Sonos Play:5 Gen 2From real comments

Name: Sonos Play:5 Gen 2
Rating: 3 (6 reviews)

Verdict distilled from 6 mentions across 6 aspects in comments under product review videos.

Positive sentiment50%

PROS 50%

CONS 50%

Rank based on 6 mentions across 6 aspects

View the verdict as

Buy this if...

You want a speaker that adapts sound automatically to vertical or horizontal placement
You're building a multi-speaker Sonos home theater setup with Playbar and sub
You're choosing between Gen 1 and Gen 2 and want the newer model

What users love

Orientation-adaptive sound0 mentions

Widely praised

Preferred over Gen 10 mentions

Generally positive

Enables multi-room home theater setups0 mentions

Widely praised

Skip this if...

You need a headphone line-out jack, which Gen 2 removed
You're sensitive to bass dropping out at high volume
You're unsure how many units you need for a large room and want simpler single-speaker setup

What users complain about

No headphone line-out jack0 mentions

Generally negative

Possible bass cutout at high volume0 mentions

Generally negative

Unclear guidance on how many units are needed0 mentions

Mildly negative

Compare in seconds

Based on user comments

Best choice

1Upper

Sonos Era 300~$449 · similar price

Excellent Atmos surround performanceSeamless Sonos ecosystem and ease of useStrong stereo pair sound qualityDisabled front driver in surround modeHigh priceInconsistent or disjointed sound for some listeners

Sonos Era 300~$449 · similar price

Excellent Atmos surround performance

Seamless Sonos ecosystem and ease of use

Strong stereo pair sound quality

Disabled front driver in surround mode

High price

Inconsistent or disjointed sound for some listeners

Best value

2Upper

Apple HomePod~$349 · 1.4× cheaper

Great home theater/TV speaker setupExcellent sound qualityStrong value when discountedHigh retail priceWeak Siri assistantHardware reliability issues

Apple HomePod~$349 · 1.4× cheaper

Great home theater/TV speaker setup

Excellent sound quality

Strong value when discounted

High retail price

Weak Siri assistant

Hardware reliability issues

3Premium

Denon Home 250~$499 · similar price

Impressive sound for its sizeProximity-sensing touch controlsStrong wireless stereo pairing experienceAudio-video lag when watching video

Denon Home 250~$499 · similar price

Impressive sound for its size

Proximity-sensing touch controls

Strong wireless stereo pairing experience

Audio-video lag when watching video

4Upper

Sonos Play:3~$299 · 1.7× cheaper

Strong sound qualityReliable multi-room integrationGreat resale value and bargainsDifficult setup and factory resetMono confusion in single-unit modeSupport and reliability concerns

Sonos Play:3~$299 · 1.7× cheaper

Strong sound quality

Reliable multi-room integration

Great resale value and bargains

Difficult setup and factory reset

Mono confusion in single-unit mode

Support and reliability concerns

5Upper

Google Home Max~$399 · 1.3× cheaper

Great Value When DiscountedPowerful Bass and Sound QualityVoice-Activated Bluetooth PairingNot True Audiophile SoundHigh Launch PriceAudio Latency with TV/Bluetooth

Google Home Max~$399 · 1.3× cheaper

Great Value When Discounted

Powerful Bass and Sound Quality

Voice-Activated Bluetooth Pairing

Not True Audiophile Sound

High Launch Price

Audio Latency with TV/Bluetooth

6Mid

Bose Home Speaker 300~$259 · 1.9× cheaper

Clear, high-quality soundCompact size vs Home Speaker 500Good value for moneyNot portable, requires constant powerButton/control malfunctionsLower volume than larger model

Bose Home Speaker 300~$259 · 1.9× cheaper

Clear, high-quality sound

Compact size vs Home Speaker 500

Good value for money

Not portable, requires constant power

Button/control malfunctions

Lower volume than larger model

7Upper

Apple HomePod 2nd Generation~$299 · 1.7× cheaper

Excellent Sound QualityStereo Pairing ExcellenceProduct Continuation SurpriseNo Bluetooth or Aux PortNo Spotify or Streaming Service SupportLimited Home Theater Flexibility

Apple HomePod 2nd Generation~$299 · 1.7× cheaper

Excellent Sound Quality

Stereo Pairing Excellence

Product Continuation Surprise

No Bluetooth or Aux Port

No Spotify or Streaming Service Support

Limited Home Theater Flexibility

You are here

8Premium

Sonos Play:5 Gen 2~$499

Enables multi-room home theater setupsOrientation-adaptive soundPreferred over Gen 1No headphone line-out jackPossible bass cutout at high volumeUnclear guidance on how many units are needed

Sonos Play:5 Gen 2~$499

Enables multi-room home theater setups

Orientation-adaptive sound

Preferred over Gen 1

No headphone line-out jack

Possible bass cutout at high volume

Unclear guidance on how many units are needed

9Upper

Sonos Play:5~$399 · 1.3× cheaper

Rich, Powerful SoundImpressive Stereo PairingWired Connection OptionsNo Direct Bluetooth StreamingFrustrating App SetupLimited App Support (No YouTube)

Sonos Play:5~$399 · 1.3× cheaper

Rich, Powerful Sound

Impressive Stereo Pairing

Wired Connection Options

No Direct Bluetooth Streaming

Frustrating App Setup

Limited App Support (No YouTube)

10Upper

JBL Link 500~$399 · 1.3× cheaper

Attractive Design with Carry HandleFrequent DiscountsSmooth, Quality BassNo 3.5mm Aux or Mic InputSetup and Connectivity ProblemsBass Overshadows Mids and Highs

JBL Link 500~$399 · 1.3× cheaper

Attractive Design with Carry Handle

Frequent Discounts

Smooth, Quality Bass

No 3.5mm Aux or Mic Input

Setup and Connectivity Problems

Bass Overshadows Mids and Highs

Sound quality
1. Apple HomePodarrow_upward9
2. Sonos Play:3arrow_upward7
3. Sonos Play:5arrow_upward7
Value for money
1. Google Home Maxarrow_upward13
2. Sonos Era 300arrow_upward4
Setup difficulty
1. Sonos Play:5arrow_downward5
2. Sonos Play:3arrow_downward9
No bluetooth
1. Apple HomePod 2nd Generationarrow_downward2
2. Sonos Play:5arrow_downward8
Price
1. Apple HomePodarrow_downward3
2. Sonos Play:5arrow_downward4
Stereo pairing
1. Apple HomePodarrow_upward5
2. Apple HomePod 2nd Generationarrow_upward2

Overall Impression

The Gen 2 automatically adjusts its sound based on orientation. A commenter corrected a reviewer for treating vertical and horizontal placement as sonically identical, explaining that the Gen 2 actually changes its sound signature via a built-in accelerometer depending on how the speaker is oriented. This suggests the speaker is more sophisticated in adapting to placement than it might first appear, a detail easy to miss without close inspection.

Some users worry about bass behavior at higher volumes. One commenter with an IKEA/Sonos collaboration speaker liked the sound overall but noticed the bass seemed to cut out when turning the volume up during exciting songs. They asked directly whether the Play:5 Gen 2 has the same limitation before deciding to buy one, indicating this is a real concern potential buyers have about loud playback performance.

Gen 2 dropped the headphone line-out jack found on Gen 1. A detailed comment clarified that the Gen 1 Play:5 had two 3.5mm jacks, but Sonos removed the headphone line-out on Gen 2, leaving only line-in functionality. The commenter linked to official Sonos documentation to support this, correcting a reviewer's terminology and highlighting a real hardware change buyers should know about.

Outdated / Not-accurate data?

speedOrientation-adaptive sound

1 mentions

Widely praised

The Gen 2 uses a built-in accelerometer to automatically change its sound signature based on whether it's placed vertically or horizontally, rather than simply changing appearance. This is a meaningful technical feature that differentiates it from earlier assumptions about the product.

@dheerajjadhav12

Just saw your review.I believe you should study more of the products you review.Period.When you described about the vertical and horizontal positioning of the Sonos play 5 Gen 2, you mentioned(compared) the surface of both speakers.The truth is that , Gen 2 changes its sound signature according to the orientation via an accelerometer.Its not simply placing horizontal or vertical./

smart_display

April 29, 2019

check_circlePreferred over Gen 1

1 mentions

Generally positive

At least one commenter decided the Gen 2 was the better choice over the Gen 1 after watching the review, suggesting an overall upgrade in value or performance.

@aikjones1

Thanks for this... wanted to see if it was worth buying the Gen 1 but I guess its best to settle for a Gen 2

smart_display

August 12, 2020

speakerEnables multi-room home theater setups

1 mentions

Widely praised

A user describes owning one Play:5 and planning to add more speakers, a Playbar, and a subwoofer to build out a larger smart TV audio system, showing the product's appeal as part of an expandable ecosystem.

@lstruggy

So if I have ply5 what do u recommend nxt another play5 or playbar? My rooms small I plan to get a large smart tv later on prolly end of 2017 but for now I've invested on one play5 (love it!) but curious to hear two play 5s for that hifi separation sound! 🔊🔊🔊 Now having said that I also plan to buy a playbar but unsure which speaker to get nxt 🤔 my dream scenario is a 65\" smart tv, a playbar, sub & two play5s.

smart_display

January 1, 2017

headset_offNo headphone line-out jack

1 mentions

Generally negative

Unlike the Gen 1, which had two 3.5mm jacks, the Gen 2 removed the headphone line-out, leaving only a line-in port. This is a hardware downgrade some buyers may not expect.

@dimi3fromBelgium

05:06/7:35 don't call it a 'headphone' line-in. A headphone line-out jack is not present anymore on the gen. 2 Play 5. The gen. 1 Play 5 had two 3.5 mm jacks: see https://www.sonos.com/documents/productguides/en/play5guide_EN.pdf, on page 5 (7/23). But you are right, see also https://sonos.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/1091/~/using-line-in-on-sonos

smart_display

March 17, 2016

warningPossible bass cutout at high volume

1 mentions

Generally negative

A user of a related IKEA/Sonos speaker reported the bass seeming to cut out when turning the volume up on certain exciting songs, raising a question about whether the Play:5 Gen 2 shares this issue.

@handsup2

Great video .. does the bass cut out as it gets louder ? . I got the ikea/sonos for a give .. it sounds really good but . I get excited on some songs. So, me turning it up cuts the bass our..😢.. if this doesn't.. im getting it .. and gift 🎁 the ikea one to someone

smart_display

June 4, 2023

help_outlineUnclear guidance on how many units are needed

1 mentions

Mildly negative

Users with larger rooms (350 sq ft) or specific listening preferences like loud heavy metal music are uncertain how many Play:5 units they need, indicating a lack of clear sizing guidance for bigger spaces.

@evil_morty4670

My room is like 350 sq ft in area and I really want to know how many sonos play 5 should i buy for it as I like to play my music loud(heavy metal)

smart_display

February 26, 2018

Sonos Play:5 Gen 2chat_bubble_outlineFrom real comments

thumb_up_off_altBuy this if...

What users lovefavorite_border

thumb_down_off_altSkip this if...

What users complain aboutheart_broken

Compare in seconds

Who wins on what (similar price)

Sound quality

Value for money

Setup difficulty

No bluetooth

Price

Stereo pairing

auto_awesomeOverall Impression

Sonos Play:5 Gen 2From real comments

Buy this if...

What users love

Skip this if...

What users complain about

Overall Impression