Audio Pro Addon C5A with Alexa built-in, Wireless, Bluetooth, Smart Speaker with Multi-room – Grey

Product Information

It's all a moot point when we lose power, which is frequent, though if we run the generator, I can have all of my connected devices (and yes, the Lutrons and cheap wall outlet plugs still work manually if that outlet/circuit is connected to our generator (which they aren't). The only downsides I can really think of are its slightly eye-watering price tag and the fact that, despite having a handle, there's no battery to make it a portable device. At What Hi-Fi? we comprehensively test and review every product we recommend, from soundbars to speakers, headphones and TVs. And it's no different for Sonos alternatives.

Listening to Apple Music’s Dolby Atmos version of The 1 by Taylor Swift, the vocals hold a wonderful clarity and warmth. Really pushing it with SBTRKT’s Trials Of The Past in Apple Lossless quality, the speaker delivers equally precise audio and avoids falling victim to sibilance, which is a common issue we encounter playing the song on speakers this price. The new HomePod has boundless energy; its enthusiasm is infectious, its rhythmic drive always exciting and engaging. The deep integration with Apple’s ecosystem also makes it blissfully easy to set up. Paired with an iPhone all you have to do is scan for the speaker and run through a few on-screen commands to get it fully up and running and integrated with your smart home setup. The entire process only took us a few minutes. The Audio Pro C5 Mk II wireless speaker has a lot to boast about - not only does it sound great and work just as you'd expect it to, but it won't disrupt your decor at home either because it looks genuinely cool. verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ Removing a service requires that service's ID and passcode - yet the reason I want to remove a service is because it's outdated and I don't have the login info! Updating, sure. But removing????

The bugs are neither constant nor devastating, but the odd stutter and hang – particularly when pairing or splitting speakers – gets annoying in a short time. It's a combination of factors. Sonos has been in the game for a long time, so it's built up a reputation. Its ecosystem is one of the most comprehensive out there, with all the main streaming apps and services covered, and an 'everything just works' approach. There are two more ways to connect to the speaker, through Bluetooth or alternatively through a wired connection. The Audio Pro C5 Mk II has ports for RCA although the necessary cable isn't included in the box, and you can even hook up a separate subwoofer to it, although there’s no auxiliary port for a 3.5mm audio cable. As much as anything else, your chosen path for migration to multi-room should be about whose speakers you want around your house. For us, Audio Pro makes that particular decision admirably simple.Sonos is rumoured to be working on a pair of wireless headphones, so who knows, there might be less to separate these two brands in future... The Addon C5A welcomes us with that same Award-winning musical understanding. There’s plenty of bass for a unit this size, and a level of detail we’ve become used to from these speakers, but the highlight is undoubtedly these boxes’ level of expression.

It is the use of a BMR, or Balanced Mode Radiator, tweeter that is most canny, however. Among its many benefits, this flatter-faced driver has the ability to offer wider dispersion than a traditional tweeter – up to 180º in fact – and so can make the most of the A10’s cylindrical form, making it far less fussy when it comes to positioning.All the controls for the speaker are located on a metal panel on the top. These are all clearly labelled, so it doesn't take long to get to grips with them. They also have a satisfying "clunk" to them when pressed; they are a world away from the cheap plastic buttons you find on many other speakers. There's also a separate panel for the built-in Alexa feature, with an LED strip to tell you when the C5A is listening and a button to manually mute the microphone. The increased power and driver and cabinet size predictably ushers a grander performance each step you take up the chain, with the Addon C10 particularly able to rattle trinkets from the mantelpiece or twist our insides with its low-end authority. Through the Audio Pro Control app, you can actually adjust the bass and treble to better suit you as well. Other features in the app include a sleep timer to save energy or alarms to get you out of the house on time in the morning. Sure to fit in with any modern home aesthetic, the Audio Pro C5 Mk II is striking with Scandinavian roots, and you can tell. Another Award for Audio Pro is barely news anymore, but the fact this year the Drumfire displaced the Naim Mu-so – a product almost double the price we once heralded as the nearest to hi-fi we’d heard from a wireless speaker – as our most expensive champion in 2018 is proof it is operating on a different level to anything else around it.

Multi-room speaker systems are tested for sound quality, features, ease of set-up and use, and overall performance. And we aim to test multiple products in each family, usually involving at least two wireless speakers and a soundbar but this will vary depending on each system's product line-up.Unsurprisingly, that’s one of the first things that jumps out when we switch the A10 on. We love the directness of its siblings, but the versatility and sheer spread of sound here is to be admired. It doesn’t have quite the unwavering focus, nor the sheer weight in the low end, but we can move around our test room and still be treated to the same high quality sound.