Amazon Echo / Dot and Sonos Integration

How many of those echo customers are buying it for multiroom? I'd bet few, since Amazon barely even mentions it as a feature. How many echo customers then discover that they like multiroom, but really wish they had better sound quality, or that they can't get sound from the tv, or what have you?

Personally, I don't think there are a lot of customers that really care about multiroom, but aren't interested in sound quality beyond what an echo can provide. They may use the mutiroom because it's there, but it wasn't a selling point for them.

But it's opinion, so, whatever.


Of course people buy products for various different reasons. But I don't think there's any denying that voice controlled speakers are one of the hottest tech products right now, if not the hottest.

It may seem like I'm coming across as bashing Sonos. That's not my intent. I love my Sonos speakers. I just don't want them to become extinct.

History has shown that the cheapest product is not always the market winner, even when features are similar. Apple products are a good example. The Beats headphones may be a better example. Perhaps bluetooth speakers may be the best. There is wide range of quality and price, and plenty of room for all needs.

And absolutely, that doesn't mean that the cheapest isn't the best or market winner. I think Amazon does have a decent reputation for quality and will very well satisfy a lot of people. Then again, I'd argue that the person who is satisfied with an Amazon multiroom system likely was never going to by a Sonos system to begin with.

Lastly, Sonos doesn't have to win. They don't have to have to most sales or largest % of the market. They only need to be profitable.

I agree jgatie....to state the obvious.

To be fair though, the comparison wasn't really dot to P:1, but the new Echo ($100) to P:1 which is a lot better sound, but still not a P:1 if reviews are to be believed. Probably much more exceptable to a lot of potential customers. Sonos would then need to focus on home theatre integration, stereo pairs, the higher end speaker options, and more music sources as the differentiaton.
Thanks. I even stated in my post that there is a clear sound quality difference. The point of me mentioning the Dot in the comparison is that it's at least an option. I mentioned earlier in the thread that I liked the idea of maybe putting a Dot in a closet. But I would never consider using it as music source in a larger space.

You don't need a speaker with built-in microphones to voice control it. Almost any single Alexa device, like the free Amazon app for Android & iPhones will let you control all your existing Sonos players.

Separate the voice/audio user interface from the things being controlled.
I don't think it's just the voice control of the music that people are buying the built-in microphone speakers for.

Plus, if I understand your recommendation correctly, I'm not sure it's any different than just using the Sonos app to control the music. It does offer the voice control. But you still have to use an app to get to it.

The One page is live on the Sonos website store

We might even get the firmware update itself!

And we did.

Is there anyone else out there who's disappointed in the "integration"? Maybe I read too much into the 8/30/16 Sonos/Amazon press release. I expected more.

The implementation in the Alexa skill, and in the Sonos One, just uses voice to redirect Alexa's music to Sonos's speakers. Alexa isn't really integrated into Sonos. You still need an app for everything else Sonos does.

It was nice of Sonos to help Amazon make Alexa sound better. But are they interested in using voice to control their own product?

My suspicion is that you'll never see that kind of functionality, due to the disparate ways in which the two devices work.