How to make Sonos sound even better….

I’m sure everybody knows about Sonos. You know… The wireless music system.

….then again maybe I can’t put any perspective on it because I install the stuff all the time. But the fact that you’re reading this means you probably know about Sonos.

I’ve written a bit about Sonos previously, which you could have a look at, but today I want to write about another Sonos phenomenon that I continually come across.

The one where your mate says ‘Hey check out my new Sonos system it’s totally awesome, it’s all controlled on this app see? Here you go, you just open this app, then type in a song you want to hear. What song do you want? Hells Bells by AC/DC no worries just type it in and wait for it…Hells Bells!!!’ and then you sit back and look at the sense of satisfaction on your best mate’s face as the first few bars of a classic track begin to play. But….it sounds kinda crap.

No way you can tell him though. It’d be easier to tell him his children may not be gifted, and that most kids could play Let It Go on the recorder if given the chance.

But I Thought It Would Sound Better…

The Sonos speakers Play1, Play3 and Play5 are all awesome sounding speakers and when used properly provide a great result, but what’s happened in the above example is when the best mate has had Sonos installed using the Connect Amp or Connect and a poor choice has been made with the speakers.

The Connect Amp is Sonos’ zone amplifier. So when installed correctly the Connect Amp would normally be located tucked away in the rack that houses the modem/router and the home network equipment. Here it is easily connected to the router for network access, and then speaker cables are run out to the room where the speakers are installed.

And the speakers that are used here will make or break the system. All speakers pretty much look the same right (with a few exceptions) but all speakers most definitely do not sound the same.

It might look the part but the sound has to be there too!

If you go to the effort of choosing Sonos as your music system don’t let the whole thing down with nasty speakers from the electrical wholesaler or ebay. It might look the part but the sound has to be there too!

There’s so many speaker options out there that can be tailored to your room. There’s no real ‘one size fits all’ solution that you could use in all situations.

I’ve found the best results are when you team a Sonos Connect (it’s Sonos’ preamp) up with a power amp and some great speakers. You’ll end up with the best of both worlds in that you have a great music system that is super simple to use, while also achieving the best sound possible through good speaker and amplifier combinations. There’s no substitute for power when it comes to good sound but the flip side of a well amplified system means it sounds amazing at low volume too! Which in reality is where most people listen to their music.

Hopefully this makes sense if you have a system that you think should sound better or if you’re thinking of having a system installed at some point in the future. Please contact me, happy to discuss further.

How to make your Sonos system work perfectly for you…each and every time!

Hi, it’s Erin here at Chase AV and today I’m going to talk you about making your Sonos system work for you.

Both personally and professionally, I think Sonos is amazing.

I’ve been installing it for years and I still get a kick out of hearing the first song through the speakers once the system is set up. It’s really cool seeing the client’s face too, once they realise what Sonos is capable of.

But it’s not good enough to just have a Sonos system installed in your home…you need to have a Sonos system that actually works!!

Was your Sonos system correctly installed?

When I talk to clients about their existing Sonos systems I often hear two totally different stories.

Typically, the man of the house will proudly tell me he has a Sonos system, which was installed by the electrician when the house was being built. And it was going to be the answer to all his problems, make his life great, there would be non-stop dancing and the parties would be talked about for years.

Then, when I ask the lady of the house, she says Sonos sucks! She hates it, she wishes she never had it installed. She tells me how it always causes fights 10 minutes before guests arrive, it never works when you need it and so on…

Your Sonos system is only as good as your home network

So what’s gone wrong here?

To truly enjoy your Sonos system and fully realise its capabilities:

it needs to be installed correctly in the first place; and
attention needs to be paid to your home network.

Even though Sonos is marketed as a wireless system, as a professional installer I will always ensure that I hard wire every Sonos device on your system back to your router.

That’s right…I said HARD WIRED…because I want to maximise your Sonos system listening experience, by guaranteeing your system works perfectly every time. My rule of thumb is to have all devices physically connected on the network and use the wifi for control of the devices. This keeps the home wifi network as uncongested as possible…and lets the data cable do the heavy lifting. Wifi in the home is a limited resource so whenever possible, connect your stuff with a wire.

Your wifi can then be freed up to browse your favourite sites and control your Sonos etc with the most efficiency.

If you use a Boost or Bridge make sure they are connected to your router and located in a central part of the home for the best coverage. Unfortunately, as these devices are usually directly connected to your modem/router (in a faraway corner of the home) they will create a dedicated wireless network for your Sonos, but with limited range. Placement is everything!

What Sonos needs for best control is solid wifi…not wifi extenders, network extenders, powerline adapters are horrible, or other network ‘quick fixes’. You need a single wifi network that works through the entire home, not multiple networks.

Don’t waste your time and money on band aid fixes for your wireless network. Get someone in who can provide you with a single network.

Chase AV can bring beautiful sound back into your life

At Chase AV, we think it’s a real shame if you have a Sonos system that you can’t use or enjoy.

Every Sonos system we’ve installed, our clients have loved….some of them do have non-stop dancing at parties that are talked about for years!

But most importantly, they have a system that everyone in their house can use…a system that works perfectly every time.

If you have a Sonos system that isn’t working for you, don’t despair. We can advise you on your home network and hardwire your Sonos system for you and build a reliable wireless network.

Sonos is such a great system it’s worth investing the time to get it set it up right.

Talk to us now about installing or fixing your Sonos System.

Installing Your Perfect AV System

It can seem a daunting task, so many options, features, functions, flat screens. So many products and so many people. Are they qualified to give sound advice?

How do you go about having the perfect AV system installed?

The AV system that is perfect for you, your home and your budget.

The AV system will be used every day, like the lights, the taps and the toilet. But during a new build or renovation, the AV system often gets put in the ‘too hard we’ll do it later’ basket. Or gets offloaded from one trade to the next, or is spoken about then forgotten until it’s too late.

Call me biased, but I think it needs to be addressed as early as possible. If it’s done right it can be one of the enjoyable aspects of the build. Because what are we talking about here? It’s watching TV and listening to music! It’s your entertainment and your leisure time.

Planning that moment when you get to kick back with a glass of fruit juice (no added sugar), put some tunes on and enjoy your home and your family should be fun.

Here’s a few tips to enjoying the whole process.

1. Choosing who to use

Honest and trustworthy. You’ll need good advice, a professional work ethic and someone you can comfortably talk to. Referrals are always the best way to find trades so you need to talk to your friends and find out who they’ve used or who they’ve heard about.

The AV often doesn’t come under the builders scope so if you bring in a ‘new guy’ he’ll need work with your builder and his tradies harmoniously!

When you are choosing someone for your AV you should definitely use a specialist. It might sound obvious but if another trade (electrician perhaps!!) ends up wearing the audio visual hat, the system may not meet your expectations. Don’t get me wrong I love electricians! In fact some of my best friends are electricians.

But if you really want an AV system that is perfect for you, you need someone who is across the industry and has knowledge and access to the products that will suit you best.

2. Organise a site visit

Meet your installer and discuss the system on site. Here you can throw ideas around such as what your expectations are, how will it look and sound, how you would like to use the system, who will use it, what your budget is, what options there are.

If you have the right person they will have more than one solution for you.

3. Get a quote

Once you have the quote in your hands don’t be afraid to call and ask questions. Like anything in life there is a good, better, best option. The AV system can be tailored to meet your budget and your expectations.

4. Repeat steps 1 to 3 until;

a) you have a quote you like

b) you’re totally out of time and you end up with your brother in law’s best mate who knows heaps about AV and stuff

I really hope it’s a)

If you’ve accepted a quote it means you’re happy with the installer, his proposed system and his price. It’s now up to him to prove you made the right decision. If he’s on top of things he won’t need to be managed through the process and you’ll be able to attend to the thousand other things on your plate. So tick AV off the list and throw yourself back into the build. There’s a lot to do!

It’s Your Network

Pretty much every audio visual device in people’s homes today are connected to the home network, either wirelessly or cabled directly to the modem/router using ethernet cables.

Networked AV devices allow us to stream online audio and video content. So we can watch movies or listen to music without the inconvenience of walking to your equipment and inserting a disc.

If you haven’t made the switch to streaming your movies and music then you still have to get up and go to the CD player to put your Neil Diamond Best Of album on.

You’re probably thinking is it really that inconvenient to get up and put a disc in the player?

You’re right…it’s not that big a deal but streaming does suit our lifestyles these days. We need our music accessible. We want it now. If you have some friends over who want you to check out a new band they’re into you can be listening to them in seconds, if you’re network is tip top.

I’ve just been speaking about the audio visual but of course you’re network provides so much more. It is integral to running the family home now it so I think it definitely deserves a bit more love.

The network is a magical thing operating behind closed doors and it generally serves us very well. The modem/router is the brains of the home network and it really is an amazing little piece of equipment. It manages and connects all the devices in your home and hands out a little piece of the internet to each device that needs it. If it is operating correctly all the devices will have access to the web and everything plays nicely.

If it is not operating correctly….

The home network is usually not treated very well, devices are added and removed constantly. No one can really see what state it’s in as all the magic happens inside the box so it gets neglected. But we all know when things go bad.

If you find searches are slowing down, your updates are taking longer or your movies and music are buffering then try a network reboot.

1. Unplug the power to the modem/router, unplug power from your networked devices such as computers, printers, NAS drives, TV’s, AppleTV’s, music streaming devices etc.

2. Wait one minute.

3. Plug power back in to your modem/router.

4. Wait one minute.

5. Plug power back in to your networked devices.

6. Wait one minute.

7. Plug power back in or turn back on any wireless devices.

8. Wait one minute.

9. Your network has now been fully rebooted.

The home network can be managed like any other aspect of your home…neat, tidy and simple is best. A little attention every now and then is all that is needed.

If these steps don’t work for you, you’ll need to have someone take a look at your network. There’s always improvements to be made so it’s that little bit quicker.

Who’s in Control?

Most homes I visit, I’ll head to the living room towards the TV…make my way past the coffee table…and I see too many remotes.

The coffee table is home to

TV remote
Amplifier remote
DVD or Bluray remote
AppleTV remote
Foxtel remote and
Hard drive remote

That’s too many remotes!

Some quick statistics off the top of my head tell me you have 6 remotes, 10 batteries, 248 buttons and a BIG headache!

I’ll then be told only 1 person in the home can actually turn on the TV and watch a movie. Only Dad knows how to work it!

Nice one Dad but your time at the helm of the AV system has come to and end…we’re watching The Bachelor tonight.

Have you tried a universal remote before with disastrous results? There’s a lot of products out there that sound promising.

The remote project can go pear shaped because

The remote you bought is simply a bad product
The installer didn’t program it correctly
You didn’t receive any after sales support
It didn’t actually make things easier

It probably made things worse!

The purpose of a single remote is to make the system usable for everyone.

Also look at the following:

It should take minutes to learn it
It controls your whole system (not just some of it)
It gets the best performance from each device
Grandma and Grandad can use it

A good remote means you don’t need to find that scrap piece of paper with the faded instructions. It means you don’t need to call the kids to ask what input the amp needs to be on to watch Foxtel.

How many buttons do you really use on each remote? There are probably 4 or 5 on each one that you use on a day to day basis. The rest of are bells and whistles that you’ll never use. Their only purpose is to provided confusion and add to the noise in your life.

Back to the well programmed remote…it has the basic functions front and centre. The less used and more difficult operations are all happening in the background automatically. You don’t want to know what surround sound mode to select so let the remote do that for you.

All AV devices can be connected to your home network. And there are apps to control them. These apps are pretty much a novelty and can be fun for a little while but you soon realise you don’t want to be jumping betweens apps to control your system. You’re pretty much back to square one..a coffee table full of remotes or a smart phone full of apps. It’s all the same.

A universal remote treats your system as a whole, the one device communicates with everything, bringing it all under one umbrella.

There’s other options or ways to control your system, would you prefer using a tablet over a remote? It depends what you’re most comfortable with.

If you spend a lot of time on your iPad and it’s a device that brings you joy and happiness then why not use it as a remote? The traditional style remote might be more suitable if the kids hijack the iPad on a regular basis.

Remember that a remote has buttons you can feel so you won’t need to take your eyes off the screen to find the Play button after fast forwarding the ads.

Any of these are possible, even a combination of both, but the end result should always be easy to use and reliable.