Special: Multiroom Systems Compared

Multiroom audio – in other words, distributing music to different rooms – is actually not a new phenomenon. Bose, Revox, and B&O already had corresponding "music distributors" in their range back in the eighties, and systems designed and installed by experts have existed even longer. All these early approaches have in common that they distributed a purely analog music signal via conventional copper cables. The effort required for installation was accordingly high, and if you hadn't thought about cable channels during new construction or the last major renovation, retrofitting was practically impossible.

Modern multiroom is wireless

With the spread of network technology in our homes, and especially the widespread adoption of wireless technology like Wireless LAN (WLAN), there are now completely different possibilities to make music available elegantly and conveniently in multiple rooms. One of the first to recognize this trend was a small American startup, which presented the first wireless multiroom system as early as 2005. And when they also integrated a small, rebellious music provider called Napster, so users could have practically any song in the world available on demand at any time, the triumph of the Americans was unstoppable. We're talking, of course, about Sonos, who not only developed this market but also dominated it unchallenged for a long time. Naturally, since then, other companies have jumped on this obvious (and lucrative) trend as well. Even the usually rather slow-moving mills of the "classic" hi-fi manufacturers have now started turning, so the market offers a wide range of interesting alternatives to Sonos. The selection is so large that it's not always easy to keep track and make the right decision. All the more surprising, then, that there are hardly any serious comparisons of current systems in the mainstream media. So we decided to take matters into our own hands and put together the most important facts about the most widespread systems.

The comparison

For this comparison, we took a closer look at the following systems: Yamaha MusicCast, Bluesound, Heos by Denon, Sonos, and Bose SoundTouch. And, yes, four of these five systems are part of our program, which is certainly no coincidence. After all, we give careful thought to which products and solutions we add to our range. So it's no surprise that we have four of the most important systems on the market in our portfolio. Especially since these four systems each have very different strengths and weaknesses, so they complement each other quite sensibly in our range by covering various areas of application. The comparison, and especially the overview tables further down, are based essentially on our own experience with the individual systems as well as on publicly available product information. In some cases, we wanted to dig a little deeper and asked the manufacturers for additional information, such as latency times or the audio quality of wireless transmission. Unfortunately, not all providers could or wanted to answer our questions; this is noted accordingly in the tables.

One system for everyone? Not really ...

As is so often the case, and therefore not surprisingly, our comparison has shown that the famous "jack of all trades," that is, one solution for all requirements and customers, does not exist. Rather, all of the multiroom systems considered here have clear strengths and weaknesses that make them more or less recommendable for certain uses. You can find these details in the overview tables at the end of the article and form your own opinion about which solution suits you best. For everyone who finds that a bit too much work, the following summaries of the individual systems are intended. And of course, the AUDITORIUM team in Hamm, Münster, or Hamburg is always available for detailed advice on the topic.

Multiroom systems at a glance

Yamaha MusicCast

It almost seemed as if one of Japan's most traditional hi-fi manufacturers had completely missed the current multiroom trend. And that's despite Yamaha having already introduced a server-based, wireless music system called MusicCast in 2003, which was far ahead of its time and therefore unsuccessful. But when the Japanese revived the name at IFA 2015, the specialist world was amazed. Because obviously, they hadn't just been sitting idle in Hamamatsu, but had been developing diligently. The most important difference between MusicCast and practically all other multiroom systems is the fact that it is not, in the strict sense, a standalone system. Rather, the MusicCast technology has been integrated from the outset into numerous "conventional" products, from classic stereo amplifiers and AV receivers to soundbars and the attractive clock radio RESTIO ISX-80. There are also individual components, such as the compact speaker WX-030 or the stereo speaker pair NX-N500, so that smaller systems can also be easily realized with MusicCast. No fewer than 26 MusicCast-equipped products were available at launch, and this year the range will be expanded considerably. Another special feature of the MusicCast solution is the fact that all MusicCast devices can be both source and receiver at the same time. This may sound unspectacular at first, but it opens up fascinating possibilities when you take a closer look. Every MusicCast device in the system automatically makes all locally connected sources available to the network, so they can be accessed from anywhere. The FM tuner of the kitchen radio is thus available throughout the house as a music source, just like the external Blu-ray player or the set-top box connected to the AV receiver. This creates such a variety of possible combinations that even a halfway complete listing would go beyond the scope of this overview. But anyone who has ever had to urgently use the bathroom during an exciting soccer game will appreciate the ability to "take" the TV sound into another room ... And finally, MusicCast offers another unique feature: every MusicCast device can receive AND transmit Bluetooth. This means you can use an existing Bluetooth headphone wirelessly anywhere in the house to listen to music from any source. MusicCast is by far the most comprehensive and flexible system in this comparison and therefore the first choice for anyone who wants convenient multiroom comfort combined with real stereo and home theater systems. At the same time, however, this approach is the system’s biggest disadvantage. If you only want to listen to Spotify wirelessly in two or three rooms and don’t care about "big" systems with separate speakers, Yamaha's range is limited to a maximum of two or three devices. Further information is available at the AUDITORIUM.

Bluesound

Bluesound, like NAD and PSB Speakers, belongs to the Lenbrook Group and is therefore distributed in Germany (like NAD) by Dynaudio. Bluesound’s approach is clearly focused on the best possible sound quality; as the only system in the comparison, Bluesound already supports MQA as well as true hi-res streaming for all devices in multiroom operation (with MusicCast and Heos, for example, only the main source receives a true hi-res signal, all other devices in the network receive only a 48kHz/16bit downmix. With Sonos, wireless transmission is generally limited to 48kHz/16bit.) Whether it even makes sense to play a hi-res signal on extremely compact speakers like the Bluesound products is a topic for another discussion. The fact remains, however, that the stylish and well-crafted Bluesound speakers sound exceptionally good with any source. Consistently, Bluesound integrates more high-quality music services with Qobuz, HD Tracks, and HiresAudio than any other multiroom system. With the wireless integrated amplifier Powernode 2 and external speakers connected to it, Bluesound can make even better use of the quality advantage of transmission. And for anyone who still needs to archive their CD collection but doesn’t want to use a computer, the ripping server Vault 2 with built-in drive and automatic music recognition/management is a decisive argument. Bluesound is therefore a very simple system with a manageable but sensible variety of products and a clear focus on high-resolution sound quality. Further information is available at the AUDITORIUM.

Heos by Denon

Denon recently announced that it will soon be bringing AV receivers and other products with integrated Heos functionality to the market. For now, however, the range is "only" four compact wireless speakers and a soundbar. But you can already do quite a lot with that, especially since the smallest box, HEOS 1, can be upgraded with the optional GoPack battery to become a mobile music companion, making hours of music listening possible on the go or on the patio without a power connection. Additionally, the HEOS 1, together with the Sonos PLAY:1, is one of the few wireless speakers with humid room certification and can therefore be used in the bathroom without worry. Overall, you can tell that in developing Heos, the engineers repeatedly looked at the market leader Sonos, but that's not a bad thing. In fact, the Heos system is not really inferior to Sonos in terms of usability or features. Only in the number of music services integrated directly into the system or app does Sonos have a clear lead. However, that shouldn't be overestimated, because with, among others, Spotify, Tidal, Deezer, and Napster, Heos has all the truly relevant services onboard; providers not directly supported can also be made available to the Heos network via Bluetooth directly from a mobile device. Heos was positioned by Denon so clearly as a "Sonos alternative" that the Californians even filed a lawsuit for allegedly violated patents. This can probably be seen as a kind of accolade, since Sonos seems to see a serious competitor in the Denon system for the first time. And indeed, at first glance Heos appears to target a very similar audience, one that wants to set up a simple multiroom system with minimal effort. But firstly, in all of our listening tests so far, the Heos products have clearly outperformed the comparable Sonos devices, and secondly, Heos enables a real step towards more complex and larger solutions with the multi-zone amplifier HEOS Drive, which cannot currently be achieved with Sonos. Further information is available at the AUDITORIUM.

Sonos

Sonos created the market for wireless multiroom systems in the first place and dominated it for years. The manufacturer deserves recognition for this, and you can feel this head start in experience in the system and products. No solution integrates more music services, the wireless connection is extremely stable, and especially when it comes to installing and controlling the system via the smartphone app, the Californians still have – albeit an increasingly shrinking – lead. The range of speakers is, in a positive sense, focused on the essentials: a small, a medium, and a large compact speaker (PLAY:1, PLAY:3, and PLAY:5), a soundbar named PLAYBAR, and a wireless subwoofer. The latter is a special case in that it can be purchased separately and combined with any other Sonos product. For example, a wireless 2.1 system with 2x PLAY:1 and the sub is absolutely doable. Long experience with wireless technology is also evident in the confidence Sonos has in its mastery of this technology: as the only provider, they dare to recommend the wireless system for multi-channel applications and even offer a 5.1 set consisting of 2x PLAY:1, the PLAYBAR, and the subwoofer. The precise control of latency and timing required for surround operation is quite a statement. Sonos’s long market dominance did not come about by chance. The Americans simply have the wireless technology under control, and they also have a certain advantage in control and operation due to their experience. So if you're looking for a simple and affordable wireless multiroom system, you're still well served. However, today there are very serious alternatives that offer different concepts, more application possibilities, and, above all, significantly better sound quality compared to the established Sonos solution. Sonos now seems to be feeling this headwind quite clearly and recently announced a complete overhaul of the concept (as well as a not inconsiderable number of layoffs). Further information is available at the AUDITORIUM.

Bose SoundTouch

In the so-called "real" hi-fi world, Bose does not enjoy a particularly good reputation. But that has never bothered the American manufacturer, and they have developed into one of the largest audio suppliers in the world, usually ranking well ahead of the supposedly "real" hi-fi brands. The easy-to-use music and home theater systems for everyone, with the (meant completely neutrally) typical "Bose sound," are simply successful – and there’s nothing wrong with that. And so the wireless multiroom system SoundTouch will also find its friends and buyers, even if, in an objective comparison, it falls noticeably short compared to the other solutions considered here. The available product selection is good, but a bit inconsistent. Why, for example, some SoundTouch devices support Airplay and others do not, is just as hard to understand as the fact that there is a Soundbar Solo 5 TV with SoundTouch connection, but the successful Sounddeck Solo 15 does not have it. The developers in Framingham have once again done their homework, especially in terms of usability – the SoundTouch app is really stylish and, thanks to a focus on the most important functions, also very easy to use. Bose has always gone its own way, and this continues to be true in the area of multiroom. Taken on its own, SoundTouch does meet all important requirements, enables easy distribution of music to multiple rooms, and is integrated into numerous Bose complete systems. While opinions may differ on the sound, in an objective comparison in terms of features and flexibility, it is, in our view, clearly behind the other systems considered here. Further information is available at bose.de.

Summary

As already mentioned at the beginning, there is no "one" multiroom system for every need, but there is now at least a suitable system for everyone. Things remain simple and affordable with Sonos, while Heos is a somewhat more expensive but also significantly higher-quality alternative. Bluesound takes sound quality up another notch compared to both and offers an interesting extra feature with the Vault 2 ripping server. Yamaha's MusicCast is most deeply integrated into the "real" hi-fi and home theater world and is primarily aimed at those who want to combine modern and convenient multiroom with the quality and appeal of classic systems. Of course, this comparison is only a snapshot in time. If Denon brings the announced AV receivers with Heos, the cards will definitely be reshuffled in the MusicCast/Heos comparison. And Yamaha also has big plans for MusicCast, about which we unfortunately cannot report here yet ...

Multiroom systems in comparison: Equipment and features

(On smaller screens, you may need to scroll left and right within the table to see all the content.)

General

Product selection

Music services

App