... "
Delivery
10excellent product, delivery, promptly, described, delivered
+80%
-20%
" ... The supplier was very good with prompt delivery. ... "
" ... As described, does what it says on the Box. ... "
" ... Arrived on time and is a great product ... "
" ... Arrived promptly and is an addition to the others I have. ... "
" ... How music delivery has changed in a few short years! ... "
" ... Fast delivery and excellent product ... "
" ... Excellent product, delivered next day. ... "
For Kids
8music, speaker, son loves, present, play
+100%
" ... Husband loves it ... "
" ... Bought for a present for my son loves it ... "
" ... My son is delighted with this ... "
" ... Was so impressed I bought one more for myself and one for my son and for my daughter. ... "
" ... Set up of Speaker was child's play as integrating amazon music unlimited. ... "
" ... I’m still of the old school who prefers his music on a CD that he actually owns - hell, it took long enough to persuade myself that music on a Brennan would sound as good as the actual CD collection! ... "
" ... Christmas sorted for son ... "
" ... Fantastic item my son is very happy. ... "
As Gift
7gift, christmas, son, got, bought
+100%
" ... Perfect Christmas gift ... "
" ... Got given one of these speaks as a birthday present. ... "
" ... Bought for a present for my son loves it ... "
" ... Bought as a present for my son to expand his Sonus system. ... "
" ... This was a present for my husband and he was delighted with it. ... "
" ... I am so jealous, I got this as a gift for my sister and she loves it. ... "
" ... Christmas sorted for son ... "
Marketplace
7product, amazon, seller, bought, arrived
+86%
-14%
" ... Bought from Amazon. ... "
" ... Thanks for the seller for the fast service. ... "
" ... As usual the service from Amazon was great! ... "
Returns
5ended, back, return, product
-100%
" ... Very disappointed as this is explained to you before purchasing so will be sending back. ... "
" ... I returned it after trying it. ... "
" ... So, the product is useless as sold and will be returned. ... "
" ... Sadly, i ended up returning it. ... "
Frequencies
4bass, base, lows, highs
+100%
" ... The treble is sharp, clear and has not tininess or harshness. ... "
" ... Highs, Lows & Base are prefect. ... "
" ... Great sound at most levels, good base and clear treble but wouldn't want to 'blast' it at full volume, distortions definitely will appear. ... "
Features
4feature
+75%
-25%
" ... That's such a neat feature. ... "
" ... The menus are basic no frills. ... "
Comfort
4ripped, pair, feels, feel
+50%
-50%
" ... I feel completely ripped off ... "
" ... It feels unfinished and a bit hacky. ... "
Video Playback
3youtube, video, stream, audio
+67%
-33%
" ... This meant I couldn't just, say, hit 'play' on a Youtube video and get the sound to come out. ... "
" ... I play my playstation and stream movies and it's brilliant. ... "
Overall performance
3+67%
-33%
" ... Definitely not a simple reliable prices. ... "
" ... Exceptional quality and performance. ... "
Remote
3speakers, speaker, remote, wireless, use
+100%
" ... The app is easy and intuitive to use and when installed on a device it acts like a remote control. ... "
" ... I wanted a wireless link to a remote speaker or speakers. ... Thus, they become what is effectively the remote control for your system once running. ... I’ve even dug out a redundant smart-phone, and by loading it with only the Sonos app, it is now the remote control in the dining room – but then, that’s just me! ... "
CD/DVD
3without, quality, play, files, cd
+100%
" ... Flipping a CD into a play is easy and always works ... "
" ... If you are the sort of person that prefers the fidelity of CDs and Vinyl over MP3s and streaming services I doubt you are reading this review anyway :) ... "
" ... After my relatively recent purchase of a Brennan B2, which for the uninitiated can be viewed as somewhere to store all of your CDs on hard-drive without the loss of quality normally associated with compressed files such as mp3, WMA or AAC, I made some attempts to equip it with remote speakers. ... "
Cables
3power, uk, speaker, plug, underneath
-100%
" ... Lacks an input jack, which is disappointing, so its streaming only. ... "
" ... I inserted the power cord, which is almost impossible to remove after plugged in, and turned it on. ... "
FM
3stations, listen, bbc, also, spotify
+67%
-33%
" ... YouTube and BBC iPlayer Radio. ... "
" ... I have saved in my favourites all the radio stations I listen to ... "
Ports
3cable, wi fi, via, uk, speaker
+67%
-33%
" ... it appears to work best with the Ethernet cable. ... "
" ... Following the on-screen prompts, which ironically involved using the ethernet port at the back of the speaker (funny, I thought it was wi-fi!) ... "
Call quality
3talking, music, alexa, volume, sonos
+67%
-33%
" ... A nice feature is the auto dipping in volume of the music when you start talking to Alexa, although I have heard that this can be a problem if you have other speakers in other rooms linked together as they also may dip in volume. ... "
" ... They have become great value since the new voice controlled ones came out (me . ... "
Fit
3simply, purpose, fit, sonos, fits
+33%
-67%
" ... For me, the Sonos speakers simply do not do what I bought them to do and so they are not fit for purpose. ... "
" ... Unfortunately, the connect device is simply not fit for purpose. ... "
Review Spam Test PASS
In order to keep our review summaries as accurate as possible, we aggressively detect fake reviews. We use various signals to detect unnatural patterns and will gradually expose them here.
Specifications
Connectivity
Bluetooth: No