Sonos and Denon are two renowned and well respected brands in the audio industry that produces high quality speakers, headphones, soundbars, and subwoofers. Sonance is known for high quality producing in-wall speakers.
In this article, we will cover a general overview of both brands, looking specifically at sound quality, durability, price and so on. Of course, each brand has different devices at different price points, however we will compare them as closely as we can.
Sonos is known for its high-quality wireless home audio systems, while Sonance is a well-regarded brand in the home theater and audio industry known for its high-quality home theater systems and audio equipment (especially ceiling speakers).
Sonos vs Sonance Comparison Table
| Criteria | Sonos | Sonance |
|---|---|---|
| Brand Reputation | Well-established brand known for smart and connected audio systems. | Respected for high-quality audio solutions, especially in architectural audio. |
| Sound Quality | Offers balanced sound with a focus on multi-room, wireless setups. | Emphasizes high-quality architectural and outdoor audio solutions. |
| Build Quality/Design | Combines durable construction with modern, minimalist design. | Known for architectural speakers designed for seamless integration into spaces. |
| Product Range | Wide range of smart speakers, soundbars, and home theater solutions. | Specializes in architectural speakers, outdoor audio, and distributed audio systems. |
| Pricing | Varied pricing to cater to different budgets, with a focus on accessibility. | Positioned in the mid to high price range, reflecting premium architectural audio. |
| Features | Known for user-friendly features, wireless connectivity, and smart functionality. | Focuses on delivering high-performance audio solutions designed for specific spaces. |
Before we continue, you can check out similar comparisons in the series:
- Sonos Vs Polk
- Sonos Vs Ue Boom
- Sonos Vs Teufel
- Sonos Vs Audioengine
- Sonos Vs Audio Pro
- Sonos Vs Bluesound
- Sonance vs Klipsch – Which Brand Is Better?
Pros and Cons of Sonos:
- Pros: Sonos is known for producing high-quality, easy-to-use wireless audio systems that can be easily integrated into a home network. Many of their products have good sound quality and are easy to set up.
- Cons: Over the years, many users have complained about Sonos as it relates to connectivity and in some cases, even reliability. In addition, their products can be relatively expensive.
Pros and Cons of Sonance:
- Pros: Known for producing high-quality in-wall and in-ceiling speakers with excellent sound quality. Many of their products are well-regarded for their build quality and aesthetic appeal.
- Cons: Some of their products can be expensive.
Quick History
Sonos Quick History
Sonos, Inc. is an American company that specializes in the development and manufacture of audio devices. They are best known for their quality multi-room audio products. The company was co-founded in 2002 by John MacFarlane, Craig Shelburne, Tom Cullen, and Trung Mai.
The company displayed its first prototype at an industry event in 2004 and started shipping in early 2005. The company is always expanding its services internationally, for example to the UK in 2005 and Japan in 2018.
In January 2015, Sonos was rebranded by Bruce Mau Design, with a new visual identity and improved logotype.
Sonance Quick History
Sonance was founded in 1983 by Geoff Spencer and Scott Struthers.
Their mission was to create great-sounding speakers that needn’t be seen or noticed. Currently headquartered in San Clemente, California, Sonance has manufactured many outdoor and indoor audio devices that blend well into a building’s architecture.
Sound Quality
Sonos Sound Quality
One of the most distinctive features of all Sonos speakers is their superb audio quality. The sound output is rich and clean, with deep bass and clear mid-tones.
Sonos has a team of seasoned musicians such as Grammy-winning music producer Giles Martin that assist in fine-tuning their speakers to ensure a natural and superior sound. Each Sonos speaker sounds really great on its own but you can connect two or more speakers together for a really immersive experience.
Sonance Sound Quality
Sonance devices sound great irrespective of what you are using them for. Each speaker sounds great on its own, but multiple devices can be connected for stereo or surround sound effects and across multiple rooms for a full-house audio setup.
The sound output is loud and immersive, putting the listener right in the center of what is being played. The SonARC room correction function adjusts the acoustics of the device to suit that of the room in which it is placed.
Features
Sonos Features
Sonos is very popular for the suite of features that are incorporated into their products to ensure that you get the best out of your gadget. Most of the features ensure versatility in the speakers, which allows you to use them throughout the house, or outside.
Here are some features you can expect from your Sonos device:
Sonos App: The Sonos app is available for both iOS and Android to bring additional functionality to all your Sonos devices. Apart from functioning as a remote control for your speakers, it has a lot of other features such as the Calm app that plays relaxing music if you’re going to sleep, or you can set your alarm so that you wake up to your favorite music. It also has a sound equalizer feature to tweak the sound of your speaker to your taste.
Sonos Trueplay: To produce the best sound effect wherever you are, Sonos has a tuning feature known as Trueplay. Trueplay optimizes the sound of the speaker based on the acoustics of the room they are placed in.
Support For Multiple Music Platforms: Sonos has partnered with over 100 music service companies around the world such as Spotify, Pandora, Tidal, and Amazon Music to ensure that you can listen to your favorite music, podcasts, or TV shows regardless of the platform you use.
Surround Sound: Sonos speakers can be connected to each other for a truly immersive stereo or surround sound experience.
- Support for Bluetooth, WiFi, Airplay 2 streaming
- Voice control support for Amazon’s Alexa, Google Assistant, Apple Siri, and in-house Snips SAS
- Multiple input and output ports such as HDMI and optical audio input for TVs and type C to charge the battery-powered
Sonance Features
Here are some features you can expect to find on your Sonance device.
- SonARC room correction
- Equalizer and Digital Signal Processing (DSP)
- SonARC App and remote control support
- Wide range of input and output options
- Full stereo and surround sound system
Build Quality
Sonos Build Quality
Sonos uses sturdy materials like polycarbonate for the grille and a mixture of ABS and 10% glass fiber for the chassis to ensure a solid build, though this makes their speakers bulky. But if you prefer durability to portability, Sonos is the way to go.
Some of their speakers have IP ratings, which means they are water-resistant and dust-resistant, therefore allowing for outdoor use.
Sonance Build Quality
Sonance devices are constructed using very durable materials due to the rough use some of them can be subjected to, especially the outdoor models.
They feature a bezel-less grille that blends well into surrounding walls or ceilings. The body is constructed from sturdy and well-braced aluminum to eliminate unwanted vibrations. Some models are fire, dust, and water resistant.
Ease of Use
Sonos Ease Of Use
Sonos products have a minimalistic design and a clean look without a clutter of buttons, which makes the products easy to operate.
Older Sonos speakers have a pause/play button that can mute if you press and hold or skip a track if you double click. Newer speakers have a touch-sensitive button that skips to the next or previous track if you slide from left-to-right or right-to-left, respectively.
Multiple speaker connectivity is easy to set up across different rooms using WiFi, Bluetooth, or connection to a single router.
Sonance Ease Of Use
Sonance devices can be easily installed into existing spaces and connected to your previous home audio system. They are usually remote-controlled to keep the number of controls to a minimum.
Cost
Sonos Cost
Sonos products are quite expensive, but they are known to always deliver quality regardless of their price tag.
Sonos products are known for always delivering excellent performance, build quality, and strong connections compared to other brands in the same price range. In short, Sonos makes products that give great value for money.
Here is a price range for some Sonos products:
- Soundbars: $150 – $850
- Smart speakers: $150 – $500
- Premium speakers: $200 – $900
- Amplifier: From $600
- Subwoofer: From $700
Sonance Cost
Sonance has both cheap and high-end devices to fit various consumer needs. Below are the price ranges for some Sonance devices.
- Speakers: $200 – $4000
- Amplifiers: $900 – $4900
- Subwoofers: $3200 – $5300
Space Requirements
Sonos Space Requirements
Sonos speakers tend to be bulky, so they require ample space to use. Though this doesn’t mean that it cannot be used on your desk or placed on a bookshelf.
Some Sonos speakers, like the Sonos Roam and Sonos Move, focus on portability. Therefore, they produce the excellent audio output that Sonos is well-known for at a reduced weight and size.
Sonance Space Requirements
Sonance devices vary widely in size, ranging from petite in-ceiling speakers to large outdoor loudspeakers. The R1 in-wall speakers measure 225 mm x 553 mm (WH) and weigh 19lbs. The smaller 142mm x 225mm VP48 weighs just 6lbs.
Remote Controls
Sonos Remote Controls
There are several universal remote controls supported by Sonos products. There are some custom-made Sonos remote controls for easy operation of your devices. Sonos devices can also be remotely controlled with the Sonos app which allows you to control each device connected to the network individually.
Sonos gadgets also have Snips SAS, Sono’s custom AI technology for connected devices with the purpose of bringing a music-specific voice assistant to all its devices.
Sonance Remote Controls
Some Sonance devices come with infrared remote controllers that can be used to operate your device’s basic functions. The SonARC app offers more control options and flexibility.
Connectivity Options
Sonos Connectivity Options
Multiple Sonos gadgets in a single household can be connected to each other wirelessly, through a wired Ethernet network, or a mixture of both. Wireless connectivity includes Bluetooth, WiFi, and LAN network for Internet connectivity.
Wired connections include HDMI for connecting to TVs and Ethernet connection to connect to multiple devices. Sonos devices can also be connected using Alexa, Siri, Google Assistant, or Snips SAS.
Sonos gadgets can be connected to any device with Bluetooth or WiFi connection such as your smartphones, digital TVs, and other Sonos devices over the same network.
Sonance Connectivity Options
Sonance devices have several connectivity options available, whether you prefer wired or wireless options. These include Bluetooth, USB, WiFi, and several other options.
Power Range
Sonos Power Range
Sonos devices have different power ranges depending on the device’s performance. An average Sonos speaker consumes from 55 Watts to 125 Watts per channel.
Most Sonos devices do not have power buttons but have an idle/standby mode, consuming from 4-8 Watts in this standby mode.
All the information on the power range of a device is included in the product manual, so you can get information on the power range for your particular device.
Sonance Power Range
Sonance devices are quite loud, but the power output can still be improved using amplifiers. The Sonance VP48 has a maximum power of 100W compared to the Sonance DSP amplifier which peaks at 200W. Most of their devices are typically in the 5W to 400W range.
Frequency Response
Sonos Frequency Response
Sonos speakers have pleasing frequency ranges to suit the various types of usage scenarios. The Sonos five, for example, has a -3 dB bass response frequency of 88 hertz, which is excellent for a speaker of its size.
Sonance Frequency Response
The frequency response ranges for Sonance devices are wide enough for maximum audio enjoyment. The VP42 in-wall speaker has a frequency response range from 60Hz – 20KHz. Most Sonance devices lie within the ranges of 5Hz to 50KHz which is pretty impressive.
Conclusion
Sonos is a company that’s dedicated to manufacturing products with premium quality for a decent price. Their products have a wide range of features to suit each person’s needs. As said above, Sonos is a company that produces devices that give good value for money. Sonance is a brand for those who want excellent performance but do not want to alter the look of their home layout. There’s also a wide range of prices to choose from.