Limited Edition Sonos Blue Note PLAY:1 All Jazzed Up in Cerulean Blue

When is a speaker more than a speaker? You might remember when I reviewed the PLAY:1 a little over a year ago. I was thoroughly impressed with the audio quality that came out of this relatively compact speaker and the whole “smart home” facet through the mobile app made things even more impressive. If you like the Sonos PLAY:1 but don’t want the standard black or white, you may be seriously interested in the new Sonos Blue Note PLAY:1.

This is the first ever limited edition speaker from the people at Sonos and it pays homage to over 75 years of amazing jazz. Naturally, the first thing that’ll strike you is the appearance. For the Blue Note edition, Sonos “crafted” a custom color fade that was “developed through hand-painting techniques and strategic use of robots” to create this gentle “vertical fade from dark navy to cerulean blue.” I say it looks pretty hot.

To add to the whole “limited edition” feel of this speaker, Sonos is also bundling one year of complimentary Blue Note programming with three specially curated channels powered by TuneIn Radio. As can be expected, these channels are entirely jazz-focused for all you smooth cats out there.

I recently picked up the Sonos PLAYBAR for my home theater setup and, should I be successful in convincing the Mrs., I intend on adding more Sonos components in due time too. It really is a life-changing experience.

The Sonos Blue Note PLAY:1 will sell for $250 US, $280 Canadian, 250 Euro and 220 GBP while quantities last, exclusively on Sonos.com. The production run is limited to 4,100 units and they should start shipping “in the coming weeks.” Peep the press release below for more details.

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BORN IN BLUE: INTRODUCING THE SONOS BLUE NOTE PLAY:1

Our first ever limited edition speaker celebrates more than 75 years of the finest in jazz with a custom design and access to exclusive playlists.

Legendary music deserves to be celebrated. Today, we pay tribute to the jazz legends, their art, and a record label founded on creating a timeless experience with music that captures the energy and emotion of a live performance. To commemorate 75 years and counting of Blue Note Records and a memorable year of collaborations together, we unveil the Sonos PLAY:1 Blue Note Limited Edition.

“Music is meant to convey an emotional message to the listener. You don’t want anything interfering with that message and Sonos shares Blue Note’s dedication to this,” said Blue Note President, Don Was. “Fidelity is true. Give me the truth.”

Coming soon to Sonos.com, the Blue Note PLAY:1 puts jazz artists on stage in your home and illustrates our shared dedication to high fidelity.

“We wanted to create an expression of Blue Note’s singular style while embracing all the idiosyncrasies of a live performance,” said Sonos VP of Design Tad Toulis. “This mindset led us to the design solution – one which captures a singular moment in the act of creation.”

Crafted with a custom color developed through hand-painting techniques and strategic use of robots, the speaker’s finish features a vertical fade from dark navy to cerulean blue, reflecting the deep bass to the richly detailed highs and lows that people know and love about the PLAY:1.

The paint line for the grills uses no fewer than seven gravity-fed atomizing spray nozzles to correctly apply the various shades of blue to the perforated metal surface.

The Blue Note PLAY:1 comes with the Blue Note on Sonos radio station built into the main menu in the Sonos app, powered by TuneIn. Enjoy a year of Blue Note programming with three curated channels within the station:

• Artist Selects: Available exclusively on the Blue Note PLAY:1, listen vinyl-style to handpicked selections from the greats like Robert Glasper, Jose James, Terence Blanchard, Ambrose Akinmusire, Lionel Loueke, and Don Was himself, who has curated 125 of his personal favorites.
• Born in Blue: We bring together legendary Blue Note artists and those who have sampled them for mixes that celebrate the intersection of modern music and legendary jazz.
• Blue Note 101: Starting with the inception of Blue Note and following its progression to becoming an iconic label, listen and learn about jazz and its evolution over more than 75 years.

You can enjoy the Born in Blue and Blue Note 101 channels on your Sonos at home today and also on your other devices via TuneIn.

The Blue Note PLAY:1 will be sold exclusively on Sonos.com for $250 USD, $280 CAD, €250, and £220, while quantities last. Timing for when you’ll be able to purchase this collector’s speaker will be released in the coming weeks. We only made about 4,100 and expect them to sell quickly.

To be among the first to know, make sure you’re on the list for Sonos emails. For more, visit: http://www.sonos.com/BlueNote.

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