Get yourself down to Besser Space this weekend (Saturday June 2 -Sunday June 3) to pick one up.
As lovers of music, how we listen is integral in the experience. Be it the thunderous, all-consuming roar of a live performance or the sharp, pristine notes of an original pressed vinyl, the sheer quality and medium through which a sound is produced can hold a monumental impact. That’s exactly the effect Sonos have achieved with Sonos One: the smart speaker for music lovers.
In 2002, Sonos hit the scene with a simple mission, to fill homes with music. Since then, the company have been purveyors of sound through the introduction of forward-thinking technology which has repeatedly brought music lovers closer to the future, one product at a time. Enter Sonos One.
Sonos One is your personal assistant and DJ – a smart speaker with Amazon Alexa inbuilt so you can soundtrack your life without lifting a finger. Say you are listening to your trusty morning playlist in the shower and your favourite song comes on but it’s not quite loud enough – now you no longer have to miss a beat. Thanks to Sonos One’s voice control, all you have to say is “Alexa, turn up the volume,” and you’re sorted. It’s humidity resistant too, meaning you can pop it on the basin and curate your own private bathroom concert – steam and all.
It’s not all just bells and whistles either, while ensuring to stick with their mission of filling homes with music in the most practical manner, Sonos take sound quality seriously. So, while the Sonos One may be compact, sonically it packs a punch. Driven by two Class-D digital amplifiers, a mid-woofer to produce those shuddering bass lines and a tweeter capturing crisp high notes, the speaker itself is all about performance.
This combination of sound quality and innovative technology is something Sonos pride themselves on, and to show they are serious about the future of sound, they’ll be offering 200 free Sonos One speakers with their very first Dumb Speaker Amnesty, which will take place on Saturday June 2 and Sunday June 3 in Melbourne. The Dumb Speaker Amnesty means that attendees can trade in their old sound systems for a free Sonos One. The old speakers will then be upcycled with the help of street artist Georgia Rose who will use them to create a sublime sculpture.
Fellow artist and Melbourne local Carla McRae will also play a prominent role in the event, having already created a series of street murals dedicated to Sonos which will be on display at the event. McRae will also create an original artwork live in the studio which will be auctioned off on Sunday with all proceeds donated to The Song Room, a not-for-profit organisation providing music education to disadvantaged young people.
Of course, it would be counterintuitive to host an event for audio equipment without live music, so Sydney DJs Human Movement have curated a special playlist for the event which will cap off the celebrations. If all that doesn’t’ swing you, Sonos will make braving the cool weather worth your while with a free cup of joe and a stack of vouchers up for grabs. If you’re planning to trade in your dumb old speaker, be sure to head down early as the freebie only extends to the first 200 customers.
While dropping the needle on your favourite record holds a ritualistic magic unlike any other at-home listening experience, it’s no secret that we’re fast moving towards a predominantly hands-free way of life within the digital world, which is where most of us do the majority of our music listening. Scrolling through your iTunes library or typing out band names like King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard when you want to find a specific track is something of a chore or a distraction when you are multi-tasking, as we often are in this age. Sonos One wants to be in the kitchen with us while we’re cooking dinner with our hands covered in crumbs, in the bathroom as we wash the dirt and grime off our little ones’ hands and knees and neatly tucked on a shelf while we sit around enjoying time with friends and family. It’s in these moments where convenience is key and the ability to verbally request a song without straying from the task at hand or leaving the moment to press play is valued. Sonos value the way we consume music and finding ways they can better the experience is what they’re all about.
At this point, you may be wondering what sets the Sonos One apart from other smart devices. Aside from its ability to connect with Amazon Music, iTunes, Spotify, and over 80 other streaming services, its quality sound production, voice activation and aesthetic value, Sonos One can be controlled from any room within the house using the Sonos app. It will cleverly detect your voice through its six microphone setup so you don’t have to yell over the music to be heard and, most importantly, it was engineered to benefit the way that real people live and listen to music in their day to day lives.
If you’re still not sold, head to the Sonos One Dumb Speaker Amnesty to hear it for yourself; at the very least you’ll get a few freebies and enjoy an afternoon of live music and local art.
Sonos One will star at their Dumb Amnesty event on Saturday June 2 (10am-4pm) and Sunday June 3 (11am-3pm) at Besser Space, 15-25 Keele St, Collingwood.
