November 24, 2004

Tech Files are video reports examining popular topics about technology and the Internet. Links to helpful Web sites are listed. Mike Goldfein reports from the Belo Washington bureau.

STORY
MP3s have become the most popular way for many people to listen to their music. But what if your MP3s are on the computer, and you want to listen to that music on the deck or in your bedroom?

Here's Mike Goldfein:

It's a given that those old vinyl records are now antiques, but what about our expensive stereos? Sonos could well be the stereo of the near future.

Sonos will go on sale early next year and allows you to keep all your music on your computer and play it from anywhere in the house with a touch-sensitive controller and a big LCD screen that shows you what's playing.

"This is the stereo for the digital age. This is what the perfect stereo would look like if you were already totally digital." — Tom Cullen, Sonos

The system does away with your conventional home stereo. The Sonos Zone player is a networked receiver and amplifier that can go in any room. You just have to add speakers.

"We [can] have three zones set up. If I got to the controller, we [can] have three different songs — 'Crazy in Love' playing in the garden, we have a mix playing on the patio and Eminem in the playroom." — Cullen.

With a number of zone players, you can have different music playing in up to 32 rooms. Since the music is stored on your computer, there's no more searching for CDs.

"The beauty of digital is that you have flexibility." — Cullen

If there is a catch, it's this: The starting system — a controller and two zone players — costs $1,200.

On the Web for Belo Interactive, I'm Mike Goldfein.