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The ZonePlayer 80: A lower-priced option for Sonos fans

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  • Article Discussions
  • Wireless
  • Audio
  • Tom's Guide
Last response: in Tom's Guide
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May 23, 2006 1:28:56 PM

Sonos takes a great product and makes it more affordable. Reviewer Jim Buzbee has finally found a wireless audio player that he will be sorry to part with.

More about : zoneplayer lower priced option sonos fans

May 23, 2006 3:12:15 PM

I noticed Jim mentioned that he could not play the DRM-protected files he downloaded through the iTunes Music Store - has Jim been told about programs that can remove the DRM protections?
May 23, 2006 7:43:49 PM

Pretty expensive though. One thing that was initially wrong in the article but corrected later this afternoon is that the system of two Z80's and a controller will set you back £780!

Z80's are £270, Z100's (with inbuilt speakers) £370. and a controller is £310!

Thats not cheap when a Netgear MP101 only costs £50. Now there's no colour controller but you have 3 lines of text and it does the job.
http://www.netgear.com/products/details/MP101.php
May 23, 2006 9:15:06 PM

Yes. It looks like Sonos is paying attention to why iPods rule. I have never been a big Apple dude, but I bought technically superior 20 gb Lyra video mp4 playera few years ago when the 20gb monochrome ipod was all the rage. I was so proud. But when it came around to acutally using it, the interface sucked. There is no other way to put. I bought yet another non apple player and it was the same, deal. Cumbersome & slow to use - changes songs, find stuff etc. I eventually caved in and bought a mini iPod (small & pink for my wife). Its the bomb, and from a users perspective far superior, even though it wouldn't appear so on paper.

All I REALLY cared about was 1) did it play the song & 2) how easy was it to play it. Everything else is secondary.

I think the point missed by GLB is that this is the first product of its kind that has a user intterface good enough that you don't wish you had the pc. If you don't need to browse the library, than the netgear is fine - sure. But who has 60gb of music and doesn't ever want to browse for a song?

I may just buy one of these....
May 24, 2006 8:13:02 AM

Don't get me wrong, I've had my eye on a sonos system for a while. As far as wireless music streaming goes it's the best. I'm just not rich enough to be able to drop the best part of a grand when for a couple of hundred i can get music wirelessly to other rooms (albeit a little restricted).

There's also the Squeezebox 3 that's a little cheaper the Sonos that's pretty good too. Wasn't looking to put down the Sonos system, just offering alternatives for people who might read the article and really want to have this setup, but not mind going without a contoller
June 30, 2006 6:42:48 PM

I have an IPod shuffle & the Sonos System.
I keep all my ITunes songs on my Ipod and leave it in the family room with the ZP80. If I want to listen to those songs, I just switch to the audio input and control the ZP80 from the IPod. It would be SO much nicer if the ZP80 could play these to begin with, but I think it is worth the money anyways.
September 19, 2010 3:22:46 PM

This topic has been closed by Reynod
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