Alexa does not work on the ONE if there is any sound coming from the Playbar

  • 25 November 2017
  • 0 replies
  • 466 views

I just bought and installed the Playbar and created a surround setup with my existing two Sonos ONE. Only then, I discover something really annoying that was finally able to isolate:

-When the TV is off, the ONE pair hears and acts just like expected, I can start music, ask for services, weather, etc.
-If the TV is on, Alexa cannot do anything, just blinks for ever and makes an error sound after about 30 seconds. I cannot access the skills, add something to my list, ask for the weather or the time. In effect the Playbar hijacks the entire system.
-Sometimes, only sometimes, after turning the TV off (it does not work by pausing a movie or even exiting the app (Amazon video, Youtube, etc) I regain control of alexa on the ONE's. just that now, it takes about 20 seconds to get an answer. Apparently it takes ages for the ONE to tell the Playbar what to do, even stop the music. (don't get me started on how long it takes now to turn off a lamp...)

I have a sound bar that sounds pretty nicely but has ruined my use of alexa on the rest of the living area. Does anyone have problems with alexa if for instance you have a Playbar and two Play:1, start music from an Echo device on them and then start a TV show. Do the speakers still react after the TV has been turned off?

My options now are:
-Split the bar from the ONE's so that the latter can still be used for alexa. Since this destroys the surround effect, might as well then return the bar and buy a less expensive option just for the TV (if it is not going to play along with the ONE's, there are less expensive alternatives).
-Return the ONE's and replace them with PLAY:1's but additionally buy an Echo (Gen2). That allows me to push music to the home system but still access alexa when the TV is on.
-That SONOS finds a solution and issues a patch before my 14-day return period expires...

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