My Sonos Play:1 warranty was void less than 24 hours after the speaker was delivered. The plan was never an unboxing video; it was to make the speaker move with me through the house by replacing the figure-eight mains lead with a USB input and a step-up converter.
WARNING
Opening a Sonos Play:1 voids the manufacturer warranty and exposes you to mains-power voltages on the original PSU side of the board. If you try this, do it knowingly.
I listen to music or the radio more than I watch TV. The house already had a small army of radios scattered through it, which meant I almost never reached for a playlist. A Sonos sat on the “for the house” list for months, and after a visit to friends who had one (and would not stop recommending it) I bought a Play:1. The speaker is genuinely good. The Play:1 is loud enough for any room I tried it in; the bass is a touch overdriven, but it makes any of my Bluetooth speakers sound like toys.
They kick the ass out of any of my other Bluetooth speakers.
What I wanted next was for the Play:1 to follow me. Study, kitchen, bathroom, garden, bedroom. Mains sockets were everywhere, but USB battery banks were everywhere too, and our newer wall outlets all have USB ports built in. A USB-powered Play:1 was the more flexible answer.
How it works
There is a great YouTube walkthrough that covers the disassembly far better than a written guide ever will:
A walkthrough of the Sonos Play:1 modification — replacing the figure-eight mains lead with a step-up converter and USB input.
The Sonos Play:1 wants 24V at the connector that normally takes the figure-eight mains lead. A step-up converter takes 5V in over USB and delivers 24V to the speaker’s existing pads. The single difference between my build and the video is that I added a micro-USB socket through the speaker shell rather than wiring a captive cable, so the lead can come and go.
What I used
| Component | Why |
|---|---|
| Micro-USB PCB board | The detachable input on the speaker shell. Pin VCC to positive, GND to GND. |
| Power step-up converter | 5V from USB to 24V for the speaker amplifier. |
| 5.5 mm USB to power socket | For benching the converter before it went inside the speaker. |
| Dremel | Drill and shape the hole for the micro-USB socket in both the shell and the cage. |
| Glue gun | Match the factory insulation on the new solder joints; secure the converter. |
| Torx screwdrivers | The Play:1 is held together with security Torx. |
| Heavy-duty Velcro | Attach the battery pack to the rear of the speaker. |
| USB battery pack | Currently a Repower PB19, 17,000 mAh at 4.5A. |
| Zip bag and pram clip | To hang the speaker under the parasol on the patio. |
Notes from running it
Wireless performance through the house and garden has been excellent. I have not lost a stream yet. When I travel, I take a MiFi that broadcasts the same SSID as the home network, so the Play:1 connects without any reconfiguration.
NOTE
The Play:1 needs more current than USB will deliver above about 80% volume; you will hear distortion if you push it. Below that, the speaker behaves exactly as a stock Play:1 does. The walkthrough above calls out the same threshold.
What I would do differently
A neater enclosure for the battery is the next pass. The Velcro works but a 3D-printed cradle that matched the speaker’s curve would look the part. The micro-USB socket is fine for the current draw but I would specify USB-C if I were doing the build today.
Until I get to a Sonos in every room, this Play:1 will keep moving with me. The figure-eight lead has not been plugged back in since. More tinkering of this shape lives on the smart-home topic page.