Sonos One won't... (A LIST of it's Alexa failures) as of end of 2017

1) Sonos One cannot create a ROUTINE (at least reliably)
2) Sonos One cannot be "GROUPED" with other Sonos players thru Alexa (e.g., "Alexa, play XXXX in kitchen and family room")
3) Sonos One is SKETCHY at MUSIC PLAYBACK (silent most times, takes 3 requests to work)
4) Sonos One does not have the FULL SETTING MENU that the dot and echo have
5) Sonos One does not allow you to DROP IN (an intercom like feature)

What else?

6) Sonos One and the Alexa App don't allow you to DEFINE A GROUP with any Sonos devices

These are all very useful features but there is a big difference between an Alexa device and an Alexa Enabled device. The Sonos One is an Alexa Enabled device and this places certain restrictions on the functionality but these restrictions are imposed by Amazon and not Sonos.

The biggest feature we need is the ability to change wake word, a very common scenario for people buying the Sonos One will be adding it to an existing echo setup, alot of those setups will be using echo or computer as the wakeword. This is an essential feature imo

I don't know if Sketchy on music playback would be a Sonos One vs. Echo device difference. Voice playback on Echo device to Sonos can be "sketchy" as well.

Wake word does seem to be a very missing piece that you would think all Alexa Enabled devices should have. That one hopefully makes its way to Sonos One.

I'm not sure how reliable Echo device routines are. I instead use SmartThings to handle all home automation routines and works very well with all Alexa devices. I know Amazon now has the Alexa with smart home hub. But I like Smartthings in that it provides support for most all manufacturers devices.

I don't know if Sketchy on music playback would be a Sonos One vs. Echo device difference. Voice playback on Echo device to Sonos can be "sketchy" as well.

Wake word does seem to be a very missing piece that you would think all Alexa Enabled devices should have. That one hopefully makes its way to Sonos One.

I'm not sure how reliable Echo device routines are. I instead use SmartThings to handle all home automation routines and works very well with all Alexa devices. I know Amazon now has the Alexa with smart home hub. But I like Smartthings in that it provides support for most all manufacturers devices.I can invoke Alexa Routines with the Sonos One and they work 99% of the time although sometimes the last Action fails to complete.

These are all very useful features but there is a big difference between an Alexa device and an Alexa Enabled device. The Sonos One is an Alexa Enabled device and this places certain restrictions on the functionality but these restrictions are imposed by Amazon and not Sonos.

-- Boy, that seems like a "gotcha" no matter which company it is from. So I didn't read the fine print and missed the word "enabled." All the advertising Sonos and Amazon has done on this -- and I saw plenty this holiday season -- doesn't say the product has "limited" Alexa abilities or can do "some" for what an echo can do. Those are plain speak words, truth in advertising. Parsing and trying to read into a word like "enabled" that it really means something lesser to in its functionality is really misleading. And one company blaming the other should not be on the consumer (if you rep Sonos). Either put out the full, working product or don't and be upfront that this is a limited version.

I'm seriously considering returning this device. The Dec. 21 updated didn't come out or didn't have very much effect on it's functionality. I still have to tell it 3 times to play a song before it does.

The correct response is, 'yep, we know this and more is a problem and we're working on it. won't be long.'

The vast majority of users are praising the 8.3.1 update that enhanced the voice recognition on the Sonos One. Yours is an unusual experience, perhaps you could submit a diagnostic and post the reference number here so Sonos can see what it is about your system that makes it unlike the majority.