I find the Sonos NFC setup option works best with my iPhone XR, but my iPad Pro has no NFC chip and so resorts to the audio passcode setup instead, which you refer to, and either setup ‘works a treat’, first time, every-time, in my case.

I would therefore hazard a guess that you may have an issue with your mobile/mic, or perhaps it’s case/cover is possibly hindering things. Try clearing the mic with an ‘air duster’ to see if that improves things. Anyhow the audio passcode setup works well for me.

The setup feature I don’t like too much, is the 8-digit pin-code’s for devices like the Port, Sub etc.. it’s particularly difficult to read the printed code on the base of the Sub and a real pain if you forget to note down the pin-code beforehand. That said, I have now learned to photograph/write down the codes before putting my Sonos devices in situ and safely keep the codes stored on my controllers for any possible future use.

How many times a year do you set up speakers?

Yes indeed @106rallye it’s a rare event, unless it’s perhaps an installer that’s doing these things. I think the pin-codes when doing multiple Amps/Ports/Subs might be a touch more difficult for them.

Okay so just to clarify, phone (Samsung) has an uncovered working mic or I probably would not be able to use it as a phone. Regardless of that, if they implemented such a way to setup these speakers it should work across the board and not be  phone model specific and actually work without extra tinkering...

And if my setup habits are in question, I've recently ungraded, added and moved some of my speakers and I fond this setup method completely unnecessary & time wasting. If you have these mounted up high that requires a ladder, it sucks… What happen to the sync button? Push, boom and move on...