Can’t add beam to a sonos group

  • 3 February 2019
  • 8 replies
  • 1232 views

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I’ve a beam grouped in sonos app with 2 ones for surround. In Alexa app, the beam group is displayed as a speaker named as my sonos room name (salotto) and, if I click on it, I can see the beam device name as another hierarchically related device (marco’s Sonos Beam). When I try to add ‘salotto’ to an Alexa group (as an Alexa enabled device) and I click on ‘save’ button, the button is grayed out but nothing happens and the beam is not added to the group.

What can I do?

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8 replies

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Is the Beam included within another group?
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No.
Marco,

You seem to be talking about the Amazon Alexa App groups here, rather than the Sonos App... I have reported this issue to Sonos.

There is only one Alexa device entry in the Alexa App for the Sonos Beam (and a Sonos One)... so you just select the ‘salotto' device in the first section of the Alexa group.. you currently cannot choose salotto in the second section of the group at the moment (which is for ducking purposes) but it will duck it’s audio anyway ...and then you select the speakers you wish to group in the third section, 'preferred' area.

I think there maybe an Amazon Alexa issue here IMHO ...the first section of the group should actually show 'Marco's Sonos Beam' as the Alexa enabling device, rather than salotto.

Anyhow if you just add your speakers as mentioned in the 'preferred' area it should work. Like I say I have reported this issue to Sonos and hopefully it will get resolved at some point in the future.

Hope that is what you were referring to and that my reply here makes some sense to you.?
Marco,

I should perhaps add that in the past, some community users, who use Alexa groups have said they wanted to see just one Sonos device listed in the devices section of the Amazon App... there used to be several and now there are less... so it’s possible that Amazon and Sonos are in the process of consolidating the device list and that is maybe why you/we are seeing one inside the other ...i.e 'marco's sonos Beam’ inside 'solatto'.

But it is presenting an issue, I think, with Alexa Enabled Groups... as really those groups appear to need two types of device ... an Alexa device (Marco' Sonos Beam) to enable the group and a speaker/room device (solatto) to duck and group (preferr) the Sonos speakers together.. but I can see why and how one device only, would and could work, but it appears this needs some further development work to be done in this area.

It has only been a week or so, since I reported the issue, so it maybe a while before the issue is fully resolved, whether that be with one or more Sonos devices listed in the Alexa device list.
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Hi Ken. Sorry, but I've not been clear (I'm italian and my english is not so good).

On Sonos App I have room called 'Salotto' that includes a Beam 'Marco's sonos beam' and two ones (SX and DX).

When I link Sonos with Alexa (from the Sonos App and, then, enabling sonos skill in Alexa App), I Alexa I see a speaker called 'Salotto' with a nested speaker called 'Marco's sonos beam' (they are hierarchically related and I can see the second only clicking on the first.

When I configure the Alexa group I can associate 'Salotto' as the preferred speaker in the group, but I can't add 'Salotto' as a device together with some smart lights. This is necessary to be able to say 'Alexa, turn on the lights', without having to say lights names. Saying "can't add" I mean that, I can select 'Salotto' device but, when I press 'Save' button, nothing happens.

Hope I've been clear this time 🙂
Yes, it’s the same thing I have been talking about Marco ... there is an issue here, which relates to 'audio ducking', but for now add Salotto as the Alexa Enabling device in your group and also set Salotto as your 'preferred' speaker and it will work. .. just say to the Beam 'Alexa Play Music and she will know to play direct to Salotto... if you also add other 'preferred' speakers ...from the same manufacturer only (Sonos) ... then Alexa will play to those additional speakers aswell.
Marco,

If you do encounter not being able to add Salotto as the Alexa Enabling Device (controller) for your group, then don’t forget that such devices can only be 'uniquely used' once per group ... so you may have to check you have not used it already as an 'Enabling' device in one of your other Alexa Groups... just thought that was also worth mentioning here too.
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Marco,

If you do encounter not being able to add Salotto as the Alexa Enabling Device (controller) for your group, then don’t forget that such devices can only be 'uniquely used' once per group ... so you may have to check you have not used it already as an 'Enabling' device in one of your other Alexa Groups... just thought that was also worth mentioning here too.


No, this is not the case. I think is a bug, as you wrote in your previous message.