SONOS wireless speakers

SONOS Wireless Speakers 
Wouldn’t it great is all speakers were wireless. Just plop them down and be done with it. No muss. No fuss. No wires running through walls and ceilings. Just put them where you want them and sit back and enjoy. If we can send a man to the moon, why can’t we have wireless speakers? Well, we do. But they’re not quite what you think they are, so let’s take a closer look. 

What’s the wire for, anyway? 
A conventional speaker on its own makes a great paperweight. It does absolutely nothing. For it to make any sound, it first requires a source signal and an amplifier. The source signal might be a CD player, satellite radio, or an iPod. The amplifier (usually built into your home theater receiver) takes the source signal and pumps it up, adding the power it needs to make the speakers play. The wire is how the amplified source signal reaches the speaker. Pretty simple really.

So what’s wireless? 
Remember those two parts, the source signal and the amplifier? The part that’s wireless in a wireless speaker is the source signal. It’s converted into a radio signal, and then transmitted to the wireless speaker, very much like a cordless phone. So far so good, but what about the amplifier? Transmitting an amplified source signal over radio waves is not possible, so an amplifier has to be built into the wireless speaker. But amplifiers require electrical power, so a wireless speaker must be plugged into a wall socket for power, or have a battery that supplies the power. As you can see, wireless speakers are not always so wireless, especially if they have to be plugged in the wall. But at least you’ve eliminated the wire coming from the receiver or amplifier.

There are limitations but there are also some cool applications
As you can see, wireless speakers aren’t really wireless, since they have to be plugged in to the wall socket. For use around the home, batteries aren’t practical because they need frequent changing. But there is one application where wireless speaker technology makes a lot of sense—outdoor music. Running wires to conventional outdoor speakers can be an ordeal, particularly if the wires need to be hidden under ground. A wireless rechargeable battery outdoor speaker solves this problem nicely. Just place it where you want it, and turn it on. When it needs recharging, take it back indoors and connect it to the battery charger. You just have to remember to keep it charged, especially if you’re having guests over and they want to be entertained.

What else?
Obviously, wireless speakers aren’t a practical substitute for wired speakers, but there are some useful applications. To learn more about them, and to find if wireless id right for you, just call or click us for a Sound Advice Free In-Home Consultation. We have been selling and installing wireless speakers for a long, long time, and we know all the ins and outs. Take advantage of this experience and find out what we recommend. You never know, there may a wireless speaker in your future.