Sony SRS-ZR5 Black
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According to our WiFi speaker expert
Play music in a variety of ways with the Sony SRS-ZR5 speaker. Connect a USB flash drive, wirelessly stream music from your smartphone via Bluetooth, or switch on Spotify and Google Cast. Thanks to Spotify Connect, you have access to a range of songs, which you can stream directly from the servers. This way you won't have limited reach like you do with Bluetooth. Via Google Cast you can listen to podcasts, thousands of online radio stations, and music from your laptop. Connect several Sony speakers to each other and create a multi-room system. Place the speakers in various rooms, and operate them with the SongPal app. With the double-passive radiators, you'll enjoy a powerful bass sound throughout your entire house. You can operate the speaker wirelessly, but you must be wired to the power grid.
Built-in WiFi | ||
Power supply type | Power grid | |
Bluetooth | ||
AirPlay | ||
Sound quality according to customers | Good | |
Multi-room audio | ||
Streaming services | Google Play Music, Spotify, iTunes | |
Material | Metal, Plastic |
5 stars
11
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7
3 stars
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2 stars
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1 star
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small powerful speaker with pure sound easy installation to play your music via bluetooth or wifi
Michael Binnemans
29 January 2017
Automatically translated from Dutch
Introduction
The Sony SRS-ZR5 is a wireless, connective speaker that currently costs 230 euros. The idea is that from your phone or tablet or possibly. your computer streams music to this speaker or several of these speakers at the same time. I say multiple speakers, because there is the possibility to wirelessly link several of these speakers together and have them work together in a stereo setup. You could also record them in a surround setup if you have one of Sony's compatible speaker options.
In terms of functionality and purpose, the latter is something that distinguishes this series of wireless speakers from Sony in part from options that other brands offer; namely use in combination with your television. The SRS-Z5 has an HDMI ARC connection, which means that you can automatically run the audio from your TV over this speaker without having to switch on the speaker first.
design
The design of the SR-ZR5 can be called minimalistic. The design accents are a bit reminiscent of what we see with Sony's Xperia phones. In fact it is just a neatly shaped cube, so in principle it should be able to be placed in any environment without being too noticeable. I can imagine that some people experience this as a disadvantage and prefer to see a piece of design, in other words where a more artistic approach has been chosen. The biggest mistake you can make is when you get in between these two ideas, and luckily Sony didn't do that. I also think that a more conservative design can be sold more widely, and Sony did not make the wrong choice here.
At the top we find an on/off button, the volume keys and the functionality key. Once you know where they are, you can easily find them, even though they can't be felt on the surface. On the left side of the top are the indicators for which connection is in operation. These indicators cannot be seen if they are not turned on, even if you try to look very closely.
The downside, in my opinion, is the LED that is incorporated into the on/off button. This one is really too bright in my opinion. In the off position (orange) it is worse than when the ZR5 is on (yellow). This is an annoyance that I know with other devices. Basically all devices I can think of that have a standby light, with the exception of televisions. No idea why manufacturers find such fierceness so necessary. It is of course inherent to the orange and red color that comes across, but something of a dull finish to the shield should help, in my opinion.
The build quality is decent. The (external) construction is completely made of plastic, but still feels fairly sturdy. The speaker grill is also made of plastic, something that might detract a bit from the feel. However, in my experience with other products, you can sometimes hear a metal build in the sound, so this may have been a conscious choice. Despite the fact that it is plastic, the speaker still feels and looks quite chic. The weight of 2 kg contributes to the feeling of solidity without being annoying when moved. The weight is also such that the speaker will not just shift.
Connectivity
The wireless connection works via the network (Ethernet and WiFi) and Bluetooth. In addition, you can connect the speaker via a 3.5 mm jack ('thin headphone jack'), but such use is not where the focus is of a product like this. On the back we also find an HDMI connection which, as mentioned, you can use in combination with an ARC-supporting device (in practice usually a television). On the back we also find a USB connection so that you can also play songs from a USB drive. The ZR5 also supports NFC, with which you can establish a connection without scanning for devices by placing your (NFC-enabled) phone on the speaker, for example.
The wireless control can be done in different ways. First of all, the ZR5 supports Google Cast. In fact, this means that you can stream ('cast') your audio to the ZR5 via the well-known Chromecast protocol. This can be done per app that supports this, but also via the Chromecast app with which you can actually display everything (at least, via Android, on an iPhone these possibilities are limited to the specific apps that support it).
Furthermore, it also works via DLNA, which many apps also support, and more importantly, your PC. Via a DLNA-supporting media player (such as the standard media player of Windows) you can stream your audio content from your PC.
A simple audio connection can be made via bluetooth, as we know from the simple bluetooth speakers. Finally, there is Sony's own Songpal app. More about this under the heading 'use'.
Interestingly/disappointingly, despite Chromecast audio support, the ZR5 cannot function in a multi-room environment based on the Chromecast protocol. Very unfortunate, since this is one of the advantages of this protocol, namely the possibility to apply different options from different brands in one environment. Maybe this will be made possible with an update in the future?
Usage
The user experience with the ZR5 is very positive. All functions worked immediately and very quickly. I have some other Chromcast products and the connection with them is not nearly as fast as with the ZR5. As already noted, the function and volume keys are easy to use blind and the indicators for which connection is in use are clearly legible.
If you want to operate the speaker outside the Bluetooth connection or Chromecast options, you need to use Sony's own app called SongPal. You will need this app anyway for the initial configuration to connect the speaker to the network.
SongPal works fine in my experience. It looks clear and is very user-friendly and complete. I can't think of a feature I'm missing for a device like the ZR5.
Sound
The sound that comes from the ZR5 was initially difficult for me to interpret. There clearly seems to be an emphasis on the low end. Despite this fact, the bass is not overly low. When you think about it, this is not illogical. There's a co-focus on use in conjunction with your TV (you'll want that a bit of exaggeration of the bass), and obviously it's just a small speaker and creating something that produces pumping bass would come at the expense of the bass. other tones.
The question is to what extent the ZR5 is really intended to also function as a single speaker. The speaker is certainly capable, but a decent stereo setup cannot replace it. In a direct comparison, the ZR5 simply loses out to a decent stereo speaker set for the PC (of something around 100 euros), let alone just an audio solution that is really intended for the living room. However, this comparison is not exactly fair, of course, since the ZR5 has a lot of wireless options, other connected options and also has to control the amplification itself. And in addition, it is only one speaker that is also smaller than the options I am talking about for comparison.
I found out that the ZR5 is mainly suitable for just decent music in the background. And then you notice that you actually miss little compared to music via a regular sound setup, despite the aforementioned drawbacks of the ZR5; something that I find very special. The volume that comes out of the ZR5 is also very impressive and the same goes for the range; the ZR5 doesn't have to be loud to understand lyrics from podcasts or a news broadcast.
Again, the detail is less than cheaper options across the range, and the bass isn't impressive either, but this is purely by comparison. Without this comparison, I think few people will really miss anything about the ZR5.
The sound that comes from the ZR5 is of course a lot better than people get from their television, although you will of course need at least two. I find the wireless function in this situation of limited use, since you will still have to plug it into a socket, something that is much more difficult to hide than some speaker cables. And if you want to use the HDMI ARC function, the wireless functionality is not there anyway. Since you can get much more convincing options for the relevant amount, you should really only use it in combination with your television if you also use the other functions aimed at streaming.
Conclusion
In my opinion, Sony has put down a device with the SRS-ZR5 that is cleverly put together, can be used in many ways and also performs well for the general experience. It is not for the audiophile or the more critical music listener; the 'sound for money ratio' is too limited for that. The same goes for the option to use it as a TV speaker, if you don't find the wireless streaming options interesting.
For a general user, however, the ZR5 provides a great listening experience with a powerful volume and good range. In addition, the ZR5 provides a pleasant user experience in combination with a telephone, tablet or PC in a device that is packaged as a small, conservatively designed speaker that does not look out of place nor does it need to stand out in any environment. The ZR5 is also, to my knowledge, the only wireless option of this category that can be connected to your TV via ARC, and while it doesn't have much value as a standalone function, in addition it is a unique feature that other options don't have.
Rajesh Chaitram
21 September 2016
Automatically translated from Dutch
Excellent to expand my existing chromecast audio network. Needs less wires than speaker + chromecast audio, making it less cluttered. Deep bass for such a small speaker.
Tim N
6 October 2016
Automatically translated from Dutch
The Sony SRS-ZR5 Black was rated best by independent consumer website Kieskeurig.
Product number | 721829 | |
Manufacturer code | SRSZR5B.CED | |
Brand | Sony | |
Warranty | 2 years | |
Processing of your defect | Carry-in warranty |
Speaker composition | 1 speaker | |
Depth | 10 cm | |
Width | 10 cm | |
Height | 16 cm | |
Weight | 1,7 kg | |
Color | Black | |
Material | Metal, Plastic | |
Built-in microphone | ||
Built-in screen | ||
Water-resistant |
Multi-room audio | ||
Multi-room functions | Make a stereo pair, Surround sound mode, Zones separately, Zones simultaneously | |
Plays from network | ||
Bluetooth | ||
Bluetooth profiles | Standard Audio (A2DP) | |
NFC | ||
Streaming services support | ||
Streaming services | Google Play Music, Spotify, iTunes |
Radio | ||
Internet radio | ||
DAB radio | ||
FM radio | ||
AM radio | ||
Plays from USB memory | ||
Plays from Apple devices via USB | ||
Plays from Android devices via USB | ||
Bluetooth |
Controls via app | ||
Controlled via Apple app | ||
Controlled via Android app | ||
Controlled via Windows app |
USB port | ||
Type of USB port | Standard USB-A | |
Number of USB ports | 1 | |
RCA connector | ||
Headphone jack |
Power supply type | Power grid |
Year introduced | 2016 |
Awards NL/BE | Kieskeurig |
Best tested |
