Skip to main content

Sonos Intros New ZonePlayers

Sonos Intros New ZonePlayers

Sonos had introduced the new Sonos ZonePlayer 120 and Sonos ZonePlayer 90, expanding its line of multi-room music systems. The ZP120 comes with a built-in amp, so all users have to do is place the unit in the room of their choice and connect up their speakers; the unamplified ZP90 is ideal for hooking up to an existing stereo or audio system.

“Sonos’ mission is to fill every house—and every room—with music,” said Sonos president and CEO Phil Abram, in a statement. “These new products continue Sonos’ heritage of blending the latest technology, software and user experience to create an unmatched music experience in the home.”

Recommended Videos

The ZonePlayers work by connecting with an in-home wired (or, with the ZoneBridge, wireless) network to pull together music and make it available via a proprietary wireless mesh network between ZonePlayers. Users control nearby ZonePlayers via a Sonos controller, and have access to their entire music library from any zone—as well as Internet radio stations and other media.

The Zp120 offers a class D amp with two 55 Watt channels (into 8 Ohms) along with a subwoofer output. The system features line in, a two-port 100Base-T Ethernet switch, and the SonosNet wireless networking, The ZP90 sports RCA and digital outputs, RCA audio inputs, a two-port 100Base-T switch, and the SonosNet wireless technology. The ZP120 has a suggested retail price of $499; the ZP90 will have a suggested retail price of $349.

Geoff Duncan
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Geoff Duncan writes, programs, edits, plays music, and delights in making software misbehave. He's probably the only member…
Hisense’s new PL2 Laser Cinema is big on brightness and style
The Hisense PL2 ultra short throw projector.

Hisense today announced that its new PL2 Laser Cinema ultra short throw (UST) projector, which launched in the U.K. in August and boasts a stylish new look and brighter 2,700 lumens of brightness, can now be had in the U.S. for $2,500.

A reasonably-priced UST, the second model in Hisense's PL series of laser projectors might just be a sweet spot for those looking to get into the ultra short throw space (or any higher-end projector, for that matter), and don't want to spend the additional thousands on something like AWOL Vision's $6,000 LTV-3500 Pro or even Hisense's own premium PX3-Pro that runs $3,500.
The PL2 features Hisense’s advanced X-Fusion laser technology that has support for both Dolby Vision and HDR10 HDR formats as well as a native contrast ration of 3,000:1 for excellent contrast and deeper blacks. Of course, its all-important 2,700 ANSI lumens of brightness (the PL1 sat at a substantially less 2,200) means the projector should do well even in brighter rooms. The Hisense PL2 is a 4K projector with 4K AI upscaling and active 3D capabilities, which offers a ton of diversity in terms of what you can watch.

Read more
Astell&Kern’s new digital audio player makes premium features more portable and affordable
Astell&Kern A&Ultima SP3000M portable digital audio player.

Astell&Kern (A&K) has released a new version of its flagship portable digital audio player that is even more portable and more affordable. The A&K A&Ultima SP3000M takes virtually every feature found on the top-of-the-line A&Ultima SP3000, and puts them in a smaller chassis that weighs 46% less. It's also significantly less expensive (though still pricey): The SP3000M costs $2,299 versus the SP3000's $3,699 price. It will be available starting in November.

Some sacrifices have been made to achieve the SP3000M's smaller size and price, but audiophiles needn't worry, as the internal architecture remains the same. The touchscreen is now smaller (4.1-inches versus 5.46-inches) and it only has a 720 x 1280 resolution (the SP3000's screen is 1080 x 1920). There's also one fewer output options. The SP3ooo has a standard 3.5mm unbalanced headphone jack, plus two sizes of balanced output (2.5mm and 4.4mm), whereas the SP3000M ditches the 2.5mm balanced output.

Read more
The Sonos Arc Ultra might not need a separate subwoofer
Sonos Arc Ultra, exploded view in detail.

The new Sonos Arc Ultra is packed with 15 amps and 14 drivers, giving the Dolby Atmos soundbar the ability to reproduce 9.1.4 channels of sound, according to the company. That's a big step up from the original Sonos Arc, an 11-driver, 5.1.2 system. And while the increase in surround channels (from 5 to 9) and height channels (from 2 to 4) is impressive, it's the lonely "1" in the middle of the Arc Ultra's channel setup that might make the biggest difference.

That middle .1 represents the low frequency effects (LFE) channel -- the one that's punted over to a dedicated subwoofer when you have one available. It's the channel that gives movies the deep, powerful rumble we most closely associate with theatrical sound. On its own, the Sonos Arc does a decent job with low frequencies, but it relies on the same drivers that produce its mid-frequency sounds to do so. These drivers aren't optimized for LFE sounds, which is why many Arc buyers add a Sonos Sub or Sub Mini, increasing the cost of their system by as much as $799.

Read more