Congested Wi-Fi? Sonos’ ‘Boost’ promises to cure wireless music woes

By Caleb Denison October 14, 2014

sonos releases boost network enhancer onblack small — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Sonos has built its reputation on products that are simple, stable and reliable. Unfortunately, Sonos can only control so many factors. While its wireless speakers may be solid, they still depend on the networks they are connected to, which are often plagued with problems — a factor beyond its reach. Or is it? Today, Sonos officially released its recently-announced Boost, a little white Wi-Fi wonder box which sets up a wireless network that’s up to 50% more powerful and reliable than most existing Wi-Fi networks, and aimed to ensure smooth, interruption-free music streaming over a wide swath of real estate.

If you’re anything like us, your home has become chock full of Wi-Fi connected devices over the past few years. Laptops, smartphones, tablets, set-top boxes, smart TVs, smart Blu-ray players, and gaming consoles now vie for the attention of your poor Wi-Fi router — it’s a work of magic that it can even keep up. Not only that, but if you could see all the network traffic going on in your home, it would probably look more like the I-405 in Los Angeles at 5:30 PM, than the Autobahn at, well, pretty much any time. Sonos’ Boost works by setting up an independent network built just for its wireless speaker products, essentially creating its own high-speed freeway for your tunes to travel on.

Sonos says the Boost is armed with three individual antennae, which allow it to steer around interference from other Wi-Fi devices and appliances like your microwave. It’s also meant to be really powerful, allowing for a longer reach than typical Wi-Fi connections, and expanding your speaker placement options.

Sonos also points out that the Boost is a handy option to its Bridge which, while optional for music listening, is necessary for Home Theater setups using its wireless speakers since it helps keep picture and sound in perfect sync.

The Boost is available for $99 now at Amazon, and at Sonos.com along with other select retailers.

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Digital Trends Editor at Large Caleb Denison is a sought-after writer, speaker, and television correspondent with unmatched…

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