Amazon Echo

The Echo is nice and I'd really like to have it control my Sonos gear.

I also agree that t's worth $100 but not $200.

As for Sonos adding voice control, that would be great. However, Amazon has an incredible amount of processing power behind the voice recognition in the Echo. I'm not sure Sonos has the resources to provide that.

I find the quality very close to a PLAY:5. At a quarter of the price and with all of its other features, this model could be the end of Sonos if they don't react quickly.

Your praise is much higher than this review:
http://www.theverge.com/2015/1/19/7548059/amazon-echo-review-speaker

To say it could be the end of Sonos.... well, count the threads on here about other "Sonos-killers" that have come and gone!

I SERIOUSLY doubt it's even near the quality of a Play 1.

I don't feel the Echo sounds anywhere near the sound quality of a Play:5. Not even a Play:1 to my ears (but we all hear differently).

It doesn't seem to have nearly as much bass response and the clarity is much superior in the Play devices.

No, the Echo does not sound nearly as good as a Play 1.

The Echo's voice recognition is very good though.

As for Sonos adding voice control, that would be great. However, Amazon has an incredible amount of processing power behind the voice recognition in the Echo. I'm not sure Sonos has the resources to provide that.

Why not just integrate with Google Now? Google isn't short on processing power. The voice recognition works great for me.

I saw an email from Amazon about opening the Echo up to folks who want to develop new applications.

I have a feeling they will put limits on what they might allow (especially regarding competing products), but I'm looking forward to seeing what comes up.

I have 5 sonos zones in my home, I'm an amazon prime member so thought "why not" and signed up to get an Echo for $100.. Great the first 5 days, then I mellowed out and understand that it has it's limitations. It's good at a few, it sucks at some also. I dont know if I speak with an accent or am just too softly spoken but I have to repeat myself on occasion. With 7 mic's it should hear me better..on the other hand, with 7-mic's is it hearing 'everything' and feeding the servers and recording, sorting and analyzing my daily goings on back at HQ? (if you are prone to paranoia, it could exacerbate it somewhat)

Must admit that the entire time I was wishing it could be linked with Sonos.

In the meantime the room that has the Echo (office) now exclusively plays my iheart, tune-in radio, and my modest amazon music from the device. It's not a room where I generally 'blast' music from anyway.. Amazon owns audible, I am an audible junkie..the day amazon links audible with Echo...sonos is gonna be in trouble with me.

Echo sucks at using it to find meaningful information. It's okay at basic very general 'stuff'..like wikipedia or google one line search-type stuff and basic math problems.

I suspect that Amazon's primary intent with Echo is information on customers. With Echo, we have gleefully walked into our homes a device that listens to our every word, we just cross our fingers and hope nothing beyond our tolerance is going to develop with this device, it is always connected, it is always listening, it could very easily perpetually record...easily.. if it isnt doing that already. That's my paranoid side talking.

As it stands its awesome to simply say "alexa, play bbc world service", or "alexa- set alarm for 6pm", or "alexa, stop". It would be awesome and threatening if/when Amazon starts connecting it to other music services beyond the three it has now. Already on Echo I used iHeart radio more than I've ever used it on Sonos. Primarily because most of my owned music is via mp3 or iTunes, and what I bought from Amazon is very small in comparison to my rather vast collection, so when I say "alexa, play Rick James", it's not in my amazon collection and plays it from iHeart OR a useless 30-second sample from Amazon music. have not taken the step and copied my music across to amazons music service where I suspect this issue will go away. Not yet..if ever...I dont know. Echo is new and it to me is plainly a version .8 device.

I think Amazon is using it's deployment as an proactive tool to figure out what else to offer and monetize from it's customer base. I think for the fun and coolness Echo brings to the customer right now, I think it's giving the analytics, marketing and services team back at cyberdyne...oops..I mean Amazon HQ a lot more, and after a time and further information gathering, brainstorming and some guessing, it'll decide further what it will do.

I am likely an ideal owner, I shop from Amazon all the time for both work and home. The only items I dont buy online are lumber and food. If Amazon sold whiskey and ammo, I'd buy them there too.. I am and have been using amazons services and devices since they came live. I live a quarter mile from a major mall, I have not stepped foot in it since 2006...easily. No need to, UPS comes to my front door. Bought all my sonos devices from Amazon.

Curious to see what this Echo will flesh out to be, also listening out to hear if there is any misbehaving in this the age of the surveillance state.

There lingers this potential that this device seems like it should integrate into the Sonos system as well. I have spoken to a few people I know that have a sonos system and each and everyone has said something to that effect. Seem's plain to me that lots of folks are thinking the same thing.

I dont know if it will happen...Amazons 'brain' is a hosted cloud service, Echo is just an endpoint device that sends the data back and forth, all the thinking is done elsewhere. Sonos is essentially a stand alone entertainment system, itself and endpoint to third party hosted services and local resources with an onboard indexing capability tethered to the device. I think a voice interface will be welcome but to use someone elses might involve giving up much development control over the device to other parties with their own separate interests and obligations.

We'll see what the future holds..hopefully Sonos will develop another device that is the voice interface control that knows a number of key commands and can reference the index to play music in our collection. That might be a starting point...and later..the cloud. Think Ford Sync....BUT... a fully debugged and working Ford Sync. (or other system that automobiles come with, I just say ford because that's the one I'm familiar with)

Just received an email from Amazon.com that contained this:

WeMo and Philips Hue products now work with Amazon Echo.

You can now use Echo to switch on the lamp before getting out of bed, turn on the fan or heater while reading in your favorite chair, or dim the lights from the couch to watch a movie—all without lifting a finger...or even raising your voice.

Let's keep our fingers crossed for SONOS support.

Amazon Echo now supports IFTTT.

Sonos?