SONOS PLAYBASE Wireless Home Cinema Sound Base, Black

Product Information

One 10/100 Mbps Ethernet port. You can plug a Sonos product directly into your router if your WiFi is unstable. I should use Splitter at HDMI ARC as input to splitter and optical out put from splitter to SONOS playbase. " Enjoy endless possibilities with the BERG PlayBase. With the sturdy and robust frame and the patented tube connection system, this climbing frame and play frame is designed to last for many years. The tubes have a large 9 cm diameter for unprecedented rigidity. With this, we offer a warranty for up to 13 years for you to enjoy carefree workouts, play or lounging.

The Sonos Playbase is a good-sounding speaker for those who don’t want to fumble with a true surround sound system or simply don’t have the room for one. There’s no need for a receiver, making it truly plug-and-play. Sonos’ philosophy of making music enjoyment as frictionless as possible continues with the Playbase – the Sonos app is easy to use and the integrated universal search across music services is something we wished every speaker had. The treble is the biggest issue here. It’s just too sharp and sibilant, which means big special effects are often ruined by a harsh and domineering top-end that annoys the ear, and that the sibilants in vocals are overdone and incessant. There's little to do to physically connect the Playbase to your TV: plug the speaker into the wall and connect the digital optical audio cable to your display. The rest of setup happens in Sonos' app. While there are quite a few screens to run through, from connecting to Wi-Fi to detecting any other Sonos speakers you have, most people should have no problem getting the system set up. The bigger Playbar has nine, individually amplified drivers: three tweeters and six midrange drivers. The Playbase has the same number of tweeters and mid-range drivers as the Playbar, but also has a separately amplified, innovatively S-shaped woofer for its bass frequencies.You’re unlikely to have kit that won’t do this - almost every modern TV will pass through 5.1 these days - but getting it to actually do it can be a head-scratching voyage through menu upon menu. The Playbase's strengths in home theater also translate to music. The bass breaks on Jidenna's "Long Live the Chief" rattled the room, while Rihanna's vocals on Future's "Selfish" sounded full and clear. The acoustic guitar on Big Star's "Thirteen" was sharp and realistic. The Playbar is arguably the least attractive of the four devices, with its angular design looking a little outdated compared to the rounded panels of its newer siblings.

Source devices for our test included a Roku Ultra streaming box as well as Oppo’s UDP-203 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc Player. We had initially connected the Playbase to a LeEco X55 4K Ultra HD TV, but were unable to get the set’s optical digital audio output to work properly. Performance The Playbase was some four years in the making, which is both one of its attributes - in terms of its meticulous design - but also one of its biggest flaws, as it was late to the soundbase party.The narrow channel of sound that you’re probably used to is transformed by the Playbase into something airy and spacious, with it’s 3.1 array doing a quite remarkable job of convincing your ears you’ve got speakers in the far-left and far-right corners of your room. Certainly you wouldn’t expect an all-in-one unit this slim and compact to manage that. Overall we enjoyed our time with the Sonos Playbar and ended up liking it a lot. It made playing music so simple that we wanted to have music playing at home all the time. It might not sound as good as the Focal Dimension soundbar and sub, but the Playbase is half the price. The Playbar is your worst option in this scenario. It was initially sold on its ability to fit in with both wall-mounted and pedestal-stood TVs, but there are flaws.

Both handle Dolby Digital 5.1 and not a lot else besides, and both can be upgraded to full surround with a pair of Play:1, Play:3 or Play:5 speakers and/or given a massive extra dollop of bass through the addition of a Sub. Provide an inclusive service of good quality educational resources through an affordable membership fee structure Playbase connects to your TV using a single optical cable and plays all sources connected to the TV, including cable boxes and game consoles. Yes, you can stand the Playbar on the ‘wrong’ side if you like, but that leaves you with raw metal against the surface of your furniture, an even bulkier shape to accomodate and the IR repeater facing the wrong direction, meaning signals from your remote control might not get through to your TV. The Sonos Playbase isn’t like most AV speakers, however. Yes, it’s designed to enhance the audio from your TV, just like any soundbar or soundbase product, but Sonos has also designed the unit to replace your living room hi-fi and integrate seamlessly with the rest of its family of multiroom speakers.HDMI-ARC splitters are more expensive. Since the optical and the HDMI-ARC signals are both exactly the same, there's really no reason to go with HDMI-ARC, unless you have money to waste. Now, you should note that the Playbase only supports the 2.4GHz band so don’t be worried if you can’t find your 5GHz network. Sonos did this deliberately for a more reliable connection with better range.

This is a soundbase concept whereby you place your TV on top of the soundbar instead of behind it, saving some space in the process. The Playbase and Playbar are practically inseparable when it comes to features, leaving the newer Beam to dominate when it comes to smarts. We offer a wide range of exciting resources supporting creative learning through; Music & Dance, Small World, Loose Parts, Literacy & Numeracy and much more. In addition our Exploration and Discovery Resources boxes support and extend many interests. Our AimsRefer all servicing to Sonos qualified service personnel. Servicing is required when the apparatus has been damaged in any way, such as power-supply cable or plug is damaged, liquid has been spilled or objects have fallen into the apparatus, the apparatus has been exposed to rain or moisture, does not operate normally, or has been dropped. In terms of child-friendly software, the PlayBase+ also offers preloaded programs such as SafePlay, YogiPlay and Net Nanny. However, I did find the app a little counterintuitive at times, with audio settings such as EQ hidden behind three-layers of menu. All four models are worth considering but if you're after the most complete surround-sound experience the Dolby Atmos-capable Arc is the obvious choice. Only the Sennheiser Ambeo Soundbaris better in this regard, and that costs significantly more. Verdict For a start, it’s pretty chunky, meaning you’re probably going to need a spare – not to mention sizeable – shelf on your stand to accomodate it.