Sonos BU150 review

Sonos is back in the zone with its latest multi-room music bundle

There are about a bazillon network music streaming devices available, but in terms of both style and operation, Sonos products are usually several cuts above the competition. The three elements that make up the new BU150 bundle look like they were designed up by a very close relative of Apple's Jonathan Ive; all retro-spaceage white plastic and gently brushed aluminium.

In fact, the BU150 isn't vastly different to previous Sonos bundles; wider wireless range is probably the most significant improvement. In the box you get an amplified ZonePlayer 120, a smaller un-amplified ZonePlayer 90 and the same iPodesque colour screen/scrollwheel remote control we've seen before. The ZonePlayer 120 can be plugged straight into a pair of un-powered speakers (and a separate subwoofer if you like your bass as meaty as a branch of Dewhurst's), while the ZonePlayer 90 can be hooked up to your existing living room hi-fi via analogue or digital inputs. Further ZonePlayers (up to 32) can be added to the setup.

Setup is so simple it could be performed by a cluster of blind badgers with their front paws tied behind their backs. The system uses its own proprietary wireless network, so you don't need to bugger about with anything like encryption keys. The only hitch is that at least one of the ZonePlayers needs to be hard-wired to your router, which isn't always convenient, depending on where in your home your router actually lives. Adding a Sonos ZoneBridge (£70) or some Homeplug power-line networking adaptors (around £40 for a pair) would solve the problem, but the BU150 is already nudging the upper regions of the price ceiling. The other minor drawback is the system's inability to play protected tracks bought at the iTunes store. Piffling quibbles aside, there really isn't a better piece of music streaming kit out there.