{Photograph}: Sonos
Hello-Res Audio? Perhaps Not
Regardless of Sonos’ efforts to maintain the Transfer 2’s technical specification underneath wraps, it’s doable to tease out a element or two throughout the course of an prolonged pay attention. As an example, utilizing Apple gear to stream to the Sonos (an iPhone 14 Professional and a MacBook Professional operating Colibri software program) means utilizing AirPlay 2—and the Transfer 2 is very happy to take receipt of lossless audio recordsdata. However there’s no method of realizing the decision they find yourself without delay the Sonos DAC has completed its factor, in fact.
Switching to Bluetooth streaming from an Android Nothing Cellphone (2), although, reveals that the Transfer 2 is appropriate solely with the bog-standard SBC and AAC codecs—so regardless of the very fact the Cellphone (2) is able to hand over audio recordsdata utilizing the higher-resolution aptX HD, LDAC, or LHDC codecs, the Sonos just isn’t ready to just accept them. So is that this, in actual fact, a high-resolution audio system? It appears unlikely, and Sonos simply isn’t saying.
In any case, the technical specs don’t let you know as a lot a few speaker’s efficiency as sitting down and listening to it does. And whereas Sonos has made issues troublesome for the Transfer 2 in numerous methods (its measurement, its weight, and its price, to call just a few), there’s no query that this can be a speaker that by no means sounds lower than good, and in the fitting circumstances it may well sound superb certainly.
Should you’re listening indoors, be sure that loudness is switched off within the management app earlier than Trueplay does its factor. (Indoors, it makes the speaker sound muscle-bound and plodding; outdoors, the shortage of bodily boundaries makes loudness a good suggestion). And that’s in regards to the extent of the preparation that’s required. After that, simply stream your favourite tunes utilizing your most popular technique, and the Transfer 2 has plenty of pertinent observations to make about them.
Convincing, Unified Sound
From the antiquated charms of Fanny’s “Hey Bulldog” as a Bluetooth stream by way of TIDAL to the marginally extra up to date attract of “Two Weeks” by FKA Twigs delivered as a hi-res file by way of the laptop computer, the Sonos is an observant, detailed, and periodically fairly insightful pay attention. It retains an in depth eye on the minor and transient occurrences in a recording, giving them acceptable weight and context—and because of this, you by no means really feel as in case you’re lacking out on any important info.
Tonality is convincing from the highest of the frequency vary to the underside, with a pleasant evenhandedness that makes the Transfer 2 sound unified slightly than a group of a number of particular person elements. There’s substance to enrich the chunk and shine on the high of the frequency vary, good management of the underside finish (so long as the loudness management guidelines have been noticed), in order that rhythmic expression is naturalistic and convincing, and a correct diploma of perception and understanding by way of the midrange. Regardless of how achieved (or in any other case) a vocalist could be, the Sonos grants them a stack of character and expression—so even FKA Twigs’ whispered and muttered imprecations are disclosed in full.
