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Question

Alexa not available on my Sonos One in India

  • February 11, 2018
  • 7 replies
  • 483 views
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A friend of mine bought a Sonos One for me from Singapore and I am setting it up here in India. I noticed that the Sonos App did not prompt me to set up Alexa on the One. Although Alexa is available on Amazon Echo products in India since Oct 2017, it doesn't seem to be available on the Sonos One. Anybody else facing this issue? Any workarounds? Or any official comment from Sonos about when Alexa would be active in India? The major reason why I invested in the Sonos One was the voice assistance capability built in. If that is not available then I'll probably be returning the One.
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7 replies

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  • Kumar
  • February 11, 2018
There has been complete silence from Sonos on the date of this release from November 1, when Alexa was launched in India; if this lack of Alexa matters to you as much as you say it does, return the unit. Unfortunately it does not even have the line in jacks that would have allowed a Dot to work with it in wired mode.
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  • sudp.mohanty
  • Author
  • Contributor I
  • February 11, 2018
There has been complete silence from Sonos on the date of this release from November 1, when Alexa was launched in India; if this lack of Alexa matters to you as much as you say it does, return the unit. Unfortunately it does not even have the line in jacks that would have allowed a Dot to work with it in wired mode.

That's a real bummer. I was psyched about Alexa capabilities on the One. As much as I love the quality of the One, I'll just have to return it and move over to the Echo devices.
K
  • Kumar
  • February 11, 2018
If you make that move, I suggest a Dot + wired speaker that improves on the sound quality of the Echo. That gives you a better shot at best of both worlds. Look for a speaker that is mains powered and does not go into automatic standby after some minutes to partner the Dot.

But overall if you do not plan to use the other voice commanded features/tricks of Alexa, using voice for just music is overrated. And for just music, the One, used the non voice way, will still do well. And you may even see Google Assistant working on it in India in 2018, before Alexa.
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  • sudp.mohanty
  • Author
  • Contributor I
  • February 11, 2018
If you make that move, I suggest a Dot + wired speaker that improves on the sound quality of the Echo. That gives you a better shot at best of both worlds. Look for a speaker that is mains powered and does not go into automatic standby after some minutes to partner the Dot.

But overall if you do not plan to use the other voice commanded features/tricks of Alexa, using voice for just music is overrated. And for just music, the One, used the non voice way, will still do well. And you may even see a Google Assistant working on it in India in 2018, before Alexa.

Thanks for the suggestions. I am definitely looking to get a couple of Dots. I was looking for a good sounding Alexa powered device to eventually move towards integrating more smart home devices. The Hue (infact the Syska as well), a few WiFi power adapters, along with a Fire TV. Sonos One would have fitted just right in. I definitely can wait for the Google Assistant but I am majorly on the Apple ecosystem so I am not sure how good would the Google assistant be for me. Dot + A wired speaker would do for now. I was wishing to get the best of both worlds with the Sonos One. Major disappointment.
K
  • Kumar
  • February 12, 2018
The Dot will also work well with a bluetooth speaker, eliminating the need for a wire. Just be careful with the auto standby feature that many BT speakers have, that can come in the way of instant availability. Ideally, a mains powered bluetooth speaker is better, if you want to go down this route.
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  • sudp.mohanty
  • Author
  • Contributor I
  • February 12, 2018
The Dot will also work well with a bluetooth speaker, eliminating the need for a wire. Just be careful with the auto standby feature that many BT speakers have, that can come in the way of instant availability. Ideally, a mains powered bluetooth speaker is better, if you want to go down this route.

Thanks Kumar for the advice. I'll wouldn't mind a mains powered wired speaker since portability isn't exactly my main requirement here.
K
  • Kumar
  • February 12, 2018
In that case, this may even be a blessing in disguise. A pair of active speakers - with built in amplification - will also deliver sound quality better than that from a single One, if you have the space to keep them.

As just one budget example from many out there, see: https://www.amazon.in/MACKIE-PAIR-REFERENCE-MULTIMEDIA-MONITORS/dp/B01KHNI3HG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1518400974&sr=8-1&keywords=mackie

Check for the always on feature with any speaker you get, and try to place the Dot as far away from them as you can run a wire; the mic in the Dot is a lot more responsive to voice commands when it is not placed close to the music playing speakers, without having to shout over the sound of the music.
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