Music in every room: The best multiroom wireless sound systems in 2024

Sonos is undeniably the go-to brand for at-home audio, offering minimalist luxury builds and premium sound. Its extensive streaming library allows you to listen to anything from Spotify and Apple Music to YouTube and Audible. Some of its products, like the Era 100 here, offer Alexa voice assistance.

The Sonos Era 100 is a significant upgrade from its predecessor, the Sonos One (an excellent and more affordable alternative). The Era 100 has a 47 per cent faster processor, which means quicker streaming, and a 25% larger mid-woofer, providing an even more irresistible bass. Its compact design makes it perfect for any space, whether a bookshelf, kitchen counter, or desktop.

Likewise, if you want to expand your speaker system quickly and grow your coverage, you can save £50 on Sonos' current two-room set deal.

As a part of the Naim brand, renowned for its high-end audio systems, the Mu-so 2 boasts exceptional sound quality and luxury design, surpassing its award-winning predecessor. It is an ideal centrepiece for any home audio system, and you can seamlessly integrate it with other Mu-so systems for immersive multiroom audio. A great addition to your Mu-so 2 is the Mu-so QB 2 — a compact and affordable alternative for those working with smaller spaces and on tighter budgets.

Connecting to your home network via Ethernet or Wi-Fi, you can easily stream music through Airplay 2, Spotify Connect, and TIDAL. You can also stream via Bluetooth and connect to your TV via your TV's HDMI ARC port. This feature lets your Mu-so speaker automatically switch on with your TV, enhancing your movie and TV-watching experience.

One potential downside is that, oddly, all the cable ports are on the speaker's right side, which may be inconvenient for some users.

For unmatched sound quality and luxury design, look no further than the BeoSound A5. There is no portable speaker quite like it. Its superior sound surpasses Sonos' ARC, while its gorgeous design elevates any space. With Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, enjoy 360-degree sound dispersion and slick RoomSense technology for space-adapted playback.

The A5 features a powerhouse woofer for some serious bass, making it ideal for parties and gatherings. Its luxury Nordic weave design is another standout feature, though pricier Dark Oak and Spaced Aluminium options are available on their website.

The A5 is durable with IP65 water and dust proofing. However, due to its weighty premium build, it's not suited for beach trips nor practical for hiking. However, with such a hefty price tag, I doubt you'll want to take it out of the house! Instead, it is perfect to have on your bookshelf or sideboard table while providing excellent sound for outdoor in-garden gatherings such as barbeques.

If you already use Apple products, this speaker is an obvious choice for starting or expanding their multiroom sound system. When grouped or coupled with an ensemble of HomePod minis, surround sound in spaces like your living room is a great, affordable way to bring the cinema back home.

The Apple HomePod 2 delivers well-balanced and dependable audio imaging with a bass to rival Sonos' signature. Keeping to the original HomePod's build (don't fix what isn't broken), the device boasts a beautiful mesh design and a glossy touch panel, making navigation satisfyingly simple.

However, the downside is that buying a HomePod means commuting to an Apple-centric household. In other words, if you're an Android user, consider other options, such as Sonos. But if this isn't a concern for you, Apple Home systems are dependable and considered among the best in terms of security and support features.

Looking for a sound system that offers processing and sound quality but can fit into smaller, unconventional spaces? Then look no further than the BeoSound Emerge. Whether on premium book-inspired design, this sleek speaker can go anywhere.

The BoeSound Emerge lets users stream their favourite music from services like Apple Airplay 2 and Spotify Connect. High-quality Bluetooth streaming is also available. The device also has built-in Google Assistant for voice control and easy, hands-free use.

Despite its ultra-slim build, the BeoSound Emerge boasts rich, unified audio with three small but powerful drivers, excellent imaging, and solid bass. However, if you're a bass enthusiast, while this more than suffices, it cannot compete with Sonos.

The Sonos Roam is a sleek and efficient addition for those with an existing home sound system, looking great on any shelf or bedside table. Its Wi-Fi and multiroom connectivity allow you to take it in and around the house and garden with ease. Likewise, you can switch to Bluetooth mode for a beach or road trip and easily take your tunes.

It's also a savvy investment for those on a budget. Instead of buying separate speakers for home and on-the-go use, the Roam meets you in the middle by excelling at both.

As for sound, the speaker has the perfect Sonos bass and delivers a volume as loud as most in-house speakers. However, there is a slight loss of clarity at higher volumes, but this is to be expected, considering the lower to mid-range pricing.

The Echo (4th generation) is an excellent choice for a reliable smart multiroom system. In addition to its Alexa assistance - great if you need a hand in the kitchen - the Echo produces clear sound with dynamic bass and mids, making it a brilliant addition to your home.

Like other Echo speakers, you can use Alexa to stream your music while controlling your compatible smart devices, such as lights, plugs, cameras, TVs, and, of course, other speakers in your system. Once you've added all your devices to the companion app, you can turn your home into a house-sized speaker with a simple "Alexa, play music everywhere."

The HomePod mini is an impressive-looking, nifty little speaker that is a perfect way to quickly expand your Apple ecosystem without emptying your wallet. Its Airplay connectivity supports whole-home audio and stereo pairing, allowing two HomePod minis to be paired as a stereo set - it makes a real difference having two in one room.

The HomePod mini's compact size is a boon for ease of placement, enabling users to equip their entire house more effectively. Additionally, like many speakers today, it features a series of far-reaching Siri voice recognition mics, allowing users to adjust volume and skip tracks without worrying about their proximity to the speaker.

Amazon's Echo Dot is an excellent, more affordable alternative to the Echo. Despite being much smaller, it is still an excellent multiroom speaker that works well in especially compact spaces.
It is easy to set up and use and provides a surprisingly punchy sound for its petite size. Like the Echo, Alexa can assist you throughout your day with weather and news updates, hands-free timers, and answers to your burning questions.

Moreover, the Dot can also help you achieve at-home cinema audio at an even more affordable price than Apple's HomePod Mini (though the sound quality is somewhat less impressive). Just "dot" three to four of these devices around your living space and pair them with your Fire TV to experience your own homemade cinema surround sound.

But, if you're looking for an even cheaper Echo device, the more recently released Pop will save a tenner or so, but there is a trade-off in sound quality and range.

As a successor to the original Home Mini, the Nest Mini 2 brings a host of updates while maintaining its beloved compact size. It stands out as one of the most cost-effective smart home devices available, and its sleek design is intended to seamlessly blend into your environment, rather than making a bold statement.

The device comes with a metre-and-a-half AC port and a user-friendly companion app that makes it easy to add new Chromecast devices to your home sound system. The app allows you to organise these devices by room. Additionally, the Nest Mini 2 has a wall mount option, but the AC cable makes it more suited on a countertop.

It features a half-long AC port and an easy-to-navigate companion app that makes adding new Chromecast devices a breeze. These can then be organised under rooms in the app. It also has an available wall mount option, though with the AC cable, it is perhaps better placed on a countertop.

Another great feature is Google Assistant's ability to automatically adjust its volume based on the ambient noise level. This means that for larger gatherings, it will intelligently increase its volume. The Nest Mini 2 also boasts a triple-threat far-field mic arrangement so that you can interact with your device from a distance without issue.