Has anyone heard about potential Sonos integration with Amazon Echo?
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I sure hope so, I sure hope some integration something is developed before echo gathers steam. As of right now echo integrates with Audible which for me is primarily how I use my system, and I must says the although it isn't perfect, it is pretty darned sweet.
It might emerge that these may be products competing in the same general market so songs access to that Amazon analytics and emerging technology services might be off limits. Echoes brains are in the cloud at amazons data farm, sonos brains are in its on board cache of memory..the Union of the two might be tricky..but i'll keep my fingers crossed.
If your audio fidelity needs are modest, echo sounds good and is loud enough. If you need more, then sonos has it beat.
Honestly, I'm signed up to about 14 services in some fashion that I've linked to my sonos system, but in practice over the few years I now access no more than 5, 3 more regularly than any other...audible, Sirius, and tune in... Not sonos fault, I just think I'm getting old. I used to live for music, now I barely listen to any, I have my echo in my office and in the short time I've owned it, it has already become the only media device I use at all in the office.
It might emerge that these may be products competing in the same general market so songs access to that Amazon analytics and emerging technology services might be off limits. Echoes brains are in the cloud at amazons data farm, sonos brains are in its on board cache of memory..the Union of the two might be tricky..but i'll keep my fingers crossed.
If your audio fidelity needs are modest, echo sounds good and is loud enough. If you need more, then sonos has it beat.
Honestly, I'm signed up to about 14 services in some fashion that I've linked to my sonos system, but in practice over the few years I now access no more than 5, 3 more regularly than any other...audible, Sirius, and tune in... Not sonos fault, I just think I'm getting old. I used to live for music, now I barely listen to any, I have my echo in my office and in the short time I've owned it, it has already become the only media device I use at all in the office.
I know that amazon wants to try to offer all services, but I really hope they can work with sonos so they have an expanded functionality that would appeal to more sales of the echo itself. If they figured out how to work with sonos it would really help with sales
Looks like it's happening.
http://gizmodo.com/amazon-echo-will-be-able-to-control-your-sonos-speakers-1785935865
http://gizmodo.com/amazon-echo-will-be-able-to-control-your-sonos-speakers-1785935865
http://techomebuilder.com/emagazine-articles-1/developing-amazon-echo-to-support-sonos-in-2017
In principle I like the idea, BUT, being Sonos a multiroom system , how many echo devices will we need to control an house with many Sonos devices ? I mean, if I have to go to the bedroom to say : "Alexa, change the song in my living room playbar " , will it be practical ?
Let me make some wild assumptions, based on nothing but what I've read in the lengthy other thread, and the press release, and watched in the video released today.
I'd expect that
1) there will be some interconnectivity set up in the Echo/Alexa app that will manipulate the Sonos app/data for you.
2) Play:5, Gen 2 speakers have microphones already in them, I'd expect them to be connected to that system (Alexa/Echo) as a matter of course. Not sure how the integration would work if you don't already own an Echo/Alexa, but I suspect they've got that one figured out and are implementing it for a future release of the Sonos software.
3) I'd expect that Sonos will start selling the Dot device for those people who have Play:1, Play:3, and Connect devices, to add the microphone implementation.
4) Eventually, I'd expect that the Play:1 and Play:3 speakers would get built in microphones (but I wouldn't guaranty that, it may be that the Dot device will serve without them having to redo the entire manufacturing lines to introduce a mic.)
In answer to your other question, you'd technically need only one microphone to control all of your speakers. That could be one Echo/Dot (what's the third version called?) or one Play:5. Everything else would be convenience for you, not required.
I've already got 2 devices, one in the kitchen, one in the bedroom, so I'm fairly well set up, but I certainly recognize that many of us here are hard pressed to come up with an extra 35 GPB or $50 USD (or insert your local currency here). But I'm fairly confident that based on past attempts by this company to maintain compatibility with ancient and no longer sold hardware, that they'll do what they can to keep the cost minimal. Note I didn't say free. But no matter what, this appears to be an extension of the current software, not a replacement, and for those who can't afford it initially, they'll be able to continue the use of the software as they do today, on their mobile or desktop devices.
I'd expect that
1) there will be some interconnectivity set up in the Echo/Alexa app that will manipulate the Sonos app/data for you.
2) Play:5, Gen 2 speakers have microphones already in them, I'd expect them to be connected to that system (Alexa/Echo) as a matter of course. Not sure how the integration would work if you don't already own an Echo/Alexa, but I suspect they've got that one figured out and are implementing it for a future release of the Sonos software.
3) I'd expect that Sonos will start selling the Dot device for those people who have Play:1, Play:3, and Connect devices, to add the microphone implementation.
4) Eventually, I'd expect that the Play:1 and Play:3 speakers would get built in microphones (but I wouldn't guaranty that, it may be that the Dot device will serve without them having to redo the entire manufacturing lines to introduce a mic.)
In answer to your other question, you'd technically need only one microphone to control all of your speakers. That could be one Echo/Dot (what's the third version called?) or one Play:5. Everything else would be convenience for you, not required.
I've already got 2 devices, one in the kitchen, one in the bedroom, so I'm fairly well set up, but I certainly recognize that many of us here are hard pressed to come up with an extra 35 GPB or $50 USD (or insert your local currency here). But I'm fairly confident that based on past attempts by this company to maintain compatibility with ancient and no longer sold hardware, that they'll do what they can to keep the cost minimal. Note I didn't say free. But no matter what, this appears to be an extension of the current software, not a replacement, and for those who can't afford it initially, they'll be able to continue the use of the software as they do today, on their mobile or desktop devices.
1) there will be interconnectivity
2) Play:5 microphones remain silent
3) Dot was only a one time production and no longer available according to Amazon
4) I'm sure future updates to Play:3 then Play:1 will have microphones same as Play:5 for eventual use maybe down the road....down the road
Amazon would like to see you have an echo in every room for voice control. Eventual dot successor as source of whole home control.
2) Play:5 microphones remain silent
3) Dot was only a one time production and no longer available according to Amazon
4) I'm sure future updates to Play:3 then Play:1 will have microphones same as Play:5 for eventual use maybe down the road....down the road
Amazon would like to see you have an echo in every room for voice control. Eventual dot successor as source of whole home control.
Dot will be back, probably for the holiday shopping season.
http://www.cnet.com/news/like-ahnold-amazons-echo-dot-will-be-back/
http://www.cnet.com/news/like-ahnold-amazons-echo-dot-will-be-back/
2) Play:5 microphones remain silent
I agree. The Echo's far-field voice recognition needs an array of microphones to work well.
I agree. The Echo's far-field voice recognition needs an array of microphones to work well.
For those of us with an echo or an echo dot in most rooms to allow for voice control home automation, this is very exciting!
For those with one in the bedroom who can't be heard from other rooms no matter how loud they yell, I guess they'll just have to keep using the Sonos app they have today or purchase more echo's if they find they desire the voice control option.
I for one can't wait! I find my wife listening to the echo dot in the kitchen because she can just tell Alexa to start playing and doesn't have to pull out her phone or tablet like she would if she wanted to use the Sonos RIGHT THERE IN THE KITCHEN! lol Drives me nuts because that echo can't compete with sonos sound quality!
I have an Echo downstairs and a Dot upstairs. My townhouse is loft style, with the entire top floor the bedroom and master bath. Each floor is easily covered by the Echos because of the open floor plan, so I don't think I will be needing any more. In fact, both Echos sometimes hear the same command and start answering in tandem, leading to confusion. One performs the command, the other babbles on about not understanding. It's like living with addled twins.
An option might be to use the Amazon Echo remote to control the echo from wherever you are in the house.
Well we now know that the Echo Dot is back and available for $50 or 6 for $250. That they will work in multiple rooms and not respond over each other. So for $250 you can fill your house with Dots that will control the Sonos system in 2017.
Did you see something about them not responding over each other? Haven't seen that.
"This function is improved with the new Dot thanks to a faster speech processor combined with Dot’s feature called ESP (Echo Spatial Perception). The latter helps the device figure out which Dot is closest to you and should respond to your voice query. Amazon says ESP’s performance will improve over time, so it will resolve the problem of multiple Echo devices answering you simultaneously."
https://techcrunch.com/2016/09/14/amazons-connected-speaker-echo-dot-returns-is-now-only-50/
https://techcrunch.com/2016/09/14/amazons-connected-speaker-echo-dot-returns-is-now-only-50/
Nice
By the way, the article I read on that (maybe on Engadget?) seemed to say that this software update (the ESP stuff) will be rolled out to current devices in the next couple of weeks. Which makes me happy, I can change my devices back to the same trigger word, rather than having to try both of them in both rooms in order to get it to pay attention to me. 🙂
Do we have any news (Update) on Alexa and Sonos ?
The press release stated the private beta would be the end of this year, and Sonos never says anything about private betas (if there is one). So silence is to be expected until they announce it going public.
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