During the presentation of the Raumfeld Stereo M, I was told that the streaming speaker systems are ideal for those who are Sonos tired. A term that I, as a satisfied Sonos user, was not yet familiar with. Had I unknowingly incurred this fatigue and is the Stereo M worth 899 euros?
Specifications
Price
€ 899,-
Format
42x21x27 cm
Weight
10.5 + 11.5 kg
Connections
Ethernet, Wi-Fi, USB, Line-in
Support
iOS, Android, Spotify, Napster, TuneIn, WiMP
Website
www.raumfeld.com
7 Score 70- Pros
- Sound quality
- Design
- Installation
- Negatives
- Price
- Limited Stream Resources
- No PC software
Raumfeld's hi-fi system (part of Teufel) is therefore heavily priced, for the same money you have about two Sonos systems. But within the line of Raumfeld speakers, it still falls under the even more expensive Stereo L. Also read: This is how you stream movies and music over the network
For that 900 euros you get two impressive speakers of 42 x 21 x 27 centimeters, the weight is also not nothing: 10.5 and 11.5 kilos. The difference in weight is due to the fact that one of the speakers has the network components built in. The lighter speaker is connected to its heavier companion with a cable.
The speakers are big, heavy... and beautiful.
Plug in and play
Connecting the Stereo M is effortless. A network cable, power cable and the interconnection cables are connected in no time and you are ready to go. Optionally, you can also connect the speakers to other Raumfeld systems. You then connect your mobile device via the Raumfeld app on your smartphone or tablet (Android and iOS) and optionally connect the speakers to your WiFi network so that you can disconnect the Ethernet cable again. You can then play music from streaming services Spotify, Napster, TuneIn and WiMP or from music on a network share or locally on your smartphone or tablet. However, we still miss some music services and the option to play via a desktop program, such as Sonos has.
In the field of software and services, Raumfeld is already losing out to Sonos. But fortunately, in the most important area, that competitor is put on display. The sound quality is impressive, even if you're streaming music from Spotify, which usually doesn't offer the highest audio quality anyway. But if we listen very critically, the sound is a bit on the dull side. But despite that, the 3-channel speakers and built-in 320 watt amplifier do stand their ground, even when the volume is raised firmly, there is not an ounce of blurring to be heard. Impressive.
You control the speakers via the apps, but you can also play playlists via buttons and adjust the volume.
Conclusion
I am disappointed with the Raumfeld Stereo M. Now that the test period is over, I am sitting on the couch with a disappointed face when I switch on the Sonos. I never had any complaints about the sound quality until the Stereo M showed what is possible. Sonos fatigue therefore only appears after the trial phase, despite the fact that there are indeed points of criticism, such as the poor playback sources and the lack of PC software. But is the great sound quality worth 900 euros? That's a personal thing of course. We also recommend that you try out the speakers first. Personally, I prefer to sit on the couch with the corners of my mouth down for such an amount.
