Sonos Controller for iPhone debuts

Sonos, makers of multi-room wireless music systems, on Tuesday introduced Sonos Controller for iPhone — software that enables Sonos users to control their sound systems using an iPhone as a remote control. It’s free for download from the App Store.

Sonos systems use wireless mesh networking to communicate with each other — you can set up speakers all over the house, replicating music from a single system called a ZonePlayer. Combined with a wireless remote control with integrated color LCD screen and software you can install on a Mac or PC (or music stored on a Network Attached Storage system), you can play your digital music in any room you’d like.

In conjunction with the release of the iPhone software, Sonos has updated the system software on its ZoneControllers to version 2.7. The new release sports new features such as the ability to stream audio from Internet radio services including Last.FM and Pandora. The system already provided access to subscription-based music services including Napster, Rhapsody and Sirius. A new radio guide lets you listen to more than 15,000 free Internet-based radio shows, including music and talk, local and international stations.

Rhapsody support has been updated with improved sound quality (192Kbps MP3, upgraded from 128Kbps WMA), support for the RTSP streaming protocol, and support for Dutch and Swedish.

Sonos Controller software works on iPhones and iPod touches running iPhone 2.0 software or later.