Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Audio / Video
  3. Reviews

Sony HomeShare review: A wireless music system for more than just your iPod

Caleb Denison
By
sony-homeshare-system
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Read on for an overview of the Sony HomeShare system, then check out our full reviews of Sony HomeShare components:

At CES 2011, Sony announced it was moving away from its Altus line of wireless speakers in favor of a suite of products centered around what it called HomeShare. In a rather surprising move, Sony’s HomeShare bucks the company’s trend of going the proprietary route in hopes that others will eventually toe its line. Instead, HomeShare is a non-proprietary, DLNA-based system that can access and wirelessly share most music file types stored on a networked PC or NAS drive.
Recommended Videos

While the technology is also coming available through select Sony Blu-Ray disc players, micro systems and TVs, HomeShare made its debut through five currently available network music products (and now a sixth, forthcoming speaker which was just recently announced at CEDIA 2011). You’ve got the NAC-SV10i iPod/iPhone dock, the NAS-SV20i iPod/iPhone speaker dock, the CMT-MX700Ni micro system, the SA-NS300 wireless network speaker and SA-NS400 wireless network speaker. Sony also recently introduced the RMN-U1 universal touch-screen remote control which, as it happens, integrates nicely with HomeShare to control any compatible devices in the home.

Though any of these devices can be used on their own, the real fun seems to be centered around integration. Perhaps that’s why Sony sent us a trio of HomeShare devices to evaluate together. But,to keep things simple, we decided to evaluate each of the components individually and publish separate reviews for the NAC-SV10i iPod/iPhone dock, SA-NS300 wireless network speaker and RMN-U1 universal touch-screen remote.

It comes down to this: Each of the products had their positive and not-so-positive points. Our biggest challenge was consistent network connectivity. Of the three devices we tested, the RMN-U1 was the most consistently easy to use. Unlike the network speaker and iPod/iPhone dock, it never seemed to have trouble communicating through our network (which was not occupied with any other tasks or accessed by any other machines during our tests, by the way). Also, the remote is definitely the ideal control interface for the HomeShare product family. The only real problem we see is that the RMN-U1’s $300 asking price makes attaining an easy to use wireless music system from Sony a pricier proposition. Of course, considering how much more the system can do than some similarly priced AirPlay speaker systems, maybe this product family is more competitively priced than we first thought.

Used individually, each of the three HomeShare devices we tested were able to provide some useful functions, albeit with some quirks here and there. Yet, it was when the three individuals were brought together as a team that a useful, comprehensive wireless system was born. We like most things modular, but in this case we’re going to say that the whole was definitely greater than the sum of its parts. Though individually rated in each review, we’d give the entire HomeShare system a respectable 8.0 rating.

Topics
Caleb Denison
Caleb Denison
Editor at Large
Digital Trends Editor at Large Caleb Denison is a sought-after writer, speaker, and television correspondent with unmatched…
Best Paramount Plus deals: Get your first month free
Paramount Plus logo on an Apple TV.

Paramount Plus isn’t as big as some of the best live TV streaming services, but it has a lot of content people constantly want to binge or check in on. It’s home to the Yellowstone universe of shows, and every month what’s new on Paramount Plus includes a large variety of movies. Paramount Plus is a great standalone streaming service to turn to if you’re looking for something to watch. It comes in at a more affordable monthly price than most streaming services, costing just $6 per month or $12 per month when bundled with Showtime. But there are still ways to save on a Paramount Plus subscription, with several Paramount Plus deals to consider. Below you’ll find everything you need to know.
How to sign up to Paramount Plus for free for a week
The best way to go about watching Paramount Plus for free is by utilizing the Paramount Plus free trial. This is a pretty easy free week of access to claim, as all you have to do is sign up for a Paramount Plus account. The free trial is good for seven days, and it will give you full access to either the Paramount Plus Essential plan, which is regularly $6 per month, or the Paramount Plus with Showtime plan, which regularly costs $12 per month. Utilizing the Paramount Plus free trial is a great way to watch a particular sports event without having to commit to a monthly subscription, or to simply explore the Paramount Plus library to ensure there’s enough you’d like to watch before subscribing.

How to get a discount on a Paramount Plus subscription
If you're a student you can enjoy 25% off a Paramount Plus Essential monthly subscription. To do so, you simply need to verify your student credentials. You'll need to be a college or university student currently enrolled at an accredited, Title IV higher education institution to qualify.
How to save on your Paramount Plus annual subscription
An annual Paramount Plus subscription is a valid option if you're in it for the long term, as extended subscription will grant you some savings. Anyone who signs up for the Paramount Plus Essential plan for a year pays just $50 while the Premium plan costs $100. It works out as cheaper than subscribing on a monthly basis.

Read more
HD to 4K: these home theater projectors are up to $2,000 off
The Optoma UHD55 projector.

While TVs are great, if you want to have a large screen TV that goes over 80 inches, you're liable to spend thousands of dollars, and if you want to go over 100 inches, you may not even find any options at all, especially at the consumer level. Luckily, there are a lot of great projectors that can not only hit those targets but exceed them and do it at a much cheaper cost than a regular TV. Even better, there is quite a big sale right now at Crutchfield on home theater projectors, with everything from budget-friendly options to top-of-the-range stuff.

What you should buy in Crutchfield's projector sale
Not all projectors have to be incredibly expensive, and you can grab a great project for a good price with the Optoma HZ40HDR, which is , saving you a solid $450 in the process. It's an FHD projector, although it can handle 4k and HDR sources,  and the bulb has a 30,000-hour life span, which is pretty great for a budget-oriented projector. On the other hand, if you want 4k, Optomo has a good budget option for that too, the Optoma UHD35STx, which is a 4k short-throw projector with HDR10 and HLG HDR going , which isn't a massive discount on the usual $1,549, but it's still pretty good.

Read more
Best AirPods Max deals: New and refurbished for $440
A woman wearing the Apple AirPods Max.

Shopping the best headphone deals will turn up a number of options from a wide variety of headphone brands, but if you’re interested in what Apple has to offer in terms of premium audio, the Apple AirPods Max are where you’ll want to turn. The AirPods Max are Apple’s top-of-the-line headphones, and while they churn out some impressive audio experiences, they also churn out a hefty price point. With the rumors of AirPods Max 2 going on you’ll be able to find some decent AirPods Max deals out there. We’ve done that hefty lifting for you, however, and have laid out the best AirPods Max deals below. You’ll find deals on both new and refurbished AirPods Max, but click quickly if one of these deals works for you, as Apple deals can be unpredictable and we don’t know how long these will last.
AirPods Max -- $519, were $549

The AirPods Max are Apple's first attempt at a set of over-the-ear headphones. They got a lot of things right. We love these headphones, even when compared against some audiophile options that prioritize sound quality. The AirPods Max have awesome noise cancelling. Everything Apple learned with the earbud-style AirPods works even better with the cup style of the AirPods Max. Along with great ANC comes a great transparency mode. With a twist of the Max's massive knob, you'll go from complete silence to feeling like you're not wearing headphones at all. The audio on phone calls is great as well, and they pair better with the iPhone than any non-Apple headphones could ever hope to.

Read more