I'm planning on a whole house music system, but I doubt the SONOS has the versatility I need. Hopefully someone can help with my questions, because the SONOS website is too much of an overview and not in-depth enough.

If my music files are sitting on a computer, how does the SONOS play five different songs to each of five different zones without causing the computer to slow down and choke? How does SONOS do this with a cheap NAS box?

If I have a 768kb Internet connection, how many songs can be played from Internet radio stations before it bogs down? 3, 5, 100?

Can the SONOS go over five zones? Their Sonos Configurator stops at five zones.

If I get iPod touches, as controllers, can the SONOS pull the music directly off the iPod touch? Does it see it as a networked music storage system?

Can the SONOS switch to a hifi unit? For example, turn on my CD player and switch to that?

Can any of the SONOS controllers have macro settings to turn on/off all equipment at one time (including A/V receivers)? Basically - does SONOS offer an accessory like an RF/IR blaster?

If my music files are sitting on a computer, how does the SONOS play five different songs to each of five different zones without causing the computer to slow down and choke? How does SONOS do this with a cheap NAS box?
it does it very nicely... music is nothing... a couple Kbs per song... even a cheap nas can do Mbs... non issue...

If I have a 768kb Internet connection, how many songs can be played from Internet radio stations before it bogs down? 3, 5, 100?
just do the math... figure out what a song takes, and divide 768 by that...

Can the SONOS go over five zones? Their Sonos Configurator stops at five zones.
I think its either 32 or 64 zones.. I have 7 or 8


If I get iPod touches, as controllers, can the SONOS pull the music directly off the iPod touch? Does it see it as a networked music storage system?
no clue, can it be accessed just like a hard drive/nas?

Can the SONOS switch to a hifi unit? For example, turn on my CD player and switch to that?

Can any of the SONOS controllers have macro settings to turn on/off all equipment at one time (including A/V receivers)? Basically - does SONOS offer an accessory like an RF/IR blaster?
nope, not on its own...
be nice if it could though...

I'm planning on a whole house music system, but I doubt the SONOS has the versatility I need. Hopefully someone can help with my questions, because the SONOS website is too much of an overview and not in-depth enough.

If my music files are sitting on a computer, how does the SONOS play five different songs to each of five different zones without causing the computer to slow down and choke? How does SONOS do this with a cheap NAS box?


Any hard disk can handle multiple streams of even full bitrate audio. If it can stream HD video, it can easily handle audio.


If I have a 768kb Internet connection, how many songs can be played from Internet radio stations before it bogs down? 3, 5, 100?


THeoretically, at 128k, you could stream 6. if there is no other network traffic. In reality, it will be less.


Can the SONOS go over five zones? Their Sonos Configurator stops at five zones.


32 Players/Bridges total. 32 contollers (Sonos/Desktop/iPhone) total.


If I get iPod touches, as controllers, can the SONOS pull the music directly off the iPod touch? Does it see it as a networked music storage system?


No, the iPod Touch is not made to be storage. You can't even stream from it using Apple's Remote application. You could use the analog output as input for Sonos' Line-in connections.



Can the SONOS switch to a hifi unit? For example, turn on my CD player and switch to that?


No. You would need a separate remote for that. No current streamers can do this.



Can any of the SONOS controllers have macro settings to turn on/off all equipment at one time (including A/V receivers)? Basically - does SONOS offer an accessory like an RF/IR blaster?

It has no universal remote functions and no RF/IR blaster.