At the new ultra reduced price of $99 on Amazon (>$350 original), is the W7 the Sonos One killer?

If not familiar, Definitive Technology has been around since 1990 with a strong reputation for high-quality audiophile-grade home cinema speakers so these guys know what they’re doing when it comes to sound and have a long track record to prove it.  Their W7 wireless speaker never really took the market by storm, but perhaps that was due to stiff competition, like the Sonos One, among others, and a cost that was over 3X! the current sub $99 price tag on Amazon

Definitive Technology W7 Wireless Speaker next to the Sonos One (Gen 1)

Initial Thoughts:

Right out of the box you can tell this speaker is well put together and has some serious weight to it.  It’s also nice to see ample inputs including USB, Ethernet, 3.5m Auxiliary and Optical (nice addition!).  I wish Sonos would also have an optical which would be a great option to hook to a TV or other device with a digital out.  Setup was relatively quick after downloading the required Definitive Technology app which is similar to Sonos, but uses DTS Play-Fi wireless streaming technology,  so you have to run all your music and apps through it.  Overall it worked fine and had access to just about every app including Tidal and Deezer, but the UI and functionality are not as seamless and responsive as Sonos.

Rearview of the Definitive Technology W7 Wireless Speaker next to the Sonos One (Gen 1)

The Sound:

You can’t pull the speaker grilles off, but under the hood, you’ve got five drivers powered by dedicated amps with one 4″ front-firing mid &bass driver and four 1″ front- and side aluminum dome tweeters plus two 4″ side-mounted passive radiators.  That sounds great, but what does it translate to?  It took a couple of days to break in the speaker, and for the price, this is the biggest sound for the buck, easily surpassing the bass and presence of the Sonos One, among many others in the space.

There’s also an option to make a stereo pair with another speaker (via the app) and for $200 that’s a hell of a lot of sound for the money.  Where the W7 fell a bit short was lack of fine detail in the mids, and some highs, with slightly boomy base depending on placement (although adjustments can be made via the app).  The W7 also sounded great when hooked up to a TV producing superbly clear vocals and could be a great option just for a TV at this price point.

Summary:

Overall at this price, there’s nothing that can touch this level of sound and presence for $99, so unless you’re dedicated to the Sonos ecosystem it would be very tough to go wrong with one of these while they last at this price!

Pros:

• Big Sound
• Great value (under $100)
• Multiple inputs
• Well made, the quality is very apparent

Cons:

• Bass can be a bit boomy on certain tracks
• Mids/highs could be a tad better

At this price, we will consider an addition to our Best Wireless Speakers of 2019 List

The Hifi Jedi Definitive Technology W7 Wireless Speaker Review.