Digital Smart Homes Blog and News
<i>Smart</i> <i>Living</i> <i>Journal</i>
Digital Smart Homes
  • © 2024 Digital Smart Homes | By Appointment: 999 W Broadway 7th Floor, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1K5 | 604.670.7647 | Vancouver, North Vancouver, West Vancouver, Whistler, Surrey | Control4, Sonos, Lutron | Home Automation, Multi-Room Audio, Home Theater | Email 0

Smart Living Journal

Apple Music is coming to Sonos

sonos-apple-music
Handpicked songs. Delivered out loud.
We’re thrilled to announce that Apple Music is coming to Sonos in early 2016 – and Sonos customers can join the beta starting December 15. This is a real win for our customers – here are just a few reasons.

Personalized recommendations for everyone in the home.
Apple Music experts help you discover new songs based on what you already listen to and love. Sonos delivers each of those recommendations to your controller, so every listener under the same roof enjoys the kind of music they love most in any room of the house.

The jaw-dropping sound of more than 30 million songs.
With Apple Music, you get an instant, epic collection of more than 30 million tracks, including every song you’ve ever purchased from iTunes. With Sonos, you can hear every single one of those songs as loud as they like, in the places they like best.

Music with a human touch.
Apple Music brings you playlists handcrafted by music experts who eat, sleep, and breathe music and Beats 1 radio, broadcasting live from LA, New York, and London. Sonos uses Trueplay tuning to make sure customers hear every song just like the artist recorded it in the studio. No matter where they place their speakers.

The All-New PLAY:5 and Trueplay tuning

Sonos-new-play5
Sonos is 100% focused on the home listening experience. How to dial it up. How to get the purest, most exact version of your favourite music all the way from the studio to your own front door. With nothing lost along the way.

This fall, SONOS will be giving two great new reasons to love listening at home even more.

new-sonos-play5
Coming this year, a revolutionary, no-holds-barred overhaul of our existing PLAY:5. This ultimate home audio powerhouse is designed to turn every song – from old favorites to new discoveries – into a richer listening experience. Subtle details emerge. Each specific voice and instrument shines through with more intense clarity as listeners connect with the music they love in a fresh and deeper way.

Rest assured, the launch of an all-new PLAY:5 isn’t going to affect our ongoing commitment to current systems. Look forward to regular updates and support for the original PLAY:5 for years to come.

Click here for the full PLAY:5 story

trueplay-sonos
Debuting in a software release later this fall, Trueplay makes every PLAY:1, PLAY:3, and PLAY:5 even smarter. It uses an iPhone or iPad to measure how sound reflects off the walls and other surfaces in any given room. Then fine-tunes the speaker to make sure it sounds great, no matter where you put it.

Click here to learn more about Trueplay

Tidal Launches First Artist Owned Music Service – Available On Sonos

tidal-sonos
On March 30th, Tidal launched the first artist-owned high definition streaming music service. TIDALHiFi promises lossless FLAC streaming from over 25 million songs, expert-curated editorial, and most importantly, the perspective and input of A-List musicians from every genre. At a press conference Tidal majority owner Jay-Z announced his grand plans for the service. In addition to having the support of prominent musicians, Tidal presents a unique streaming experience with unique features like song credits, an integrated audio recognition feature, video support and editorial content from top artists.

“This is a platform that’s owned by artists. We are treating these people that really care about music with the utmost respect.
” – Jay –Z

To learn more read the article from IT Nerd here

TIDALHiFi is now available around the world for a $19.99 CAD monthly subscription. To listen on your Sonos Wireless HiFi System, go to ‘Add Music Services’ in the Sonos Controller App and follow the prompts.


Also: Access Your Favorite Indian Songs With Saavn
saavn

Previously in Beta on Sonos, Saavn Pro launched on Sonos on Friday, March 27th. Saavn brings listeners a library of their favorite Indian and international songs, with a catalog of 2 million songs across 11 different languages.

For $3.99/month, listen to the latest Bollywood hits, classics, regional music, and even a huge English catalog.

SONOS's new Brand Identity - The Moiré Effect

sonos_logo

“Together with Sonos, we assessed our initial visual identity and determined that we needed to push harder to signal Sonos' leadership, relevance, and dedication to the music experience.

This new iteration of the Sonos visual identity advances the idea of the modern music experience – not singular or monolithic but a rich diversity of expressions. Performance imagery from Sonos Studio, new product photography and the introduction of three big graphic tools that can be mixed and remixed, deliver a creative and variable language while still providing the stability of a recognizable system.” - Bruce Mau Design Read More...

Now Playing on Sonos: SoundCloud

Hero_soundcloud_EN_v1
Even the greatest artists started somewhere. Which is why Sonos has added SoundCloud to their music services. SoundCloud connects music creators with music lovers and lets them share their latest sounds. With SoundCloud on Sonos you can enjoy immersive sound and explore the largest community of emerging and established artists throughout your home.

SONOS PLAYBAR performance enhancements and app update

vancouver-sonos-playbar
Today Sonos is excited to launch a public beta for Android users and announce our upcoming software release with enhancements to both PLAYBAR and the Sonos app.

The soundbar for music lovers just got better

Our favorite artists never stop evolving, and neither do our products. Our upcoming software release will deliver on this promise by improving on PLAYBAR’s category-leading music sound performance.
PLAYBAR will play music the way it was meant to be heard. Using stereo imaging to improve the soundstage, along with updates to the EQ and volume balance, so that even the slightest nuances in the music are positioned more clearly, with a more immersive, natural sound.
Read More...

ONE YEAR OF MUSIC INCLUDED WITH THE PURCHASE OF A PLAY:1, PLAY:3, PLAY:5 OR PLAYBAR

sonos-deezer-promo
This Christmas, Sonos is changing the way people are searching for music they like. Indeed customers who buy a Sonos PLAY:1, PLAY:3, PLAY:5 or PLAYBAR before the end of the year, will receive twelve months of access to Deezer Premium+ worth over $119, for free. Deezer is the music service that finds music for you based on the tracks you love, so there’s always something on you like.

If you have questions about the Sonos Deezer promotion please contact us for more information.

Introducing SONOS BOOST

sonos_boost
Tiny accessory. Big wireless performance

Sonos’s latest product is another break-through innovation in wireless technology. Literally. BOOST delivers powerful wireless performance to overcome the thickest walls and greatest distances. BOOST will be available October 14 2014. Read More...

Sonos: Home Theater for Music Lovers

dealer-connect-sub-playbar
Sonos is taking simple home theater to the next level by delivering a new solution designed specifically for custom installers that offers all of the benefits of the Sonos home theater experience along with the flexibility required to meet the needs of any customer.

SONOS CONNECT:AMP can power third-party speakers as rears in combination with PLAYBAR and SUB to create immersive 5.1 surround sound. This new functionality was built to serve as a simple solution for new home theater installations or for retrofitting existing systems with in-ceiling or in-wall speakers.

Introducing The Mini But Mighty Sonos Play:1

PLAY1_Tablet
No other wireless speaker packs so much deep, crystal clear HiFi sound into such a compact design.

play1-exploded
Two custom tuned drivers powered by two dedicated digital amplifiers deliver powerful, richly textured sound, with crystal clear highs and thundering lows, for pitch-perfect sound at any volume. 1 tweeter and 1 3.5" mid woofer

Humidity resistant to operate flawlessly in high-humidity environments, such as in a bathroom with a running shower

Enjoy rich listening right out of the box, or pair two PLAY:1s in the same room to create a wider sound stage with true stereo sound. Add a SUB for the ultimate music showroom, or combine the PLAYBAR, SUB and two PLAY:1s for an epic home cinema system.
Read More...

Sonos now plays music direct from iOS devices

play-itunes-direct-ca
The latest software upgrade plays even more music in deep, richly textured HiFi sound. Sonos now plays iTunes music direct from iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch anywhere there is a Sonos speaker or player. You no longer have to sync an Apple mobile device with their computer just to hear iTunes music on Sonos.

Reach your music with three easy steps:
  1. Update your Sonos system software and Sonos Controller Apps
  2. Ensure your iPhone is on the home wireless network and launch the Sonos Controller App
  3. Go to the main music menu

Now, as a music source, iTunes songs, playlists and podcasts are all available to play on Sonos under "Music on this iPhone".
Read More...

The Ultimate Gift of Music

sonos-q1promo-dealer-hero3-vancouver
Just in time for the holiday season, music lovers can get started with Sonos and save. Now, for a limited time, when new customers buy a Play:3 or a Play:5 they’ll get a free Bridge and all the music on earth from Slacker, Songza, and TuneIn.

Read More...

Home Music Listening is Back…Thanks to Home Digital Music Solutions from Company's like Sonos

SONOS-System_UberDiagram
Remember the good ole’ days in which many homes were equipped with centralized music systems that pumped tunes into each room? The only problem was that such systems came with complex wiring systems and expensive built-in wall consoles, which were quite costly to maintain and nearly impossible to fix if broken.

Thanks to the digital age, technologies like Sonos have made it easy listen to music at home! Now music can be customized per room and controlled wirelessly via your MAC/PC, iPad, iPhone/iPod, or Android. Plus, your music listening options are unlimited as you can access it from Sirius, RDIO, Slacker, iTunes, Window media files, Wolfgang, and other sources.
Read More...

Soul-shaking sound. Heart-pounding design. One-button setup, Introducing the Sonos Sub

sonos-subwoofer
The new SONOS SUB will take the whole Sonos system one seismic step closer to the spine-curling, jaw-dropping, full body experience music was meant to be.
At $749 CAD, the SUB delivers great value by filling the room with rich, deep resonant bass you will feel in your bones.

Easy to Install: Unlike third-party subwoofers, the Sonos SUB is specifically designed to work flawlessly with paired Sonos components right out of the box. No worries, no hassles. Like every Sonos product, the SUB is easy to install and the software automatically adjusts audio settings to perfectly balance with the \paired Sonos component.
Read More...

Working Jams: What music to listen to on the job

Listening to music while you work might be the best thing since casual Fridays. The proper tunage can help you get motivated, stay productive, and stimulate your creative juices. And it’s just what the doctor ordered when it comes to de-stressing so you can move on to the next task without blowing a gasket.

So what music should you listen to maintain your working groove? Sonos has put together some suggestions for you in the graphic below.

Sonos-WorkMusic

In order to reveal music's power in the workplace, we at Digital Smart Homes are giving away a Sonos Play:3 and installation each month through June 2012. If you are in the Vancouver and Lower Mainland, BC, we welcome you to join in the fun! Enter to Win

Does your office environment need an instant energy jolt and creativity boost?

Play3_livingroom
You just may be amazed at what music can do to shake things up and motivate your team members!!

In order to reveal music's power in the workplace, we at Digital Smart Homes are giving away a Sonos Play:3 and installation each month through June 2012. If you are in the Vancouver and Lower Mainland, BC, we welcome you to join in the fun!

Qualifying for the contest is easy! All you have to do is:
1. "Like" our Digital Smart Homes Facebook page and/or "Follow" us on Twitter and/or follow us onPinterest
2.
Submit a picture of your office on either Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest and a brief comment on why you should win.

The more creative your entry the better, and if you submit on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest your office will be entered twice for a chance to win!

According to a recent University of Illinois research study of 256 office workers, music did wonders for frayed nerves, reduced distracting office chatter, boosted morale, and even enhanced office performance. Plus, it was revealed that employees were often more satisfied with their employers and were less likely to switch jobs.

A number of leading organizations have discovered the positive effects that music has on morale. For example, the popular online magazine Cool Hunting keeps it fresh by cranking music through their offices daily. The team keeps a hard drive filled with numerous genres of music for everyone to enjoy and gain inspiration.

And if this isn't enough maybe the goods will impress your soul! The Sonos Play: 3 is a wireless music system that emits crystal clear sound and allows for you to control it via an iPhone, iPad, Android, or Sonos controller. Additionally, the system has the ability to play music that captures a desired mood, connects wirelessly to the office router and can be tucked away in the corner of your choice.

Visit our Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest page now to enter the Digital Smart Homes Sonos Play: 3 contest. If you win, we will personally deliver and install the system for you and your co-workers to enjoy!


We will be giving away our first Play:3 in the last week of April 2012 so get your submissions in now

Coming Next Week: New Sonos Controller apps for Mac & PC

sonos-mac-pc-controller
PLUS EVEN MORE TO MAKE SONOS MUSIC LOVERS SMILE

Next week, Sonos will introduce brand new Sonos Controller apps for Mac and PC. Plus, improved wireless performance for Android devices and language support for Brazilian Portuguese. And, it will all be available with a simple one-click software update.

Read More...

An Overview of My Favorite Online Music Services that Also Work with Sonos

In today’s world, there are so many options out there for online music that it can be difficult to know where to start! The great thing about homeowners that have installed the Sonos Wireless HiFi System is that now it is possible to listen to most artists, albums and/or songs in just moments. No more dusting off old vinyl records, pulling out old tapes, or trying to rub the scratches out of your favourite CDs. We hope the following online music service overview will educate you on what technologies are out there:

rdio-sonos
Rdio
Rdio is subscription-based online music service that allows for you to pay a small fee of just $4.99 per month and you are able to listen to unlimited amounts of music from any computer. If you are familiar with Spotify, it is quite similar. Back when Spotify wasn’t available in the United States (and soon to be available in Canada), Rdio held the exclusive on such a service.

Beyond being able to call up almost any artist, album, or song in less than a second, users are able to share music from friends, get music suggestions, and even write mini-reviews. This makes the utilization of your Sonos system quite dynamic.

For those who want to listen to music on their mobile devices and computers while offline or want to listen to music on demand, much like Netflix, members pay $9.99/month and have access to more than 8.5 million songs. Getting started with Rdio is quite easy and completely free for the first week. This allows for you to give it a try before diving into the paid subscription.

aupeo-sonos
Aupeo
Aupeo is a completely free personalized online music service that you personalize by selecting the “Mood” (Happy, Energetic, Stressful, Relaxing, etc) and the “Genre” (HipHop, Country, World, Electronic, etc) .. The service is a competitor to Pandora, last.fm, and Spotify. As a user, you are allowed to stream more than 120 stations across all music genres, while provided the ability to pause or skip songs at any time. The free version has occasional commercials that play throughout your listening session and has a limit as to how many songs can be skipped at a time per station. In order to better customize music selections, you are able to designate the songs you like versus the ones you dislike.

In the case that you want to enjoy commercial free listening and have full control of how many songs are skipped, the premium service is available for €4.95 EUR/month or €49,95 EUR/ year.

slacker-radio-sonos
Slacker Personal Radio
Slacker is quite similar to Aupeo, allowing for users to listen to customized music stations. To select a genre that is most appealing at any given time, you must designate a particular artist or song as a reference point. Music then begins to stream within that given genre and allows for users to pause and skip songs.

The free version allows for only a limited number of skips and includes commercials. If you desire the ability to listen to music without commercials, there is a monthly fee of either $3.99 or $9.99. The $3.99 version also allows for mobile station caching, enables ABC News, and includes complete song lyrics. On the other hand, the $9.99 version adds the ability for you to play song and albums on demand, play single artist stations, cash albums and playlists, and create personalized playlists. This makes Slacker quite similar in functionality to Rdio.

No matter which way you stack it, you can create a music listening experience of your dreams. The secret to discovering which online music services work best for you is to give them all a try!

SIRIUS Canada now playing on Sonos

sonos-sirius
Sonos users in Canada are in for a real treat: listening to SIRIUS on Sonos in every room. We're talking over 100 premium channels of music and more blasting in the bedroom or the living room or both. And with a free 30-day trial, you can try before you buy! Plus, with SIRIUS now available on Sonos, there's 100 more reasons/channels for music fans to fall in love with the PLAY:3, PLAY:5, CONNECT and CONNECT:AMP.
Read More...

All new Sonos Play:3

Play3-sonos-android
Introducing the smaller, sexier, tuck in the corner and blow out the roof, all-in-one player.

  • Stream your entire music library, music services, and radio stations
  • Control wirelessly, easy to set up
  • Start with one, expand everywhere
  • Versatile enough to put anywhere -- horizontal or vertical
  • 3 driver HiFi speaker system


Read More...

Two new radio services on Sonos: AUPEO! & Stitcher

sonos-radio-power
Sonos just amplified your radio power! Sonos is doubly excited to announce that AUPEO! Personal Radio and Stitcher SmartRadio™ are now part of the Sonos music service lineup. For radio and podcast fans, these free services are sure to amp up the excitement music lovers this spring and summer.
Read More...

Apple AirPlay device support & Sonos Controller for Android

apple-airplay
We have something new for both Apple and Android-loving music fans. Sonos’s latest software update makes it easy for Sonos to play Apple AirPlay music sources and stream even more music to every room. And with the official launch of the Sonos Controller for Android, even more music lovers can get started with Sonos by turning their favourite smartphone into a free Sonos Controller.
Read More...

Sonos Controller for Android Coming Soon

android-sonos_app
Android loving music fans will soon have something to rock about. Sonos has just announced the Sonos Controller for Android, a free app that will transform most Android smartphones into a wireless music controller for Sonos. Get ready because its coming this spring and we expect it to rock the house. Read More...

rdio music service coming to Sonos

rdio-sonos
Sonos is adding a new social music service called Rdio (pronounced "ar-dee-o") to our music lineup. It can be found in the Music Menu starting January 27th, and best of all, your customers can try it for free.
Read More...

Sonos Introduces The Sonos Wireless Dock

Sonos, the leading developer of wireless multi-room music systems for the home introduced the Sonos Wireless Dock (WD100), an accessory to the award-winning Sonos Multi-Room Music System. With the Sonos Wireless Dock you can now play all of the music from an iPod or iPhone in every room of the house. The Sonos Wireless Dock will be available by the end of October.

"The Sonos Wireless Dock is the perfect accessory for our music loving customers who own an iPod or iPhone and want to enjoy the music stored on them in any or every room of the home," said Phil Abram, President, Sonos, Inc. "This new dock reinforces our mission to provide our customers with access to all of the music on the planet, including everything available on an iPod and iPhone in the home."

The Sonos Wireless Dock accesses all of the music stored or playing on an iPhone or iPod and sends it wirelessly to Sonos ZonePlayers all throughout your home – before converting the music to analog – guaranteeing the best possible audio quality. The Sonos Wireless Dock is compatible with the following devices: iPod touch (1st, 2nd, and 3rd generation), iPod classic, iPod nano (3rd, 4th, and 5th generation), iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 3G and iPhone, and has been certified by the developer to meet Apple performance standards.

Contact us for more information about Sonos

The Sonos Single Room Package is Back


Music lovers are in luck with the return of the successful Single Room Promotion. Now, for a limited time, you can save up to $149 CAD when they buy a Sonos ZonePlayer (ZP90 or ZP120) together with a Sonos Controller 200. This lower-priced entry point is sure to give music lovers an added incentive to get started with Sonos. And for our existing customers looking to fill another room with music, there's no better time to do it. Read More...

Sonos Launches iPad App


Although Sonos launched an iPad interface for their wireless whole-house music system earlier this week, it won’t be available until August. However, it is a very sleek use of the iPad technology integrated into a HomeAV application. If you want to see the demo, go here: Sonos iPad App

Now you can pick a room, pick a song, and pick a colour.


The all-in-one Sonos S5 is about to get even more popular. On June 2nd, 2010, in response to overwhelming demand, the S5 will debut in black. And the timing couldn't be better with Father's Day just around the corner. Read More...

New Sonos software update


Sonos Press Release

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – May 18, 2010 – Sonos®, Inc., the leading developer of wireless multi-room music systems for the home, today released Sonos System Software v3.2, a one-button free software update for Sonos customers that features a variety of new audio features.

Key features of Sonos v3.2 include:
  • Crossfading - Customers can create smooth transitions between songs just like the DJs do. You can select the crossfading playback mode from the Now Playing screen for any tracks in your music library, plus select music services including Napster.
  • S5 Stereo Pair setting – This innovative audio feature allows customers to use two Sonos S5s in the same room with one S5 serving as the left channel and the other as the right channel.
  • Japanese and Simplified Chinese language support – Customers using the Sonos Controller for iPhone*, the Sonos Controller 200 and the Sonos Controller for Mac or PC can now control Sonos in 9 languages: Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Simplified Chinese, Spanish, and Swedish.
  • New alarm settings – Sonos customers can now customize alarms for different days of the week. Wake up to your favorite radio station on one day and a Napster playlist on another. Set the room, the time and the music for any or every day of the week.
  • More free music: iheartradio from Clear Channel - Tune in to more than 750 of America’s favorite radio stations, including. Exclusive digital stations like Christina Aguilera Radio, CBGB Radio, Radio Weezer, AT40 with Ryan Seacrest, and more. Top talk stations from Rush Limbaugh to Dr. Laura Traffic reports from 12 major metro areas
Read More...
2024
2023
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010