Would I benefit from a dedicated DAC?

[Kumar]

Originally Posted by poukill

Actually, I am in the process to buy a stereo system with network reading. Most of the professional I've visited told me I was looking for a sonos + external DAC + amp + speaker.

Sonos makes sense only if you are looking for multi room, multi user audio, from a common music server, where anyone at home can play the music they prefer, in the room they happen to want music in. One - or more - of the zones(rooms) can be a high end 2 channel audio system, and using just a Sonos Connect to feed a 2 channel amp+good speaker pair will give you stereo sound as good as what the speaker pair is capable of producing from any source. You also have the option of playing the same music in all rooms, in perfect sync.

5.1 channel music doesn't get better than what high end 2 channel stereo can deliver, considering the influence of speakers on the delivered sound, and a speaker pair can be expensive enough

If your interest is to have networked audio in just one room - 2 channels or more -there are better/cheaper solutions than Sonos.

Note also that while Sonos is probably the best solution out there for its application, it does need periodic attention/software maintenance as an inevitable price to pay for its multi room, multi user wireless architecture. If you want music in just one room, other solutions will be more stable, particularly if you can live with a wired network connection to a network ready amp, eliminating the need for wifi.

[poukill]

Originally Posted by Kumar

If your interest is to have networked audio in just one room - 2 channels or more -there are better/cheaper solutions than Sonos.

This is exactly what I'm looking for. Playing music from a NAS.

Originally Posted by Kumar

If you want music in just one room, other solutions will be more stable, particularly if you can live with a wired network connection to a network ready amp, eliminating the need for wifi.

Yes, I want music in one room only, and I can live with a wired network !
But, as far as I know, there is no network ready amp for stereo music. The only amps with network discovering are HT amps. But yes, a good stereo amp with network capability is definitely what I am looking for !

[Kumar]

Originally Posted by poukill

a good stereo amp with network capability is definitely what I am looking for !

You might want to check out the denon rcdn7. I think there are others as well now in the market, I think Marantz has some products that should meet your needs.

[steelrat]

Actually a few issues of What HiFi had some discussions on the various network attachments for stereo in one room.

Denon has a few, and cambridge audio etc....

That said, I do have one of the Denon 2011 receivers in the basement for 5.1. It's got a network drop in it, and it does browse the files from the NAS through DLNA. Works well enough, once I got the DLNA software that liked the denon profile. Most DLNA software will likely support the stuff these days.

My original plan was to add one of the denon n7's upstairs and have the party room functionality with the downstairs. But the SO wanted something for the kitchen, which is when I started looking at the sonos seriously. However, I intend to still add a zp90/connect to it at some point in future on the avr-3311, so I can continue to use the sonos interface, and sync with the other zones upstairs.

If you are running with a single source.... something to consider you may not need the multiroom. Although, I started with only 1 grouped zone for the sonos, within weeks the SO has added another zone..... and I would love to have about 3 more. <G>

[ControlFreak]

There are countless cheaper ways of playing digital music on a stereo system. Sonos is for those who want to develop it into a multi-room system.

[poukill]

Originally Posted by ControlFreak

There are countless cheaper ways of playing digital music on a stereo system. Sonos is for those who want to develop it into a multi-room system.

I thought The Sonos Connect alone was a not too expensive way to read music from the network...
But yeah, it seems I have to investigate more...

[NoBoB]

While you're investigating, don't forget to take a good look at the user interface. Someone who likes to tinker won't mind a less-than-optimal interface, but many have no patience for that.

Sonos is the only audio system my wife has ever consistently used. Everything else was clunky enough that eventually it wasn't worth her bother; but that's not the case with the Sonos system. She uses the Sonos all over the house, every day, and has for years now. That's about the highest praise I can give a UI.

[poukill]

Originally Posted by NoBoB

While you're investigating, don't forget to take a good look at the user interface. Someone who likes to tinker won't mind a less-than-optimal interface, but many have no patience for that.

Sonos is the only audio system my wife has ever consistently used. Everything else was clunky enough that eventually it wasn't worth her bother; but that's not the case with the Sonos system. She uses the Sonos all over the house, every day, and has for years now. That's about the highest praise I can give a UI.

I had the patience for that. But not anymore.
And actually, the sonos ZP90 / Connect is as expensive as the denon rcdn7 right ?
So in my case, I will probably go for the sonos Connect, except if I find a good network DLNA amp that sounds like a stereo amp.

[steelrat]

Originally Posted by poukill

And actually, the sonos ZP90 / Connect is as expensive as the denon rcdn7 right ?

Yeah, that's part of the reason I really started to look at the sonos.... more functionality with the multi-room, and similar-ish price point to fill the original space.

[Kumar]

Originally Posted by poukill

And actually, the sonos ZP90 / Connect is as expensive as the denon rcdn7 right ?

Remember that you will need a stereo amp that will have to be added to the zp90 price. The zp90 usually makes sense if you already have the amp as part of a 2 channel set up.

An alternative is to look at the Connect amp. With easy to drive speakers, it is a good way to get digital/networked/internet music into a room. Later, you can decide to give in to the inevitable temptation of expanding to other rooms