Connect:AMP keeps cutting out...all components hardwired

I will keep things on topic by not replying to the above!

thanks @Corry P .  You’re doing great work for the company here; I know it’s tough.

The company hopefully takes notes of your engagement efforts here.  It’s good for them.

With that said, and I don’t mean to drag this out unnecessarily, even failing memory indicates an issue if that’s the case.  it’s hard for me to understand a solid state component having a high failure rate on a device that’s likely 5-6 years old.  I know we can’t have 20 year VCRs anymore, lol, but i would hope the internal memory on the C:A units would last longer than that.

Thanks again for your time and engagement! 

Hi @Gerald Harmon 

Thanks for your support!

Truly, I do not know enough about flash memory to comment confidently. My personal assumption would be, however, that two storage units that came off the same production line right next to each other on the same day could have entirely different lifespans, and ensuring anything else would significantly increase costs. This would certainly explain why some individual devices have developed issues, when other devices (even older ones) have not.

Remember that what seems to be a “high failure rate” only seems so here on the community where the majority of users only visit to report a problem - most users do not have issues and therefore do not report here saying “everything is fine”, though I sometimes wish they would, just for balance! When we’ve sold tens of thousands of units (or orders of magnitude more), even 100 people reporting issues here is a tiny fraction, and when you read a thread, just 10 people reporting an issue will seem like a lot.

You are most welcome!

S2 uses more memory that S1 so S2 pushes data into areas that were previously free or used for things that the failures were not noticed.

If the update added any bytes to the firmware (we users can’t know) it could have pushed some units that were previously performing well into the problem group.

Flash memory is not durable, it has a lifetime usually given in “number of writes” which also includes erase cycles if present. Older flash had lower limits than newer flash, originally the limit was around 100 cycles! Sonos uses much newer flash but you’d have to get the chip number and look up the specs to see what the limit is, also it will vary by chip supplier and even lot number.

Newer flash added a lot of nice stuff like wear leveling, bad block mapping and such to work around the failing memory issue but all hit the same limit, not enough good blocks left to give the system the memory it needs. Some designs error out, some just give you a ‘best effort’ and possibly corrupt data when read back out.

That is what I thought, and the three concurrent threads running are for Connect Amp issues on s2, arising from memory issues. But Corry from Sonos now says that these flash memory issues are predominantly on S1 only devices?!

This is too deep/muddy water for me, but I have learnt enough to freeze my S1 on 11.12, by disabling auto app updates on my phone and the idea is to stay on 11.12 forever, so this issue is not given a reason to arise on my all S1 system and prematurely cripple it.

S1 devices, and S1 capable devices are the oldest devices in the Sonos stable, and would be the most susceptible to failing memory issues. That doesn’t mean memory can’t fail on S2 devices, only that they are newer and consequently less susceptible at this point. 

It would depend on the device, and how much memory has gone ‘bad’, as to the impact it may feel between S1 or S2. It’s possible that any device may fail due to memory issues, even if running the smaller S1 operating system. Electronics are not eternal, especially memory modules. 

I don’t think anyone here expects eternal; they just want mortal to be more than 5 years, given the price points. Which is a fair ask, in my book, especially when the build quality of the rest of the hardware is understood.

FWIW, and I hate to risk a jinx, the update that applied yesterday appears to have entirely resolved my issues.  It’s still playing without skipping a beat.  Before the update, and after a hard power cycle, the device would operate only for a few minutes before the intermittent play issues began again.

YMMV; Something happened.  Would be nice to have a detailed explanation that someone smarter than I could summarize, but in the meantime I am pleased with a functioning device.

@Corry P 

Hey @Corry P (and others who might be interested):

Submitted a new diagnostic file.  Number is 1643948809. Maybe you can compare the two diagnostics and this might help some other users?

Also further system info pasted below in case that might assist.

Associated Product: 192.168
---------------------------------
Sonos Arc: Back Porch
Serial Number: **************
Sonos OS: S2
Version: 15.11 (build 76249050)
Hardware Version: 1.27.1.11-1.2
Series ID: A102
IP Address: 192.168
Audio In: 
WM: 0
---------------------------------
Sonos Amp: Back Porch (LS+RS)
Serial Number: **************
Sonos OS: S2
Version: 15.11 (build 76249050)
Hardware Version: 1.24.1.14-1.2
Series ID: A104
IP Address: 192.168
Audio In: 
WM: 0
---------------------------------
Sonos Amp: Cabana
Serial Number: **************
Sonos OS: S2
Version: 15.11 (build 76249050)
Hardware Version: 1.24.1.14-1.2
Series ID: A104
IP Address: 192.168
Audio In: 
WM: 0
---------------------------------
Connect:Amp: Deck And Garage
Serial Number: **************
Sonos OS: S2
Version: 15.11 (build 76249050)
Hardware Version: 1.17.3.1-1.0
Series ID: C100
IP Address: 192.168
WM: 0
OTP: 1.1.1(1-17-3-2.1)
---------------------------------
Sonos Amp: Kitchen
Serial Number: **************
Sonos OS: S2
Version: 15.11 (build 76249050)
Hardware Version: 1.24.1.14-1.2
Series ID: A104
IP Address: 192.168
Audio In: 
WM: 0
---------------------------------
Sonos Arc: Living Room
Serial Number: **************
Sonos OS: S2
Version: 15.11 (build 76249050)
Hardware Version: 1.27.1.11-1.2
Series ID: A102
IP Address: 192.168
Audio In: 
WM: 0
---------------------------------
Sonos Amp: Living Room (LS+RS)
Serial Number: **************
Sonos OS: S2
Version: 15.11 (build 76249050)
Hardware Version: 1.24.1.14-1.2
Series ID: A104
IP Address: 192.168
Audio In: 
WM: 0
---------------------------------
Sonos Amp: Master Bedroom
Serial Number: **************
Sonos OS: S2
Version: 15.11 (build 76249050)
Hardware Version: 1.24.1.14-1.2
Series ID: A104
IP Address: 192.168
Audio In: 
WM: 0
---------------------------------
Connect:Amp: Office And Dining
Serial Number: **************
Sonos OS: S2
Version: 15.11 (build 76249050)
Hardware Version: 1.17.3.1-1.0
Series ID: C100
IP Address: 192.168.
WM: 0
OTP: 1.1.1(1-17-3-2.1)
---------------------------------
Beam: Office Soundbar
Serial Number: **************
Sonos OS: S2
Version: 15.11 (build 76249050)
Hardware Version: 1.35.1.7-1.2
Series ID: A200
IP Address: 192.168.
Audio In: 
WM: 0
---------------------------------
Port: Pool
Serial Number: **************
Sonos OS: S2
Version: 15.11 (build 76249050)
Hardware Version: 1.29.1.7-1.2
Series ID: A100
IP Address: 192.168.
WM: 0
---------------------------------
Sub: Sub
Serial Number: **************
Sonos OS: S2
Version: 15.11 (build 76249050)
Hardware Version: 1.32.1.4-1.1
Series ID: A200
IP Address: 192.168.
WM: 0

Moderator edit: removed serial numbers from post

And if I have understood the preceding posts by Corry, it was not supposed to. But, gift horses come to mind!