Sonos Playable Lifestyle PhotoWhile you may have come to know Sonos as a brand that provides wireless speakers for whole-home, or single-room, music listening, the company also has speakers that serve as companions for TVs-namely the Playbar and now, the Sonos Playbase.

The Sonos Playbase and Playbar Compared

Both the Sonos Playbase and the Sonos Playbar are meant for placement with a big screen TV. But the new Playbase is aimed squarely at those folks who choose to set a TV on a piece of furniture instead of mounting it on the wall.

While wall-mounting a TV might be the ideal scenario for some (this is what I’ve done, for example, in my bedroom and in our theatre room in the basement), and thus is the perfect Sonos Playbase with Televisionfit for the Playbar, some setups are more conducive to letting the TV sit flat. For example, in our living room, the television sits nicely atop a piece of decorative furniture that adds to the look of the room. Those who rent their residences and are not permitted to mount a TV to the wall, or who have large, open viewing spaces where a wall-mounted TV might seem too minimalist, or might situate the TV too far from your ideal viewing location, may also prefer to sit the TV flat on a stand. The Sonos Playbase complements this setup nicely.

What is the Sonos Playbase?

Measuring a super-thin 58mm in height, the Sonos Playbase has no visible seams, and more than 43,000 holes on its top surface that make up the acoustically-transparent grill. The exterior is designed using glass-filled polycarbonate, which can help minimize Sonos Playbase Blackvibrations in audio playback. And it comes in either black or white to suit your theatre setup and room decor.

Position the Playbase discreetly under your TV, connecting it via just two wires (power and optical to the TV), and it will provide booming sound from its 10 drivers, each with dedicated amplifiers, including six mid-range, three tweeters, and one woofer, to accompany video playback, like television shows, movies, or sporting events. Or, simply use it with the rest of your Sonos speakers as another speaker in the home for music listening–it can connect with your entire Sonos system wirelessly. Just as with other Sonos speakers, you can listen to music from more than 80 streaming services directly from the device.

Why get the Sonos Playbase?

If you’ve been settling for sound from your TV’s built-in speakers, chances are you’ve realized by now that it’s simply not good enough. The Playbase provides a step-up in Sonos Playbase Whitesound, offering a wider sound stage for your listening pleasure.

Plus, you can tweak the audio to your liking, and to accommodate the acoustics in the room itself using Trueplay software and the Sonos app. It will analyze the room parameters, accounting for every variable to ensure you get great sound.

You can also use the app to do things like activate Dialogue Enhancement to enhance the clarity of voices (ever struggle to hear what a character is saying, but jump at the loudness of the background music in a show?) and Night Mode, which will tone down the bass when you’re watching action movies downstairs while the kids are fast asleep upstairs in their beds.

Check out the Sonos Playbase at Best Buy Online

Christine Persaud
With 20+ years of experience in trade and consumer tech journalism, I have covered the tech space since before social media was a "thing" and the smartphone as we know it was even invented. Writing for various technology, lifestyle, and entertainment sites, I have covered and reviewed hundreds of tech products, from home appliances to wearables, fitness tech to headphones, TV entertainment products and services, and more. I'm also a passionate foodie who loves to cook and bake, a TV show fanatic (happy to give what to watch recommendations!), and proud mother to a 12-year-old son.

3 COMMENTS

  1. The article is indeed wrong! Sonos makes a bit point of the fact that none of its products uses Bluetooth. The signals come from home Wi-Fi, which provides superior sound and flexibility. If you want real hi-fi sound in your home this is your ticket!

    While on the subject of the article, what about a review of the Playbase — I’d be interested in a comparison of the sound quality compared to the Sonos Playbar.

    • I tried them both out with several kinds of music and they’re both excellent! My sister prefers the playbase and I think they’re both so close you can’t really tell the difference.

  2. I didn’t think Sonos was Bluetooth controlled. I believe it operates over your home wifi. Based on all of their ads and value…It eliminates the annoying notification sounds from devices and provides incredible uninterrupted sound.

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