Back in April we reported on a Gizmodo study which discovered the scientific reasons why your parents’ old stereo system sounds much better than your new one.
As the report states these days the vast majority of consumers aren’t really all that interested in sound quality. They buy stereos according to what kind of interconnectivity it can offer with other equipment.
But this creates a conundrum with modern day audiophiles, the focus on wireless and interactive interconnectivity (read: streaming) means that tech companies don’t have enough money to pour into advancements in sound quality, because it’s being swallowed up by royalties and licensing fees paid to Apple, Bluetooth, HD Radio, XM-Sirius, Dolby, DTS, and others.
One company that prides itself on its ability to provide both world class interconnectivity and high quality audio is California born company Sonos, who year after year have proven to be the forerunner for victory in the hi-fi wars, offering consumers a sleek line of totally wireless and highly advanced audio products.
We spoke with Sonos’ Head of Global Product, Michael Papish to learn a little more about the evolution of music consumption, how it has affected the quality of music we consume and what the future of music fandom sounds and looks like.
The Sonos Commitment To Sound Quality
[include_post id=”476552″]Giles Martin, Sound Experience Leader at Sonos, describes Sonos’ approach as a home speaker company as it being like a clear window from the studio to your home. Sonos sees its job, and the job of the speaker, as delivering music to your home with the same clarity and meaning as was heard in the studio when the artists and producers completed the master.
Not to colour it, or fix it or pump it up. Historically, the artists and producers have had zero control over a listener’s experience at home. But with software innovations and an incredibly talented team of engineers, Sonos is able to deliver the sound as it was intended to be heard, without any compromise for you listening at home.
How The Change In Music Consumption Has Affected The Quality Of Music
People have become accustomed to “good enough” listening, whether it’s listening to music from a laptop, cheap earbuds or poor speakers. Sonos aims change this by providing a home experience with incredible sound quality.
Why It’s Important We Experience Music In A High Quality Format
At Sonos we believe music should be listened to the way the artist intended, as if you’re in the studio with them.
That’s why the design and engineering teams at Sonos have focused on making products that reflect the quality of high fidelity sound combined with the latest technology, especially streaming.
Why Some Manufacturers Have Not Focussed On The Future of Sound Quality
A lot of other brands the make home speakers also make a wide range of entertainment devices and therefore aren’t overly invested in continuously learning more about the way people interact with music.
Sonos’ sole focus is music and how it impacts the home, which is why Sonos invests heavily in research. For example, earlier this year Sonos conducted a worldwide study of 30,000 people around the world about the impact music has on the home.
Research like this is used for future development and updates to hardware and software. In addition to this research, there is an entire team at Sonos dedicated to the science of sound, led by World renowned and prolific producer, Martin Giles.
How Is Sonos So Different From Every Other Bluetooth Device
First and foremost, Sonos are not Bluetooth speakers, they wirelessly stream music to stream music you love throughout the house. There are many reasons Sonos wireless experience provides the optimal music listening experience, but in regards to
Bluetooth some of the biggest differences include:
– Non-stop music: With Bluetooth, the music drops out when you get a call or wander too far from the speaker. With Sonos, the music keeps playing, without skips, delays or drops, no matter where your phone is or who’s on the line.
– Multi-room control: With Bluetooth speakers, your phone controls one speaker at a time, one song at a time. Sonos lets you control your entire listening experience—songs, rooms, volume, even EQ settings—with one app from any smartphone, tablet or computer.
– Pure, undiluted sound: Unlike Bluetooth, which compresses the audio signal to get it through a smaller pipeline, Sonos uses the broader bandwidth of your WiFi network. The result? More data flows through. You hear deeper, more detailed bass. Crisper, crystal clear highs. A truer version of the music you love.
How Can We Have Both Convenience & Quality
The way we listen to music has changed from putting on a record in one room to streaming music at home and on the go. This shouldn’t impact the quality of music. Wireless audio delivers a premium experience and provides you with the flexibility to listen anywhere and everywhere in your home. With the Sonos Controller app, music can be controlled from any device.
And if vinyl is your thing, the new PLAY:5 supports in line-in audio so you can listen to your old records in a new way.
What The Evolution Of Music Consumption Looks Like
Home audio has a rich history. Last year, we celebrated 100 years of the loud speaker and in those 100 years we’ve seen some big changes to the way we experience music in the home. We’ve seen everything from huge, inter-connected wired speakers to wireless units that bring all the music of the world into your living room.
[include_post id=”428631″]As the technology has changed, so too has the way we listen. Families used to converge around vintage hi-fi systems built in the 1970s and 80s in a room full of large speakers where you would come together to really “put the album on.” It was a communal event, and we experienced music together, but overtime we drifted away from this ‘Almost Famous’ style of listening.
Now, families spend most of their time outside of this setting. We’re on the go, holed up in different rooms of the house and multi tasking; cooking dinner, catching up on emails and keeping an eye on the kids all at the same time.
Sonos makes it possible to get back in touch with this communal listening experience in a way that fits this modern lifestyle. Its wireless, pairable speakers make it possible to bring music into every room in the house to make it fuller and more joyful.
Has Wireless Music Consumption Made The Listening Experience More Social?
Yes, absolutely we’ve become more social thanks to wireless speaker systems. To prove this, Sonos conducted a global study – the Music Makes it Home Study. The study, which surveyed 30,000 people in eight different countries including Australia, found that music out loud leads to stronger relationships, more intimacy, happier families and more quality time spent together.
According to the results of a global study, people who listen to music out loud at home spend an additional three hours and 13 minutes together per week than those who listen out loud the least.
People who say they listen to music out loud together have 60 percent more sex and more than a third of music lovers would give up sex before music according to survey data. After music was introduced in the home, 43 percent of participants reported feeling extremely loved, an 87 percent increase from before there was music at home.
For more info on Sonos pop by www.sonos.com.
