Search the Community

Italian hi-fi maker Volumio has just launched a new audio device called the Motivo Streamer, Transport & Headphone Amplifier, which is best described as a high-res music streamer and iPad rolled into one compact and stylish package. To control the device, Volumio has combined a sleek-looking 8-inch touchscreen with a retro-styled haptic control dial to make the whole entertainment experience feel more immersive. It boasts a range of software and hardware connectivity options, which means you can use it with any of the best music streaming services. It’ll also play nicely with your current home entertainment set up and a pair of the best noise-cancelling headphones, thanks to wide connectivity options. Under the hood, you’ll find a Sabre ES9038 DAC (that’s a digital to analogue converter), which supports all of the best-quality high-resolution music files. It also boasts dual-output analogue XLR balanced and RCA unbalanced outputs. With Volumio’s Premium software, which is included as part of the device, you’ll be able to access any of your favorite streaming services, including Spotify, Tidal, Qobuz and more. In short, the Volumio Motivo is built for audiophiles and with wireless streaming compatibility to the best Sonos speakers and Google Cast speakers, it can fit seamlessly into wired or wireless setups. (Image credit: Volumio) Slick styling and Smart suggestions We’ve covered Volumio’s products before, and we always fall for its blend of state-of-the-art audio that’s housed in modern designs with artisanal touches. But new technology from Volumio makes its latest products even more appealing because they bring AI smarts to your listening experience. We first covered the company's ChatGPT-powered Supersearch tool in 2023 when it was added into the Volumio Integro super-compact all-in-one hi-fi box. But Supersearch will also be available in the Volumio Motivo, too. What makes it interesting is that it claims to bring you smarter recommendations via ChatGPT, and then play them from your streaming service of choice. When we first wrote about Supersearch we did say that, of course, you can just use the ChatGPT app and ask it for music recommendations, but this experience is much slicker and more straightforward. The Motivo also comes with Volumio’s 'Infinity Playback' tool, which continues to bring you music you’ll like once you reach the end of the recommendations. Sure this all sounds similar to the experience you’ll already get from the likes of Spotify and Tidal, but again, having all of these features built directly into one product makes it infinitely easier. We don’t have pricing or availability details about the Volumio Motivo just yet, but it’s not going to be cheap. The Volumio Integro launched for around $1,400 / £1,025 / AU$2,499 and although it’s a different sort of device, it should give you a rough idea about what to expect. You might also like… 'In the beginning I didn't want to – my son persuaded me': why Audiovector's Trapeze Reimagined speaker is a 45-year family affairFinal VR500 review: unassuming wired in-ear headphones that have it where it countsApple is exploring removable batteries for iOS devices – and I think AirPods need it most View the full article

Sonos has unveiled a next-gen version of its app with a totally new look and functionality, which will launch worldwide on May 7, 2024, both as an update to its phone app and in a new web app you can use in any modern browser. Naturally, the new Sonos app will make it easier to control the best Sonos speakers – but the goal for it is to become a single hub for all your listening needs. At the heart of it is a new home screen that brings together favorites and recommendations from any services you use (from over 100 supported by Sonos), as well as a universal search feature that enables you to instantly search your podcasts, audiobooks and music for any term. I've seen the app in action, and it looks very much inspired by the smart TV software you get on the best TVs. Those are designed to pull in recently played items so that you can resume watching quickly, and to recommend movies and shows from the sea of options out there – and that's exactly what this will do, but for music. And just like all smart TV platforms these days (and similar to most music apps too, of course) it works through a series of sliding rows of options. The new hHome screen is on the left – you can expand the Mini player at the bottom to see the new Now Playing screen, shown on the right (Image credit: Sonos) By default, what you'll see on the home screen is a Recently Played section at the top, a Your Sources section that includes line-in (or TV audio if you have a soundbar), a Your Services section that's basically a list of shortcuts to open different services and browse in them directly, and then a Favorites section. On top of this, services can offer their own rows to be added here beyond Favorites. This is totally customizable, though – you can change the order, and add in particular types of Favorites or other ways to directly access music. What's on offer depends partly on what the services themselves offer for this home screen – pretty much anything can be added as a Favorite, but services can make other elements available to pin to the home screen, so for example Spotify could push personal suggestions straight there, or you could pin something like a 'More like Queen' recommendations list if you want a constant flow of that kind of music. Every user in your home gets their own home screen, and can customize it to make it specific to them. The Recently Played section will include anything played on any Sonos speaker in the household, whether that's by you or anyone else – that's the one area where your kids' delightful musical tastes will bleed into your screen. In the Favorites section, you can save artists, albums, playlists and songs, with little logos showing what service they're from. Browse to something you want in that service's section of the app, tap the three-buttons icon, hit Save To Sonos Favorites, now it's in the Faves. To edit these options, there's an Edit Home button, and then you can re-order things, or remove optional things, such as your pinned recommendations. You just drag things up and down the list to change the order, like editing a playlist. At the bottom of all this, but just above the new small 'Mini player' at the bottom is the Search bar. Tap in here and it'll show your recently searched options, or you can start typing to see results from every service you have connected. You can set your 'preferred service' in the Settings, and this will always float to the top of search results, and will be first in the Your Services list. So, if you want Apple Music results 90% of the time, make that your preferences and the app will prioritize it over anything else. The new Search screen, which shows previous search results and prioritizes your favorite services. These images also show off the app's light and dark modes (Image credit: Sonos) Easier control Just as important as all these changes to how you find music are updates to how you manage what's playing in the app. That includes multi-room management, as well as just quick play/pause options. There's a smarter, simpler view of all your speakers, which you can access either by tapping the name of your system at the top-left of the Home screen, or by swiping up from the mini player at the bottom while anywhere in the app. This basically shows you a bunch of mini players, in which you can instantly start/stop the music of different speakers, or tap on one to go into it and choose new music. If you tap a symbol that looks like a couple of Sonos speakers you can can group speakers, or split them. It's so much easier to parse than a lot of multi-room setups. It's very clear what's playing on different parts of your system, and what you should do to change things – it's just more intuitive. If you want more control options for a speaker, when you tap on it you get a full-screen player, which includes shuffle, repeat and other options, including grouping options right there. Sadly, Sonos didn't provide an screengrab for the speaker grouping controls on the phone app, but you can see the controls on the web app on the right here, and the new Home screen on the left (Image credit: Sonos) Analysis: it's got to make you want to use it With the long-rumored Sonos headphones said to be set for a launch soon, this app redesign makes total sense. The existing Sonos app has all the functionality it needs, but it's the kind of app you only visit because you have to. The new app needs to be something you use because it works well if it's going to power a pair of headphones. It's important that the new app is slicker, because the existing app has never been in competition with anything – if you have Sonos speakers and you want to play music on them, you have to use it. Sure, the experience should be pleasant and reliable, but ultimately it just had to work. But when it comes to headphones, the Sonos app is now in competition with the convenience of just using Bluetooth directly. The alternative is to simply not use an app at all. So Sonos has to provide a better experience than not using a hub app – one that makes you want to spend your audio time there to get the most out of Sonos’ headphones – and it appears that Sonos is betting on the ability to search multiple services, and bring your podcasts, audiobooks and music all together for really easy access, as the way to provide that experience. While I've seen this app being used, I haven't used it myself, so until I can do that I'll have to reserve judgment on whether it really works as a hub that I'm happy to rely on – but I like the principle of the idea a lot. Having instant playback of my favorite podcasts next to quick access to my personalized music streaming recommendations seems nice, regardless of the Sonos-ness of it all. Of course, outside of unreleased headphones products that remain theoretical for now, the update is still very welcome, especially for users of the best Android phones. For iPhone users, the Apple AirPlay support in Sonos products means it's super-easy to send audio to them from whatever app you like – it's already pretty slick. But it's not the same on Android, as there's no Chromecast support on Sonos speakers, and this app looks like it'll make using Sonos a lot more inviting on Android. You might also like A massive Sonos launch could soon bring a next-gen Roam 2 plus its first headphonesI listened to Sony’s new Bravia Theater Quad system, and it's full-fat Dolby Atmos without wiresEdifier's affordable wireless speakers bring a funky light show and hi-res connections View the full article

Sonos today unveiled a redesigned Sonos app that is meant to unify an increasingly fragmented streaming market. The app is focused around a customizable home screen that supports more than 100 streaming services, so each user can set up a personalized listening experience. The home screen layout can be customized, and it displays the services that each user has set up along with controls for accessing content. There are quick access options for recently played songs, podcasts, and books, along with options to browse libraries and see recommendations from preferred services. Favorite content and services can be pinned in rows to the home screen, and the rows are rearrangeable and customizable. A built-in always-visible search feature allows users to search for artists, songs, podcasts, audiobooks, and more across all of their preferred streaming apps. Swiping up from the bottom of the home screen allows for a quick visual overview of everything that's playing on connected devices, and there are tools for groping speakers and adjusting volume across the home. The new Sonos app will be available globally on mobile and through the web on May 7.Tag: Sonos This article, "Sonos Launches Redesigned App With Customizable Home Screen For More Personalized Listening" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article