INTRODUCTION
I recently spent more time than I care to admit researching wireless speakers for my three storey townhouse. I wanted music in multiple rooms, seamlessly controlled, with sound quality that justified the investment. I already run a Denon AV receiver as the heart of my cinema setup on the middle floor — so the question wasn’t really Sonos vs Denon. It was which Denon, and how many.
What I discovered along the way is worth sharing — because the wireless speaker market is full of genuinely good products, but the right choice depends entirely on what you already own, how your home is laid out, and how seriously you take sound quality.
Here’s everything I learned.
THE CASE FOR A WIRELESS MULTI-ROOM SYSTEM
For professionals in larger homes — townhouses, period properties, open plan living — a wired speaker system is rarely practical without significant building work. Wireless multi-room systems solve this elegantly. One app, multiple rooms, the same music everywhere or different music in each space simultaneously.
The two systems that dominate the premium end of this market are Sonos and Denon HEOS. Both are excellent. But they serve slightly different buyers.
SONOS — THE ECOSYSTEM THAT WORKS FOR EVERYONE
Sonos is the default recommendation for most people, and with good reason. The app is genuinely brilliant — clean, intuitive, and rock solid. Setup is straightforward. The speakers look good in any home. Customer support is excellent.
The Sonos Era 100, at around £249, is the benchmark for a premium single room wireless speaker. The Era 300, at £449, adds spatial audio and is genuinely impressive for music lovers. The Move 2 at £399 adds portability and battery.
Sonos works with Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, Amazon Music and virtually every streaming service. AirPlay 2 support means iPhone users can throw audio to any Sonos speaker instantly.
Where Sonos falls short: it exists as its own closed ecosystem. If you have a Denon or Marantz AV receiver at the heart of your home cinema setup — as many serious audio enthusiasts do — Sonos doesn’t integrate with it natively. Your cinema system and your wireless speakers remain separate worlds.
Verdict: The best choice for those starting from scratch with no existing AV equipment.
DENON HEOS — THE CHOICE FOR EXISTING DENON OWNERS
This is where my decision became straightforward. HEOS — Denon’s wireless platform — integrates natively with Denon and Marantz AV receivers, soundbars and amplifiers. If you already own a HEOS-capable receiver, adding Denon Home speakers simply extends your existing system. One app controls everything. Your cinema setup, your kitchen speaker, your bedroom speaker — all unified.
For anyone with a Denon amp already in their home, this integration alone justifies choosing the HEOS ecosystem over Sonos.
The Denon Home range currently sits at three tiers:
Denon Home 150 — £219 The entry point. Compact, single driver, mono — ideal as a secondary room addition or bathroom speaker. It fills a small room well and the bass is surprisingly deep for its size. However, if you’re expecting it to fill a medium or large room on its own, you’ll be disappointed. In my honest assessment, if you want true room-filling sound from the 150 you’ll find yourself wanting a subwoofer — which adds cost and complexity and starts to undermine the value proposition.
Denon Home 250 — £449 This is the Goldilocks of the range and the one I went with. Four active drivers, a passive bass radiator, genuine stereo output — one unit fills a medium to large room properly without compromise. I briefly considered starting with the 150 and adding a sub, but having heard both I’m glad I didn’t. The 250 simply sounds better and at £449 represents the sweet spot of performance versus price in the entire range.
Critically — one Home 250 can stand alone and satisfy. Two paired together as a stereo pair transforms a room entirely. And for those who want cinema integration, two 250s can serve as rear surround channels for a Denon soundbar setup. The flexibility is genuinely impressive.
Denon Home 350 — £599 The flagship. Six drivers, more power, significantly larger cabinet. For a large open plan room or a dedicated listening space, this is the one. The bass can be overwhelming in smaller rooms — the HEOS app’s room correction EQ helps, but position matters. This isn’t a speaker you put anywhere — it needs space to breathe.
THE SUBWOOFER QUESTION
A common question when building a wireless system is whether to add a subwoofer. My honest take:
With the Home 150, a subwoofer is almost necessary if you want bass that satisfies in a proper living room. Two 150s paired without a sub work well in a bedroom or smaller space — but push them harder and the limitations show.
With the Home 250, a subwoofer is optional rather than essential. The passive radiator handles bass reproduction well enough for most music and casual listening. If you’re hosting and want to feel bass physically — add one. For everyday professional use, you simply don’t need it.
The Home 250 was my choice precisely because it doesn’t require a sub to sound complete. That’s not something I could say about the 150.
MULTI-ROOM IN A MULTI-STOREY HOME
For a three storey townhouse — which is exactly my situation — here’s what I’d recommend:
One Home 250 per main living floor is the efficient approach. Each fills its room properly, integrates with your existing Denon setup, and is controlled via the HEOS app on your phone. The app handles grouping effortlessly — play the same music throughout the house, or independent sources in each room, with a few taps.
The HEOS app has improved significantly and is now genuinely solid. It’s not quite as polished as the Sonos app — Sonos still leads on software — but it’s more than capable for everyday use.
STREAMING SERVICES — WHAT WORKS
Both Sonos and Denon HEOS support Spotify, Amazon Music HD and Tidal natively within their apps. Denon HEOS also supports AirPlay 2, meaning Apple Music works seamlessly from your iPhone or iPad without any complications. Qobuz users will find AirPlay 2 the most reliable route on the Denon system.
For most professionals streaming Spotify or Apple Music — both systems work perfectly.
THE VERDICT
| Your Situation | Our Recommendation |
|---|---|
| No existing AV equipment | Sonos Era 100 or Era 300 |
| Existing Denon/Marantz receiver | Denon Home 250 |
| Small rooms / secondary spaces | Denon Home 150 or Sonos Era 100 |
| Large open plan room | Denon Home 350 or Sonos Era 300 |
| Maximum flexibility, portability | Sonos Move 2 |
MY SETUP
Three storey townhouse, Denon AV receiver on the middle floor. One Home 250 per floor, integrated via HEOS into my existing Denon setup. Controlled via the HEOS app on iPhone. Apple Music via AirPlay 2 throughout.
I went from considering the 150 to buying the 250 after hearing both. I haven’t regretted it for a moment.
WHERE TO BUY
All Denon Home speakers and Sonos models are available on Amazon.co.uk. Richer Sounds is worth checking for the Denon range specifically — their staff know the HEOS ecosystem well and can advise on integration with existing equipment.
At time of writing, Richer Sounds are offering a pair of Denon Home 250s for £499 — representing extraordinary value against the individual RRP of £449 each. If you’re planning a multi-room setup this is the deal to move on quickly. Stock at this price won’t last! (Richer Sounds is not an affiliate of this channel, this is just a genuine deal I wanted to share)