In recent weeks, I’ve been listening to an audio book talking about the importance of silence, giving your mind time to rest, to process the events of the day.
Often, I’ll go to the beach with my dogs and after taking them for a walk will just sit by the water’s edge and watch them at play.
It’s the simplicity of it that is so appealing, especially at the end of a frenetic news day.
I find the same thing with listening to great music.
No phone, just a good playlist on shuffle, a quality speaker and the view over our neighbourhood.
One of the best speakers I’ve listened to recently is the super portable and versatile Sonos Play.
It delivers a beautiful deep bass sound while the individual ivory strokes emerge like the piano is in the room.
The separation between instruments and voices is beautifully balanced, especially while listening to more calming tunes.
It has two angled tweeters for accurate high frequency sounds and separation as well as one midwoofer for mid-range vocal frequencies and deep bass.
Dual force-cancelling passive radiators allow for deep bass while minimising vibration.
The 180 degree sound easily fills a room, while it is water resistant enough to endure splashes of water at the poolside.
It has a battery life of up to 24 hours and can also act as a powerbank for your phone through the USB C connection.
It’s a nice mid range size for a portable speaker with dimensions of 19cm height, 11cm wide and 7.7cm deep.
With a rubberised top and bottom seal, and a carry strap, it’s easy to move around without having to worry about scratching it.
The Sonos Play features a metal grille and is well constructed. At 1.3kg it feels solid and certainly not plastic.
The top has four buttons: two for volume, one for muting or unmuting your voice assistant and a play/pause button.
The rubberised spine has the Bluetooth pairing control, a microphone toggle and a well-sized power button.
The IP67 rating means the speaker can survive dust and even immersion in one metre of water for up to 30 minutes.
Where it differs from some other portable speakers is the way you can integrate it into your home wi-fi network or within a Sonos multiroom system. It can also plug into the mains for recharging.
Sonos Play supports Spotify Connect, Apple Music, Tidal via the Sonos app, as well as AirPlay 2.
It can stream files up to 24-bit/48kHz via wi-fi.
You can also connect twin Sonos Plays via the app or by using Bluetooth, which is handy if you really want to impress the family or friends at an outdoor picnic or at the beach.
When it comes to voice control, you can use Sonos’ voice assistant or Amazon’s Alexa.
In the past few weeks, I’ve listened to a range of music on the Sonos play.
It handles everything from jazz to operas as well as rock, pop and rhythm and blues well.
Connect it up with your TV or projector and it provides a really good option for everything from action movies to movies with rousing musical scores.
Sonos Play was tuned with input from Grammy-winning producers and engineers including Emily Lazar and Manny Marroquin, members of the Sonos Soundboard, to deliver sound that stays true to the artist’s intent.
While there are cheaper alternatives out there, it has a lot to offer people who appreciate great sound in a compact, portable, weatherproof form.
The Sonos Play has a RRP of $499 and comes in both black and white.
