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Brent Findlay
Contributor I
March 9, 2018
Answered

Echo Dot - Sonos as Default speakers

  • March 9, 2018
  • 27 replies
  • 11578 views
I have the Play One with Alexa which works amazing. I also have an Echo Dot in another room that works beautifully with my Sonos system. The only slightly annoying thing is that I have to tell my Echo Dot "Play Rock in the Living room". If I don't specifically say "in the living room" the dot plays the music (which is technically correct). Does anyone know if there is a way to change the default player/speaker so that I no longer have to specifically say the location of the speakers I want to use? In other words I would just say "Play Rock" and my Sonos speakers would kick on.

I can't seem to find anything specific to this question while searching the Alexa forums.
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      Best answer by UKMedia
      Hi

      Nope, this is the difference between a Sonos One vs a Play:1 + Echo Dot combination. If you think about it, this is the logical way for Alexa to work; you are asking Alexa>Smart Home>Device 1(Echo Dot) to output music on Alexa>Smart Home>Device 2(Sonos Player)

      This all may change when/if Sonos supports Alexa Groups but there is no time frame for this at present.

      27 replies

      Show previous replies
      melvimbe
      melvimbe
      November 28, 2018

      Ah, I think I've suddenly realised something. You aren't using Alexa to control the Sonos (like you say "Alexa, do X" and the Echo then says to the Sonos "You need to do X") - instead you're using Alexa to control the Echo which is simply using the Sonos speaker as an external audio output? If so, that all suddenly makes more sense to me.


      No, you're actually correct the first time. Alexa is just telling Sonos what to do, and Sonos takes over from there. However, Alexa will only pass on the music request to Sonos if it understands what you're asking for...so to speak. In that way, Amazon is limiting what music choices you can make to what Amazon supports, instead of all that Sonos supports.


      But if that's the case, can you still control the audio from the Sonos hardware buttons (play/pause/volume) or from the Sonos app (next/prev/play/pause/volume) without confusing Alexa? I mean, can I start a playlist by asking Alexa, listen to track 1, skip track 2 on the Sonos app, listen to track 3, and ask Alexa to skip to next and get track 4? Or will Alexa think I'm still on track 2 and "skip" to track 3, or get lost completely?

      All of that will work fine, essentially because Sonos is playing on it's own without Alexa being involved in the stream. Commands to increase volume, pause, resume, etc work because Alexa doesn't really need to know what Sonos is currently playing to work. That said, the interface is two way, so Alexa can know what the Sonos speaker is currently doing, including what is currently playing...even if what's playing isn't something supported by Alexa.
      Danny
      pwt
      pwt
      Virtuoso
      November 28, 2018
      Global 'ducking' still not fixed though, right?
      4 x P:5 | Sub | 4 x P:1 | 3 x Connect | 2 x Boost | Connect:Amp | 2 x One | Amp | Move | Port | Era 300
      Smilja
      Smilja
      November 28, 2018
      Global 'ducking' is Amazon Echo-related only, so it's perhaps on Amazon to fix?
      »And the world is like an apple whirling silently in space, Like the circles that you find in the windmills of your mind.« (›Windmills Of Your Mind‹ [1967]. Music by Michel Legrand ; English lyrics written by Alan & Marilyn Bergman)
      pwt
      pwt
      Virtuoso
      November 28, 2018
      Global 'ducking' is Amazon Echo-related only, so it's perhaps on Amazon to fix?
      Probably, yes.

      Earlier in this thread a couple of posters had asserted that ducking had been fixed. Those posts appear to have been edited, so I'm seeking to confirm that this issue is not in fact fixed.

      Whether this problem resides with Amazon or with Sonos, it still creates a substantially degraded experience for multi-occupant households with multiple Sonos and Echo devices.
      4 x P:5 | Sub | 4 x P:1 | 3 x Connect | 2 x Boost | Connect:Amp | 2 x One | Amp | Move | Port | Era 300
      will_spies
      December 30, 2018
      Disregard
      Smilja
      Smilja
      December 30, 2018
      So, did this stop working? I added an Alexa group (there is no room other than Multi-room which does not work with Sonos). Added my 'Kitchen' Alexa Device. Set the 'Speaker' to my 'Kitchen Sonos' which is a pair of Play5's. When I say to Alexa 'Play Mozart mix' it plays on my Alexa device not my 'Kitchen Sonos' group?
      It does for several weeks now. Add the Play:5s within 'Kitchen Sonos' as 'Preferred Speakers'.
      »And the world is like an apple whirling silently in space, Like the circles that you find in the windmills of your mind.« (›Windmills Of Your Mind‹ [1967]. Music by Michel Legrand ; English lyrics written by Alan & Marilyn Bergman)
      UKMedia
      UKMedia
      December 30, 2018
      So, did this stop working? I added an Alexa group (there is no room other than Multi-room which does not work with Sonos). Added my 'Kitchen' Alexa Device. Set the 'Speaker' to my 'Kitchen Sonos' which is a pair of Play5's. When I say to Alexa 'Play Mozart mix' it plays on my Alexa device not my 'Kitchen Sonos' group?

      When you say Set the Speaker, do you Preferred Speaker or did you only include the Kitchen within the Group? (They must be set as 'Preferred Speaker'. If it still doesn't work, please Disable then Enable the Sonos skill in the Alexa App.
      Remember: Sometimes Red Wine helps :)
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