For a lot of the final decade, Sonos has outlined wi-fi multi-room audio. The firm’s simple and intuitive software program helped it develop its enterprise from just a few small audio system and hi-fi add-ons to a behemoth with a number of soundbars, subwoofers, moveable out of doors audio system, and even a fairly fantastic set of noise-cancelling headphones. Then, in 2024, catastrophe.
A botched software redesign rendered some individuals’s Sonos techniques almost ineffective, whereas many extra complained of missing or broken features, usability concerns, and general instability.
More than a year later, things are much better, with Sonos even agreeing that its speakers now sound better following a firmware update, however the fiasco has nonetheless not been solely resolved. Trust in Sonos as an organization is much decrease, main many Sonos trustworthy to have a look at options.
Instead of switching to equally priced choices from Bose, Denon, and Bluesound, disenchanted Sonos house owners have taken discover of WiiM, a relatively tiny model with two large benefits: an app that reminds individuals of Sonos in its heyday, alongside {hardware} costs that appear impossibly low.
WiiM nonetheless has a methods to go earlier than it could possibly duplicate Sonos’ broad providing, however given its tempo, now’s a nice time to check the 2 platforms and see for those who ought to swap – or maybe start your multi-room journey with WiiM as an alternative.
Sonos vs WiiM: Hardware
Since the best wireless speakers (ie. these with Wi-Fi help baked in) are the cornerstone of most multi-room techniques, let’s get one large apparent distinction out of the way in which: WiiM doesn’t make wi-fi audio system. Yet.
That’s about to alter. WiiM has announced its first wireless speaker, the WiiM Sound, which is anticipated to launch within the fall of 2025 – and it actually seems to be so much just like the HomePod ‘hub’ with screen tipped for a 2025 release that also hasn’t materialised. In the meantime, a partnership with Swedish audio agency AudioPro has created two WiiM-compatible speakers: the WiiM Edition AudioPro A10 MKII and the wonderful Audio Pro C10MK II (which you’ll be able to learn extra about in our full-fat Audio Pro C10MK II review).
But for essentially the most half, WiiM’s system lineup is made up of community music streamers. Some, just like the WiiM Mini, promote for simply $99 and must be linked to an exterior amplifier and audio system. Others, just like the WiiM Amp ($299), mix streaming, amplification, and an HDMI enter, turning them into full-fledged audio receivers — you solely want so as to add your individual audio system.
Virtually all of these devices have been met with very positive feedback from buyers and professional reviewers alike. And it’s hard to ignore their prices. In terms of sheer functionality, there’s little difference between the $99 WiiM Mini and the $449 Sonos Port, or between the $299 WiiM Amp and the $699 Sonos Amp.
Another factor that’s exhausting to disregard: all of WiiM’s units not solely present Bluetooth connectivity (one thing Sonos has solely adopted on its latest merchandise), however they’re two-way versus receive-only. This provides WiiM merchandise the flexibility to stream to wi-fi headphones, one thing Sonos can solely do whenever you mix its Sonos Ace headphones with one in all its Dolby Atmos soundbars.
WiiM sells a wi-fi subwoofer – the lately launched WiiM Sub Pro – however in a seeming case of placing the cart earlier than the horse, there aren’t any WiiM soundbars (once more, but). Sonos, then again, does all of it, from audio system to subwoofers to soundbars, and as we talked about within the intro, even headphones.
And regardless of its ongoing software program woes, Sonos’ {hardware} has usually been met with unbridled enthusiasm. Its present entry-level speaker, the $199 Sonos Era 100, doubles as an Alexa-powered good speaker, works with Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, and might be linked to exterior analog sources like turntables or TVs.
The step-up Era 300 ($449) does all of that and is without doubt one of the few non-soundbar audio system that may play Dolby Atmos Music. Its Move 2 and Roam 2 portables work as Bluetooth audio system when on the go after which transition again to Wi-Fi whenever you’re dwelling. And its flagship soundbar, the $999 Arc Ultra, due to Sonos’ built-in expandability, is concurrently the most effective single-speaker and multi-speaker dwelling theater merchandise you should purchase.
It’s a {hardware} ecosystem that arguably has no equals, at any value.
Sonos vs WiiM: Software
As impressive as Sonos’ speaker lineup is, plenty of other wireless audio choices exist. In fact, it’s hard to name an audio brand that doesn’t have wireless options. What has always allowed Sonos to differentiate itself from these alternatives is its software.
Until 2024, the Sonos app was miles ahead of the competition. It took all the headaches out of setting up a new speaker (including room calibration), it gave quick and easy management of all the Sonos components in your home (including device grouping), and it had an exceptional universal search capability. Handy extras like alarms and sleep timers expanded what you could do with your speakers.
From the beginning, Sonos provided easy access to your personal music collection, whether it lived on a network storage device or embedded into an iTunes library on a laptop. But Sonos also struck deals with every major streaming music service (and dozens of minor ones), letting it integrate their music catalogs directly into the Sonos app. Want to create a playlist with songs from your personal library and Spotify? Sonos lets you do that. Want to skip between an internet radio station and your current Audible audiobook? You didn’t need to leave the Sonos app.
Apple system house owners may additionally decide to not use the app, as most Sonos units help Apple AirPlay, which helps you to stream instantly from any audio app in your iPhone, iPad, or Mac.
In quick, there was nearly nothing you couldn’t do by way of Sonos’ extremely intuitive software program.
Since 2024’s notorious app replace, that’s all nonetheless true in principle. In observe, the app nonetheless isn’t as responsive or dependable correctly, and the redesigned consumer interface is way much less intuitive. Instead of the earlier, tab-based format, which offered devoted spots for essentially the most generally used features (like units and search), there’s now a semi-customizable, rows-of-icons dwelling display screen with a heavy concentrate on content material. Search and units should be accessed by way of drop-down or pull-up menus.
The one main enchancment to Sonos’ software program structure is the addition of a web-based interface. Even when you’ve got multiple Sonos system, you possibly can handle all of them from one console.
In some ways, WiiM’s software program is a throwback to pre-2024 Sonos. You’ll discover almost each function has been duplicated, together with fast setup, room calibration, system grouping, common search, alarms and timers, and native help for each private libraries and streaming music companies.
The WiiM Home app makes use of tabs similar to the earlier model of the Sonos app, with actions like accessing favorites, looking music, managing your units, and looking out organized into discrete pages. Want to flip forwards and backwards between looking out and looking for music? One faucet is all you want.
It’s not simply the format and menus that may really feel immediately recognizable to longtime Sonos customers. The WiiM Home’s snappy efficiency is sort of a breath of contemporary air, in comparison with the sluggishness of the brand new Sonos app.
Sonos vs. Wiim: Music sources
I don’t know how many Sonos owners routinely listen to multiple music streaming services, but it’s nice knowing that with support for over 130 services, no matter where you get your tunes, it can be added to the Sonos app.
Sonos also remains one of the very few multi-room audio companies that has permission to embed Apple Music into its software program. This is significant for Apple system house owners who wish to expertise lossless and/or hi-res playback on their Sonos audio system.
On most wi-fi audio system, Apple requires you to stream instantly from the Apple Music app by way of AirPlay 2, which doesn’t help lossless or hi-res playback. The solely different approach to do it’s on an Android system (assuming your speaker helps Google Cast.)
With 21 appropriate companies, WiiM’s native music integration can’t compete with Sonos. Still, of all the most important gamers, solely Apple Music isn’t on that record – however after all, that is an enormous challenge for Apple Music subscribers.
Sonos vs. WiiM: Apple AirPlay, Google Cast, and ‘Connect’ apps
Since we just covered the differences in how Sonos and WiiM handle Apple Music, here’s a quick caveat about Apple AirPlay on WiiM devices: some support it, while others don’t.
We don’t know why, but WiiM’s first four devices (Mini, Pro, Pro Plus, and Amp) all included support for Apple AirPlay, while its three newest devices (Amp Pro, Ultra, and Amp Ultra) lack this feature. WiiM hasn’t provided any guidance on the future of AirPlay support.
What does this mean? Given the lack of native Apple Music support within the WiiM Home app, unless you want to use Bluetooth, the only way to stream Apple Music from an iPhone to a WiiM device is to buy one of Wiim’s older models or one of the WiiM Edition Audio Pro speakers.
Every Sonos (and Sonos-compatible) speaker and component made since 2017’s Sonos One supports AirPlay.
On the flip side, none of Sonos’ products work with Google Cast, making ad-hoc streaming from an Android audio app difficult or impossible, whereas Google Cast is supported on all WiiM devices.
Similarly, Tidal Connect works on WiiM but not Sonos, and the same is true of Qobuz Connect. Spotify Connect works on both platforms, even with the free subscription tier.
Thanks to Sonos’ massive number of natively supported music services, its lack of compatibility with Google Cast and Connect-enabled apps might not impact you, unless you’re focused on getting the highest resolution possible.
For instance, Tidal subscribers can access hi-res audio up to 24-bit/192kHz. But Sonos’ native Tidal integration is limited to CD quality (16-bit/44.1kHz). Without alternatives like Google Cast or Tidal Connect, this limitation can’t be avoided.
Sonos vs. WiiM: Advanced audio settings
If there’s one area where WiiM solidly eclipses Sonos, it’s the platform’s support for audio formats and EQ.
Sonos is compatible with major lossy and lossless audio codecs, but only up to a maximum resolution of 24-bit/48kHz. The Arc, Arc Ultra, Beam Gen 2, and Era 300 also support Dolby Atmos Music.
For tuning, each Sonos component has a bass and treble adjustment, along with an optional loudness mode. For those who aren’t interested in deeper tweaks, this is likely more than enough control.
WiiM, by contrast, has a huge range of adjustments. Except for Dolby Atmos Music, it supports all of the same formats as Sonos, and can also handle DSD files (albeit non-natively). It can decode these files/streams at up to 24-bit/192kHz, giving audiophiles a level of hi-res playback that Sonos can’t match.
Within the settings for devices like the WiiM Pro music streamer and Pro Plus, you possibly can outline the utmost resolutions for each the digital inputs and outputs – a useful function that ensures your upstream and downstream tools will get the absolute best sign.
WiiM additionally permits you to select between three sorts of equalization: 24 EQ presets, a guide 10-band graphic equalizer, or, for individuals who are comfy altering their EQ Q values, there’s additionally a 10-band parametric equalizer.
If you’re a fan of Roon’s subscription-based music administration and streaming software program, Wiim is a significantly better alternative – all of its units are Roon licensed besides the Wiim Mini. While some Sonos units have been examined to work with Roon, Sonos doesn’t formally help the platform.
Sonos vs Wiim: Should you turn?
If you’re a longtime Sonos consumer, with a number of audio system and units all through your private home, you’ve probably invested 1000’s of {dollars} in your system. If you’re additionally an influence consumer, you’ve in all probability invested a whole lot of time too, creating customized playlists, establishing alarms, and including a number of streaming companies. In quick, you would need to be actually sad with the Sonos app to make switching really feel worthwhile.
Even then, you’d need to make a whole lot of compromises. With no WiiM soundbars or audio system (both fastened or moveable), you’re taking a look at changing your Sonos audio system with AudioPro’s two WiiM Edition fashions, and/or WiiM’s streaming amps with a set of passive wired audio system.
If this sounds such as you, my recommendation is to remain the course. The Sonos app nonetheless isn’t as secure or simple to make use of because it was earlier than the redesign, but it surely’s leagues higher than it was when the corporate launched it. And since Sonos has each incentive to maintain bettering it, I’ve each cause to imagine it should.
However, in case your Sonos setup is straightforward – maybe a few Sonos Ones and a Sonos Port – and also you’re pissed off by each the app and the technical limitations of the platform, now’s a very good time to consider transferring to WiiM. You can in all probability get a very good value on your Sonos gear on Facebook Marketplace or elsewhere, which can assist to offset the price of the brand new WiiM units. Just keep in mind that if Apple AirPlay issues, you’ll want to pick out your WiiM merchandise fastidiously.
Finally, for those who’re new to streaming and wi-fi multi-room, you owe it to your self to take a look at WiiM earlier than leaping on the Sonos practice. Existing hi-fi house owners will love WiiM’s expansive technical function set and its ease of use. Those simply beginning to assemble a house audio system will admire WiiM’s decrease value of entry, making it a pretty different to Sonos.
WiiM’s system lineup is tiny in comparison with Sonos’, however my intestine tells me it gained’t keep this manner for lengthy. The WiiM Sub Pro is right here, the WiiM Sound is nearly right here, and it doesn’t take a crystal ball to foretell that the corporate will finally mirror Sonos’ whole lineup.