Raumfeld One S review

A straightforward in-app tutorial walks you through the setup process, which only took a few minutes to share wireless security settings with each speaker. The app itself has a nice and clean design that in part matches the design of the speakers. Navigating between services is also straightforward; Tidal, Napster and TuneIn internet radio are all supported, but you can’t use Spotify Connect on multiple speakers simultaneously – unless you run two One S units in stereo mode. Service support is one area that Raumfeld lags behind rivals such as Sonos, which supports many more services including Google Play Music and Deezer.

You can also play music from any network-connected smartphones, tablets or computers, as well as tracks stored on NAS devices. A multitude of formats are supported, including WAV, FLAC, OGG and MP3, with bitrates up to 192kHz/24-bit, so anyone with high-resolution music libraries will be able to listen to their tracks.

Sound quality was impressive for a small speaker, which is unsurprising considering much of what made me a big fan of the Stereo Cubes has been shrunken down to fit in a smaller package. Just like its bigger brother, each One S uses a two-way coaxial system based around a 90mm mid-range driver, 25mm tweeter and two woofers.

My test tracks sounded impressively detailed, with delicate mids and treble in Menahan Street Band’s ‘Three Faces’. Bass had a respectable presence, but I still expected a little more from the lower frequencies. Jazz tracks made for a particularly delightful listening experience, but there’s also enough impact to make electronic or dance sound lively and energetic.

According to Raumfeld, the Stereo Cubes were wired in order to minimise latency between the two speakers, but there wasn’t any perceptible delay between two One S speakers paired wirelessly in a stereo configuration. This makes them a versatile way to open up the sound stage compared to listening to a single speaker.

The One S is a great compact speaker that has an air of class and refinement to it, something which is reflected in its sound quality. Used solo it sounds excellent, but the wireless stereo pairing really expands the sound stage and is far more convenient than the tethered Stereo Cubes. The fact it also works out slightly less expensive to buy two One S speakers is a bonus.

While I prefer the design and sound quality of the One S over the nearest equivalent Sonos, the Sonos Play:1 still has a slight edge for the quality of its app and streaming service support. If you have an existing Raumfeld setup, however, the One S is an excellent addition for a kitchen or smaller room.