Your guide to the top wireless speakers to make an awesome multi-room system
It’s hard to believe now, but there was a time when your only realistic choice was Sonos if you wanted a top wireless multi-room audio system.
These days though, pretty much any wireless speaker with Wi-Fi can form part of a multi-room audio system… and with Sonos’ recent woes you’d be forgiven for looking for alternatives.
Unless it’s particularly elderly your wireless speaker is almost certain to have compatibility with the likes of Spotify Connect, Amazon Alexa, Google Chromecast, Apple AirPlay 2, DTS Play-Fi or one of the other app, or voice, based control systems.
Once you have more than one, then, it’s then pretty straightforward to set up a multi-room sound system.
However, this ‘Mix-and-match’ doesn’t always work, though; even well-known platform such as Alexa struggles with genuine, seamless, multi-room music.
The desire to have a common aesthetic throughout your home, at least where your multi-room speakers are concerned, is obvious. And if you want unity of appearance, why wouldn’t you want unity of sound too, with absolutely zero lag or syncing issues?
So it is usually best to choose one brand and stick to their own speakers, hence the reason why Sonos have dominated for so long.
But your choice of wireless audio and/or smart speakers is now so wide, it might be tricky to work out exactly which ones are best for you.
It’s straightforward enough to narrow your choices down, though: consider if the speaker supports your favourite streaming service, for example, and think about things like additional physical connectivity you might need, or whether Bluetooth speakers could be an option.
If you’re paying for a top-tier streaming service with hi-res audio content, you’ll want to make sure your systems supports those full-fat files, as well.
And while you’re at it, make sure your favourite voice assistant is supported (if you like to control your system using your voice, of course).
And, most important of all, read this guide to the best-sounding, best-value multi-room speaker systems around, before making any big decisions.
Sonos
Okay, this guide is a look at the best Sonos alternatives but we really do need to consider why the Santa Barbara remains the leader in the space, despite its recent struggles.
There’s ubiquity, and then there’s Sonos. The company got in on the ground floor of multi-room audio, and has expanded its range over time to ensure there’s a Sonos speaker for every eventuality – and that includes home cinema sound as well.
A shrewd collaboration with IKEA a few years back even brought Sonos ownership to an even more competitive price, and its overall range of products has something for everyone.
From the Alexa-or-Google-Assistant equipped Sonos Era 100 and the battery-powered, portable Sonos Roam 2, via the mic-free Five, to the TV-and-cinema-centric Ray, Beam or Arc Ultra, every reasonable requirement is catered for. There’s even the Sonos Amp and Sonos Port for integration into more traditional and serious hi-fi systems.
Set-up is really easy – even if the app has taken a few steps backwards as of late – which is another reason Sonos is so popular. The updated Sonos S2 app, which is now much more stable and logical, helps you through a few short steps to getting your first Sonos speaker up and running, and after that it’s simplicity itself to get music throughout your house (or, at least, into as many rooms as you have Sonos speakers). You can even set up a couple of Sonos speakers as a true stereo pair.
Some of the older Sonos speakers lack the facility to handle audio files above CD-standard 16bit/44.1kHz, but newer releases, such as the Era 300, can handle Ultra HD at 24-bit, up to 192 kHz.
The Sonos system isn’t as welcoming of third-party speakers as some others – although the addition of Apple AIrPlay 2 makes Sonos a little more agnostic than in was before.
Recent Sonos launches such as the Move, Move 2 and Arc Ultra all have Bluetooth, but you won’t find a USB-in socket anywhere in the range. What you will find, though, is a killer combination of ease of use, rock-solid multi-room functionality and very decent sound.
Sonos uses a mesh network on which all the speakers in your home communicate – there will be, in effect, a master speaker nearest to your router, which talks to the nearest speaker, which in turn talks to its nearest speaker… and so on.
So as long as your Sonos speaker is within reach of another Sonos speaker, or a node on your Wi-Fi mesh system, getting (and staying) online is simple, and doesn’t require all the speakers to be in proximity of your router.
Support for all high-profile streaming services is in place, and the Sonos app can also incorporate internet radio, podcast providers, audiobooks, you name it.
There is no rival system with a more comprehensive selection of content providers. You can even access any audio stored on your home network, too. And Sonos has gone to extraordinary lengths to deliver its Trueplay feature.
This basically measures your speaker’s position in its environment and tweaks the audio output accordingly.
In terms of audio quality, the Sonos range has been finessed and improved over time, and each new speaker tends to sound a little fuller a more complete than the previous model. It’s certainly not the last word in sonic quality, but it nevertheless has plenty to recommend it – all but the least expensive Sonos speakers have decent weight, impressive clarity and more than enough detail retrieval to make your music sound lively and entertaining.
Which, after all, is really what it’s all about.
WiiM
WiiM is fast making a name for itself as an affordable and simple way to upgrade your speakers with multi-room streaming capabilities.
WiiM has been described as an affordable option “at a time when multi-room rivals have lost their streaming smarts” – which is obviously a dig at the once undisputed multi-room champion Sonos.
It’s a brand born out of Linkplay Technology, which was founded back in 2014 “by a core team of high caliber technology entrepreneurs” with ex-Google, Broadcom and Harman people all involved.
Unlike Sonos, WiiM doesn’t have its own proprietary multi-room syncing technology. Instead, it relies on industry-standard protocols like AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect, Tidal and Chromecast to achieve multi-room functionality.
However, WiiM’s gapless playback still supports up to 24-bit/192 kHz audio quality, and you can create groups of WiiM devices and play the same music or different music in different rooms, so it behaves just like a Sonos system.
There are currently a number of WiiM devices available to buy, ranging from the WiiM Mini at the bottom end – an Echo-dot sequence device designed to hook up with an existing system using an Auxiliary cable – to the Ultra and Amp Pro at the top of the tree.
This higher-end duo take on the likes of the Sonos Amp with multiple input and output options, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3, bit-perfect output, up to 192 kHz, 24-bit with digital optical or coaxial output, and a multitude of streaming options.
But it’s not just WiiM-branded devices, the company is committed to developing bespoke audio streaming software and hardware for partners too.
Partners such as Audio Pro who, in October 2024, launched two new WiiM-enabled speakers; the C5 MK II WiiM Edition and the A10 MK II WiiM edition (below).
Read our comprehensive guide to WiiM to learn more.
Denon
Denon’s Heos range might not have the same brand recognition as Sonos, but it’s a serious contender for those looking for high-quality, feature-rich multi-room audio.
Unlike Sonos, which operates within its own ecosystem, Heos is built into a wide range of Denon and Marantz AV receivers, amplifiers, and soundbars, making it an excellent choice for home cinema enthusiasts who want to expand their audio setup seamlessly.
At its core, Heos is a Wi-Fi-based multi-room system that supports major streaming services like Spotify, Tidal, and Amazon Music, along with high-resolution audio playback up to 24-bit/192kHz.
It also plays nicely with Apple AirPlay 2, Bluetooth, and voice assistants like Alexa and Google Assistant, giving you plenty of flexibility in how you control your system.
Unlike some rivals, Heos devices feature extensive physical connectivity options, including USB ports, auxiliary inputs, and even optical connections, making Denon’s connected speakers ideal for those who still want to hook up traditional audio sources like turntables or CD players, without much hassle..
The Denon Home speaker range – including the Denon Home 150, 250, and 350 – serves as the main lineup of Heos-enabled speakers, offering impressive sound quality that leans towards a warmer, hi-fi-inspired presentation.
Meanwhile, if you’re looking for a soundbar with proper multi-room capabilities, the Denon Home Sound Bar 550 integrates with Heos and even supports Dolby Atmos for an immersive home theater experience.
For those who already own high-end speakers and want to make them multi-room capable, Denon’s Heos Amp and Heos Link act as streaming hubs, much like the Sonos Amp or WiiM Amp Pro, allowing you to incorporate traditional speakers into a modern wireless setup.
If you’re after a high-performance, audiophile-friendly alternative to Sonos, then Heos is one of the most powerful and flexible multi-room systems available today.
Apple
Are you a big Apple fan already? Fully iOS-ed up? If so, you can get into one of the easiest-to-use, greatest-to-listen-to multi-room systems around without spending a fortune, especially since the sub-£100 HomePod Mini went live a few years back. But if you don’t have at least one foot in the Apple ecosystem already, these aren’t the speakers for you.
Setting up two as a stereo pair (for proper, authentic left-and-right stereo) is simple – but setting up a multi-room system is even easier. Your Mac or iOS device will show any and all of your HomePods on its ‘AirPlay Speaker’ list, and you can name them from there.
As long as you keep your instructions reasonably simple, Siri will happily respond to calls of “Hey Siri – play Miles Davis on the lounge” or “Hey Siri – play some Four Tet in the kitchen and the office”. Different music, at different volumes, in different rooms, at the same time, is available too: “Hey Siri – play Brian Eno in the bedroom at 40% and Kanye West in the kitchen at 60%” shouldn’t be a problem. More traditional methods of controlling all aspects of playback are in the Apple Music app, too.
But as we say, you need to be all-in with Apple. The company’s not beyond behaving like other electronics brands don’t exist, and it would certainly like you to forget about any streaming service but Apple Music – although the HomePod mini and HomePod (both generations) can do everything that any other regular AirPlay speaker can do So, if your favorite streaming app is on iOS and has an AirPlay option, then you can beam over your tunes through your iPhone, iPad or Mac.
There are only a couple of services that have native support on HomePod without AirPlay however, and Spotify still isn’t one of those, which means you can’t set it as your default service. That no longer really matters however, as following the arrival of iOS 17.4 back in March 2024, it’s also no longer possible to set any supported services as a default service in the same way.
Instead, the experience is actually better. Certainly in the case of Spotify anyway.
We’ve got a separate feature on how to add a default media app to HomePod, whether Deezer, YouTube Music or Spotify, but here we are focusing on Spotify specifically.
Using Apple Music gives access to niceties like advanced playback controls, song and/or artist info, further listening recommendations, alternate versions and so, and in real time. Using anything else, you’re lucky if you can get beyond “Hey Siri – turn the volume up”.
At the price, the bigger HomePod’s sound quality is really quite impressive. It’s undeniably a 360-degree speaker, able to distribute music evenly and uniformly in every direction. Apple pushed the boat out with HomePod specification, to the tune of seven beam-forming tweeters in circular configuration and an upward-firing 102mm long-throw mid/bass driver.
And the results are a punchy, controlled bottom end, detailed and open midrange (which makes every vocalist sound their best) and nicely judged attack at the top of the frequency range. Apple’s few speakers products have been notoriously hit-and-miss, but HomePod is the company’s best effort by a distance.
The Mini definitely punches above its weight too. I did most of my comparison testing against the Sonos and, while it can’t match the Era 100 when you go above around 70% volume, it’s more than a match at mid-levels.
Audio Pro
Admittedly, in the case of Swedish specialists Audio Pro, that means an extensive range of wireless multi-room speakers that mostly look a bit like startled koala bears—but behind the playful aesthetic, Audio Pro is all business.
In fact, the biggest challenge in setting up an Audio Pro multi-room system might just be choosing from the ever-expanding lineup.
The company has continued refining its speakers, introducing models like the A15, which adds IPX2 water resistance for more placement flexibility, the C5A with Alexa, and the C10 MkII, which improves on the beloved C10 with AirPlay 2 and Google Cast support.
Meanwhile, the colossal Drumfire II keeps the “completely bonkers” legacy alive, now with multi-room support that integrates more smoothly with the ecosystem.
Once you’ve settled on your preferred koala-faced speaker size, picked a finish, and maybe bypassed the cylindrical A10 (still going strong) in favor of the more powerful P5 portable, setting up is relatively painless.
The range includes plenty of physical inputssuch as stereo RCA and a 3.5mm jack, alongside Ethernet for rock-solid networking.
Wirelessly, Audio Pro has fully embraced modern streaming: Bluetooth, AirPlay 2, Google Cast, Spotify Connect, and Tidal Connect are all on board, making integration with existing setups much easier.
The sub-$100 Link 1 takes on the likes of the Sonos Port in getting your dumb speakers involved in an Audio Pro multiroom setup too.
The Audio Pro Control app has also improved. While it’s still not as slick as some competitors, it’s noticeably more stable than in previous iterations, with fewer crashes and smoother multi-room grouping.
But what really matters is the sound, and here, Audio Pro continues to punch above its weight. Even the more affordable models deliver a full-bodied, detailed, and well-balanced sound that easily competes with pricier rivals. The signature assertiveness and dynamism remain, ensuring music feels lively rather than clinical.
Ultimately, the quirks of the app are a minor trade-off for speakers that offer this level of sound quality at such competitive prices. Audio Pro may not have the brand recognition of Sonos, but for sheer audio performance, they remain one of the most compelling alternatives.
Bluesound
Everyone has their own particular priorities when choosing home audio gear. Value for money, ease of use, aesthetics; these all matter. But for those who put sound quality above all else, Bluesound remains one of the most compelling Sonos alternatives.
Originally developed by the hi-fi stalwarts at NAD, Bluesound has spent the past decade refining its lineup, blending high-resolution audio performance with a robust multi-room ecosystem. It’s one of the few brands that truly prioritizes audiophile-grade sound without sacrificing wireless convenience.
The range continues to evolve, covering both multi-room music and home cinema. The Pulse lineup now includes the latest Pulse M, featuring an omnidirectional soundstage for better room-filling audio. There’s also the Pulse Mini 2i and Pulse 2i for more traditional stereo performance, plus the Pulse Flex 2i for compact, portable use.
Home theater options include the Pulse Soundbar+ and the Pulse Sub+, while the Node (streamer) and Powernode (streaming amplifier) offer seamless integration with existing hi-fi setups. The Vault 2i remains a rare all-in-one solution for storing and streaming lossless music.
Bluesound was one of the first multi-room systems to support MQA-powered Tidal Masters hi-res audio, and it still leads in high-resolution support. It handles up to 24-bit/192kHz playback, supports a vast array of streaming services—including Spotify, Qobuz, Deezer, and Amazon Music Ultra HD, and offers aptX HD Bluetooth for high-quality wireless audio. Apple AirPlay 2, and Amazon Alexa support are built-in, and many of the speakers are Roon ready.
Connectivity remains generous, with digital optical and 3.5mm analog inputs, USB for local storage, and Ethernet for wired stability. The setup process is straightforward, using a direct Wi-Fi connection for quick pairing via the app. The BluOS control app has improved over time, becoming more intuitive while still offering deep customization for power users.
But the real draw is still the sound. Bluesound speakers deliver an expressive, refined performance with excellent detail retrieval and dynamic punch. Whether you’re listening to hi-res classical recordings or bass-heavy electronic tracks, the balance of precision and warmth makes every song feel engaging.
For those who want multi-room audio without sacrificing sonic integrity, Bluesound remains a standout choice. It’s not as mainstream as Sonos, but if high-fidelity wireless sound is the priority, Bluesound is tough to beat.
Naim
Buy Now: Amazon | From £749
Naim has just a couple of speakers in its multi-room range and they are super expensive. But what your significant outlay buys are the products of an established, even venerable, high-end hi-fi company with more than enough expertise to blow your socks off.
If it’s no-holds-barred performance you want, bite the financial bullet and reap the sonic benefits. The junior partner of the duo is the $850 / £749 Mu-so QB 2; the chairman of the board the $1,450 / £1,299 2nd-gen Mu-so. And both devices look and feel the money’s-worth.
They sit on a slab of illuminated Perspex, have luxurious-feeling grilles (available in quite a number of very tasteful finishes) and are topped off with a large, illuminated, smooth-scrolling and wildly tactile control wheel.
The QB2 is compact enough to sit on a shelf or a worktop. At very nearly 63cm wide, Mu-so needs a more significant surface to stand on – mind you, it has an HDMI ARC socket in order to give a boost to your TV’s sound, so maybe just below your television would be best.
Both products have digital optical and 3.5mm analogue connections, USB ports for both charging and playing iOS equipment, aptX Bluetooth and Apple AIrPlay 2 connectivity, Google Cast and Spotify Connect, UPnP, internet radio… the word ‘flexible’ can safely be applied here.
Every imaginable digital file format is supported, and the Mu-so duo is capable of full-on hi-res 24bit/192kHz playback.Getting up and running is dead easy, particularly for Apple users. AirPlay can seamlessly share your wi-fi settings between your phone or tablet and the speakers.
And it can do that with every additional speaker you bring into the system, so building a multi-room set-up takes no time at all. Music can be streamed directly from the Naim control app (for both iOS and Android), and there’s the ability to integrate some of your favourite streaming services in there too. By the standards of super-convenient wireless multi-room speakers – even expensive ones – both these Naim products sound superb.
Even if you’re a stranger to the Naim brand, just a swift listen will confirm you’re dealing with a hi-fi company that knows precisely what it’s doing. Performance is fluent and articulate, engaging and entertaining – it’s completely convincing, from the low, textured bass notes to the bright, shining treble. Fire up some of your favourite tunes in any room, and you’ll be in no doubt as to where your money’s gone.
Alexa and Chromecast options
You can, as mentioned, also create a multi-room wireless speaker setup using Amazon’s Echo smart speaker range, as well as setting up a multi-room system with Google Home and the Assistant.
However, in our experience these don’t always work so well, so for a truly seamless affair, stick to the brands above.
Synchronization with Alexa MRM or Chromecast can sometimes be imperfect, with occasional latency or dropouts. Performance can also be affected by Wi-Fi network congestion and whether a speaker uses the 2.4GHz or 5GHz Wi-Fi network.
Not all Alexa-compatible speakers support Multi-Room Music and not all Google Assistant speakers work with Chromecast. It’s…. messy, to save the least; but there are hopes that Matter could save the day.
What is Roon Ready?
Roon is a music management and playback platform, not a multi-room system itself, but it is something to consider when shopping for wireless speakers as it significantly enhances the experience for audiophiles.
Think of it as a sophisticated digital music librarian that organizes your library (local files and streaming services) and provides rich metadata, insightful connections between artists, and high-quality playback. Roon operates with a “Core” (a computer, NAS, or dedicated server) that manages your music and “Endpoints” (speakers or network players) that play it. You control everything through the Roon app.
While Roon doesn’t replace your multi-room system (like the likes of Sonos and Bluesound, we talked about above), it integrates with it, adding powerful features.
You can group zones for synchronized playback, but the zones are defined by your existing system, for example.
Roon’s strengths lie in its rich metadata, music discovery features, and ability to manage large libraries. It supports high-resolution audio formats and prioritizes bit-perfect playback. Many high-end manufacturers make “Roon Ready” devices for seamless integration.
However, Roon is a subscription service, it doesn’t come for free. That’s why its target audience is serious music lovers and audiophiles who value high-quality audio, meticulous organization, and a premium user experience.
But if you’re passionate about music and want the best possible control over your multi-room setup, Roon is worth considering, despite the added cost.
Multi-room music FAQs
Yes, but it’s not always seamless. While platforms like AirPlay 2, Chromecast, and Spotify Connect allow some cross-brand compatibility, you’ll get the best experience by sticking with one ecosystem, like Sonos or WiiM.
WiiM is a rising star, offering affordable, high-quality streaming with support for AirPlay 2, Spotify Connect, and Chromecast. Bluesound and Denon’s Heos systems are also great.
Wi-Fi is essential for proper multi-room functionality. Bluetooth is fine for single-speaker use but lacks the range, syncing, and high-quality streaming options needed for a full home setup.
