Sonos Play 5 vs Bose Soundtouch 30

Wireless speakers are 2021’s boombox. These small, convenient devices produce a monstrous sound, all while being relatively inexpensive.

However, at the high end of this spectrum, two speakers stand out for their superior usability and sound.

Both the Sonos Play 5 and the Bose Soundtouch 30 are 2-way speakers that come in at $399. Both are also top-of-the-line devices that can integrate with a whole ecosystem of other products.

Does the Sonos come to take the crown from Bose? Or is there a reason why Bose is still a household name?

Bottom Line Up Front: If price is equal, I would lean towards going with the Sonos Play 5  as it has better sound quality and a more closely knit ecosystem of compatible devices.

However, the Soundtouch 30 is also quite competent and should be considered if the price is lower… continue reading for more full assessment.

Quick Compare Sonos Play 5 vs Soundtouch 30 Sound Systems

Sonos Play 5 Bose Soundtouch 30
Wi-Fi and Ethernet Wi-Fi Network, Bluetooth Connection, and Ethernet
Sonos Controller App SoundTouch Music App
14 lbs 18.5 lbs
8.03 x 14.33 x 6.06 in. 9.7 x 17.1 x 7.1 in.
About $399 About $399
I Personally Prefer the Sonos Play 5
$738.00
These are BOTH great speakers, but the Sonos Play 5 stands out for it's wider connectivity, compatibility, and slightly more refined sound overall. Plus, it's considerably lighter and easier to "fit" in various setups.
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03/07/2024 11:42 am GMT

Connectivity

Both of the speakers are at the top of their respective ranges and meant to integrate into an ecosystem of speakers around your home.

The Sonos Play 5 doesn’t feature Bluetooth like other stand-alone speakers. Instead, it connects to your wireless network to stream music from and to sync up to other devices you own.

If your wireless connection just isn’t making the cut, the Play 5 also has an ethernet port so you can easily plug it up directly to the wireless network in your home.

However, in terms of connectivity, the Soundtouch 30 has a leg up over the Play 5. In addition to having Wi-Fi speakers functionality, the Soundtouch 30 can also connect directly to your streaming device via Bluetooth (e.g. easy to hook up voice control, Siri, Alexa, etc…).

While Wi-Fi is great for most cases, configuring your network and settings can be a pain. Combine that with occasional outages of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth starts looking more and more attractive.

Of course, the Soundtouch 30 also features an ethernet port if that’s what fits your needs.

Ultimately, the Soundtouch 30 provides the most flexibility in terms of connectivity. With options for Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and ethernet, the Soundtouch 30 can easily hook up not only to streaming devices but also to streaming services and your local library without much fuss.

Sound Quality

However, all the connectivity options in the world don’t mean anything if the speakers don’t sound good. Thankfully both Sonos and Bose bring their A-game in terms of quality.

As far as a definitive winner, it’s really a difficult decision to make. Both the Sonos Play 5 and the Bose Soundtouch 30 sound absolutely incredible, filling a room completely with sound.

The Sonos sound rich and full, pumping out the low-end in one of the most pleasing ways I’ve heard from a single speaker. Instead of sounding overinflated and bloated, the Play 5 has a tight and consistent low-end which would be perfectly complemented with a Sonos sub.

The Bose tells a slightly different story. While the low-end is nice, rich, and full, it lacks the tightness and definition of the Sonos. The Soundtouch 30’s low-end does sound amazing but paired up against the Play 5, it just feels lackluster.

Throughout the rest of the frequency spectrum, the speakers sound oddly similar. The only, admittedly subtle, the difference I heard between the two was that the midrange was more defined in the Sonos and the top-end was a bit more hyped in the Bose.

However, these differences were so slight that I would call them negligible at best.

For a single speaker solution, and for my money, the Sonos Play 5 has a slight advantage over the Soundtouch 30. The low-end seems both richer and tighter, pumping in all of the right places. While the Soundtouch 30 follows very closely behind, the Play 5 wins out just slightly for this tightness.

App Integration

Both the Play 5 and the Soundtouch 30 require an app to be downloaded on either iOS devices or Android to take full control of the speaker. Whether you’re accessing your personal library, queuing up streaming services, or setting a playlist, the apps can allow you to use all the functionality of the speakers in an easy fashion.

The Sonos integrates with their smart Sonos Controller app. The application is available on iOS, Android, and on Mac and PC, meaning you can control the speaker on virtually any device.

Starting off, the app integrates with 49 different applications ranging from music to sports. Some of these include Spotify, Apple Music, and even Bandcamp. A number of services offered give a giant field of access to almost any audio you could access on the web.

The app also features room control so you can take control of an ecosystem of Sonos speakers throughout your home. With this control, you can set different moods for every room, or even group multi-rooms together to play the same music throughout different parts of the house, even allowing you to individually adjust the volume of each of the speakers.

Additionally, the app will make suggestions based on the music you listen to, allowing you to build playlists around your favorite music.

The Soundtouch 30 Bose app features just about everything that Sonos has to offer in terms of smart features. A ton of streaming services, access to personal collections, multi-room audio control, and smart speaker playlists are all features here as well.

However, the Soundtouch 30 goes a little further, featuring a beautiful marriage between software and hardware. The Soundtouch 30 features six dedicated preset buttons that can be set up within the app.

These presets are completely customizable and are stored so that you can easily jump between them without ever having to open the smart app. Weather it’s an album, a playlist, or even a radio station built around an artist, the presets make changing the music up a breeze.

While both apps hold just about the same features, the Soundtouch 30 wins out for the integration of preset buttons. Granted, both of the speakers are very easy to operate, and the Play 5’s Sonos app integration is fantastic, but having dedicated buttons like the Soundtouch 30 has pushed the functionality of the speakers just a little further.

Final Cut: Sonos Play or SoundTouch?

I Personally Prefer the Sonos Play 5
$738.00
These are BOTH great speakers, but the Sonos Play 5 stands out for it's wider connectivity, compatibility, and slightly more refined sound overall. Plus, it's considerably lighter and easier to "fit" in various setups.
Check Price
We earn a commission if you click this link and make a purchase at no additional cost to you.
03/07/2024 11:42 am GMT

Overall, it’s really difficult to draw a definitive winner from these two speakers. Both fall in at the same price point and perform exceptionally well in almost every category.

The Sonos Play 5 is an exceptional speaker, highlighted by the incredible bass response and a healthy ecosystem of other products. For pure sound quality, the Play 5 wins out against the Soundtouch 30, albeit by a small margin.

However, the extended feature set of the Bose Soundtouch 30 shows why Bose has just a powerful, and longstanding, name in this industry. The attention to detail in terms of functionality makes the Soundtouch 30 not only a joy to listen to, but a joy to use as well.

Overall, it comes down to preference. Both of the speakers are fantastic, and it would difficult to go wrong with either given their price point. If you can get your hands on both, try them out because they are both amazing.

Bottom Line: For my money, the Sono Play 5 wins out due to the sound quality and because of the other Sonos products in the range.

However, there are plenty of reasons to go with the Soundtouch 30 as well.

Other Options to Consider?

1 thought on “Sonos Play 5 vs Bose Soundtouch 30”

  1. Hi Juan. Nice review. Some things you could add to help the comparison: Sonos supports lossless streaming and AirPlay, Bose doesn’t. Also, you can’t operate two Bose 30’s in stereo configuration. On the plus side, you can integrate any old amplifier into the Bose system through a fairly cheap audio link, while the Sonos is much more expensive. Overall, the capability of hooking two speakers in stereo, AirPlay compatibility and CD-quality streamed music make the Sonos a winner.

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