Onkyo 8050 vs Sonos connect

[Audiocd]

So I'm looking for a source for whole house audio that can play internet and xm radio as well as play Itunes. I want it to be as comprehnesive and future adaptive as possible since I am new to all this and may discover other interests in the digital music world. I borrowed an 8050 for a while from a friend and I also own an Onkyo 609 which basically does the same thing. So far I have tried Pandora wirelessly which was kind of unreliable with the connection though it sounded good whne it worked. I am in the process of adding music to my itunes in hopes of having some decent playlists for parties and such. I don't understand most of the acronyms concerning digital music. I am almost 40 and It seems i got stuck in the cd generation.
I am trying to learn and take advantage of all this digital stuff now because it seems to have lot to offer as far as variety. I have decided to most likely hard wire in ceiling speakers because I am obsessed with having a speaker nearly above my shower in the master bath and i can't do that with a sonos...lol. I really liked the Onkyo 8050 pretty well as far as sound quality. I didn't have much faith in the wireless part however I could hardwire it in through the Ethernet port on the back. One advantage of Sonos is that I can use whatever reciever or amp I like and i tend to be a tinkerer and sometimes like to try new amps.
I would like to be able to control the main music streaming device (which will be located in my living room about 40ft away) from my bedroom with my iphone. I'm pretty sure this won't work with the Onkyo phone app. The Onkyo is however, much more budget friendly at $200 on accessories4lessand I could sell my integrated amp to cover it and then some. The connect is $350 alone plus I have to have an amp (which I do have).

From how far away can one control the Sonos connect? That very well may be a deciding factor alone.

What other advantages does the Sonos connect have over music streaming recievers?

What about apple airport express? How does it compare to the other two?

Thanks

Jon

 

[tmurnin]

The Sonos system basically creates its own wireless network (you will have to also buy a Sonos:Bridge although many places are giving those away now with other Sonos purchases), so you can access it anywhere you have wifi access. You can buy a Sonos Connect:Amp if you don't want to have to connect a separate amp to the Sonos system. It's obviously pricier (around $500) but it is also small and compact if that is an issue for you. I'm a fan of Sonos because it is extremely easy-to-use, regardless of your level of comfort with A/V systems or "universal" remotes, and it's compatible with iTunes, Spotify, Pandora, etc. It is expensive, no question, especially if you start adding a lot of components. One thing that is nice is that it gives you the ability to later add wirless speakers to the system if you have an area where you didn't hardwire connections initially (I have a Play:3 in my garage).

Airport express is great, but obviously it also requires a separate amp. You can send anything you want to it if you have an iOS device via Airplay, which makes it also pretty easy to use. It also becomes part of your home wifi network, so range matches your wifi.