Sonos gets affordable with the tiny $199 Play:1 wireless speaker

While Sonos is typically associated with pricy wireless speakers, the company is playing a different tune with its latest device.

Sonos announced the Play:1 wireless speaker today, it’s cheapest offering yet at just $199. It puts Sonos in intriguing territory, as the $200-range seems to be the sweet spot for popular wireless speakers. It’s significantly bigger than something like the $179 Mini Jambox, but it could be perfect if you want a small speaker that you don’t have to move much.

You can pair two Play:1 units together for true stereo sound, and they can also serve as rear speakers in a surround setup with the $799 Sonos Playbar wireless soundbar. (Previously you could only get rear sound with two $299 Sonos Play:3 speakers.)

Sonos claims the Play:1 is safe to use in a steamy bathroom, thanks to its sealed case. Just don’t try putting it in your shower proper.

Like the rest of the Sonos family, you’ll need to connect the Play:1 to a $49 Sonos Bridge to control it wirelessly. It’s not as convenient as connecting directly to a wireless Bluetooth or Airplay speaker, but it allows Sonos to give you full control over speakers in multiple rooms. It also allows for unique features like the PlayBar integration.

In my brief testing of the Play:1, I found its sound to be surprisingly rich and full for its size. Look out for a full review soon.