Sonos has announced a new ZonePlayer device to complement their existing Sonos Digital Music System called the ZP80. With the ZP80, you can now play all your digital music, all over the house on all of your favorite equipment. The ZP80 addresses users who already have external amplifiers of some sort. You can connect the ZP80 to a home theater system, amplified speakers, a high end radio, a Bose Wave Radio and more using either digital or analog connectors. The ZP80 also includes an auto sensing line in connector that can digitally encode any line in source. Thus, you can connect a device such as the Apple iPod and then listen to the music anywhere in the house.

So without a built in amplifier, the ZP80 is a more cost effective solution than the earlier ZP100 unit. The new player will ship in Spring of 2006 and will retail for $349.00.

[Check it out via GearLive]

SONOS INTRODUCES THE SONOSâ„¢ ZONEPLAYER ZP80

ZP80 Makes Existing Audio Devices Part of a Wireless, Multi-Room Digital Music System

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — January 04, 2006 — Sonos, Inc., the developer of wireless multi-room music systems for the digital home, today introduced a new ZonePlayer to complement the Sonos™ Digital Music System suite of products. The Sonos™ ZonePlayer ZP80 allows music lovers to play all their digital music, all over their house, on all of their favorite audio equipment – a home theater system, powered speakers, a premium table top radio such as a Bose Wave® Radio, and more.

By connecting a ZP80 to any amplified audio device via the analog or digital outputs, that device instantly and seamlessly becomes part of a wireless, multi-room digital music system. This provides the consumer with the power to use the full-color Sonosâ„¢ Controller to control all of their music, in all of their rooms, all from the palm of their hand.

“We created the ZP80 because many of the rooms where consumers want to listen to digital music already have an amplifier,” said John MacFarlane, chief executive officer, Sonos, Inc. “Our goal is to provide digital music lovers with a range of products for building a wireless digital music system throughout their homes.”

The ZP80 can also be used to retrofit a conventional multi-room audio system with home-run speakers or as a wireless extender to increase the wireless range of Sonosnetâ„¢, the peer-to-peer wireless mesh network created by Sonos.

As with the Sonos™ ZonePlayer ZP100, the ZP80 includes auto-sensing line-in connectors that can digitally encode any line-in source. This provides Sonos users with the ability to connect an external audio source, such as an Apple iPod®, a CD player or satellite radio, to the Sonos Digital Music System and to listen to that source throughout their home.

The Sonos ZonePlayer ZP80 will ship in Spring 2006. The ZP80 will retail for $349.00 / €399.00 (including VAT) / £269.00 (including VAT). The new ZonePlayer will be available at Sonos authorized retailers worldwide and directly from Sonos at www.sonos.com.