Sonos audio products are popular for a reason — they sound great and they’re not too far from affordable. Today’s MacBook Pro and Studio Display user thinks the monitor’s built-in speakers are good for many uses, but when they really want the big sound — for gaming, it turns out — they’re all about their Sonos One SL speakers and Sonos Beam soundbar.
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M1 MacBook Pro setup rocks Sonos sound system
Redditor MentalOriental (“Mo”) showcased the tuneful setup in a post entitled, “My complete setup.”
“I sit at my desk to make YouTube videos, work from home, eat and watch TV shows,” they said. And to do it, they drive a Studio Display using a 2021 14-inch M1 MacBook Pro sitting on a stand in clamshell mode.
“I have the base MacBook Pro 14-inch, M1 Pro with 16GB RAM,” Mo said. “It’s more than adequate for my work and the most taxing thing I do is video editing on Final Cut Pro. As long as I have the hard drive space I don’t really face any issues at all. I don’t feel the need to upgrade yet but if I had the money I definitely would!”
Sonos One SL
Photo: Sonos
Mo mentioned their Studio Display’s speakers are good for many uses, especially when seated at the desk.
“The speakers on the Apple Studio Display are good enough for general, casual listening,” they said.
But, while Studio Display and even MacBook Pro speakers are pretty good, they really love their Sonos One SL speakers and Sonos Beam soundbar for surround sound when gaming. The Sonos One SL speakers sit on the desk on either side of the display.
Sonos One SL speakers, which cost $150 to $200 apiece, are great for pairing for crisp stereo sound. You can stream audio over AirPlay 2 and control the speaker with the Sonos app.
Sonos Beam
Photo: MentalOriental@Reddit.com
The Sonos Beam soundbar sits behind Mo, across the small room from the setup (not pictured). The Beam costs $450 to $500. It connects with devices via AirPlay 2 and includes 3D sound through Dolby Atmos.
“The Sonos speakers are connected to a soundbar behind me where I play games (for surround),” Mo said. “I mostly use the adequate Studio Display speakers or AirPods Max when at the desk.”
Other audio gear
So, as they indicated, their sound arsenal isn’t all Sonos. He uses AirPods Max headphones as well Sennheiser HD650 cans.
“I use the AirPods Max for immersion, or a Sennheiser HD650 for detailed audio work (but I rarely use this),” they mentioned.
He also uses Maono PD200X dynamic microphone mounted on an Elgato Wave arm.
“The mic isn’t the best (build wise) but it was free from a company that wanted me to review it,” Mo said. “I use the mic for voiceovers on my YouTube videos. It’s also quite impressive during meetings when people hear the quality (compared to their inbuilt microphones).”
Shop these items now:
Sonos One SL:
Sonos Beam:
Other audio:
Computers and dock:
Display:
If you would like to see your setup featured on Cult of Mac, send some high-res pictures to info+setups@cultofmac.com. Please provide a detailed list of your equipment. Tell us what you like or dislike about your setup, and fill us in on any special touches, challenges and plans for new additions.
Sonos' powerful microphone-free speaker is great for music and more, especially when two or more are paired for stereo sound. It comes in black or white.
