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Disable Sonos One Alexa from playing a sound when I say "Alexa"


Userlevel 4
I just set up a Sonos One with Alexa and the sound is noticeably better than the Amazon Echo. On the Sonos One though, each and every time I call "Alexa" it plays some kind of acknowledgement tone. When I call my Echo or Dot, thankfully there is no such tone. Is there anyway to disable it?
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Best answer by Ryan S 29 January 2019, 18:01

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313 replies

Userlevel 2
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+1. Also the ability to fix the volume of her voice. I don't like her yelling at me if I ask a command while jamming out to music.
Just adding a voice saying I wont but the Sonos Ones until this is changed.
Created an account so I could raise my hand here also. I do not like the tone at all. It makes me feel like I have to pause a second after saying Alexa. Annoying that it’s so much more fluid with the echo.
Userlevel 1
Please add a disable chime option. Not only is it annoying, it gets in the way of the mics hearing the rest of the command. I never pause between speaking the wake word and the command when talking to echo or ghome devices. A "listening" chime isn't the standard for these devices, I don't see why it should be different on Sonos.

Also, it actually sounds like the chime that an echo makes when it fails to execute a command, so the instinctive reaction is that it's indicating failure.
Userlevel 3
Just wanted to add another post agreeing with the OP. Would be lovely to have the option to disable the chime. It feels like my Sonos One is interrupting me while I try to talk to it.
Great product but please, please give us an option to get rid of the sound!
@Ryan S:
You're getting one or two complaints per day asking for an option to disable the silly chime and to lower the Alexa volume. But: You (Sonos) has fallen silent on this. Why?

Is it to complicated for Sonos to do such a change on the firmware. Not really - right?
Is there something blocking you on just implementing that so-much requested option to satify our needs here?

My Sonos One is currently powered off. It's useless for the intended use case here: Chime is annoying - Alexa is way to loud.
Very disappointing.

Please give us some statement on this topic. Is there something happening behind the scenes?
Userlevel 7
Badge +26
Thanks for sharing everyone! @curlyel, there isn't currently a change in status for the request that I can share. There's a lot that the team is working on but I can't speak to the tone specifically right now. We do make sure that the team knows how many people are asking for what features so they know which ones are the highest in demand.

I'll be sure to let you know when I hear anything new that can be shared.
Hi @Ryan S

I'm going to back up some of the other comments, this desperately needs a fix soon and I can see it has been an issue for some time.

I'm using my Sonos one in spite of the tone but frankly, had I known about it, I would have delayed my purchase. It really is that annoying!

And agree, separate volume control between Alexa and music is a must.

Thanks in advance
Just signed up to add my complaint. We don’t use Alexa much anymore because of this annoyance. I’m thinking of switching the Echo back. Did anyone use this in testing at Sonos? The first time anyone uses my speaker they don’t complete their question because it interrupts them. Even when you know it’s coming it’s distracting.

And her voice is way too loud. C’mon Sonos
Userlevel 1
Kudos to the dev team for fixing the mic sensitivity in the 8.2.3 update, but this issue is preventing me from replacing the rest of my echoes with One's, and from recommending the same to clients. Should be a really quick fix, please prioritize.
I would also like to see the feature to turn off the chime. It feels like I am being interrupted by the speaker every time and is irritating to the degree that I am thinking about returning the Sonos One and get an Echo product instead.
+1. Wanted to take advantage of the 2 for $349 deal but I can't buy any more until this is fixed. Alexa Calling would be nice too while you're at it but I'm sure Amazon is holding that feature hostage. Anyway, please give us the option to turn off the chime. Thanks.
Userlevel 2
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Yep, ability to turn off the chime (or alter the level of chime) and also independent volume for Alexa and Music.
You got it all wrong Sonos, there should be a choice of visible or sound that can be set to customer requirements after the wake word and alternative wake words.
I have two expensive book ends, now moving onto better things and speakers through Dot controll.
Received my first two Sonos One's today (13 Sonos devices and 2 Dots in the house now). Add my vote; that Alexa tone on the One is annoying!
Wow, I wish I would have saw this two days ago before I ordered. After just receiving mine today and within 3 hours, this is a deal breaker. I was looking forward to creating a unified speaker eco system of about 6 speakers throughout my house with Sonos but that chime/buzzer is a deal breaker and stresses me out.

I will probably look at the Apple HomePod or even amazon new echo speaker which I hear has greatly improved the sound quality.

I would probably hold out and wait for sonos to resolve this as this should be an easy fix but seeing it unresolved for 2 month is not the customer service family I want to join.

Sorry and wish everyone the best of luck.

Ryan
That chime buzzer should at least be controllable not linked to the last volume setting of playing a song.
Adding another vote for this. Just sent up my Sonos one, love the speaker quality, but this sound is incredibly annoying and not useful at all.
Another vote for this. Drives me crazy and makes me want to unplug.
Userlevel 2
I’m jumping on the pig-pile. Hate the response sound. Would like to disable or at least make it something appealing. The current sound is like my computer makes when I click something bad. Kerplunk. I’ll give it a while but if it doesn’t change, I’ll buy an alexa and use the Sonos speaker as just a speaker. Had high hopes...
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Another +1. Would be good to be able to use a light to determine when Alexa has started to listen. Currently, it wakes my house up when I speak to it at night time.

Another option would be able to have it and Alexa to be the same volume as the current/last played song.
Long time Amazon Echo user. I just bought two Sonos One's. They're both being returned -- the tone is obnoxious and absolutely unnecessary. I've had no problem using Amazon Echo since the first release without a tone.

Aside from the tone being obnoxiously loud, the issue for those of us who are experienced with Alexa is that we dictate our commands without pausing between the wake word and the command: "Alexa turn on the bedroom lights". Right now, the tone interrupts my command and makes it so Alexa has a harder time hearing my command. That is completely unacceptable for an Alexa device, and I'm surprised this made it through QA; it makes saying commands quickly much more difficult.

I've been a long-time Sonos user (since their first device), but I gotta say I'm pretty darn disappointed with how Sonos has responded to this.
Userlevel 7
Badge +22
I would assume at some point we will get a method to disable tone. Yea the tone comes in late when your already talking but Sonos One is great otherwise.
I doubt it. I suspect someone at Sonos feels very strongly about keeping the tone, otherwise this thread would provide ample evidence of how their customers are responding.