A guide to Sonos, the wireless speaker system that lets you control music in every room of your house at once

• Sonos is a multi-room music system that lets you control what music plays in each room of the house.
• Sonos lets you play music from your computer, phone, or virtually any online service through any Sonos speakers in your network.
• Offering a broad line of speakers and components, Sonos models include small wall-mounted speakers, large shelf speakers, soundbars, and a wireless subwoofer.

Sonos is a multi-room music system that has made high-quality sound systems, once considered a luxury, accessible to the wider public.

It's true that Sonos didn't invent multi-room audio systems. But Sonos did make them incredibly popular throughout the early 2000s, and nowadays, they're easy to find.

Here's everything you need to know about Sonos, the popular audio setup for audiophiles and casual listeners alike.

Check out the products mentioned in this article:

Sonos One (From $199.00 at Amazon)

Sonos Move (From $399.99 at Amazon)

Sonos Sub (From $699.99 at Amazon)

Sonos, explained

Sonos uses your home's Wi-Fi network to send music to Sonos speakers that are set up throughout the house. You can have a single Sonos speaker, or place one in every room — there's no practical limit on the number of speakers in a Sonos system.

Each speaker works independently or as a group. That means you can play the same music throughout the house for an uninterrupted musical experience as you move around, or each room can play its own music. You can also create groups, so several speakers will play one selection, while other speakers do something else.

Sonos keeps grouped speakers in sync, so if they're playing the same music, there's never any delay or lag.

A Sonos system also gives you access to a wide range of music sources. Sonos can play music stored on a hard drive on your computer or network device, music from a mobile device like your phone, or connect to web services like Spotify, Tidal, or Apple Music.

Sonos is compatible with over 80 online services, including its own recently launched Sonos Radio, which has 60,000 radio stations and its own curated playlists.

Sonos has a variety of different speakers for different uses

Part of the appeal of Sonos is how simple their speakers are to set up. When you bring a new Sonos speaker into your home, you can add it to the Sonos network using a mobile app and by tapping a single button on the speaker.

The current lineup of Sonos speakers includes:

• Sonos One is a compact speaker that can be used on its own, or mounted in pairs for richer stereo playback. It's small enough that it can be easily and unobtrusively hung from a wall. It also has a microphone, so you can use Alexa and Google Assistant on it.
• Sonos One SL is similar to the Sonos One but is missing the microphone, so it doesn't have integrated Alexa and Google Assistant capabilities.
• Sonos Five is a large, high-fidelity shelf speaker that can operate on its own or paired for more detailed stereo sound.
• Sonos Move is a portable Bluetooth speaker, so you can take it on the go. But it can also work like an ordinary Sonos speaker when it's at home.
• Sonos Sub is a wireless subwoofer that can be paired with other Sonos speakers for deep bass response.

Sonos has a variety of other components as well, including soundbars for home theaters, and amplifiers which can convert traditional speakers you already own into Sonos-ready speakers.

Related coverage from Tech Reference:

• How to add Spotify to your Sonos speaker system

• How to change Alexa's location on your Amazon Echo to correct features like time and weather

• How to change Alexa's alarm sound on your Amazon Echo, or change its volume

• How to play Apple Music using Alexa on your Amazon Echo speaker

• How to remove devices from your Spotify account using your computer or mobile device