Answered

Microphone sensitivity for the “Alexa” wake word is low

Show first post
This topic has been closed for further comments. You can use the search bar to find a similar topic, or create a new one by clicking Create Topic at the top of the page.

262 replies

T
+1 for this. Just got mine set up and from about 10 feet away I have to shout to get it to recognize me and I'm not a quiet person. Good to hear a fix is coming...
M
I'll pile on. I love how the sonos one sounds, but the mic is the worst. If I knew for a fact this was going to be fixed in a week or two I'd hold on to it. As it is I'm returning it for an echo. Dumb me thought at least the voice recognition would be decent so I splurged for the better sound.
T
Hope this microphone problem fixes soon, otherwise I will send back my Sonos One. My echo dot is so much better....
K
I’m having the same problems. Poor wakeboard performance. Please fix asap
J
+1 on this. Pleased it will be resolved though. I don't want to send my Sonos One back.
D
Userlevel 1
+1 here also. Would be good to get some certainty around a fix date as others have mentioned here.
K
But then there is also the mystery of the minority that finds things to be the other way - that the mic is too sensitive.
D
I have no issues with mic sensitivity with my two paired Sonos One's. I'm usually 5 or 6 feet away.
chicks
I have no issues with mic sensitivity with my two paired Sonos One's. I'm usually 5 or 6 feet away.

Interesting. Maybe the two of them working together help with the sensitivity issue. Guess I'll be forced to buy another to find out, lol.
D
Userlevel 3
Badge +4
I have no issues with mic sensitivity with my two paired Sonos One's. I'm usually 5 or 6 feet away.

Interesting. Maybe the two of them working together help with the sensitivity issue. Guess I'll be forced to buy another to find out, lol.
I've got 2 in a stereo pair and have the lack of sensitivity issue whether I have one or two microphones turned on.
D
Userlevel 3
Badge +4

Though the microphones work great in the majority of homes and setups, we're at that point where we're collecting more and more samples and fine-tuning the microphones.

I wonder, though, if your analytics will capture the dozens of times that “Alexa!” fails to trigger? I find myself having to shout up to three times to finally trigger a response from the One, while speaking in a normal voice would ALWAYS trigger the Echo, which was placed in exactly the same location. This is a serious issue, which needs to be resolved.
As it's failed to trigger and doesn't send anything to the cloud unless it does trigger I can't see that these events will be captured, which is a bit concerning for the prospect of the problem being fixed.
B
This issue is pretty severe with my recently-purchased Ones. If they don't fix it in the next 2 weeks, i'll be returning them while i still can. I can be on my balcony in perfect silence (no music playing, no loud cars or people talking), and my One only hears me when i'm less than 3 feet away. I bought it so i could sit on my favorite chair out there and ask Alexa questions or change the song or volume with my voice, but currently, i can't do that at all. I'm using normal speaking volume, which should be just fine... I'm not going to shout so the whole neighborhood can hear me.
And the One in my bathroom only responds about a quarter of the time, while i'm speaking loudly at it. By contrast - My Echo Dots can hear me from across the room just fine. Maybe if i see they fix this down the line somehow, i'll buy one to try again next year.
D
The variation in microphone sensitivity is odd. Some have no issues while others do. I assume this is software unless they have that poor a quality control on hardware. I can even say Alexa from another room and they respond.
Sonos calls this beta software but it’s more like alpha. They must be getting a lot of returns.
You would think Amazon is not happy about how this reflects on Alexa either.
K

Ryan, This is a disappointing answer as it's clearly intended to obfuscate that the ONE has a microphone issue. Please remember that the ONE was heavy hyped to have better voice pickup over the Echo due to 6 microphones and "advanced signal processing" -- but this isn't the case.
I don't know about obfuscation, but have they done that kind of hyping? Odd, because I believe that my recently received Echo/Dot both have 7 mics. And both work with Alexa said just once - nice one @ Master T about Alexa ALEXA! - at a conversational tone/level of voice from up to 12 feet away.
Is the problem only when the speaker is playing music or also to respond when silent? I can some justification for the former seeing the Dot recommendation to keep it at least a metre away from external speakers if in use.
B
After some days of use, I can really confirm the problems regarding recognition of the wake word 'alexa'. In practise, it does not seem usable to me the way it is now.
I can understand that the problem is hard to solve, but I do not understand the policy of the support. Why don't they give clear responses, clear timelines of updates? If they continue like this, they don't give customers any other chance than returning their Sonos One.

EXACTLY!!!
B

Ryan, This is a disappointing answer as it's clearly intended to obfuscate that the ONE has a microphone issue.

THIS!!
K
This is my first Sonos and I love the sound quality so would have liked to replace a couple more Echos but this is a serious problem and, since I purchased from a store, I only have 30days if I wish to return it as faulty. PLEASE FIX THIS QUICKLY!
Over the time of 6 years exposure to Sonos, I have faith in what they say when they say this is a software issue that they will fix in time. Perhaps not before your window expires, unfortunately, so you may have to make your judgement call.

Which can't cost you more than the price of a Dot if you are wrong. Or even less, if you use one of the existing Echos to voice control the One, leaving its mic off.

I would hold of buying more; that would be sensible.
T
... they will fix in time. Perhaps not before your window expires, unfortunately, so you may have to make your judgement call.

Which can't cost you more than the price of a Dot if you are wrong. Or even less, if you use one of the existing Echos to voice control the One, leaving its mic off.

I would hold of buying more; that would be sensible.

Thanks for the reassurance and great suggestions, Kumar. I like the SONOS sound quality, that my Homeseer system can drive Sonos, and the promise of added Google Assistant support so on balance I may go with one of your suggestions and stick with this. But until this is sorted I'll be kicking myself that I didn't just buy a Play:1 🙂
K
Why? The only reason to do so is for the few dollars you would have saved consequent to the play 1 price drop once the One took over the USD 200 price point. I can see no other reason.
But don't overlook - like many seem to have - that at this point the One and the 1 will not stereo pair although they are compatible in every other way.
D
Add me to the growing chorus of folks who are dissatisfied with the microphone sensitivity on the One. I was going to buy a second "1" (not for stereo pairing) anyway and waited through the long beta process to get a One. Moving it to the center of the room is impractical, but I tried it and it did make the microphone array work ALMOST as it should. This gives me hope that it is more of a mic tuning issue that can/should easily be handled. Yes - it should have been done before the speaker shipped.
chicks
I got tired of yelling, turned the One's mics off, and put a Dot back in service. Hope Sonos can resolve this annoying issue soon.
H
Userlevel 2
Count me in as yet another user with the mic sensitivity issue. Will be returning mine as well. The echo this Sonos one replaced is way better!
B
I can speak normally to wake my Echo dot but I have to put on a posh voice to get Alexa to wake on my Sonos :8
K
Is there any change in sensitivity with music playing v silent? As in does it start easier from silent?
D
Is there any change in sensitivity with music playing v silent? As in does it start easier from silent?

Seems to be the same. I find myself yelling at it.
Terms & ConditionsCookie settings