Sonos Five review: Perfect speaker for music lovers

The Sonos Five is the largest hi-fi speaker in the US manufacturer’s range and therefore also the most expensive. I have tested whether the investment is really worth it.

In addition to various soundbars and portable speakers, Sonos also offers products that are primarily intended for high-quality music playback. The smaller version is the Sonos One, the larger the Sonos Five.

6 drivers for hi-fi sound

The Sonos Five is a wireless speaker that can be connected to music sources via WLAN.

It has six sound drivers – three tweeters and three mid-woofers, which ensure crystal-clear sound.

Each of the six speakers is driven by a class D digital amplifier.

Double the power in a stereo pair

If you want to fully exploit the potential of the Sonos Five, you can combine two speakers to form a stereo pair.

This is also possible with other devices such as the Sonos One, but the effect and sound stage are even more impressive with the Five.

Especially if you have a good listening position between the two speakers and the devices are approximately at head height.

Setting up as a stereo pair is simple and can be done via the Sonos app on your smartphone or tablet.

Once set up, the two speakers are automatically synchronized and work together to play music in stereo.

Sonos Five: Large stereo stage

I set up two Sonos Five as a stereo pair myself and was impressed by the sound quality. The sound was even more spatial and three-dimensional than with a single speaker.

If you want to top off the sound experience, combine the stereo pair with a subwoofer – either the large Sonos Sub or the small Sub Mini.

Too powerful for home cinema

Of course, the Sonos Five can also be used as rear speakers in the home theater to hear the sound not only from the front – but also from the rear.

In my opinion, however, the Five is somewhat oversized for this application; the Sonos One or the picture frames from IKEA Symfonisk are better suited for this.

Many music services for Sonos

One of the great advantages of the Sonos Five is its compatibility with many different music services and sources.

It can be connected to music streaming services such as Spotify, Apple Music, Soundcloud, radio apps, TV sound or, on Apple devices, directly to AirPlay 2, as well as to music libraries on the computer or external hard drives.

The speaker is also compatible with voice assistants such as Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant or Sonos’ own voice assistant, so you can control the music by voice command.

Sonos Five: upright or landscape installation

The Sonos Five is generally a slim, modern-looking speaker that blends into any interior. I particularly like the fact that it can be placed both horizontally and vertically (i.e. on its short side).

It is 36 cm wide and 20 cm high, so it can be placed on a shelf or chest of drawers. The speaker can also be mounted on the wall or placed on appropriate stands, which are available separately.

Sonos Five heavier than expected

Back in the 70s and 80s, the rule of thumb was: the heavier a speaker, the better it sounds. Back then, this usually referred to enclosures made of heavy wood and high-quality speaker chassis.

If this rule of thumb is still valid today, it definitely applies to the Sonos Five: at 6.4 kg, it is surprisingly heavy, but also stands securely on shelves and sideboards.

Connection for external devices

A special feature of the Sonos Five is the connection for external music sources at the rear. Only the Sonos Amp and the Sonos Bridge have this connection.

The 3.5 mm jack input makes it possible to connect external devices such as CD players or turntables directly to the speaker.

The music from the external source can be played not only on the Sonos Five – but also in the entire Sonos system, i.e. theoretically in several rooms at the same time.

Sonos Five sound test

Apart from all the great features, the most important factor in a speaker is of course the sound quality.

And this is where the Sonos Five really delivers: the sound is crystal clear and detailed, with well-balanced highs and mids.

The bass reproduction is balanced and well-defined without being overly boomy. Whether I’m listening to classical music, rock, hip-hop or electronic music, the Sonos Five plays all genres cleanly and precisely.

I put the speaker through its paces with a few songs from my Spotify playlist:

Leonard Cohen ‘s sonorous voice in the song “My Secret Life” sounds full and almost makes furniture vibrate – even without a subwoofer.

The Eagles ‘ guitars in “Hotel California” sound extremely clear and the bass in the song“When We’re Older” by James Blake is surprisingly solid.

The sound is even more impressive when you pair two Sonos Five as a stereo pair or run them together with a Sonos subwoofer.

Conclusion on the Sonos Five

Overall, I am very satisfied with the Sonos Five. It is an excellent speaker that is perfect for lovers of high-quality hi-fi sound.

The sound quality is excellent and the compatibility with many music services and sources is a big bonus.

Yes, the Sonos Five is not cheap. But for the price, you don’t get just any Wi-Fi speaker, but in my opinion the best sounding smart speaker on the market.