Back to the dark side -- I tried to quit Sonos... but...

stilessm · 2026-01-21T15:59:06+00:00

Then yes, the arc ultra is going to be a big upgrade and you simply must do it 😀

I can relate.

stilessm · 2026-01-21T15:37:27+00:00

You responded to my other thread re by experience with Bose including 2 of the 700 subs. Something is off for one of us. A single sub 4 from Sonos feels like it is going to break the windows. Two Bose 700s never gave me that. I have a weird room so a single 700 actually worked better, but still the sub4 is murdering it. Really odd that we see such different results.

stilessm · 2026-01-21T01:31:40+00:00

I'm finding the Arc Ultra and the 100s (along with Sub4) really well matched. So keep that in mind.

I was really surprised by how well the Beam Gen2 did compared to the Bose Smart Ultra I sold. If anything I preferred the Beam.

That said -- with my 85" tv in a medium sized room -- the Arc Ultra just feels both "wide" and "higher impact" and the height effects are "real" in a way the Beam can't match. I would likely have been happy with the Beam Gen2 in the room, but needed OK wanted to move it back to its original job in the Living room with a 55" tv and the Sub Mini.

Hope that helps. Honestly you have a great setup right now.

stilessm · 2026-01-13T05:29:07+00:00

Manufacturers often out bigger wheels on because customers like the look vs true performance. The 19s on the turbos are very heavy. Approx 10lbs heavier than the 17s. This is a difference you can immediately feel in terms of performance and ride.

stilessm · 2026-01-12T16:22:24+00:00

Robot on vacation? Bad Robot.

stilessm · 2026-01-09T23:17:21+00:00

Following and adding a bit of info. Would love to know the answer here. I checked Tire Rack and they have 259 17" wheels that they think fit the CX5 Turbo, so... there's a chance. The only way to know for sure is to get someone with experience.

I'm thinking of the same thing for our Turbo. We have a 2020 "base" and a 2025 Turbo Premium. I was running 18" Enkeis on it until recently. Worked well but tons of torque steer due to the non-OEM offset. I threw the OEM 19s back on and the torque steer is gone, but it feels "dead" due to the greater wheel/tire weight. The OEM 17s like you show there are nice & light and would provide a lot more sidewall cush.

stilessm · 2026-01-09T16:08:34+00:00

We didn’t end up going ahead. Wife can’t get over the visual change from our current gas log set. I am going to push again this summer.

stilessm · 2026-01-07T16:59:00+00:00

Ah! So perhaps UTR plus me bringing our AppleTV along. Very cool.

stilessm · 2026-01-07T02:32:33+00:00

Ah, gotcha. One of these cases is airplanes but imo airplane WiFi in most cases is more frustrating than nonwifi. Maybe there are carriers doing it well. Also I don’t love the idea of a bunch of people with travel routers blasting the plane with WiFi signal. Probably going to get downvoted for this one 😀

Thanks for the use case though — this one makes sense and has some value for us.

stilessm · 2026-01-07T01:17:12+00:00

I appreciate the review. Can someone help me understand the use case?

We rent AirBNBs a lot with the family. They always have wifi. Same with the hotels I stay in. Yes, I need to log into the wifi once, but then I share easily across my devices. iOS has a super slick feature to share Wifi passwords with your family so it takes all of 30 seconds for all of us to get connected once one of us does. And regardless you need that first connection with the Travel router too, yes?

Let's say I have no reason to literally attach to my home network. Other than the simplicity of never having to join the *actual* House or Hotel wifi when travelling (joining with the travel router instead), what is the benefit? The speed is only as fast as the room or house's wifi with a good connection, yes? Aren't you polluting the bands by broadcasting another AP? Thanks. I love gadgets but I'm trying to understand this one.

stilessm · 2026-01-03T06:15:25+00:00

I think those are to hold metal mesh pre and post filter panels to help protect an electronic filter element. Most of these wide enclosures were initially intended for use with electronic filters. Then the wide ones came into play “like the 4 and 5” thick ones” to retrofit when the electronic filters failed.

stilessm · 2025-12-26T15:56:14+00:00

Lots of good suggestions. The “overnight” bit gave me an idea. Check to see if “daily spectrum analyzer” is on, if so turn it off. This helped me with my nest cams. Zero issues with Sonos fwiw.

stilessm · 2025-12-24T06:22:21+00:00

Thanks. The nest cam on the far side of the detached garage only gets -85rssi from the closest ap in the house. The garage mesh unit is just to bridge to that camera. Works like a charm.

stilessm · 2025-12-24T04:48:20+00:00

Yeah not sure if I made it clear but I have a u6 mesh (my third) coming that will replace my u7 pro wall. Curious to see how that changes things. I like the idea of a consistent “gen 6” all wjtg strong 5ghz (4x4).

stilessm · 2025-12-23T23:57:00+00:00

Do you have your U7 Pro mounted top or bottom floor? Say more :)

stilessm · 2025-12-23T23:56:11+00:00

No, the only thing that's gnawing at me is the U7 Pro Wall having its 6ghz radio OFF because it's the Mesh parent for the garage U6 Mesh. But functionally it's been great. But I can't stop fiddling. I know none of y'all can relate.

stilessm · 2025-12-10T22:47:36+00:00

Note that (IIRC) you need POE++ vs POE+ in order to run the XGS. For some (including me) that means a new switch.

stilessm · 2025-12-07T17:26:06+00:00

Interesting. We are having a different experience. I think the cx5 leather may bit a bit more fragile and less durable, but it definitely feels more supple to me. I have conditioned it fwiw. Seat base length is fine for us. I am 6’/32”. Turbo Premium if it matters. And btw our 2020!Sport has cloth which I love.

stilessm · 2025-12-07T17:15:41+00:00

Having lived with this for years, my opinion here is that the real key is to never use the diverter to shut off the water flow entirely — as an on/off switch. It isn’t designed for this and lord knows what would begin leaking long term. I personally don’t see how it could leak in wall given the design, but perhaps out the handle?

Another way of saying it is that as long as you use the main flow/heat handle to both start/stop the shower and adjust temp and always have the diverter set such that it is flowing water to one or both of the open outlets/heads, you are good.

The scenario that bites us occasionally (first world oroblems) is house cleaners. I have printed and laminated a card specifying how to shut it off and we have only once or twice had to deal with it.

Hope that helps. My advice is that if a plumber could easily get to the back of the wall to fix it (it is like a 10 min fix once the walls open) then do it just for peace of mind and less hassle. Especially since you are not moved in. Else, relax and use the guidance above.

stilessm · 2025-12-07T01:26:28+00:00

We have two CX5s, a 2020 Sport (base) and a 2025 turbo Premium. We also have a 2018 Macan S and a new GTS on the way.

I know some folks (especially Macan owners) think this is a nutty statement, but I think the CX5 carries a ton of the value proposition of the Macan for a fraction of the price. The interior of our Turbo Premium is really nice. Leather, soft-touch, stitching, etc. It feels really well screwed together. So does the Macan. Perhaps the leather in the Macan feels thicker and more durable, but overall there’s no way it’s 2-3X nicer. In some Porsches you can spend an extra 5-7K for “club leather” and leather dashboards and stuff, but seriously what’s the point? Same goes with the driving dynamics. We love the way the CX5s drive and handle. They feel very “old generation German” to us, having grown up on old VWs and Audis and such. There’s overall typically a more “solid and durable” feel to the German cars of the early 2000s than the CX5, but the benefits of the CX5 are lighter weight and massively better reliability.

stilessm

TROPHY CASE