THE ESSENTIALS...

SOUND QUALITY: An excellent app will count for little if the hardware sounds awful.

THE APP & EASE OF USE: On the other hand, a bad app can seriously limit enjoyment of the best-sounding speakers!

SERVICES & FORMATS: If you have a preferred music streaming service, make sure your chosen system supports it. Direct playback from the internet through your network is better than using Bluetooth to throw music from a smart device.

WIDER COMPATIBILITY: Some multiroom systems are built on a third-party ‘platform’ and will (eventually if not already) allow a mix of brands to be used. Currently DTS Play-Fi seems to be leading in this regard.

EXTRAS: A physical remote control, preset buttons, a display that shows what’s going on — these little things can make a difference to your longterm enjoyment of a system.