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Price comaprison:
Sonos ZP80
More info: Sonos
Size (WxHxD): 136x74x137mm
Weight: 0.69kg
Formats: MP3, WMA, WAV, AAC, Ogg Vorbis, AIFF, Flac (lossless), Apple Lossless
Audio services supported: Rhapsody 3.0+, Audible
Connections: Ethernet (x2), analogue RCA in/out, optical digital, coaxial digital
Operating systems: Windows 2000, Windows XP, Macintosh OSX
Finish: Light grey
Plus points:
Quick and easy to set up, very easy and familiar to use
Minus points:
Not the cheapest wireless system, limited support for download services
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Sonos first released its wireless multi-room audio system last year and very good it was too. Each of its units included a wireless transceiver and amplifier in a neat and tidy package. With one unit connected by Ethernet cable to your PC, you only had to connect the others to a set of speakers each to instantly transfer your computer-based digital music collection to anywhere in your home (and with a maximum of 32 zones, that should cover just about everybody. And their neighbours).
The ZP100 (ZP = Zone Player, by the way) was a fairly discreet item, measuring 26x11x21cm, but the ZP80 goes one further, taking up just 14x7x14cm. The trick is in the amplifier - the ZP80 hasn't got one, which means it measures a little over a quarter of the size and the basic system, consisting of two units and a controller, comes in at around £200 cheaper. It's significantly lighter too, since it replaces the ZP100's amp-isolating steel casing with sturdy plastic.
The ZP80 can be coupled with virtually any amp and speakers via its RCA analogue or optical or coaxial digital sockets. Or you can hook it up to powered speakers, and use any combination of ZP80 and 50-watt amp-packing ZP100 units.
The controller is the face of the system. It's designed to be portable and used in any room you have the Sonos system set up. It boasts a 71x53mm colour screen, which supports album art if you have it, a click wheel familiar to anyone with a passing knowledge of a certain ubiquitous portable music player, and a few other navigation buttons. It's this interface that really elevates the Sonos system, and makes it much more than systems which need to be controlled from their source.
The system is compatible with most digital audio formats, including all the biggies, but Sonos does not yet have licence agreements with major players such as iTunes, so DRM-protected material such as music downloaded from the iTunes store, will not play over Sonos. Tracks burned from CDs are fine.
It will however work with the Rhapsody music subscription service, which has over 2m songs on tap. This could be great - if only it worked in the UK, and not just the US. It supports streaming MP3 and WMA though, and the system comes with over 100 internet radio stations preloaded.
Performance
The iPod has become the daddy of MP3 players largely because of its simplicity. Sonos has gone the same route. Once it's connected, you can pretty much forget about it.
Basic set-up proved very easy and required little more than plug n play. Once the first unit is connected to PC via Ethernet cable, and the software loaded, it was just a question of following the on-screen prompts. It found the additional ZP80 and linked to it quickly.
With an appropriate cable you can connect an iPod or other MP3 player to the analogue RCA sockets on the back and there are also coaxial and optical digital connections for other hi-fi sources.
There's no noticeable delay between source and receiver - often a problem with wireless systems - and there was no noticeable drop in sound quality either. In fact, laying Apple Lossless files via our regular Creek amp and Wharfedale amp and speakers, there was no discernable difference from CD.
Not that everything's totally rosy in the Sonos garden. We found occasional problems with the connection occasionally dropping for no apparent reason, though not as much as we found with our original review of the ZP100. It was always easy enough to reconnect but a pity that it was necessary at all. Sonos reps tell us that connection can be affected by nearby wireless sources such as Wi-Fi and even DECT phones, which is unfortunate, but not a disaster.
The click wheel isn't as sensitive as it could be, but there is a 'Power Scroll' button, which allows you to skip through the alphabet - a definite plus if you've got a lot of tunes to search through.
We still like the Sonos. A lot. As quick-fix wireless systems go it's probably the most versatile, good-looking and easiest to use on the market. Not to mention sounding just as good as your chosen source. It's crowning glory is the controller which is a lovely piece of kit with its big screen and familiar click wheel interface. 
