Limitations of Alexa in SONOS One

I agree with you. There are quite a few features like drop-in, flash briefings, voice calls unless you hook up through your home phone line, etc that do not function. When purchasing the one, I assumed I was getting an upgrade in sound, not losing functionality of Alexa. Not sure that trade-off is worth it, especially when Amazon has just launched devices with better sound. Hope this gets worked out quickly or it is going back to Best Buy and I love Sonos.

Don't count on the new Amazon devices having better sound. From reading a few early reviews of both the Gen 2 Echo and the Echo Plus, at most the sound seems to be very similar to the Gen 1 Echo, while at least one reviewer says that to them the original Echo sounded richer with better bass.

It is very disappointing that all the little restrictions, omissions and shortcomings of the Sonos device has kept me from getting one myself.

Will some of the issues get worked out? Features that the Echos have get added? Right now it's basically unknown. Can the microphones be improved to be as sensitive as those in an Echo by software alone? I doubt that.

Is much better sound quality worth the trade-off in features (+$100)? Honestly, to me it's not.

I don't think the tradeoff as it currently stands is worth it. The Alexa experience leaves a lot to be desired on the Sonos One. The microphone is absolutely horrible compared to the Gen 1 products I have and that supposedly got better. She is not as much fun to talk to either. Stuff like Alex will you be my friend gets nothing or I don't know that. If this is just temporary then Sonos should have waited to release cause this Alexa is a distant relative of the one I have gotten used to. Not even in the same ballpark.

Will some of the issues get worked out? Features that the Echos have get added? Right now it's basically unknown.

Except it's not entirely unknown since Sonos has stated what features they feel comfortable saying they are working on and when they expect to be able to deliver them.


Can the microphones be improved to be as sensitive as those in an Echo by software alone? I doubt that.


Sonos has stated that it can be adjusted through firmware update.


Is much better sound quality worth the trade-off in features (+$100)? Honestly, to me it's not.

I think I pretty much agree with this, however, only when you don't consider the multiroom, variety of products, and music source features that Sonos brings to the table that Amazon does not. And those features don't have to matter to everybody.

The microphone update is needed ASAP. The sensitivity is downright awful. The sound though is 1000 times better. I will give it a few weeks and see what updates come through. If things do not improve then the One has to go back. I already have tons of Sonos speakers all throughout my house to get by with and use via the Sonos skill. I wanted this because it was the best of both worlds, but currently, it is really only another speaker that I really do not need though don't mind having.

Interesting discussion everyone. Just a note on the microphones, we’re going to be constantly working with the Sonos One and Alexa to improve the microphone's ability to pick out just the right sounds. This’ll get better over time as the Sonos One learns and gets better and distinguishing false calls and successful calls.

The trade off is deffinately not worth it. With an Echo you learn something new that Alexa can do all the time. With Sonos One you learn of features that your device doesn’t support all the time. This is extra disappointing because most of these are features you used to use.
No Audible support
No Flash briefing
No drop in
No voice calls

For surround you need 2 Sonos One, a Sonos One and a Play 1 can’t be used.

And I think there has been sufficient discussion on the ineffective microphone.

I hope it improves, but I regret buying these things. Extremely disappointed.

Having placed a couple of messages on here complaining about the senstivity of tbe microphone i have to say that i believe that my Sonos One is now reactiving to the wake word more readily. Not sure if there has been an update or whether the unit is just learning from the backgroud noise in my living room. I'm still frustrated that lots of the Alexa skills dont work, but we are assured that Sonos is working on that, so i am happy to wait a little longer.

The play one Sonos is a nonstarter, I can not recommend it. If you have a large Sonos installation trying to remember the exact sentence you need to speak to play music in a room from a particular music source is too complex. I have multiple Alexa products including the Alexa Show which I very much like. As soon as I say the wake word everything in the area wakes and waits if I only want to speak to my Sonos I have multiple devices responding. At a minimum, there should have been a different wake word for the Sonos but I guess that was not possible since the Sonos One is nothing more than a play one with an Alexa App installed. The play one speaker and Sonos systems have been an excellent product, the Sonos one is not a good product if the Play one is still less expensive you are better off with that device. There is so much more Sonos can be doing to differentiate themselves or continue to evolve, with the recent app changes and this SONOS one am not certain they are going in te correct direction.

@lbalk, it's a little hard to follow what your saying since you start off by referring to the 'play one Sonos'...not sure if you mean PLAY:1 or SONOS ONE. However, I think I see two points that your trying to make here.

First, that the vocal commands are too difficult, and I would agree with that. I think that will get better with time as we get more accustomed to the vocal commands, and as the technology improves. I think that means that if you have complex musical needs, and lack the patience to work through getting the commands right...it might be best to wait on this. That's not a knock on anyway, just reality. I somewhat find myself in the middle of this, as sometimes I want to use voice control, and sometimes, it's too frustrating.

As far as having multiple echos in the same room...not a good idea, I agree. I haven't bought a Sonos One for that reason primarily, I already have all the dots I need. As it stands now, the wrong echo responds a little too frequently for my tastes. If/when I do get a Sonos One, it will be to replace a dot.

As far as right direction, I'd be curious to hear what other direction they should have gone. I don't see how they could have ignored voice control and been successful, and they certainly are not alone in putting a high value on voice control.

I'm in the same boat as a lot of others who purchased the ONE and aren't happy. Seems like it was just released too early in my opinion. I'm returning 2 of the 3 I purchased last week to replace them with Play 1's, and I'll just get a couple of Dots that really can do "Everything Alexa does". With the cost of the Play 1's coming down, it just makes sense to go this route. I'll still have the awesome audio quality of Sonos, and I'll still be able to use all of the really important features of Alexa that the Sonos ONE currently cannot do. Great thread!

I totally agree with everyone ! I come from an Amazon ecosystem and wanted better sound in the living room. I purchased the one and I am blown away with the sound but after that it's all down hill. Sonos seemed to have came from. The perspective of Alexa complementing Sonos users in which case the one is great. But an echo customer buying to move to Sonos ! Terrible. Sonos has really and truly missed a massive opertunity to break into the echo ecosystem customers of which there are far more of than Sonos ecosystem customers. Get on it guys and push with amason to deliver all the features that Alexa should offer or change your marketing.

I too am disappointed as the promise is not yet ready for prime time. Trying to deal with a combination of Dot's and Sonos Ones has worn me out - between the Alexa , Spotify, and Sonos Apps, it's hard to know what's going on. i also did not expect to lose so much function from Alexa with the Sonos Ones - I love the Sonos speakers but they are going to go back.