Multiroom sounds like a question of speakers – but in reality, it's a question of the system. Because as soon as you decide on an ecosystem, you also decide which devices you can buy in the coming years, how good it sounds, how it can be operated, and how far you can expand it upwards. The individual speakers are interchangeable. The underlying system is the real decisive factor.
And that's precisely the sticking point: changing the system later is expensive because it means practically replacing all the hardware. That's why it's worth making this one decision carefully upfront – and not just sticking with the first name you know.
This guide introduces the most important systems, categorizes them, and helps you find out which one suits you. Without a winner – but with clear differences, because without those, no overview will help you.
Table of Contents
- What Multiroom can actually do
- The one question that determines everything: open or closed
- Sonos – the convenient all-rounder
- The Audiophiles: MusicCast, HEOS, and BluOS
- WiiM – the announced newcomer
- The Specialists and the Open Paths
- The four criteria that really matter
- Can I combine systems?
- What suits whom
- FAQ
What Multiroom can actually do
The basic idea is simple: music in multiple rooms, controlled via a single app. In practice, this means three things.
You can listen to the same thing everywhere – the same playlist synchronously in the kitchen, living room, and bathroom, without any time delay. You can listen to something different in each room – radio in the kitchen, vinyl in the living room, an audiobook in the bedroom. And you can flexibly group and ungroup rooms, depending on where life is happening.
Additionally, with most systems: streaming services are directly integrated, your own music can be played on the network, and often there's the option to integrate TV sound or a record player. Multiroom is therefore much more than "music in several rooms" – for many, it is the central control of all music in the house.
The one question that determines everything: open or closed
Before we get to the individual systems, the most important distinction of all – it determines the most.
Closed systems come from one manufacturer and only work with their hardware. The advantage: everything is perfectly coordinated, operation is seamless, nothing can "not fit together." The price for this: you are tied to the offerings of this one manufacturer. What they don't build, you don't get.
Open systems include multiple brands or can be combined with third-party hardware. The advantage: more choice, more freedom, more possibilities to improve sound quality. The price: it requires a bit more conscious assembly.
The systems in this guide are arranged along precisely this axis – from very closed to very open. Keep that in mind as we go through them.
Sonos – the convenient all-rounder
Let's start with the name almost everyone knows. Sonos made multiroom for the mass market, and you can tell from the system: it's mature, it's simple, and it covers almost every use case.
The product range covers everything important – from small speakers to soundbars, subwoofers, to a streamer that can make an existing system Sonos-compatible, and an amplifier that integrates existing passive speakers. Anyone looking for an uncomplicated, easy-to-use solution that can be supplemented in any room will find what they need here.
Honestly, Sonos clearly belongs in the consumer sector. It sounds decent, brings a lot of joy in everyday life – but it's not audiophile, nor is it designed to be. The amplifier, for example (Sonos Amp), is a practical entry-level solution, not a device for the discerning listener. Those who judge Sonos by what it is designed for – comfort, operation, music throughout the house without thinking – will be satisfied. Those who seek the ultimate in sound or the path upwards will feel its limitations.
Sonos is also a closed system: only Sonos hardware, no third-party devices. This makes operation wonderfully simple, but it ties you down.
Regarding the app, which has been much discussed: Sonos was so early that technically, worlds separate its first multiroom products from today. The fact that some older devices eventually couldn't keep up is less malicious intent than the flip side of being a pioneer – development in this area is simply enormous. For a new purchase today, this hardly matters.
Sonos suits you if: convenience and ease of use are at the top of your list, you want a familiar solution, and "good enough" rather than "the maximum" is acceptable for sound quality.
The Audiophiles: MusicCast, HEOS, and BluOS
Now it gets interesting for everyone for whom sound is more important than the best-known name. These three systems have something in common: they master the usual multiroom, but go significantly further up in sound quality – into the high-quality and partly high-end range. Hi-Res playback, serious amplifiers and streamers, and the ability to connect really good speakers.
They differ primarily in how open they are and how far their universe extends.
MusicCast (Yamaha)
MusicCast is not just a multiroom system, but Yamaha's entire streaming ecosystem. And that's its real strength: practically every streaming-capable Yamaha device becomes part of the system – whether AV receiver, soundbar, HiFi amplifier, or the new active speakers. This allows MusicCast to cover an enormous range, from the kitchen to a full-fledged home cinema, all under one roof.
The catch is the same as with Sonos: it's tied to one brand. However, this brand is Yamaha, with a huge product world that has grown over decades. Those who already gravitate towards Yamaha or already own Yamaha devices get a seamlessly integrated system across all areas here.
HEOS (Denon and Marantz)
HEOS works similarly comprehensively to MusicCast, but has a decisive advantage: it includes two brands, Denon and Marantz. This makes it more broadly positioned – from accessible Denon devices all the way up into the true premium range, as Marantz serves with its top products, such as the 10 Series, the Horizon, or the large AV pre/power amplifier combinations.
HEOS is integrated into AV receivers, streamers, amplifiers, and speakers of both brands – so you can equip an entire house with it and choose different levels of quality depending on the room and requirement. And there's perspective: with B&W, a third, very renowned brand is in the same group environment, which further increases the system's potential.
BluOS (Bluesound, NAD, Lyngdorf, Dali, Roksan)
BluOS is the most open of the three – and therefore the most exciting for many sound-conscious listeners. It is not tied to one brand but is found in a whole range of respected names: Bluesound provides the classic multiroom building blocks – a wide range of streamers and active speakers – while NAD, Lyngdorf, Dali, and Roksan carry the system far into the high-quality HiFi segment.
This allows BluOS to combine two things that rarely come together: the convenience of a ready-made multiroom system and the freedom to go almost arbitrarily high in sound quality while choosing between brands. Hi-Res playback is a matter of course. Those who want multiroom but don't want to compromise on sound will find the most sophisticated open system here.
These three suit you if: sound is really important to you, you want to listen to Hi-Res, and you can imagine expanding upwards over the years. MusicCast, if you're at home in the Yamaha world; HEOS, if the Denon/Marantz bandwidth up to the premium segment appeals to you; BluOS, if openness and brand selection are most important to you.
WiiM – the announced newcomer
WiiM is the youngest in the field – and the one currently creating the most buzz. The brand started with small, extremely price-aggressive streamers and amplifiers, whose purpose was clear: to make an existing system streaming- and multiroom-capable without spending a lot of money.
The remarkable thing about it: despite the low prices, the craftsmanship is surprisingly high quality, and the app is among the best you can get for the money. WiiM thus offers a very affordable yet solid entry into the topic.
Meanwhile, the ecosystem is growing: there are dedicated small multiroom speakers and a soundbar, and it can be assumed that more products and categories will be added in the next few years. Also practical: Audio Pro devices can also be integrated into the WiiM world, which expands the selection beyond their own brand.
WiiM suits you if: you want to start on a budget and primarily make an existing system streaming-capable – and you want to choose a system that is noticeably growing.
The Specialists and the Open Paths
In addition to the five classic systems, there are two other paths that are exactly right for certain people.
The Specialists: Devialet, Cabasse, Revox
Some manufacturers offer multiroom through their own speakers without building a complete ecosystem around them. Devialet and Cabasse, for example, can certainly play music in multiple rooms with their speakers – what they lack are the complementary components that the larger systems bring: amplifiers, streamers, soundbars, and so on. Revox plays a role primarily in the project sector, i.e., in well-planned installations.
Who this suits: for everyone who loves the sound or design aspirations of these brands and takes multiroom as a nice extra – not as a system that should grow in every conceivable direction later.
The Open Protocols: AirPlay, Chromecast, Roon
It doesn't always have to be a closed system. Many active speakers and streaming devices can also do multiroom via open protocols – via AirPlay (in the Apple world), Chromecast (Google), or Roon (for demanding music management). This allows devices from different manufacturers to be loosely linked into a multiroom network.
The appeal: maximum freedom, no binding to a brand, free choice of devices. The price: these methods are often somewhat less seamless and comfortable than a continuous system, and the range of functions depends on the respective protocol. However, for those who don't want to commit and prefer to assemble their devices themselves, this is a very attractive path. [LINK → Blog: Active vs. Passive] · [LINK → Active Speakers]
The four criteria that really matter
When you weigh the systems against each other, these four points are primarily important.
Sound. This is where the wheat is most clearly separated from the chaff. Sonos and WiiM are solid but designed for everyday use. Those who want the maximum will find it among the audiophiles – MusicCast, HEOS, and especially BluOS with its high-quality brand partners – and among the specialists. If sound is your main criterion, look there first.
Durability. A multiroom system is a long-term decision. It is important that the manufacturer maintains and develops its system over years. The established systems have proven this over a long period; for a young one like WiiM, the dynamics are high, the history naturally still short.
Expandability. How far can you expand, and how high can you reach? This is where the open and broadly positioned systems show their strength: BluOS with its brand diversity, HEOS with the range from Denon to Marantz premium, MusicCast with the Yamaha overall world. Sonos is broad but clearly capped at the top.
Operation. Decisive in everyday life. Sonos is the benchmark for simplicity here, WiiM surprises for the price, the audiophiles are comfortable and more functional. A good app is worth more than an additional feature on the box.
And the voice assistants? Alexa and co. are integrated into some systems. For most customers, this is more of a secondary aspect than a decisive reason – noteworthy, but rarely crucial. If it's important to you, specifically check which system supports your preferred assistant.
Can I combine systems?
In short: within a system, yes; across systems, hardly. Two different closed systems do not play synchronously together – a Sonos speaker and a MusicCast device do not form a common network.
The bridge lies in the open protocols: if several of your devices all support AirPlay or Chromecast, they can be loosely linked via these, even across system boundaries. However, this isn't quite the comfort of a seamless system.
Therefore, the honest advice: make a conscious decision. That's precisely why the system choice at the beginning is so important – a later change means largely replacing the hardware, and that's the most expensive route. Better to think it through properly once upfront than to buy twice later.
What suits whom
You want maximum convenience and a name you know. → Sonos. Simple, mature, broad – as long as "good sound" is enough for you and you want to stick with the closed system.
Sound is important to you and you want Hi-Res. → The Audiophiles. MusicCast, HEOS or BluOS – here the sound quality goes beyond where Sonos stops.
You want to be able to expand upwards and have brand freedom. → BluOS. The most open system, from Bluesound to the high-end segment with NAD, Lyngdorf, Dali and Roksan.
You are already in the Yamaha or Denon/Marantz world. → MusicCast or HEOS respectively. Both seamlessly integrate your existing setup and, with HEOS, reach into the premium segment.
You want to start affordably or make an existing system streaming-capable. → WiiM. Price-aggressive, surprisingly high quality, and growing fast.
You love a particular brand and want multiroom as a nice extra. → The specialists like Devialet or Cabasse. Great speakers with multiroom capability, without the full accessory ecosystem.
You don't want to commit and prefer to assemble it yourself. → The open protocols. AirPlay, Chromecast or Roon link devices from different manufacturers into a loose network – maximum freedom, slightly less convenience.
Best to experience and touch it yourself
As sorted as this overview is – the decision will be easier if you experience the systems in real life: how the app feels, how it sounds, how quickly rooms are grouped. With us, you can experience and compare the different systems side by side.
And because multiroom is a long-term decision with many possibilities, a conversation here is particularly worthwhile: Tell us how many rooms you want to equip, what you listen to, which devices you already own, and how important sound is to you compared to convenience. This quickly helps narrow down the right system.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most important point when choosing multiroom?
The system, not the individual speaker. It determines what you can buy later, how it sounds, and how far you can expand. Changing systems later is expensive because it affects almost all the hardware.
Isn't Sonos the best multiroom system?
Sonos is the best known and one of the most convenient – but "best" depends on what you're looking for. For comfort and simplicity, it's excellent. If sound, Hi-Res, or expanding into the high-end sector is important to you, audiophile systems like BluOS, HEOS, and MusicCast, or the specialists, are the more interesting choice.
Can I connect different systems with each other?
Within a system, yes; between two closed systems, practically not. However, devices from different manufacturers can be loosely linked via open protocols like AirPlay or Chromecast.
Which system sounds best?
Tends to be the audiophile and specialized solutions – BluOS with its high-quality brand partners, HEOS up to the Marantz premium segment, MusicCast in the Yamaha world, plus specialists like Devialet or Cabasse. Sonos and WiiM are solid but designed for everyday use.
Is WiiM worth it despite the low prices?
Yes. WiiM is surprisingly high quality for its price point and ideal for making an existing system streaming- and multiroom-capable. The ecosystem is still young but growing rapidly.
Do I need special speakers for multiroom?
Not necessarily. Many systems offer their own active speakers, but with a streamer or amplifier from the respective system, you can often integrate existing speakers or a current system.
Can I also use multiroom with my existing HiFi system?
Yes. That's exactly what streamers and streaming amplifiers are for – equally available from Sonos, WiiM, and the audiophile systems. They make your existing system part of the multiroom network.
Author: Frank Buck
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