Question

When will sonos fix one's alexa microphone sensitivity problem?

  • 7 December 2017
  • 12 replies
  • 2416 views

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Like many other threads, my sonos one also has the problem which the Alexa is almost deaf for the wake word. I don't know when will the problem be fixed, and how good the result will be, and every time I contact sonos support only got "cloud updating", but nothing has changed. I think I might just return it within the period. This is quite frustrating, it's the first time I bought sonos products, I love the sound quality, but Alexa is almost useless.

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12 replies

Just as another data point I don’t have this issue with my paired Sonos Ones. I don’t find any difference in sensitivity between them and my echo dot. So either there is a quality control variance on the physical build or it’s software. I’m guessing it’s software.
Userlevel 1
Just as another data point I don’t have this issue with my paired Sonos Ones. I don’t find any difference in sensitivity between them and my echo dot. So either there is a quality control variance on the physical build or it’s software. I’m guessing it’s software.
When did you buy it? is it good from the start or after update?
I got them on launch day and they were good from the start.
Userlevel 1
I got them on launch day and they were good from the start.
ok..thanks! I would guess it's probably a hardware problem then, will try to return and get another one
I got them on launch day and they were good from the start.
ok..thanks! I would guess it's probably a hardware problem then, will try to return and get another one


I would highly doubt it is a hardware problem. More than likely an environment difference. Give it time, Sonos has stated they are continuously calibrating them and they will get better.
I wonder if there's anything in the TruePlay process that can help the microphones ability to "hear" better. i.e the speaker knows more about how the room sounds, so the microphone adjusts to that 'room sound', much like the speaker adjusts.

I'd guess not yet, but it might be something they're looking in to. Something to think about, anyway. 🙂
I notice this as well. I put a dot right next to the ONE, both with different wake names. From the same spot in the room, the dot responds a good 50% of the time more than the ONE.
From the same spot in the room, the dot responds a good 50% of the time more than the ONE.
And I suspect that if you keep the Dot ten plus feet away from the One, response percentage differences will shoot up. As it does in comparison to an Echo as well. And simply because the Echo/One will never be able to give their built in mic this separation from the music source, I doubt that the Dot and Echo/One of similar generations will ever return comparable performance; the Dot has an unfair advantage to start with.

Which may be why for a generation or more of this tech, a Dot may be a better idea than a One. But you then do have to specify the Sonos room in every command. But you don't have to shout it!
My experience is when the room is quiet and nothing is playing on either device. I was just testing mic response in an identical environment.
Same problem here, have to shout at the One for it to hear me, even sometimes have to shout several times. Even just speaking loud is not enough, this is very poor, if not fixed soon I will return it, totally useless.
My experience is when the room is quiet and nothing is playing on either device. I was just testing mic response in an identical environment.
In that situation Dot and Echo do return similar performance: the Dot does better than Echo only when it is placed some distance from its connected speaker/s and music is playing. It is just the music source being too close to the mics that causes this impact and as I said, in that sense both Echo and One will always remain equally handicapped compared to a well placed Dot.

I agree that in your trial, Dot, Echo One should return similar percentages. On the other hand, Sonos HAS said that the Alexa part of the One is in beta stage, though I suspect that Sonos marketing may themselves have not realised.indicated this in marketing the One as a fully baked product.
Not much to add other than the fact that I have the same experience with the Sonos. It simply seems deaf unless I'm right up on it. I have a Dot in the same room with a different wake-word and it consistently hears much better even when there is loud music playing. I understand the proximity of the speaker to the mics on the Sonos probably contribute to the disparity, however even when the music is playing low on the Sonos it still turns a deaf ear 90% of the time. Frustrating.