Can I make my Sonos Play 1 the default and sole output for an Echo Dot?

Forum|Forum|8 years ago
November 20, 2017
17 replies
6593 views

I have an Echo Dot and a Sonos Play 1. They are essentially next to each other, and I never want to play music out of the Dot's speaker. Ideally I would like to say "Alexa, play [music]" and have it start playing through the Sonos speaker. But, as far as I know, I have to include the location, e.g., "Alexa, play [music] in the kitchen." Having to add the location every time is tedious. Plus, when people are over who aren't familiar with the syntax, we end up with different things playing simultaneously out of the Sonos and the Echo.

It would be so much easier, and it would avoid confusing situations, if I could just set Alexa to always treat the Sonos as the output speaker. Is this possible?

I'd be happy with either of these solution: if I could make the Sonos just the default for all music, or if I could make the Sonos the default for everything (the Dot solely as the microphone, with all Alexa content coming out of the Sonos).

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dmaudsley

Lyricist I

This question is the one that I am searching for the answer to but the answers confuse me. Is the only solution to this problem a fixed aux cable from the echo dot to the Sonos One? But that the Sonos one has no aux-input? This is a huge pain and a bit of a failing. Presumably this is why Sonos produced the version of Sonos One with Alexa built in. I was too cheap to go for this version and assumed that the echo dot would work with the Sonos one without me having to say “Alexa, play Dolly Dagger by Jimi Hendrix from Spotify on Living Room”. I bought this speaker for better sounding drunk-jukebox! After 3 drinks we’re doomed. Any solutions welcome. You can at least cut out the “on Spotify” bit by setting Spotify as your default music service.

C

cdelahunt

Lyricist III

Fair point. I think it might still to default to Amazon music though?

Wow_it's_Bacon

Lyricist I

Fair point. I think it might still to default to Amazon music though?

@cdelahunt - nope, you can default to Spotify. Unfortunately this doesn't reduce the command line by too much. I, too, get tripped up by adding the location in order to play music on SONOS.

I do find the app and laptop control app pretty good for playing what you want...

Don't let price fool your ears

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cdelahunt

Lyricist III

But the fun is in drunkenly shouting out your embarrassing song selection!

K

Kumar

I’m going to get the one with Alexa built in I think. Assuming that the speaker will then be its default option?

Yes it will, if you buy the One, not the play 1.
A point in favour of the play 1 + Dot on the other hand is that you can place the Dot closer to where the voice commands will come from; this can't be done with the One and its built in mics, so if it is playing loudly, you may have to shout the commands some. But that should not be a problem after three rounds:-)) and may even be desirable.

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cdelahunt

Lyricist III

Thanks Kumar. We’ll muster the volume to compensate for the distance!

K

Kumar

Lol. I can imagine that being easily done.

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