Honest Review of integrating Alexa into Sonos (new to both)
Help for people considering purchasing both or the Sonos one.
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Having seen the Echo in use, and just played around with a Dot and Sonos kit, I think that voice control of Sonos is a premature purchase just now and more a gimmick. There are enough gaps to not let the experience be as slick as it is with a standalone Echo - and even Echo could do with more reliability and not having to say Alexa loudly or having Alexa not respond as desired at times.
A standalone Echo serves well in the kitchen where occupied hands sometimes find it awkward to invoke a phone based app, but everywhere else for music play, the app + buttons on the Sonos units offers a better control experience at this time.
I would hold of any buy till the hardware/software matures. But use the price drops to buy Play 1 units instead, that are even better value now because of the large price reductions.
In 2018, the Google integration may offer a better user experience than the Amazon one, there is that as well.
A standalone Echo serves well in the kitchen where occupied hands sometimes find it awkward to invoke a phone based app, but everywhere else for music play, the app + buttons on the Sonos units offers a better control experience at this time.
I would hold of any buy till the hardware/software matures. But use the price drops to buy Play 1 units instead, that are even better value now because of the large price reductions.
In 2018, the Google integration may offer a better user experience than the Amazon one, there is that as well.
+21Our family loves it, we are big alexa fans and have a lot of automation linked to her. We have dots and Sonos kit and Spotify premium. there are some glitches, such as volume lowering in all rooms, and the odd misunderstanding but generally its great addition to the house.
Overall, I'm a fan but they are some issues that need sorting for it to be really great, such as for the Sonos One:
- Mic sensitivity;
- Better support for Playlist and Artist>Radio selection within Spotify;
- Support for Grouping of speakers and controlling group volume.
Personally, I would still recommend a Sonos One, as these issues are being addressed and I can already see improvements being delivered. The choice is yours really, I'm an early adopter and I like to be involved in a products development. If you want a polished product with all of the issues resolved then Voice Control, let alone a Sonos One, is not there yet. Me, I'm enjoying it.
...and for Alexa:
- As the Smart Home set-up gets more complex, the ability to store an backup of your settings is critical and not currently supportted;
- Voice Control in a room with more than 2-3 people is problematic, as people tend talk over the voice command;
- Google Home is more user friendly but Smart Home integration is better with Alexa. (Really looking forward to trying Google Assistant on an AI agnostic piece of hardware. Please see comment about being an early adopter! 🙂 )
- Mic sensitivity;
- Better support for Playlist and Artist>Radio selection within Spotify;
- Support for Grouping of speakers and controlling group volume.
Personally, I would still recommend a Sonos One, as these issues are being addressed and I can already see improvements being delivered. The choice is yours really, I'm an early adopter and I like to be involved in a products development. If you want a polished product with all of the issues resolved then Voice Control, let alone a Sonos One, is not there yet. Me, I'm enjoying it.
...and for Alexa:
- As the Smart Home set-up gets more complex, the ability to store an backup of your settings is critical and not currently supportted;
- Voice Control in a room with more than 2-3 people is problematic, as people tend talk over the voice command;
- Google Home is more user friendly but Smart Home integration is better with Alexa. (Really looking forward to trying Google Assistant on an AI agnostic piece of hardware. Please see comment about being an early adopter! 🙂 )
That, IMO, is a good description of what kind of a person today's buyer of voice control on Sonos should be. As to the second sentence, I would not expect all issues to be resolved - for instance even Sonos minus voice as I use it occasionally faces issues, but works smoothly over 99% of the time. That, for my use, is where voice needs to get before I make the move.
Sorry I meant to post my review.
So here is what I was trying to do: I was replacing my TV and surround sound and wanted to have it as wireless as possible and voice controlled as possible.
I went to the electronics store and purchased a Sonos one with Alexa built in. I quickly found it did not have the calling feature, the ability to intercom with another Amazon device. It also doesn’t seem to have the capability to differentiate my voice vs another which is a problem considering you can pretty much order anything on amazon. I also found that you have to shout at it because it’s integrated with the speaker.
I did like that I didn’t have to specify to the device where to play.
Ok so I return it and get two play ones and two echo dots. I also purchased an insignia 55” tv and Sonos soundbar.
Firstly I found Sonos doesn’t support DTS for surround sound. I had to return the TV as there weren’t many other options for wireless sound integrated with voice control. Again, my goal was to have voice control over the audio and video.
I bought a Samsung 8 series TV because it supports hdmi cec (allows a device in the hdmi port to control the TV) and also has Dolby 5.1. I also bought an Amazon 4K firestick because I thought that linking my echo could then allow me to control the TV (turn on/off, change channel, etc). It doesn’t. So I returned the firestick. I also thought it would be nice to have a second dot in the bathroom.
I found out that the second dot “Ducks” all of the music being played in the other rooms. This was annoying. So I returned the 2nd Dot.
Now I have a Samsung TV, Sonos playbar, 2 sonos ones and an echo dot.
Pandora and Amazon music only play one song most of the time. I’ve disabled the skill, rediscovered devices, etc. It still doesn’t work. Only about half the time does it actually play in the living room. I’ve looked at the history to ensure the Echo dot was hearing me correctly; it was. I’ve renamed the living room also and tried everything imaginable to get this to work. It still doesn’t.
I assumed that because Sonos launched a product integrated with Alexa that the kinks would be worked out. They’re not. Bose delayed their launch of integrating with Alexa. I assume it was to work out the kinks. Given that they have launched I see no reason not to return all of my new sonos gear and look toward Bose. They also support DTS which would have allowed to purchase a less expensive TV.
So here is what I was trying to do: I was replacing my TV and surround sound and wanted to have it as wireless as possible and voice controlled as possible.
I went to the electronics store and purchased a Sonos one with Alexa built in. I quickly found it did not have the calling feature, the ability to intercom with another Amazon device. It also doesn’t seem to have the capability to differentiate my voice vs another which is a problem considering you can pretty much order anything on amazon. I also found that you have to shout at it because it’s integrated with the speaker.
I did like that I didn’t have to specify to the device where to play.
Ok so I return it and get two play ones and two echo dots. I also purchased an insignia 55” tv and Sonos soundbar.
Firstly I found Sonos doesn’t support DTS for surround sound. I had to return the TV as there weren’t many other options for wireless sound integrated with voice control. Again, my goal was to have voice control over the audio and video.
I bought a Samsung 8 series TV because it supports hdmi cec (allows a device in the hdmi port to control the TV) and also has Dolby 5.1. I also bought an Amazon 4K firestick because I thought that linking my echo could then allow me to control the TV (turn on/off, change channel, etc). It doesn’t. So I returned the firestick. I also thought it would be nice to have a second dot in the bathroom.
I found out that the second dot “Ducks” all of the music being played in the other rooms. This was annoying. So I returned the 2nd Dot.
Now I have a Samsung TV, Sonos playbar, 2 sonos ones and an echo dot.
Pandora and Amazon music only play one song most of the time. I’ve disabled the skill, rediscovered devices, etc. It still doesn’t work. Only about half the time does it actually play in the living room. I’ve looked at the history to ensure the Echo dot was hearing me correctly; it was. I’ve renamed the living room also and tried everything imaginable to get this to work. It still doesn’t.
I assumed that because Sonos launched a product integrated with Alexa that the kinks would be worked out. They’re not. Bose delayed their launch of integrating with Alexa. I assume it was to work out the kinks. Given that they have launched I see no reason not to return all of my new sonos gear and look toward Bose. They also support DTS which would have allowed to purchase a less expensive TV.
I love my Songs One. Sound quality is excellent. However Alexa integration is hap-hazard. Playing music via Alexa results in nothing playing. Using the app works just fine but not via Alexa. I sure hope this beta product gets better.
Good point. I have been considering the purchase of a few more Play:1s; but with the state of the current app and Alexa skill, I am hesistant to invest any more money in Sonos. I love the hardware I currently have; but the poor app design diminishes the experience.
The Alexa skill needs a lot of work. The ducking feature alone caused me to remove the skill. The lack of Drop-In and Calling support are also big problems for my family.
But, the price of the Play:1s is tempting...
But, the price of the Play:1s is tempting...
If you can make good use of the 1 units, it is a great price for what they deliver. The app thing is a cycle. You will get used to the current app and Sonos will keep tweaking it till you are helped to get used to it, till the time they do a full refresh when it will be back to square one. It is a minor issue.
As to Alexa skills, either they will get better, or Google integration will turn out to do a better job of things. In both cases, with a Dot or a Mini, the play 1 units also will do voice control as well as any other speaker in the market.
Something I just wrote on the India integration thread is relevant here as well:
"After having played around with the Skills via a hack, I have lost interest in them. Voice control via Sonos Skills with the ducking issues and some others I came across is just a gimmick I can comfortably live without at this time. And there is no access to Amazon Prime as there is now with a standalone India configured Amazon Echo that my wife uses every day in the kitchen now, so all the hoopla for just volume control for Sonos isn't much point either. Once the novelty of the skills wears off, there is little left to use via them.
And I am able to get better results via a Dot + Connect Amp in one zone, that can be triggered to start Amazon Prime via commands either to the Dot or to any other Echo device in the house and that is more than enough voice fun for me at this stage.
IMO, this whole voice thing is overhyped prematurely and will take all of 2018 to become more of a useful feature and less of a gimmick, so I am not going to blow energy/time on reminding Sonos about India integration anymore. I suspect that getting voice control in India via Google Assistant on a Mini + GPM may even come before Alexa Skills for Sonos here, but only time will tell."
Some insight on the Amazon V Google thing where Sonos is concerned: Amazon launched Alexa in India end of October, and Sonos is far away from releasing Skills for India. On the other hand, the GPM cast to Sonos feature was automatically available as soon as GPM was released in India and I believe this speed is a consequence of the different approach that Google has taken for casting, that does not involve cloud based Google server to Sonos server communication. If that prevails for the Google Assistant integration by Sonos, I expect the same immediate and automatic global availability for Google Assistant integration using English. That will make it immediately more available globally, that the Amazon integration train that seems to be chugging along slowly.
If that happens, I might just pick a Google Mini or two just for Sonos control, if GPM can be initiated via voice.
"After having played around with the Skills via a hack, I have lost interest in them. Voice control via Sonos Skills with the ducking issues and some others I came across is just a gimmick I can comfortably live without at this time. And there is no access to Amazon Prime as there is now with a standalone India configured Amazon Echo that my wife uses every day in the kitchen now, so all the hoopla for just volume control for Sonos isn't much point either. Once the novelty of the skills wears off, there is little left to use via them.
And I am able to get better results via a Dot + Connect Amp in one zone, that can be triggered to start Amazon Prime via commands either to the Dot or to any other Echo device in the house and that is more than enough voice fun for me at this stage.
IMO, this whole voice thing is overhyped prematurely and will take all of 2018 to become more of a useful feature and less of a gimmick, so I am not going to blow energy/time on reminding Sonos about India integration anymore. I suspect that getting voice control in India via Google Assistant on a Mini + GPM may even come before Alexa Skills for Sonos here, but only time will tell."
Some insight on the Amazon V Google thing where Sonos is concerned: Amazon launched Alexa in India end of October, and Sonos is far away from releasing Skills for India. On the other hand, the GPM cast to Sonos feature was automatically available as soon as GPM was released in India and I believe this speed is a consequence of the different approach that Google has taken for casting, that does not involve cloud based Google server to Sonos server communication. If that prevails for the Google Assistant integration by Sonos, I expect the same immediate and automatic global availability for Google Assistant integration using English. That will make it immediately more available globally, that the Amazon integration train that seems to be chugging along slowly.
If that happens, I might just pick a Google Mini or two just for Sonos control, if GPM can be initiated via voice.
almost never works for me. I like alexa for other things, but sonos integration feels like an early beta.
Alexa works well for other things now - from all accounts it took a couple of years to get to this stage. Sonos will also take some time getting the integration to the same level of a stable utility, which is why I suggested end 2018 to have a go at it as a normal product for those that have no desire to part of a development project.
I’ve noticed as of late the pandora/amazon music playing only one song issue has stopped. It seems both had updates as of late. I imagine that it may have had something to do with it.
Also I don’t understand why people say this is a development project or that it’s in beta. Doesn’t that ship sail once you start selling commercial hardware to the masses?
Nope. Sonos runs public betas of their software all the time, on hardware a decade old. In this case, the software in beta is the Sonos Alexa skill.
But now they are selling and marketing a hardware product with Alexa software built in. It’s different.
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Nope. Sonos runs public betas of their software all the time, on hardware a decade old. In this case, the software in beta is the Sonos Alexa skill.[/quote]
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Nope. Sonos runs public betas of their software all the time, on hardware a decade old. In this case, the software in beta is the Sonos Alexa skill.[/quote]
Not in my mind it isn't. Agree to disagree. Regardless, it IS a beta. It was announced as a beta, and is currently listed as a beta. Whether that is poor form or not is another discussion.
That is a fair point for people buying into Sonos for the first time and having no idea about things like public betas; it takes exposure to Sonos and being open to it that confers the knowledge about things like betas, public or otherwise.
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