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


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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

After using several echos for years I was surprised there was no way to disable the tone. It really interferes with the fluidity of making a request.

As others have stated, an independent Alexa voice volume would be great as well.
I am dismayed by this. I thought the whole point of Sonos was to create a platform that was responsive to its users. Our dog who had an electric collar hears the sound and panics that she will get shocked, even though she has no collar on. The sound makes her panic and we cant use the Sonos Ones despite having spent $600 on 3 of them. I am outside of the return period but I would love to return these because I have no confidence that Sonos is committed to addressing what should be simple customer concerns. I have built a large Sonos system and am really disappointed.
I'm on this too!
Love the sound of the Sonos One, but that chime has to go PDQ.
Please, please, please add the ability to turn off the tone.
Oh wow... Still can't believe I just signed up to leave this comment!

I am following this thread for about a month now. I only kept the ONEs since I really believed something would change through an update.
Bought the ONEs right after christmas and I am out of the return period now. Speakers are unplugged and I am listening to my echo again.

The sound is so disruptive and defeats the purpose of these devices.

So very disappointed. I was a Sonos believer and preaching the advantages of Wifi-Speakers for years. At this point I can just warn my friends and colleagues to not make the same mistake...
Please add the option to turn off the tone.
OMG yes please make this happen. I just added the 2 for $349 Sonos One bundle to my home to complement my Playbar but I will be keeping Alexa mics muted until I can disable the chime. Like echo on a stadium loudspeaker, it’s disruptive to the person speaking. Just flash the LED if you insist on a cue (though that should also be user configurable). It’s easy to tell when Alexa doesn’t hear me...because nothing happens!
Userlevel 5
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Add me as another voice wanting this stupid wake sound removing.

Have just deployed two play ones into the house and the wake tone is awful. It interrupt commands when you don't pause after saying the wake word and spoils the whole alexa experience.

Looking at how easily this could be fixed, and how long it's been going on for, I would agree with others that Sonos has no intention of changing this behaviour.

I was intent on using my existing 1's to form stereo pairs and more zones and replacing them with the new "ones" to expand Alexa control zones, but I certainly won't be doing that if this stupid wake sound persists. I'll buy more echo dots instead and second hand 1's off eBay.
Userlevel 6
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The Sonos One wake sound is the same one employed by Amazon's Echo devices, the only difference being that on those devices it is turned off by default. Of course, the fact that Sonos didn't choose the wake sound doesn't make it any less clunky or annoying, and like a great many others I am eager to have the option to disable this feature.

As to "how easily this could be fixed," that may well depend on Amazon, not Sonos. Amazon has very strict licensing agreements in effect for any device and/or application that uses Alexa technology. It has already been noted (see link below) that those agreements limit such things as only having "Alexa" as the wake word. Thus it wouldn't surprise me to learn that Amazon also mandates use of a wake sound if and/or when other notifications (such as a light) are deemed insufficiently prominent to notify users that Alexa is listening.

With that said, Sonos seems well aware that having the ability to disable the wake sound is perhaps the single most common request by Sonos One users, and it seems unlikely to me that Sonos "have no intention" of finding a solution that will satisfy both users and the Amazon Gods. For now, we can only keep asking .... :D

https://en.community.sonos.com/amazon-alexa-and-sonos-229102/sonos-one-alternate-alexa-wake-word-change-6797113/index1.html#post16187737
Mmh. "how easily this could be fixed," that may well depend on Amazon, not Sonos.

I've asked already similar: "... is something blocking you to fix it?" Honestly, if this is the case, Sonos should communicate this. Due to the fact that they say literally almost nothing, Sonos angers us former loyal customers.

@Ryan S said, he's giving our complaints to the Sonos team. I believe him. But waiting too long for a solution makes long term loyal customers returning their products if possible and starting to advice against Sonos.

For sure: Sonos can not want this!

This thread is getting longer every day. Customers are signing up here just to file their disappointment...
Sonos: Are you listening?
Userlevel 6
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I've asked already similar: "... is something blocking you to fix it?" Honestly, if this is the case, Sonos should communicate this.

No argument here.
The initiation noise on Sonos One ruins the Alexa experience. Echo is much better experience. #cutitoff
Yes, this is terrible. I expected the same experience as the Echo.
Adding to the chorus. Allow us to disable the sound.

Also - Sonos is playing the sound from the TV. Look at the waveform from the TV and stop responding on the One when the TV says something that sounds even a tiny bit like 'Alexa' - which is then compounded by the fact that Sonos plays the Alexa prompt and dims the TV volume. Doubly annoying.
I just simply cannot believe you all did this! How absolutely terrible and antiquated feature! I am actually going to return this device to Best Buy and go back to a PLAY:1 and echo dot combo which I wanted to clean up with this new and great device. FAIL!
+1 Please allow to disable wake chime!
Userlevel 1
My first post here. Please enable option to disable wake chime. Also, please be more responsive to customers. There’s few things that savvy consumers hate more than fake customer service that exists to temporarily placate rather than actually solve issues.
Absolutely gutted. Just being staying at a friend's house and loved the play 1 / echo for user experience. Thought I was really smug setting up my house with 7 of the new integrated Alexa sonos ones. Not only is the response sound annoying (particularly unecessary and irritating when jus skipping tracks) but you can't speak fluidly to it anymore. These are going straight back to John Lewis tomorrow. Ridiculous.
I agree but would prefer if you would enable the same options as for Echo, namely (a) to disable all response tones, (b) to enable Acknowledgement that Alexa awoke and is ready for a command--the way it is now, or c) response tone to indicate that Alexa heard and is processing the command (which is the way I had my echo set).
Totally agree. Remove or at the very least lower volume of wake sound!
Userlevel 1
Please disable this annoying beep. Not only does it fluctuate with the last set volume, it interferes with my ability to say the command because the Sonos hears the beep instead of me.

This should be a quick fix and I can't believe it hasn't been corrected yet.

Come on!!!
Userlevel 1
Please disable this annoying beep. Not only does it fluctuate with the last set volume, it interferes with my ability to say the command because the Sonos hears the beep instead of me.

This should be a quick fix and I can't believe it hasn't been corrected yet.

Come on!!! Hi Ryan S have you already heard back from the team? Very curious to understand expected timeline to implement. Does not seem to be a very big change but more/less a small software update isn't it?
There isn't any official word yet, but I'll let you know if there's anything to share. We'll make sure the team knows the level of interest that we're hearing from you all too.


Still waiting...
Userlevel 1
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.


What a worthless corporate bullshit response. Do something.

No more Sonos for me until this is fixed. I'm actually upset that I gave away my $30 dot thinking this would easily replace it. Boy was I wrong...

Reading through all these similar requests and the length of time it's taken your company to do nothing to even suggest you're working on a fix is asinine.

A dot functions better than your product. Think about that...
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Add my name to the list. I finally bought a Play One to see how the integrated experience would be. I was already aware that some features (like calling and intercom) were not currently available. Didn’t see this coming though.

I don’t think we will get used to it and it is annoying that it is different than all our other Alexa devices. Probably will just disable the Alexa features and will hold off on buying any more Ones until this is resolved.

I still have faith in sonos and expect they will resolve this as soon as they can.
The tone may be a dealbreaker for me. My daughter’s name is Alexis so we’ve been using “computer” as the wake work on our echo devices.

I know we can’t change the wake word on Sonos, so at least allow us to disable the bong! Now with my new Sonos One in the room it’s “bonging” constantly when I’m talking to my daughter.

“Alexis (BONG) what do you want for breakfast?”

“Did you finish your homework Alexis (BONG)?”

Aaaargh!!! Fatal flaw in an otherwise great product. At this point I’m thinking of just returning it to Best Buy and getting a better BT speaker for my Dot.