Sonos CR200 Multiroom Music System Controller

With the good exchange rate between the US$ and the A$ this is a bargain at A$420 delivered compared to A$699 in the shops in Australia.

Even though I could get the same functionality with an iPod the convenience of a dedicated controller is great for my house.

Wow, a neat update to the classic Sonos controller. Nice touch screen interface. Faster, more convenient than the iTouch or iPhone option, but clearly this is costs $$ while the iTouch is free (if you own one). Meets all the standard criteria for Sonos products - easy set up, nice user interface. Touch screen a dream. Appears to have added views compared to iTouch. Found it easier to use Pandora and internet radio than old controller. Nice to have replaceable battery but battery does appear to be special order from Sonos - probably pricey. Recommended if you want an upgrade but clearly a product that will keep the sonos product line current as other competitors introduce music systems. Fully satisfied. Would do a gain.

Been using my CR200 for about 3 weeks and it has been a joy.

Compared to the original CR100 (which itself seemed fabulous when first received) the CR200 is from a different planet. It's much smaller, lighter, and the screen is bigger and brighter. I am not sure I would pay to upgrade for those benefits alone however.

The real advance is in the search functionality. Gone is the ipod style scroll-wheel with the tedious onscreen keyboard and in is a full touch sensitive on screen keyboard. Once you get used to it (it takes a little practice) the difference is night and day. If you have a large music collection, or especially if you use Napster or Rhapsody, searching using the CR200 is a joyous experience. Not only is the input vastly quicker now that you can type, but the search itself is predictive such that when you type "depe", for example, Depeche Mode will already be on screen vying for your attention with DePedro. The combination of vastly faster typing combined with the improved search makes the search experience on the old CR100 feel like wading through cement in comparison.

Rhapsody plus the CR200 really is a wondrous thing, it really makes searching for music a joyful experience. I frequently have to stop myself squealing with delight.

So, if the CR200 vs. CR100 = a no brainer, how about vs. an iPod touch or iPhone? My experience using the Ipod application is limited to about 5 minutes. My reasons for preferring the CR200 were twofold: 1. I really value the speed of the search experience - having to wake up my iPod, load the app etc was a trifle unappealing. Furthermore, I have a big house with lots of sonos players in far flung corners (like the basement) and I really wanted my remote to work on the Sonos Mesh as opposed to wifi (which the iPod uses). These are perhaps not big reasons, and if you already have a suitable touch or iPhone it may well not be worth the upgrade. As irrational as it may be though, I just wanted a device built from the ground up for Sonos rather than an apple product I could dumb down to do (almost) as good a job.

Everything was quite satisfactory, I love the device. I have one quibble. I had to phone the company in order to find out when the device was shipped and what the tracking number was. There should have been and automatic email when it was shipped.

Never thought I'd say a $300+ item is better than a free alternative, but I'm saying it now. The CR200 is so much better than the iPhone app.