All HiFi experts:

My old man lives in a house with very thick walls. The house suffers from really slow broadband speeds and rubbish WiFi signals.

Last year I helped him source a load of Sonos stuff (Play 5, connect, boost, plus a nas drive). Unfortunately the connection was intermittent and only the Play 5 would work (it sits under the study where the router is). Connect did not work at all, as it was at the other end of the house connected to the Cambridge Audio hifi.

Strangely in the same house I can get Spotify to stream from a mobile to a Bluetooth speaker just fine (Bose Soundlink).

As an alternative to Sonos, I was wondering if I could get him a Bose Soundtouch 20. They have WiFi for multiroom or Bluetooth for a direct feed from a phone. I was going to suggest they try it with Bluetooth.

Am I missing something or could it be used in this way? It would not be multiroom, but at least they could access Spotify etc via mobiles/ipads.

Nothing against Sonos, I kept his old Play 5 and think it is the shizzle.

Sonos systems can be wired, can they not? (a bit of pain running ethernet cables though)

With the Bose and Bluetooth the ‘signal’ chain will go:

Internet >> Phone/Tablet >> Speaker

With Sonos it’s:

Internet >> Speaker

The phone/tablet is just a controller.

The Bose and Bluetooth will probably work just fine, but it ties the phone/tablet to being kept close to the speaker and being kept on. It will also run down the battery on the phone considerably more than the Sonos option

Powerline.

If Sonos can use ethernet then just buy some HomePlugs?

Powerline connections could be a saviour. Run the signal over the mains – I didn’t have any issue with my Sonos setting it up like that.

Though I think Sonos do a wifi booster/repeater box now so that might help if its positioned well.

Don’t think swapping to another wifi solution is worth it (unless the Sonos stuff can be, ahem, bought off him for a steal).

But for the sake of £30 worth of powerline plugs I’d try that first, and it’d help him if he ever needs internet connection from a laptop etc. at the far end of the house.

Or just get him an iPod classic and a dock to plug into the stereo….

Dunno about improving the Wi-Fi speed, but could you not get a couple of Sonos Bridge’s to improve the Wi-Fi signal through the house that the SONOS runs on? Or is that the ‘boost’ that you mention?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sonos-BRIDGE-Expand-your-Wireless-Hi-Fi/dp/B000YGIJ62

+1 for Powerline. Saved us at our new house, only BT socket in far bedroom, no wifi in 60% of the house, couple of WiFi powerline adapters, and I’ve got signal everywhere, and important devices plugged in via cable.