- TL;DR verdict
- How do the core specs compare?
- When does the Sonos Amp win in an install?
- When does the WiiM Amp Pro win?
- When does the Bluesound Powernode win?
- How do multi-room apps and ecosystems compare?
- How should you wire, power and rack them?
- What does a complete setup actually cost?
- What are the pros and cons of each amp?
- Which one should you choose?
- Recommended gear
- FAQs
- References
TL;DR verdict
Pick Sonos Amp for Sonos homes, WiiM Amp Pro for the lowest cost per zone, and Bluesound Powernode for eARC, a center channel or a control system.
All three turn passive in-ceiling, in-wall or bookshelf speakers into a streaming zone, and all three take TV audio over HDMI. What separates them in an install is power at the speaker, how the amp reaches the network, which streaming protocols your phones use, and what each zone costs. This comparison uses manufacturer specifications and listings checked November 12, 2026, plus our installation experience. It is not a lab test.
125 W per channel, AirPlay 2 and dual Ethernet at $799.
A 125 W per channel streaming amplifier for in-ceiling, in-wall or patio speakers when the household already uses Sonos or wants app-based control.
- 125 W per channel at 8 ohms, stereo or dual mono
- HDMI ARC, line-in, sub out, dual 10/100 Ethernet
- AirPlay 2, Sonos app, Trueplay with Sonance speakers
Before you buy: This is one stereo zone, so budget one Amp per zone (patio and pool need separate zones). Confirm speaker compatibility, a ventilated location and cable routes before ordering.
60 W at 8 ohms, 120 W at 4 ohms, Wi-Fi 6 and RoomFit at about $399.
A compact 60 W per channel streaming amplifier with HDMI ARC, a subwoofer output and RoomFit correction at roughly half the Sonos Amp price.
- 60 W at 8 ohms, 120 W at 4 ohms
- HDMI ARC, optical, line-in, sub out, USB
- Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3, Google Cast, Roon Ready
Before you buy: Before you buy: it cannot receive AirPlay, ARC audio is limited to PCM or Dolby Digital (no DTS or Atmos), and the LAN port is 10/100.
100 W per channel, HDMI eARC, gigabit Ethernet and a 3.1 option at $1,299.
The most powerful and most expensive of the three, with HDMI eARC, a 3.1 option, AirPlay 2, gigabit Ethernet and Dirac Live support.
- 100 W x 2 or 80 W x 3 at 8 ohms
- HDMI eARC, optical, USB-C, RCA, sub out, gigabit Ethernet
- BluOS, AirPlay 2, Roon Ready, Dirac Live ready
Before you buy: Before you buy: at $1,299 it costs about three times the WiiM Amp Pro, Dirac Live needs a separately purchased kit and license, and Wi-Fi is Wi-Fi 5, so wire it.
How do the core specs compare?
Sonos Amp has the most power at 8 ohms, WiiM Amp Pro is the cheapest, and Powernode has the best network port and the only eARC input.
| Item | Sonos Amp | WiiM Amp Pro | Bluesound Powernode (2025) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price checked Nov 12, 2026 | $799 (Sonos US store) | $399 (Amazon, sold by WiiM) | $1,299 (Amazon and U.S. dealers) |
| Power at 8 ohms | 125 W per channel | 60 W per channel | 100 W x 2, or 80 W x 3 (left, center, right) |
| Power at 4 ohms | Not listed on the spec page | 120 W per channel | Rated at 8 ohms only |
| TV connection | HDMI ARC | HDMI ARC | HDMI eARC |
| TV audio formats | Stereo PCM, Dolby Digital, DTS Digital Surround | Stereo PCM or Dolby Digital (no DTS, no Atmos) | Dolby Digital (listed multichannel format) |
| Other inputs | RCA line-in | Optical, RCA line-in, USB disk | Optical, RCA, 3.5 mm combo, USB-C DAC, USB storage |
| Subwoofer output | RCA, 50-110 Hz crossover | Sub out, 30-250 Hz crossover | RCA, or wireless to Bluesound Pulse Sub+ |
| Ethernet | Dual 10/100 | 10/100 | Gigabit |
| Wi-Fi and Bluetooth | 2.4 GHz 802.11 b/g/n | Wi-Fi 6 tri-band, Bluetooth 5.3 | Wi-Fi 5 dual-band, Bluetooth 5.2 aptX HD |
| Streaming and control | Sonos app, AirPlay 2 | WiiM Home app, Google Cast, Alexa Cast, Spotify and TIDAL Connect, Roon Ready | BluOS app, AirPlay 2, Spotify, Tidal and Qobuz Connect, Roon Ready |
| Room correction | Trueplay (Sonos Architectural by Sonance speakers, iOS device) | RoomFit and 10-band PEQ included | Dirac Live ready; license and kit sold separately |
| Size and weight | 8.54 x 8.54 x 2.52 in, 4.63 lb | 8.54 x 7.48 x 2.6 in, 4.59 lb | 8.7 x 7.5 x 2.75 in, 4.18 lb |
Two details change real installs. First, Sonos Amp joins Wi-Fi on 2.4 GHz only, and Sonos says a 5 GHz-only router needs 2.4 GHz enabled or a wired connection. Second, WiiM Amp Pro does not receive AirPlay streams, which matters in iPhone-heavy houses.
For TV audio, none of the three is a surround processor. Sonos Amp and WiiM Amp Pro play stereo from the TV, with WiiM limited to PCM or Dolby Digital over ARC. Powernode adds eARC and can drive a left, center and right set at 80 W each.
When does the Sonos Amp win in an install?
Sonos Amp wins when the house already runs Sonos, the speakers are hard to drive, or you want a wired network port and AirPlay 2 at the amp.
At 125 W per channel at 8 ohms, it has the most rated power of the three, which suits larger rooms, outdoor speakers and low-sensitivity in-ceiling models. The dual 10/100 Ethernet port lets you hardwire the amp to the router. Sonos also describes a rack-mountable design with a heatsink and custom threaded banana plugs for the speaker outputs.
The real draw is the ecosystem. A Sonos Amp groups with other Sonos speakers, takes AirPlay 2 from any iPhone, and can use Trueplay when it drives supported Sonos Architectural by Sonance speakers. Run it after install using our Trueplay tuning checklist.
Constraints are price and scale. At $799 per zone, four zones reach $3,196 before speakers. If you are heading past two or three zones in one rack, compare it with the multi-channel model in our Sonos Amp Multi vs Amp guide.
When does the WiiM Amp Pro win?
WiiM Amp Pro wins on price: about half the cost of Sonos Amp per zone, with a wider sub crossover, built-in room correction and Wi-Fi 6.
The WiiM Amp Pro delivers 60 W per channel at 8 ohms and 120 W at 4 ohms, so it handles bookshelf and typical in-ceiling speakers in normal rooms. It lists a 30-250 Hz sub crossover, 10-band parametric EQ and RoomFit correction in the app, all included. Wi-Fi 6 on three bands and Bluetooth 5.3 give it more modern wireless than the other two.
The trade-offs are specific. It does not receive AirPlay, so iPhone users cast through Spotify Connect, TIDAL Connect, Bluetooth or the WiiM Home app. HDMI ARC is limited to PCM or Dolby Digital, there is no phono input or headphone jack, and the LAN port is 10/100. Multi-room for TV or line-in audio needs a group of WiiM devices.
If you want more power in the same family, WiiM Amp Ultra lists at $549 on Amazon, sold by WiiM, at 100 W per channel at 8 ohms. We did not include it in the head-to-head, but it narrows the power gap to Sonos.
When does the Bluesound Powernode win?
Powernode wins when you want HDMI eARC, a left-center-right setup, gigabit Ethernet or a control-system integration, and can pay $1,299 per zone.
The Bluesound Powernode is rated at 100 W x 2 in stereo or 80 W x 3 at 8 ohms. Its three pairs of binding posts let it drive left, center and right speakers from the TV over eARC, which suits a built-in front stage without a receiver. It adds gigabit Ethernet, AirPlay 2, Roon Ready, a 6.35 mm headphone output and Dirac Live support.
Bluesound lists Crestron, Control4, RTI, Nice, URC and Lutron integrations, which is the strongest control-system story of the three on paper. Check your own processor's driver list before you commit.
The costs are clear. It is $1,299, about three times the WiiM Amp Pro. Dirac Live needs a separately purchased license and calibration kit, and Dirac supports it in 3.1 only, not with wireless surrounds. Wi-Fi is Wi-Fi 5, so plan to wire it.
How do multi-room apps and ecosystems compare?
Each amp is only as good as its ecosystem: Sonos groups Sonos products, WiiM groups WiiM devices, and BluOS groups BluOS players.
We have not stress-tested app stability for this comparison, so we do not rank it. The specs do show the rules each system follows, and those rules decide how a house grows.
- Sonos Amp: Joins the Sonos app and groups with Sonos speakers and Sonos-compatible products. AirPlay 2 works for iPhones and Macs.
- WiiM Amp Pro: Groups with WiiM and Linkplay devices, and lists multiroom with Google Home and Alexa systems. WiiM states that TV, line-in, optical and Bluetooth audio can only be shared to other rooms through a group of WiiM devices.
- Bluesound Powernode: Runs BluOS, with AirPlay 2, Spotify, Tidal and Qobuz Connect and Roon Ready for casting from familiar apps.
Do not plan to mix them in one house and expect one app. WiiM does not list grouping with Sonos or BluOS, so treat each brand as its own island. Pick one family per house, then add zones within it. Our Sonos room-by-room planning guide shows how to lay out zones before you buy.
How should you wire, power and rack them?
Wire all three to Ethernet, route HDMI to the TV's ARC port, and leave open airflow around the amp.
Start with the network. Sonos Amp is the one that most needs a cable: its Wi-Fi is 2.4 GHz only, and Sonos says to hardwire it if your router broadcasts only 5 GHz. WiiM Amp Pro and Powernode both have newer Wi-Fi, but a wired port is still the cleanest fix for dropouts. Powernode has the only gigabit port, though 10/100 is plenty for audio.
For the TV, use the ARC-labeled HDMI port and turn on HDMI-CEC so the TV remote controls volume. Set the TV's digital audio output to PCM for WiiM Amp Pro, which does not take DTS or Atmos. Sonos Amp lists Dolby Digital and DTS Digital Surround as well as PCM.
Heat and placement matter for any Class-D amp. Sonos describes an advanced heatsink, and WiiM lists a copper heat pipe with an aluminum heatsink. All three are about 8.5 to 8.7 in wide and 4 to 5 lb, so plan a vented shelf with room behind for speaker wire, HDMI and Ethernet. Only Sonos describes rack mounting; the other two spec pages list no rack hardware, so plan a shelf for them. For the surrounding design, our home theater and audio planning guide covers rack layout and cable paths.
What does a complete setup actually cost?
Amp-only prices are $799, $399 and $1,299 per zone, which is $3,196, $1,596 and $5,196 for a four-zone house, before speakers and cable.
| Measure | Sonos Amp | WiiM Amp Pro | Bluesound Powernode |
|---|---|---|---|
| One zone | $799 | $399 | $1,299 |
| Two zones | $1,598 | $798 | $2,598 |
| Four zones | $3,196 | $1,596 | $5,196 |
| Price per rated watt per channel (8 ohms) | $6.39 | $6.65 | $12.99 |
| Price per rated watt per channel (4 ohms) | Not listed | $3.33 | Not rated |
| Room correction cost | Trueplay, no added fee | RoomFit, included | Dirac Live license and kit extra |
Per rated watt, Sonos Amp is cheaper than WiiM Amp Pro at 8 ohms, which surprises people. WiiM wins on the total per zone and on 4-ohm power. Powernode costs the most per watt and per zone, so buy it for eARC, the center channel or control integration rather than for output alone.
Add the rest before you budget: a pair of in-ceiling speakers per zone, speaker wire, an Ethernet drop and a vented shelf. If four or more zones share one rack, price a multi-channel amp as well, since one chassis can replace four boxes and four power cords.
What are the pros and cons of each amp?
Sonos Amp trades price for power and ecosystem, WiiM Amp Pro trades AirPlay and Ethernet speed for value, and Powernode trades price for features.
Sonos Amp
- 125 W per channel at 8 ohms, the most of the three.
- AirPlay 2 and a dual 10/100 Ethernet port.
- Groups with other Sonos speakers in one app.
- Rack-mountable design with a heatsink, per Sonos.
- $799 per zone, about double WiiM Amp Pro.
- Wi-Fi is 2.4 GHz only; wire it on 5 GHz-only networks.
- Trueplay needs supported Sonance speakers and an iOS device.
- Locked to the Sonos ecosystem.
WiiM Amp Pro
- About $399, the lowest cost per zone.
- 120 W per channel at 4 ohms and a 30-250 Hz sub crossover.
- RoomFit and 10-band PEQ included.
- Wi-Fi 6 tri-band and Bluetooth 5.3.
- Cannot receive AirPlay streams.
- ARC audio is PCM or Dolby Digital only, with no DTS or Atmos.
- 10/100 LAN, no phono and no headphone output.
- TV and line-in audio multiroom needs WiiM devices.
Bluesound Powernode
- HDMI eARC and a 3.1 left-center-right option.
- Gigabit Ethernet, AirPlay 2 and Roon Ready.
- Crestron, Control4, RTI, Nice, URC and Lutron integrations listed.
- 6.35 mm headphone output.
- $1,299 per zone, the highest of the three.
- Dirac Live needs a separate license and kit.
- Wi-Fi 5 only, so wiring is the plan.
- No phono input.
Which one should you choose?
Choose by house, not by spec sheet: Sonos for existing Sonos zones, WiiM for budget rooms, Powernode for eARC and control-system installs.
Choose Sonos Amp if you:
- Already own Sonos speakers and want every room in one app.
- Drive harder speakers or outdoor speakers and want 125 W at 8 ohms.
- Need AirPlay 2 and a wired port at the amp.
Choose WiiM Amp Pro if you:
- Want the lowest cost per zone and are fine with Google Cast, Spotify Connect or Bluetooth instead of AirPlay.
- Have efficient bookshelf or in-ceiling speakers and a small to medium room.
- Want room correction and a flexible sub crossover without a license.
Choose Bluesound Powernode if you:
- Want HDMI eARC or a left-center-right front stage from one amp.
- Run Crestron, Control4 or Lutron and want a listed integration.
- Can budget $1,299 per zone, plus Dirac Live if you want it.
If the system is more than a single room, or the speakers are going in the ceiling, plan the wiring and zones before you pick a brand. Our home entertainment installation service covers speaker placement, in-wall wiring, network drops and amp racks in one job.
We design the zones, speaker wire, network drops and amp placement so the system works from day one.
Recommended gear
Start with the amp that matches your ecosystem, then budget for speakers and wiring before adding more zones.
A 125 W per channel streaming amplifier for in-ceiling, in-wall or patio speakers when the household already uses Sonos or wants app-based control.
- 125 W per channel at 8 ohms, stereo or dual mono
- HDMI ARC, line-in, sub out, dual 10/100 Ethernet
- AirPlay 2, Sonos app, Trueplay with Sonance speakers
Before you buy: This is one stereo zone, so budget one Amp per zone (patio and pool need separate zones). Confirm speaker compatibility, a ventilated location and cable routes before ordering.
A compact 60 W per channel streaming amplifier with HDMI ARC, a subwoofer output and RoomFit correction at roughly half the Sonos Amp price.
- 60 W at 8 ohms, 120 W at 4 ohms
- HDMI ARC, optical, line-in, sub out, USB
- Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3, Google Cast, Roon Ready
Before you buy: Before you buy: it cannot receive AirPlay, ARC audio is limited to PCM or Dolby Digital (no DTS or Atmos), and the LAN port is 10/100.
The most powerful and most expensive of the three, with HDMI eARC, a 3.1 option, AirPlay 2, gigabit Ethernet and Dirac Live support.
- 100 W x 2 or 80 W x 3 at 8 ohms
- HDMI eARC, optical, USB-C, RCA, sub out, gigabit Ethernet
- BluOS, AirPlay 2, Roon Ready, Dirac Live ready
Before you buy: Before you buy: at $1,299 it costs about three times the WiiM Amp Pro, Dirac Live needs a separately purchased kit and license, and Wi-Fi is Wi-Fi 5, so wire it.
FAQs
Is the WiiM Amp Pro as good as the Sonos Amp?
They are built for different priorities. Sonos Amp has more power at 8 ohms and AirPlay 2, while WiiM Amp Pro costs about half as much and adds RoomFit and a wider sub crossover. This comparison is based on specifications, not listening tests.
Does the WiiM Amp Pro support AirPlay?
No. WiiM states that the Amp Pro does not receive AirPlay streams. Use Google Cast, Alexa Cast, Spotify Connect, TIDAL Connect, Bluetooth or the WiiM Home app instead.
Can I use a WiiM Amp with Sonos?
Run them as separate systems. WiiM lists multiroom with WiiM, Google Home and Alexa systems, and does not list grouping with Sonos, so each brand needs its own app.
Is the Bluesound Powernode worth $1,299 over the WiiM Amp Pro?
Only if you need what it adds: HDMI eARC, a left-center-right output, gigabit Ethernet or a listed control-system integration. For a single stereo zone, WiiM Amp Pro costs about a third as much.
Do all three work with a TV?
Yes. All three connect to a TV over HDMI ARC, and Powernode uses eARC. Set the TV's audio output to PCM for WiiM Amp Pro, and expect stereo or Dolby Digital rather than Atmos from any of them.
References
Plan the TV, sound and wiring with a site visit
Walk the room with us to settle TV height, speaker placement and where the cables and equipment will go before anything is installed.