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Hi,

 

I'm recreating this thread, as the discussion wasn't finished, but it was locked. I also wanted to make it obvious this is a Sonos issue, not a client environment issue.

 

https://en.community.sonos.com/components-and-architectural-228999/connect-amp-keeps-dropping-out-audio-6885634/index2.html

 

I've been following this for a while because I've been having the same issues, and when I spoke to support they said the connect amp can't cope with modern software and that I should upgrade to the amp, which is clearly unacceptable.

 

This has been confirmed by people in that original thread who have been told the same thing.

 

BillJanzen

“FWIW, these issues seem to have occured after the June 2023 software update to S2 version 15.5. Interestingly, there is an alert posted in the release notes of the 15.6 update released July 25, 2023 about adjusting how older Sonos products use their internal memory. See below (copied from https://support.sonos.com/en-ca/article/release-notes-for-sonos-s2):  Alerts:      With this update, we’ve adjusted how some of our older Sonos products are using their internal memory. Because of this change, updates for Play:1, Play:3, Boost, Connect, Connect:Amp, and Sub (Gen 1 and 2) will take longer to complete than before. The reset process for these products will also take more time to complete after this update.”

 

BillJanzen

“We continue to have intermittent drop-outs on all 4 of our Connect:Amp devices, so here’s my update after 1.5 hours on the phone with Sonos today. They said the diagnostics for one of the Connect:Amp devices the chose to investigate showed multiple major alerts, including:      Cannot allocate memory to full status     Write failed     Player crashed: out of memory     OOM Killer  These items all sound like they are related to memory issues with the older Connect:Amp product, as Big Bull mentioned in his previous post.”

 

Big Bull:

“Ok latest is I powered down 3 of my 4 units and just had the one I use most running hard wired to the router through my switch and it still gave dropouts so I sent 2 diagnostics to Sonos and they said : 

------------------ 

Thanks, so on this one in specific I can see the audio interruptions are caused because the product basically is old, and it is reaching its capabilities, there are some things that can be done to try to reduce the impact of this, but if it continues this product will need to be replaced with the upgrade program. 

------------------- 

I am being advised to replace any affected units with the Sonos Amp which can be costly.”

 

Birchan

“  Same problem, 4 AMP of which two lose sound...  SONOS did a wrong analysis and accidentally said that there were memory failures in some of the units. But since they only give a 2-year warranty, mine was 2.5 years too old. How can SONOS sell products that obviously have manufacturing problems and then say that they can replace them with a 30% discount on new ones? Wonder if Tesla would sell cars that stop working after 2 years and say, sorry you have to buy a new car every two years because the warranty has expired. So bad from SONOS so I will be discontinuing my SONOS system and switching to BOSE...  “

 

For context, in my situation I have a connect amp, connected via ethernet with WiFi off, and I started to get regular drop outs around June. It's incredibly annoying, the audio will drop out for a few seconds before continuing, if other speakers are grouped they will carry on fine.

 

It's absolutely 100% not a network issue. When I was debugging it, I briefly made the connect amp the only wired device and turned on WiFi, and other speakers in my house worked perfectly at all times. I've also reserved IP addresses, and I ran a ping monitor on it to check for any network dropouts. There were none. I've put the system back now, so the connect amp has its WiFi off.

 

So it seems to me that Sonos have released a firmware update that the connect amp cannot handle, and rather than take responsibility for it, they're just fobbing people off telling them to buy expensive new hardware to solve the problem, not even with any substantial discount. It's unacceptable. This connect amp worked perfectly before June.

 

Sonos needs to release a new update that solves the issue, or give people affected substantial discounts on replacement amps, and formally announce that the connect amp is end of life. Currently people with issues on this forum are being unintentionally gaslighted by well meaning people who don't know that this issue exists. Sonos cannot say the connect amp is supported when they've released a broken update.

 

People need to know about this issue, I've seen loads of topics about this issue and people get fobbed off with network issues, which is absolutely not the case, at all. Big Bull proved this by doing a replacement to amps which solved his issue.

It’s no more deliberate than Apple’s policy of rendering older iOS devices obsolete through OS ‘upgrades’

And I don’t buy the solid state memory degradation argument as, if you bother to check other users’ experiences, you’ll see that multiple connect amp devices in the same installation experience the same problems at the same time. 

 

At least Apple cuts off some devices from upgrading as basically saying they can’t handle the upgrade, then it’s up to me whether I want to upgrade devices to get some new features.  I’ve never had an Apple “upgrade” to firmware render my device useless like what has happened here.  Sonos delivered an upgrade to firmware that clearly the device can’t handle and their solution to have the functionality I had before is to buy a new one.  Apple has never told me that.


Sorry for another question. It looks like Sonos has removed the ability to downgrade to S1. Is that correct?

Not quite, it is not currently in the new app, but it is believed that it will be in one of the pending upgrades in which missing functionality is to be reinstated.  

 

Thanks for that response.  So I have the new crappy app I updated to on my iPhone but I still have the previous/better Sonos app on my iPad.  I am thinking the downgrade back to S1 may be available on that iPad app if I use that to add it back?   I may try that as an experiment.  I wish I could transfer the old/better app from my kids iPhones over to me but haven’t figured out a way to do that.  Guess there isn’t.  But I am thinking I could try my iPad app or their iPhone app that they haven’t updated. 

 

I can’t recall what S2 brought us as a benefit.  Will need to refresh my memory.  Also can’t recall which Controller app I use after going back to S1.  Will research that too.  Thanks again. 


Apologies for another post.  If I take all of my Connect amps back to S1, am I correct in thinking I need to set them up as a separate system?  I’m doing some reading and I’m concerned about unintended consequences of going back with S1 on some devices but S2 on the others.

 

Also, I currently have an old Connect amp paired with a sub running S2.  I imagine this would not work and both may need to go back to S1?  Not sure the amp is S1 compatible. 

 

Thanks. 


Does anyone have improved performance with the updated system?


Does anyone have improved performance with the updated system?

Same crappy app.  I downgraded my Connect Ones all back to S1 and they are working great.  Don’t plan to return to S2 unless/until they fix the crappy app.  

I did do the updates to the S2 that just went through.  I have my other equipment still on S2 and they are playing fine, but they were playing fine before this.   Sorry I’m no help if you’re wondering about the Connect Amps.  


I have a regular Connect (no amp) and just discovered this thread after trying to find out why I’m having so many dropouts when listening to music from all apps.

I have been trying to downgrade my system from S2 to S1, but could not find the option when following Sonos’ instructions.   It wasn’t until I found this note that it all made sense:

Sonos app version 80.0
The ability to downgrade a Sonos product to S1 is temporarily unavailable, but will return in a future update.

Very frustrating…...


Yet another broken promise by Sonos. Before the present debacle, they had said that they are working on addressing the harm an earlier S2 update had done to Sonos kit, with the highest priority.

Now, with their hands full fighting this present self lit fire, that promise will likely be buried and forgotten.

I notice that this Sonos promise is there in the pinned reply to the OP. A 4 month old unfulfilled promise. 

Shameful. 


Yet another broken promise by Sonos. Before the present debacle, they had said that they are working on addressing the harm an earlier S2 update had done to Sonos kit, with the highest priority.

Now, with their hands full fighting this present self lit fire, that promise will likely be buried and forgotten.

I notice that this Sonos promise is there in the pinned reply to the OP. A 4 month old unfulfilled promise. 

Shameful. 

 Coming up on one year since the bug was introduced by Sonos. That’s a long time for owners to be putting up with this. 


Updating the forum on my S1 rollback; the amps have been totally stable for 135 days of continuous power up.

But I now see that the option to roll back to S1 has been removed by Sonos. 
 

So let’s summarise events.
1 Sonos knew last year that they had created a problem with a firmware update.
2 They promised a fix ASAP (which still hasn’t been delivered).

3 They subsequently removed the only interim solution available to users in the meantime (the ability to roll devices back to S1). 
 

What a bunch of jokers. Shame on you Sonos, Shame. 


It isn't just shameful, it is in bad faith. Sonos can do this only so many times before having to deal with the consequences of this appalling behaviour. And I am not referring to the removal of the ability to roll back to S1, that may well be one of the many unintended consequence of this latest debacle.


So as of right now, the latest software update removed my entire music library from Sonos. I went in to the ‘advanced sharing’ options on my Windows/iTunes music folder, re-added the music library successfully, and the awful sound issue where tracks keep dropping out appears to be resolved. Will it last???🤞🏼🤞🏼


It isn't just shameful, it is in bad faith. Sonos can do this only so many times before having to deal with the consequences of this appalling behaviour. And I am not referring to the removal of the ability to roll back to S1, that may well be one of the many unintended consequence of this latest debacle.

Yup, I was aiming to get a Sonos Arc at some point when I get a new TV, until they fix this and the new app, I’m not giving any more money to Sonos.


So. Grumbles with the new app aside, I’ve switched off the overnight power downs via my smart switches to my connect amps and they seem to be behaving themselves now. It’s a bit slow (which I think is due to the app) but they seem to be functioning correctly. Anybody else noticed this?


I still cannot downgrade to S1 due to Sonos removing that ability in the software… very frustrating not being able to do this after finally discovering a fix for this horrible issue.  Just venting.  Hope they bring back the ability in short order.


Thank you for the posts I thought it so bad ot must just be me. The app has now disabled my ability to play my music paid for from another provider who I must contact as I fear it's the only solution. Sonos are rediculous pathetic and on a course of self destruction.anyone want to buy my 5 devices they used to work well now they're expensive blocks 

How does company get away with such a pathetic app and no customer services

 


So. Grumbles with the new app aside, I’ve switched off the overnight power downs via my smart switches to my connect amps and they seem to be behaving themselves now. It’s a bit slow (which I think is due to the app) but they seem to be functioning correctly. Anybody else noticed this?

Keep us updated. I've blocked all updates since the new app, and still on the old one for now


So. Grumbles with the new app aside, I’ve switched off the overnight power downs via my smart switches to my connect amps and they seem to be behaving themselves now. It’s a bit slow (which I think is due to the app) but they seem to be functioning correctly. Anybody else noticed this?

Keep us updated. I've blocked all updates since the new app, and still on the old one for now

I wouldn’t until the app is sorted as it’s still sluggish & lacking functionality, although getting better.  (Connect Amps behaving themselves still….)


New poster here - I’ve just found this thread after 2 weeks of trying to find out why my Connect (Gen2) keeps dropping out. 

I have 4x Play:1s, a Play:3, Beam and Connect, running on mesh Wifi. Apart from the usual occasional “what speaker? The one that’s playing right now? Nope, don’t know what you’re talking about”, they’ve been pretty solid for 6 months. I “upgraded” to the latest app version, then immediately downgraded when it became clear I couldn’t play my local library. 

In the last 2 weeks, the Connect has been unable to hold a Wifi signal. It’ll connect, start playing, then drop within about 3 minutes, and have to be added back to the Sonos app as a ‘new’ device. All other Sonos are fine. My latest experiment has been putting the Play:3 next to the Connect to see if it can hold the wifi signal - 20 minutes in, the Play:3 is still playing fine, and the Connect has dropped off again. 

So it seems to be the same issue as mentioned here. My question is… would factory resetting the Connect (and all others) and rolling back the S2 app to some older version help at all? Or will the Connect only play ball if it’s downgraded entirely to S1? 

 


You can’t roll any of the apps (either S1 or S2) back to an older version and Sonos has removed the ability to roll a device back to S1 if it’s currently on S2. Until they re-instate that feature, you’re stuck with in-op amps, I’m afraid. 


Thanks ANOpax. I factory reset the Connect and now can’t reconnect it without ‘upgrading’ to v80. Which, given the Connect doesn’t work with it, isn’t really worth it. So I’ll hold on til they add S1 downgrading back in, and see how it goes from there.

 

Sonos really does have form at telling its customers to take a flying jump into the nearest lake (to put it politely). The events leading up to the S1/ S2 fork, the awful v80 app purely for the headphones release, and firmware that bricks older but still very functional products. Absolutely shocking behaviour from any company. 


So here we are, two weeks in to the S1 rollback. 
 

I’ve had one 8s dropout at the end of a track and that might simply have been a Qobuz issue or a buffering issue as it was the first track on play after being paused from the night before and the track played out the last 8 seconds in the app but without sound - and the next track cued up and played fine, including sound out of the amps. 
 

But as ever, the apps remain responsive and quick to find the connect amps (S2 was terrible for this). Playback (apart from the 8s end of track dropout) has also been seamless and glitch free.  

which version of S1 did you roll back to?  What website did you use to get the apk file?


I used the in-built functionality in the Sonos software to manage the hardware roll-back (this feature has now been removed by Sonos). I’m running V 11.12 MacOS controller and 11.14 iOS controller (I accidentally upgraded the iOS version as I always update my iOS apps but have now started updating manually as there is an even later version of S1 controller and I don’t want to take the risk of something breaking!). 


I struggled with similar issues for weeks. The reason for sluggish response proved indeed to be simple and in line with previous posts: internal memory ! SONOS isn't telling the truth saying Connect:Amp Gen2 is working with S2. It even struggles working with S1 (frequent music drop outs etc.) The Connect:Amp Gen2 has got only a marginal increase in memory vs Gen1 ( from 32 MB to 64 MB or so...), and SONOS AMP (the new one) got about 20 times (!!) the memory of Connect:Amp Gen2... My advice: put Connect:Amps (Gen1 and Gen2) to the recycle bin, use SONOS AMPs, they will work flawlessly with S2 ... or change brand. The SONOS music quality is bright, the memory issues can be understood from a system point-of-view, but the SONOS communication policy with customers is less than zero, ... and a shame!


Before scrapping my Gen2 Connect:Amp, I was curious about its ingredients. I discovered two 16 MB (16 bit wide) ISSI DRAM chips. This implies the unit operates with 32 MB flash memory, versus some 1024 MB in the SONOS AMP. So indeed the CA is inconsistent with any smooth S2 operation, or even S1 experience.

 


Manufacturing date was July 2017 …

 


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