Pimp my sound system

Bob Dylan strumming in the bedroom, Oasis thrashing through the kitchen and Tom Waits melodising the living room. No, not the ultimate house party, but a neat innovation by Sonos that allows digital music (eg MP3 files) from a single library to be played in multiple rooms at once.

The multi-room digital music system is controlled from a portable console that connects the music library to small wireless receivers beside the speakers – one receiver per room. Each receiver is designated as a zone – simply pick a room, pick a song and hit play.

The system can also be controlled directly from the PC or laptop where the music is stored. If the music library takes up too much disk space, it can be played from an external network drive (see article on opposite  page). A music catalogue can be played by artist, album, or by genre, just as with most MP3 players.
The only catch with Sonos is that the speakers must have an internal amplifier for the least expensive receivers – but most stereo speakers have their own amplifier. But Sonos does sell some receivers with an amplifier of their own, which means that they can be simply connected directly to small speakers mounted in the corner of each room.  

Take advantage of the US dollar rate and order it online at  sonos.com for $999