Alexa Multi-room Music / Audio Groups

Has anyone considered the Sonos Connect? It appears that you can connect an Echo directly to it and then use the Echo to control all your Sonos speakers. It's expensive, and only works with one Echo device. Doesn't seem like a better solution than a Sonos One, unless you need other features that the Connect offers.

I would love to see Sonos add preset groups under "Rooms"... Hopefully, that would allow Alexa to play "xxxx" in "yyyy" where yyyy is a preset group in the Sonos app. Doesn't help those intgrating Echo etc, but if it works it would allow choosing a group of Sonos speakers by name.

It would also reduce the grouping process in the Sonos app if you have a frequent grouping you like to use. Just set up the group and then you can pick that named group under Rooms and it automatically groups the speakers chosen.

This is very frustrating. If Sonos 1 had a line in (which it doesn’t) it would be much better to just connect a Echo Dot to it and voila. Better than Sonos One.

This is a major flaw. Sonos & Amazon need to get together and fix this. Extremely disappointing to not be able to play music throughout the house where i already have echo spot's and shows and also play the same thing in my living room. I assumed this would work when i bought this weekend given the advertising of alexa + sonos and how well they work together, this seems like a big caveat that should have been pointed out.

This is a major flaw. Sonos & Amazon need to get together and fix this. Extremely disappointing to not be able to play music throughout the house where i already have echo spot's and shows and also play the same thing in my living room. I assumed this would work when i bought this weekend given the advertising of alexa + sonos and how well they work together, this seems like a big caveat that should have been pointed out.

You assumed wrong. This is an Amazon thing, in that it was promised last year via the new AVS Multi-Room Music SDK slated for release early this year. It seems to have been delayed. Anyway, complaining about it here is useless, Amazon is who you wish to talk to.

@jgatie thats fine from a tech standpoint and I plan on also posting in Amazon forums, however, i don't think its wrong to post here too. Who is responsible for the alexa + sonos advertising? If the advertising is misleading then I think this is a caveat that should be more clearly expressed. Also, partners like Sonos can also put pressure on Amazon based on collective feedback of their customers.

You assumed wrong. This is an Amazon thing, in that it was promised last year via the new AVS Multi-Room Music SDK slated for release early this year. It seems to have been delayed. Anyway, complaining about it here is useless, Amazon is who you wish to talk to.

What a second, what feature are we talking about here? If you mean being able to place Sonos speakers in Amazon's groups, then yes, I believe that will eventually happen. If you mean Sonos speakers and Amazon echos playing in sync, I don't think that will ever happen.

I understand why people are confused by the advertising, but it's meant to illustrate that you can use Alexa to control Sonos, not that they can operate as one completely in sync system.

Honestly, I think that's the biggest problem with voice control technology these days. For something that supposed to be rather easy to use, it's become rather complex and difficult to understand how in works, how this interacts with that, and what you can and cannot do with what you have.

What a second, what feature are we talking about here? If you mean being able to place Sonos speakers in Amazon's groups, then yes, I believe that will eventually happen. If you mean Sonos speakers and Amazon echos playing in sync, I don't think that will ever happen.

I understand why people are confused by the advertising, but it's meant to illustrate that you can use Alexa to control Sonos, not that they can operate as one completely in sync system.

Honestly, I think that's the biggest problem with voice control technology these days. For something that supposed to be rather easy to use, it's become rather complex and difficult to understand how in works, how this interacts with that, and what you can and cannot do with what you have.

I agree, though in truth, it remains to be seen. The SDK mentioned has not been released, and it does have the syncing of 3rd party speakers with Echo devices in the description. We won't find out if Sonos can or will take advantage of that part of the SDK until it is released.

@jgatie thats fine from a tech standpoint and I plan on also posting in Amazon forums, however, i don't think its wrong to post here too. Who is responsible for the alexa + sonos advertising? If the advertising is misleading then I think this is a caveat that should be more clearly expressed. Also, partners like Sonos can also put pressure on Amazon based on collective feedback of their customers.

I have found none of the advertising as misleading. In this particular instance, could you point to anything specific that stated Sonos speakers will play in sync with Echos? Personally, I never expected that type of function at all, and wouldn't assume it was coming. It makes no financial sense for Sonos to allows you to buy a cheap Echo and sync it with Sonos, and the syncing methodologies are so different, I wouldn't think it technically possible either. The only reason I list it as possible is it was described in the write up for the SDK.

I would say that I am far from a tech genius, but having worked in the tech industry for too long, and had somewhat of a hobby for this stuff, I've learned not to assume anything when it comes to functionality of products. However, for those that aren't that versed in it (nor do they need to be), it kinda makes sense for them to assume some features are present that aren't explicitly stated, because there are things that work the way the user is assuming.

For example, an android phone has no issues making calls and texts to apple phone. A Bluetooth phone can communicate with a Bluetooth speaker. Computers on a wifi network can talk with each other. So, without any other outside knowledge, why wouldn't a person assume an Echo speaker with Alexa and Sonos speaker with Alexa be able to work together, when the both claim to be multiroom speakers? To someone who hasn't looked at it too closely, both 'speak the same language' so there is no reason they shouldn't work together, right?

Again, not at all trying to say people aren't smart or anything, just that assumptions are often on the level of knowledge about a subject. And those that know often can anticipate what assumptions are going to be by those that aren't as familiar on the subject matter. So describing/advertising a product to prevent inaccurate assumptions isn't always as easy as it appears.