Done albeit it was the Gold and it was pretty damn good. Listened to both two and one alone and one alone is great sound but at that price point I do want stereo. The upper register range is lost on me and my aging ears anyway. While the cost of one of these is something I can see spending, two of these things not an expense I can rationalize away. And later in the day I stopped at a Best Buy. I couldn’t listen to two Play:5s paired as stereo but even the Soundbar with the subwoofer was really impressive, and two Play:5s with a sub is still below a single Phantom. The ecosystem/support argument is also very cogent.
Nice to hear that the Devialet delivers good sound. Guess you need to figure out what you want to buy, I don’t think you’ll go wrong either way.
Okay. So I realized that the very highest notes are lost on me anyway by this point in my life. Which leaves me wanting to be sure I can feel the lows. My current plan is to start with two Play:5s paired in vertical position in stereo and see if that is good enough, with the option of adding a sub. Other rooms and the kitchen end of the one big room may get some combination of Echos or Sonos Ones and/or Play:Ones. Both to be able to just listen to news and podcasts in the kitchen while cooking and to be able to vocally control the system from there, and at least something for news and podcasts in the bathroom - my wife likes long showers.
My additional question is about locating the sub if I go that route. It is not a big box really but floor space is still quite valuable when downsizing. Again complete main space is 15.5 ft wide and 32 ft long with the front being floor to ceiling windows 14 ft high and 12 ft high ceilings at the other end, the kitchen area. Not exactly sure of the precise transition point. In between is an island and room for a narrowish dining room table. We may eventually put in shelving for books etc. - would placing a sub on the top of such shelving towards on corner of the room (still plenty of air volume above it and the shelf of course below) be acoustically stupid? Mind you I am not sure I’ll end up feeling the Play:5 pair needs the sub, but thinking ahead. I am reading that a pair of Play:5s will do the lows pretty well but that a sub gives more of the physical feel of the lows and subtly helps the sound become while still stereophonically precise a bit more “immersive.” But again I’m not a real audiophile.
I think it would need to be a substantial and solid shelf, otherwise the sub will cause all sorts of unwanted vibration and noise. Subs are usually fairly heavy and intended to be set on the floor.
The Sonos sub relatively not so massive. 15.3 x 15.8 x 6.2" and 36.3#. The built-ins, if we do them, would not be Ikea quality but cabinet grade. Still while I was wondering about the acoustic impact of having a sub up high albeit with volume still above it, the vibration within the shelving unit could be an issue. I can imagine some valued tchotchkie vibrating off the shelf and breaking!