Sonos finally adds Hi-Res audio through app you probably don’t use
Sonos finally has a music streaming application that is capable of blasting 24-bit Hi-Res audio, on a wide range of its excellent multi-room speakers and sound bars.
The lesser-known Quobuz, a French streaming service, can now send “studio quality” audio to compatible Sonos speakers via the Sonos S2 app. Quboz offers more than 70-million high-res tracks and, through Sonos, will provide 48 kHz/24-bit lossless quality.
Quoboz compatibility beats other services providing Hi-Res audio, including Tidal and Amazon. Spotify is also working on a HD music option due later this year. Quoboz has beaten them all to the punch and could raise its profile among Sonos owners seeking to get their best out their speakers.
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Before today’s announcement, Sonos S2 quality tapped out at CD-quality. In fact, 24-bit tracks wouldn’t play at all. The update applies to S2-compatible speakers like the Sonos One, Sonos Beam and Playbar, as well as those new portable speakers like the Sonos Move and Roam, but older devices will be left behind.
With headphones, speakers and players that support it, the Quoboz Studio Premier plan provides FLAC files streaming at 24-bit and up to 192 kHz. So, Sonos doesn’t offer the full quality via S2, but it’s definitely an improvement. The service costs £14.99 a month, or £149.99 a year if you’re interested.
“Our open platform enables partners to bring the best of their experiences to the Sonos system and our mutual customers,” said Ryan Richards, Director of Product Marketing at Sonos. “Qobuz has been at the forefront of high resolution music streaming, and we look forward to customers enjoying their music with the clarity, depth, and room-filling sound of Sonos.”
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Sonos says more services are coming soon, but did not announce anything today. We’re hopeful that the new Spotify HD service will also be available via the S2 app in due course.
Will the Hi-Res Audio convince you to switch streaming services to Quboz? Let us know @trustedreviews on Twitter.