Onkyo earns ‘Works with Sonos’ certification

Onkyo is the latest partner to join the Sonos-certified integration program.  Simply put, if you own a compatible Onkyo, Integra, Pioneer or Pioneer Elite network receiver, plus a Sonos Connect, you’ll be able to have the two work together seamlessly.  When you open the Sonos app, hit ‘play’ on the zone where the Connect is, it will automatically turn on the receiver, switch the input and start playing the music you selected.

A free firmware update will go out on June 6th.  To learn more or see what receivers are compatible (shared June 6th), please check out this link.

Listening: New album release by Emily Hurd

Emily Hurd's new album, Backbone, is out now. Emily has been hard at work, completely gutting and building her new restaurant, The Norwegian. Kids, career, family and countless remodeling 'issues' have slowed progress in opening The Norwegian. However Emily has learned a lot about herself and developed an even stronger backbone. You can purchase her new album here https://emilyhurd.com/music

Emily was also recently interviewed by Jason Todd and Alex Gary at Thinker Ventures podcast studio in downtown Rockford, IL. Have a listen as Emily talks about life, family, and her music. Click on this link to stream from the Thinker website. Or listen to it on the Apple and Android podcast stores. Enjoy.  https://thinkerventures.com/podcast/seeing-finish-line-emily-hurd/

Grado headphones

I've been asked by several people lately to recommend headphones under $100 for home listening. I recommend any models from Grado Labs. They perform well, look good and their open air design allows for a much better, airier sound.

Forget, earbuds. They are crap. Get a cool set of cans from Grado Labs...another benefit- the company is based in New York and they still manufacturer their products there. Family owned for decades and some of their higher end headphones are still built by hand. 

You gotta love their retro look too. 🎧

Sonos product announcement regarding Spotify

We are reaching out to our customers in regards to a recent update Sonos rolled out in early December, 2016. Sonos software release 7.0 included some improvements that Spotify has made to the music experience on Sonos that has resulted in better reliability and will ensure the best listening experience moving forward. These improvements include the exciting launch of full control of Sonos from the Spotify app. 

The majority of Sonos owners who use Spotify have already successfully updated their system to 7.0 or higher. However, we wanted to give you a heads-up that beginning February 28th, 2017, Spotify users on Sonos who do not update to the latest Sonos software 7.0 or higher will no longer be able to use Spotify on their Sonos. This change could impact any unauthorized Sonos integrations in terms of Spotify functioning on those systems. Endorsed partner integrations that have updated to Sonos software 7.0 or higher will not be impacted. 

Any Sonos owner who has already updated their system to Sonos software 7.0 or higher is not impacted by this, but we wanted to communicate with you in advance so you can help all of your customers update to the latest Sonos software to ensure they can continue enjoy listening to Spotify on their Sonos. 

Here is a link to the full release notes of Sonos software 7.0

Thanks-
Doug

Fine Tune your Sonos Playbar with Trueplay




Just a reminder– you can now use Trueplay speaker tuning to make your movies and games sound even more amazing.
Be sure to installed Sonos' 7.0 software update.  

The new version of Trueplay analyzes where your PLAYBAR sits in relation to your favorite viewing spot. Then it adjusts the timing, EQ and loudness of all nine of your PLAYBAR’s internal speakers to make sure the sound reaches your ears at the right instant and volume. 

A Trueplay-tuned PLAYBAR will make your movies and TV shows feel more immersive and intense. All you need is the latest Sonos 7.0 update, an iPhone or iPad, and about three minutes to spare.

Don’t have a Sonos system or a Sonos Playbar? Call me to discuss how best to add Sonos in your home.

Enjoy-