Returned Sonos one for google chromecast audio haven't looked back.

  • 30 November 2017
  • 28 replies
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First let me say I have been a sonos user and supporter since my first system in 2006. I originally started with on amped box and then got another. I used these over 10 years without fail. I have allot of home automation in my house and waited patiently for sonos to get alexa support. I went out and immediately purchased the sonos one on release day and couldn't wait to use my existing alexa's. Then disappointment settled in quickly. Not only was the alexa integration not what I expected the ONE was beyond disappointing. We replaced the alexa in our bedroom with the one. After trying and multiple removed/re-add the entire ONE to get it working time and time again, the wife said it's got to go.

So with great disappointment I went to the store to return my one. I grabbed a play 1 for $50 less and figured we will just go back to using our phone. Then I heard about the google home integration with a google cast in the input of my amps. So yesterday I purchased two google mini's and to google cast for both my amps.....

WOW exactly what I expected voice controlled sonos to be like. We defaulted our outside amped zone to play on the inside play one from the input when detected and the other to play in our living room. We added this to google home in the desired virtual rooms for the mini's. Google letting you set a cast device as default audio is already leaps and bounds above alexa. I won't get started on the home integration except we are 100% happy with google home vs alexa.

I realize I could have gotten dots and gotten close to this behavior but buying a voice control box for amps in the ceiling didn't make sense and alexa grouping to rooms is way behind google especially for audio.

What I gained

Native "play" support no need to say play to this or play to that. Just automatically plays to the corresponding sonos assigned to that google room.

Can group through google home and play group easily add and remove with voice.

volume and playback control is natural. Google seems to remember better what I am doing and volume etc work spot on. (for this I turned my sonos volumes too 100% and let the chromecast control the audio up and down.)

Granted we still have to use our phone to play on patio (not a worry since it's winter) but another amp or a play 5 in place of the play 1 will fix this.

So my take away is alexa is pretty closed off and google is in some ways as well. Sonos needs to stick to what they do well and that's speakers.

PLEASE ADD AN AUDIO INPUT TO PLAY:1 / PLAY:ONE let amazon and google handle the home automation. The sonos ONE completely ruined my wife on alexa altogether for it's many shortcomings. (ask it to play music it does nothing...)

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28 replies


WOW exactly what I expected voice controlled sonos to be like.

Interesting. I have a 5 zone Sonos system that works fine minus the voice thing. I also have a Chromecast audio puck lying unused in a desk because I don't like to have to invoke the app every time I want music. In my 5 zones I have 3 with line in jacks vacant. I also have a Google Play subscription; that works very well with Sonos without any need for the CCA puck. Via both the Google app on the phone as well as the one in the Sonos controller.
My questions:
1. What other hardware do I need to get voice to work well?
2. Is this country dependent as Sonos is at this time, limited to US/UK/Germany?
3. Is there a way to access music from the local NAS - I am 99% sure that the answer is no, and this isn't a deal breaker.
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WOW exactly what I expected voice controlled sonos to be like.

Interesting. I have a 5 zone Sonos system that works fine minus the voice thing. I also have a Chromecast audio puck lying unused in a desk because I don't like to have to invoke the app every time I want music. In my 5 zones I have 3 with line in jacks vacant. I also have a Google Play subscription; that works very well with Sonos without any need for the CCA puck. Via both the Google app on the phone as well as the one in the Sonos controller.
My questions:
1. What other hardware do I need to get voice to work well?
2. Is this country dependent as Sonos is at this time, limited to US/UK/Germany?
3. Is there a way to access music from the local NAS - I am 99% sure that the answer is no, and this isn't a deal breaker.


1. A google home or a google home mini. I chose the mini. You can then use your audio input to cast to any sonos. I have two google cast as stated above. This works with google play music flawlessly. The other services you mention work with sonos but not with alexa or google. My comparison was with alexa support mostly.
2.IDK I am in US.see this link from sonos
https://sonos.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/4251/~/google-home-and-sonos
3. You could cast local music from a computer but no way with voice.
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Wouldn’t coming here to talk about be considered looking back.


1. I chose the mini. You can then use your audio input to cast to any sonos. I have two google cast as stated above. This works with google play music flawlessly.

Thanks for the response; with Google Play Music working flawlessly where I am in India, I shall explore this further. A question about the quoted: by "two google cast", you mean two of the little pucks with RCA outputs?

If so, it means that although the Google Play Music app on my Android phone will cast to Sonos units wirelessly without the need for the puck, the Google Mini will not do that, but will cast only to the puck? That then obviously needs a wired connection to a Sonos line in jack.
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Wouldn’t coming here to talk about be considered looking back.
What does this mean?
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If so, it means that although the Google Play Music app on my Android phone will cast to Sonos units wirelessly without the need for the puck, the Google Mini will not do that, but will cast only to the puck? That then obviously needs a wired connection to a Sonos line in jack.


Correct sonos hasn’t add google home support so the puck into line in is required until sonos adds support.
Wouldn’t coming here to talk about be considered looking back.
What does this mean?


You stated you gave up the Sonos One and never looked back, then you show up back at Sonos to post how you are not looking back. Irony not your strong point?

Correct sonos hasn’t add google home support so the puck into line in is required until sonos adds support.

Unfortunately, the mini does not have a 3.5 mm line out either, else one could do without the puck that way too.
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Wouldn’t coming here to talk about be considered looking back.
What does this mean?


You stated you gave up the Sonos One and never looked back, then you show up back at Sonos to post how you are not looking back. Irony not your strong point?


Seriously I didn’t give up on sonos I gave up on sonos one specifically sonos and Alexa. No irony maybe you should read a little deeper I was posting this for the many others with frustration over how bad the Alexa and sonos integration is, like myself.
I was posting this for the many others with frustration over how bad the Alexa and sonos integration is, like myself.
It has been useful for me for sure; because of Sonos tardiness in keeping pace with Amazon, I don't even know how the good/bad the integration is!
But the Google route may not be elegant for lack of the 3.5 mm jack. Or till the Mini can cast directly to Sonos as the Google Play app does so slickly from an Android device. Why the Mini won't do what the Android hosted Google app does is a mystery.
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. Why the Mini won't do what the Android hosted Google app does is a mystery.

I know right, hopefully Sonos moves on Google Assistant quickly even though the Alexa thing is not going as smooth as they probably planned.
A couple of questions for clarity at my end:
1. If the native Google App on any Android can cast directly to Sonos, why can't the Google Mini? Is it a Google issue or a Sonos issue or just development hours prioritisation issue at both places? Would it be very dissimilar in terms of the tech involved to do this, and involve much more effort?
2. When Sonos releases Google Assistant, what will it mean? That the Mini will work with Sonos in a way that is similar to how Alexa does? With server to server hand over?
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A couple of questions for clarity at my end:
1. If the native Google App on any Android can cast directly to Sonos, why can't the Google Mini? Is it a Google issue or a Sonos issue or just development hours prioritisation issue at both places? Would it be very dissimilar in terms of the tech involved to do this, and involve much more effort?
2. When Sonos releases Google Assistant, what will it mean? That the Mini will work with Sonos in a way that is similar to how Alexa does? With server to server hand over?


1. What native app can cast directly to sonos? (sorry I am an IOS user and don't see any options to cast to sonos and didn't know this was possible but the home app of google does not show sonos as an option to cast. I wasn't aware sonos was cast compatible. If it was I wouldn't think I would need the google chromecast adapters.
2. Correct and hopefully better (since google allows putting speakers into rooms etc) it's more natural as I don't have to ask it to play on the sonos it just knows based on what room I am on. I think allot of the fault lies in alexa for being so closed off to third parties (like sonos).

1. What native app can cast directly to sonos? (sorry I am an IOS user and don't see any options to cast to sonos and didn't know this was possible but the home app of google does not show sonos as an option to cast. I wasn't aware sonos was cast compatible. If it was I wouldn't think I would need the google chromecast adapters.

The Google Play Music app on an android device has the usual cast window icon on it that can be tapped to choose which Sonos zone the music is to be cast to - exactly as you would see if you used a Chromecast Audio puck, but without needing the puck at all. My guess is that this feature isn't there on iOS, but it works very well on Androids.

Or one can use GPM from inside the Sonos controller on any device, as one can use Apple Music.

So my question: why can't the Google Mini do just the same? I know it can't from reviews, all confirm that the puck is needed. But if it would do that, it would then perhaps be a simpler implementation of voice control than the Alexa + Sonos one is from a technical standpoint.
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The Google Play Music app on an android device has the usual cast window icon on it that can be tapped to choose which Sonos zone the music is to be cast to - exactly as you would see if you used a Chromecast Audio puck, but without needing the puck at all. My guess is that this feature isn't there on iOS, but it works very well on Androids.

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Wow I didn't know this existed going to have to get out my old android and give it a sho,t reading I see you are right it can cast. I would guess it isn't implemented on Home. I would venture maybe needs support from sonos. That is even more upsetting either way this feature is available on android phones but not google home. I can confirm sonos is no where an option to cast on my google homes. Only the cast devices I have show as possible options.It also could be that sonos presents itself as a cast compatible device on android phones but not to the google home (which again would be stupid just grabbing at straws)

Guess its time to send oh google and sonos an email and see whats the reasoning behind this.
Let me know via a post here if you hear something useful from either.
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Sonos call it "play to sonos"
See right at end here:-
https://sonos.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/127
Well hidden away.
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Sonos call it "play to sonos"
See right at end here:-
https://sonos.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/127
Well hidden away.


Ah that makes sense I am guessing Kumar is casting from google play. So it's not really native cast support more google play supporting sonos.
I am guessing Kumar is casting from google play. So it's not really native cast support more google play supporting sonos.
Why is casting from the GPM app on the phone not native cast support? What would be that be then?
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I am guessing Kumar is casting from google play. So it's not really native cast support more google play supporting sonos.
Why is casting from the GPM app on the phone not native cast support? What would be that be then?

Is it some version of Google cast or a version of Sonos' play to Sonos? My guess is something like cast given Android only and the fact that it was introduced in 2014.
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Yeah the sonos speakers appear along side all GCA in the one list of casting targets. You can't group sonos targets.
Hopefully google home will also pick up these sonos targets sometime next year.

Is it some version of Google cast or a version of Sonos' play to Sonos?

All I know is that it is built into the regular GPM app that one gets from the Play Store to any Android phone. And works just the way GPM works with the CCA puck, but without needing the puck. So effectively, as if the Sonos speakers are cast enabled. But not for Google Home/Mini, which is the mystery - why not for that as well?
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My guess is that sonos decided not to expand on "play to sonos" after GPM from any android device in 2013 (my Samsung tablet works great) to keep customers in the sonos eco-system which means you can only buy more sonos stuff, expensive connects etc.
The advent of Alexa changed all that, maybe sonos chief stepping down helped as well, and now sonos is opening up.......slowly.
New customers are buying sonos ones which is great for new growth.
My guess is that sonos decided not to expand on "play to sonos" after GPM from any android device in 2013 (my Samsung tablet works great) to keep customers in the sonos eco-system which means you can only buy more sonos stuff, expensive connects etc.

How so? For one, the "play to Sonos" works on Androids of today as well. And two, what it does is removes the need for a Chromecast puck that Google makes, not for Sonos hardware.

Today, anyone that wants to use the Google Mini with ANY third party speaker has to also buy the CC puck from Google. But since Sonos users have been given a way to not need the puck if they have Android devices, not allowing them the same benefit while using Google Home/ Mini is more likely a Google decision, not Sonos. Hopefully, that will be revisited soon by one/both.
PS: In fact, I wonder if by "enabling Google Assistant" that Sonos says it will do soon, this allowing of Google Home/Mini to work with Sonos without a CCA puck is all that needs to be done. And if so, since "play to Sonos" works automatically and well in any place in the world where GPM service is available, will Google Assistant as well? Because this last bit seems to be a major challenge for Sonos where the Alexa integration is concerned; Alexa is also released now by Amazon in Canada, India and Japan, but there is no knowing when it will work on Sonos the way it does in US/UK/Germany, the only countries where Alexa was available when Sonos released Alexa integration.
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I have a sonos system in my home. My wife hated using it because she found the app confusing. I already had a Sonos Connect with a line in. I purchased a google chrome cast and mini speaker. She can now do everything she needs with voice commands, basically play/stop music, and volume control. It is a sweet set up, considering it’s a work around waiting for google to play nice with Sonos one.