A long press on the volume down button mutes the volume and a single press on the volume up button restores it to its previous level. A double-press skips to the next track in the playlist. One press on play/pause pauses playback or resumes it. Button placement and design are consistent and easy to access, with the sole indicator light a tiny LED placed between the volume and play/pause buttons.Ībove: Every HEOS speaker comes with some form of external power adapter.Įxtra points go to Sonos for their clever multi-function play/pause and volume buttons. Sonos favors a minimalist design with a solid build and strong metal non-removable grilles. That’s a neat feature, given that these products are all about the music.Īnything as subjective as the look of a product will always be difficult to judge on an empirical basis, but here’s how the two systems stack up: both are available in black or white, which should give them equal standing as far as home décor goes. It’s worth noting that Sonos Ethernet jacks can be used as an extension of its wireless network, letting you plug in any Ethernet-equipped device for Internet access. Only the range-topping HEOS 7 offers a headphone jack. The HEOS, on the other hand, uses a consistent set of inputs on the back of all of their components, which include: one Ethernet port, one AUX mini-jack and one USB port. All HEOS speakers have the same ports except for the HEOS 7 (below and inset) which offers a headphone jack as well. This means if you opt for a Sonos setup that only includes Play:1 and Play:3 speakers, you won’t have the ability to add an external sound source, e.g., a friend’s phone or iPod.Ībove: The Sonos Play:5 (above) has the most inputs of any Sonos speaker. The Play:1 and Play:3 possess only Ethernet ports and standard speaker-mount threaded inserts, while the Play:5 adds a line-in and headphone mini-jack ports and a second Ethernet port. The Sonos system is minimalist in terms of additional connections. But it isn’t as smooth or as fast as the Sonos set-up. It’s time consuming, though not difficult. You must repeat this process for every new HEOS unit you want to add. I found that this could take anywhere between 30 seconds to 2 minutes. Following the instructions as the app gives them, you then press the Connect button on the back of the HEOS speaker to begin the configuration process.
MUSICCAST VS HEOS APP PATCH
You plug one end of the included mini-jack patch cord into your phone/tablet and the other into the HEOS unit’s AUX jack located in the back.
MUSICCAST VS HEOS APP ANDROID
This is done using the free app on any iOS or Android device that has a headphone jack (which is pretty much ever device, as far as I know).
![musiccast vs heos app musiccast vs heos app](https://www.cnet.com/a/img/4y_HIM2tO3UlaAxY-COEyD6FvzQ=/0x581:5870x3386/940x0/2015/08/20/1186991c-b78a-4243-a25b-d545829dd96a/yamaha-musiccast-rx-s601-av-receiver-image-1.jpg)
Just as with a Sonos non-Bridge set-up, you’ll need to configure HEOS to speak to your Wi-Fi network. With Denon’s HEOS, things are somewhat more complicated. The Sonos set-up (right) is much simpler. All additional speakers follow the same set-up as the ‘with Bridge’ arrangement.Ībove: The HEOS set-up on the left must be done each time a new speaker is added. Without the Bridge, set-up is a bit more complex … but only for the first speaker you add, since it will have to be configured to speak to your Wi-Fi network. Simply fire up the app, choose to add a speaker, press the play/pause and volume button simultaneously on the new speaker, and you’re done. With a Bridge installed, setting up a Sonos speaker is ridiculously easy. (Alternatively, you could also plug Sonos speakers directly into your router.)Īs of last month however, Sonos no longer requires a Bridge - speakers can now be connected directly to Wi-Fi. In the past, Sonos required you to buy its Bridge, a small, inexpensive device that connects directly to your home’s router and forms the first element in the proprietary SonosNet Wi-Fi network. Let’s take a look at how these two systems compare: Setup