Answered

Alexa reporting incorrect Sonos Beam volume more than 2 years later

  • 1 June 2023
  • 7 replies
  • 93 views
S
Badge +1

I posted this over two years ago, and still the issue persists, surely I can’t be the only one affected by this?

 

Original post:

 

I always use Alexa to set the volume on my Sonos system (Beam, Sub and 2xOne SL) I usually ask her to confirm the volume once set, but now she is reporting it incorrectly. So if the volume was set to 1 initially and I ask Alexa to set volume to 3 then ask “Alexa, what is the volume for living room?” She will advise that volume is 1, even though it’s set to 3 as she is now louder.

Steps I’ve taken to fix:

Disable and enable the Sonos skill in the Amazon Alexa App. 
Removed the Alexa voice service in the Sonos app and added it again too and powered off the Sonos beam. All to no avail

However, what I did notice was Alexa would confirm the correct volume level after enabling the Sonos Skill in the Alexa App or removing and adding the Alexa voice service in the Sonos app, it was only when I asked Alexa to increase the volume and asked her to confirm the volume for Living Room (Sonos Beam name) she would say it was still 1 even after I’d visually checked the volume increase in the Sonos app. 

Hope this all makes sense. I did notice the Alexa iOS app got an update recently 2/10/20 if memory serves me correctly so not sure if that’s just a coincidence or not

icon

Best answer by Corry P 1 June 2023, 11:42

View original
Steve
This topic has been closed for further comments. You can use the search bar to find a similar topic, or create a new one by clicking Create Topic at the top of the page.

7 replies

Corry P
Userlevel 7
Badge +18

Hi @Stevey1976 

Thanks for your post!

I was able to reproduce this issue, so I have now recorded a video of it happening, submitted some diagnostics and reported it all to an engineer colleague, who was also able to replicate the issue. We’ve asked that it be looked into anew.

I can only assume this issue was assigned a low priority due to the lack of reports from other users - I don’t think many people actually query what the current volume is. We have taken steps to ensure that any future mentions are tracked properly.

I hope this helps.

 

"Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by age eighteen." - Albert Einstein
S
Badge +1

Thanks Corry much appreciated. I look forward to this being resolved. Thanks for taking the time to look into and replicate this for me. 

Steve
S
Badge +1

Hi Corey,

Is there any news on this at all? There have been a couple of system updates since your reply, but issue is still there. 

Thanks,

 

 Steve

Steve
Corry P
Userlevel 7
Badge +18

Hi @Stevey1976 

Unfortunately, I have nothing more to share at this point. Again, I don’t think there have been any other users calling in about this issue, so it seems it’s a low priority still. 

Did you know you can install Sonos Voice Control on the same Sonos speaker that runs Alexa? SVC does not have the same problem, and it also uses the same volume percentage system as the Sonos app, unlike Alexa that uses 1-10. SVC only presently supports US English and French, but it will work in the UK just fine - I’m Scottish, and it understands me! Just go to Settings » Services & Voice » Add a Voice Assistant » Sonos Voice Control to get started. The voice is that of actor Giancarlo Esposito. I have no idea why I did not suggest this in my first reply, so apologies for that!

I hope this helps.

Edit: Once done, the wake word is “Hey Sonos!”

"Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by age eighteen." - Albert Einstein
S
Badge +1

Hi Corey,

I was under the impression it was going to be looked into after your initial reply, but now get the feeling that isn’t the case, following your last reply? 

Thanks for the heads up on the Sonos Voice Control, I wasn’t aware of this, I may try it but then I won’t have Alexa, unless SVC does more than volume adjustments?

 

 Thanks,

Steve
Airgetlam

Amazon doesn’t restrict use of multiple voice systems like Google does, you could easily have both SVC and Alexa at the same time. 

Bruce
Corry P
Userlevel 7
Badge +18

Hi @Stevey1976 

Among other functions, SVC is able to manipulate groups of Sonos rooms, can use all transport controls (skip, pause, play, etc.) with any source and can initiate playback from Sonos Radio, Apple Music, Deezer, Pandora and Amazon Music. More services will be added at a later date. As @Airgetlam mentions (I did too, but I wasn’t as specific about it as I intended), you can run Alexa and SVC on the same speaker at the same time - just use the different wake words to choose which service you are speaking to.

As for the issue, we have confirmed that there is one. Generally, issues are assigned a priority based upon how many users are affected, and the lower the number, the less likely you are to see a resolution soon. In addition, the code to run Alexa is not ours - in order to affect a fix, we may well need to collaborate with Amazon engineers. If the issue has only been reported by one customer (I don’t know the actual number, but it’s certainly low), it’s easy to see why it may take a while for a software engineer to be assigned to work on the issue. Given that there are easy alternatives and that this issue doesn’t seriously impact your ability to use your Sonos products, the priority is likely to stay low. Please note that this is all supposition on my behalf - for all I know, someone may be working on fixing it right now.

I hope this helps.

 

"Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by age eighteen." - Albert Einstein
Terms & ConditionsCookie settings