Sonos vs Control4 vs Savant: which is right for whole-home audio?
If you mainly want music in many rooms, a Sonos-style system of in-ceiling speakers and streaming amplifiers is simpler, has no subscription, and plays straight from Spotify and AirPlay. If you want one system to also run lighting, shades and climate, and you have a dealer you trust, Control4 or Savant is built for that.
By HUM · Denver, Colorado · Updated
They're not really the same kind of product
Sonos makes streaming speakers and amplifiers for music and TV sound. Control4 and Savant are whole-home automation platforms that also run lighting, shades, climate and security, with audio as one part of the system.
So the real question is: do you want a great music system, or one system that runs the whole house? Answer that and the choice mostly makes itself.
Side by side
| Sonos with in-ceiling speakers | Control4 | Savant | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | Streaming amplifiers and speakers for music and TV sound | Whole-home automation, with audio as one part | Whole-home automation, with audio as one part |
| Who installs and changes it | You or any installer; settings live in the Sonos app | Authorized dealers only; you can adjust some scenes | Authorized dealers; you can create scenes and schedules |
| Play from Spotify | Spotify Connect built in | Spotify Connect | Supported |
| Play from AirPlay | AirPlay 2 built in | AirPlay 2 since April 2026, on compatible current hardware | Supported |
| Yearly subscription | None | Connect, $249 a year: optional, but needed for remote access and upgrades | Essentials: price not published; newer hosts need it to operate |
| Amplifiers | Sonos Amp, $799, drives one or two pairs of speakers; Amp Multi for four zones, through installers | Control4 and Triad amplifiers, through dealers | Savant amplifiers, through dealers |
| Lighting and shades | No | Yes | Yes |
| Best for | Music in many rooms, kept simple | Whole-home automation with a dealer you trust | Whole-home automation with a dealer you trust |
When a Sonos-style system is the right choice
- You mainly want music, and maybe better TV sound, in several rooms and outdoors.
- You want to play from the apps you already use, like Spotify, Apple Music and AirPlay, without learning a new system.
- You don't want a yearly subscription, or a dealer involved every time something needs changing.
- You'd like equipment that any competent installer can service, not just one company.
When Control4 or Savant is worth it
- You want lighting, shades, climate, security and music to work together from one remote, touchscreen or app.
- You're building or fully remodeling, so the wiring for all of it can go in at once.
- You have a dealer you trust and expect to stay with, and you're comfortable with an annual subscription.
That's a legitimate choice, and for some homes it's the right one. It's not what we do: we only do audio, and we'll tell you if a full automation system suits you better.
The honest downsides of each
Sonos
The redesigned Sonos app released in May 2024 broke features owners relied on. Sonos apologized, changed CEOs, and has been fixing it since, but it dented trust. Each Sonos Amp powers one or two pairs of speakers, so a large home needs several, and at $799 each they add up. Sonos doesn't support Google Cast.
Control4
Only an authorized dealer can install or reprogram it, so you're dependent on that relationship for years. Staying on the latest software requires the $249-a-year Connect subscription, and older controllers and touchscreens eventually stop receiving updates.
Savant
Also dealer-only. The Essentials subscription's price isn't published, lapsing it can block configuration changes, and Savant's current release notes say newer licensed hosts need it to operate at all. Older hosts have been dropped from current software over time.
What about cost?
We haven't found reliable, neutral published figures comparing these systems. The numbers online mostly come from dealers selling one of them, and they don't agree. What we can say: a Sonos Amp lists at $799 and usually powers one room, before speakers and installation. Control4 and Savant are priced by dealers as part of a whole-home design.
The best answer is a written quote for your home. Ours is fixed-price, after a free visit.
Already own Control4 or Savant?
If you have one of these systems and mostly use it for music, you can often keep the speakers and wiring and replace just the audio equipment. See replacing a Control4 system or replacing a Savant system.
Free in-home support, for as long as you own your system.
If something isn't working, or you'd simply like a refresher on the app, call us. We'll come to your home and help — no service fees, no trip charges, no time limit. It's how we stand behind our work, and it's simply the right thing to do.
Common questions
For music, yes. A Sonos system grows room by room: each Sonos Amp drives one pair of in-ceiling speakers (or two pairs of 8-ohm speakers), so a large home simply has more amplifiers in the equipment closet. Sonos also introduced the Amp Multi in 2026, which powers up to four zones from one unit and is sold through installers.
Control4's Connect subscription ($249 a year) is now optional to keep a system running, but it's needed for remote access and to upgrade to the latest software. Savant's Essentials subscription is annual; Savant doesn't publish the price, and its current release notes say newer licensed hosts need an active subscription to operate. Sonos has no subscription.
The equipment, yes. Sonos products are sold at retail and set up in the Sonos app. In-ceiling speakers are a different job: cutting ceilings, running wire through finished walls, and matching speakers to amplifiers is where a professional earns their fee.
It was. A redesigned app released in May 2024 broke features many owners relied on. Sonos acknowledged the problems, its CEO stepped down in January 2025, and the company has shipped a long run of fixes since, including a navigation overhaul in September 2026. It's worth knowing, and it's one reason we favor systems you play from Spotify, Apple Music or AirPlay directly, rather than living inside any one company's app.
Yes. Savant supports Spotify and AirPlay in its music service. Control4 supports Spotify Connect, and added AirPlay 2 in its X4.2 software in April 2026 on compatible current hardware. On older Control4 equipment, music typically still runs through the Control4 app or remote.
We only do audio, and we install the simpler approach: quality in-ceiling and in-wall speakers driven by standard streaming amplifiers that play from Spotify, Apple Music and AirPlay, with no subscription. If what you really want is whole-home automation, we'll say so and point you toward a good Control4 or Savant dealer.