As many of us are being thrown off of our CR100's, and forced onto an external third party device, please use this thread to say what device you will use or have tried, and advise what settings and configurations make it work.
Please keep it on topic, use the "Save the CR100" thread to put the world to rights on the bricking of our functioning devices.
Life must go on, The CR100 will die, lets try to help each other find our best solution.
To start,
I have just purchased a Lenovo Tab 7 Essential, 7" screen so similar overall size to the controller, ordered through Tesco Direct, very fast service available in 3 hours from ordering.
Tesco added a discount so got it for £62, although They advertised it as the Tab 4 7" which is actually a different unit with slightly higher res and should retail at £99 rather than £69 anyway its fine at the right price. both run Android 7.0
So set it up with no security as I don't want a pin entry each time I pick it up.
Installed Sonos from Google play and allowed Sonos net connections and connected straight to my system.
Then set the sonos options to "Show lock screen controls" and "Show Volume on Home screen"
Set the Android screen saver to Clock (its a bit too small compared to the Controller) but can be shown when docked (charging), so leave the unit on and it blacks out to a clock, can be digital or analogue.
One downside of this particular device is the micro usb charging port is not central, so Belkin docks wont work, so the cradle/dock could be an issue!? Any ideas?
Leave the Sonos app running and it comes out of the lock screen into Sonos.
Without a proper cradle its not so easy to directly compare, sometime touching the display unlocks, othertimes I need to press the side power button.
If you touch the button it goes to the home screen, which needs a swipe to unlock, a nice touch, if sonos is playing and running, then the home screen wallpaper is the artwork.
On the home screen are quick access play,stop and skip but no volume, there is a tiny expander arrow that opens up a menu that has a button to change volume, but thats way too complex, easier to double tap the quick access area and it opens the sonos app to show you the zone with volume control, art, queue etc.
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Tried an Amazon Fire 5th gen because I had one to hand.
Limited Amazon approved apps - does do Sonos
No pinning to home screen
Very slow to respond
No pinning so pretty much useless as instant go to controller, which explains why it was in drawer in the first place. Could possibly be jail broken but there are risks in this.
Limited Amazon approved apps - does do Sonos
No pinning to home screen
Very slow to respond
No pinning so pretty much useless as instant go to controller, which explains why it was in drawer in the first place. Could possibly be jail broken but there are risks in this.
I'm going to try a Samsung Galaxy Tab A (on sale for $129 at Costco) and see how it works out for the wife. I use one set up like this for Sonos control and as an alarm clock and it seems perfectly adequate for my needs.
https://www.costco.com/Samsung-Galaxy-Tab-A-Wi-Fi-Tablet---Quad-Core---Lollipop---Smoky-Titanium---Bonus-Sleeve.product.100215599.html
Add to that a magnetic power cable from Amazon, they make several colors and lengths, so picking it up or putting it back on charge is less frustrating.
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B071YCQRHM/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
And a stand that I've had good luck with from Monoprice.
https://www.monoprice.com/product?c_id=108&cp_id=10843&cs_id=1084305&p_id=16265&seq=1&format=2
https://www.costco.com/Samsung-Galaxy-Tab-A-Wi-Fi-Tablet---Quad-Core---Lollipop---Smoky-Titanium---Bonus-Sleeve.product.100215599.html
Add to that a magnetic power cable from Amazon, they make several colors and lengths, so picking it up or putting it back on charge is less frustrating.
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B071YCQRHM/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
And a stand that I've had good luck with from Monoprice.
https://www.monoprice.com/product?c_id=108&cp_id=10843&cs_id=1084305&p_id=16265&seq=1&format=2
On pinning the Sonos app, if you put the Sonos widget on your home page and drag it fairly large you don't need to pin the app. Play/Pause, last/next, room selection, volume and the current selection name and album cover are shown on the widget. A single tap on it brings up the full Sonos app.
Only thing that sucks for her is that the widget buttons are so small she has to use a stylus to keep from fat-fingering stuff. It would be much nicer if Sonos offered a double sized user interface if you enlarged the widget.
Only thing that sucks for her is that the widget buttons are so small she has to use a stylus to keep from fat-fingering stuff. It would be much nicer if Sonos offered a double sized user interface if you enlarged the widget.
There are third party widgets that overcome some of the limitations. One example: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=se.freddroid.sonos.pro&hl=en
I'm still thinking there must be a way of using the 3 hard keys on Samsung's Galaxy Active or Xcover ranges to drive the Sonos app from a splashproof device. The separate Xcover key can be used to jump straight to the Sonos app. Not sure on the Active equivalent as its generally a US product.
Limited Amazon approved apps - does do Sonos
No pinning to home screen
Very slow to respond
No pinning so pretty much useless as instant go to controller, which explains why it was in drawer in the first place. Could possibly be jail broken but there are risks in this.
Within the app I find response to touch is instantaneous.
'Limited Amazon approved apps' seems a strange criticism of an alternative to a CR100.
I have been using it as a dedicated controller for some time and find it a good solution.
Limited Amazon approved apps - does do Sonos
No pinning to home screen
Very slow to respond
No pinning so pretty much useless as instant go to controller, which explains why it was in drawer in the first place. Could possibly be jail broken but there are risks in this.
Do the hard buttons always correspond to Sonos? Can it be pinned to the home screen or do you always have to open the app. I need a controller, it needs to be instant on, opening apps is way too much of drag when you might take 30+ phone calls in a day. I'll have a go at this but so far it isn't doing it for me.
As with many Sonos owners budget isn't the real issue, I don't need cheap otherwise I would have bought Squeezebox and cobbled something together years ago. I want quick, easy, bullet proof. (Its why I have a mac, an iPhone, an iPad, & an iPod - they just work).
The best solution I have seen is the iportExpress for the mute stuff. But then I need to replace three CR100s with probably 5 iportExpresses (as they only do one room), plus I still need three controllers. So figure £100 per controller another £300. So replacement cost for existing functionality is £800, I still have to find docks to hold the controllers and charge them and plug them in and out. Budget roughly £1,000 and for that I would hope it works.
The downsides I see:
- no guarantee the iportExpress thingys will be supported
- no guarantee the Android/tablet will be supported (dropped by OS or Sonos)
- will probably have to connect to my Wi-Fi network
I now have another 8 devices to manage on an already crowded network of over 100 devices (which is ridiculous for a home!)
Dave
OK Dave, don't use it. Others may choose to. I never said it could be turned into a CR100
Limited Amazon approved apps - does do Sonos
No pinning to home screen
Very slow to respond
No pinning so pretty much useless as instant go to controller, which explains why it was in drawer in the first place. Could possibly be jail broken but there are risks in this.
Within the app I find response to touch is instantaneous.
'Limited Amazon approved apps' seems a strange criticism of an alternative to a CR100.
I have been using it as a dedicated controller for some time and find it a good solution.
The issue with the limited approved apps is that there are numerous suggestions of third party apps that allow pinning to home screen and other Sonos alternative apps that may be closer to a dedicated controller. Readily available on Google Play, not available on Amazon App store. If it could be pinned then hard buttons would apparently be always ready.
Its not the lack of apps per se, its the lack of apps to help it be dedicated to Sonos. Obviously in conflict of Amazons aim for the device which is to be a dedicated shop window keeping you in touch with Amazon.
OK those are fair points. However, the child account may not be the best model for everyone (as it closes the Sonos app on switching off the screen on a child profile), depending on circumstances. My other model for using the Fire is just to leave the Sonos app open permanently on an adult profile. To get into the Sonos app requires a single button press and a tap on the lock-screen widget. (That is assuming the screen has been turned off.)
If hard buttons are an essential for a user then this touchscreen device is not for them. But touchscreen is all I have ever known so I come from a different place and prefer that. I accept that not everyone does.
But it does give you a dedicated controller with quick access to control. It is cheap enough for many users to buy more than one, however unwelcome any expenditure may be. I think many would find it a good, though imperfect, dedicated alternative to the CR100 if hard buttons are not imperative for them.
If hard buttons are an essential for a user then this touchscreen device is not for them. But touchscreen is all I have ever known so I come from a different place and prefer that. I accept that not everyone does.
But it does give you a dedicated controller with quick access to control. It is cheap enough for many users to buy more than one, however unwelcome any expenditure may be. I think many would find it a good, though imperfect, dedicated alternative to the CR100 if hard buttons are not imperative for them.
I've noted this irritant. Unlocking returns to the child home screen, not the Sonos app. I don't know whether using the official case would resolve this, since it can auto-wake on opening, bypassing the lockscreen.
Please keep it on topic, use the "Save the CR100" thread to put the world to rights on the bricking of our functioning devices.
Life must go on, The CR100 will die, lets try to help each other find our best solution.
To start,
I have just purchased a Lenovo Tab 7 Essential, 7" screen so similar overall size to the controller, ordered through Tesco Direct, very fast service available in 3 hours from ordering.
Tesco added a discount so got it for £62, although They advertised it as the Tab 4 7" which is actually a different unit with slightly higher res and should retail at £99 rather than £69 anyway its fine at the right price. both run Android 7.0
So set it up with no security as I don't want a pin entry each time I pick it up.
Installed Sonos from Google play and allowed Sonos net connections and connected straight to my system.
Then set the sonos options to "Show lock screen controls" and "Show Volume on Home screen"
Set the Android screen saver to Clock (its a bit too small compared to the Controller) but can be shown when docked (charging), so leave the unit on and it blacks out to a clock, can be digital or analogue.
One downside of this particular device is the micro usb charging port is not central, so Belkin docks wont work, so the cradle/dock could be an issue!? Any ideas?
Leave the Sonos app running and it comes out of the lock screen into Sonos.
Without a proper cradle its not so easy to directly compare, sometime touching the display unlocks, othertimes I need to press the side power button.
If you touch the button it goes to the home screen, which needs a swipe to unlock, a nice touch, if sonos is playing and running, then the home screen wallpaper is the artwork.
On the home screen are quick access play,stop and skip but no volume, there is a tiny expander arrow that opens up a menu that has a button to change volume, but thats way too complex, easier to double tap the quick access area and it opens the sonos app to show you the zone with volume control, art, queue etc.
Try this sliding port stand............. https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B06X6GYMWY/_encoding=UTF8?coliid=INE5CZK8SXVKN&colid=1JQ4EP7YV32CD&psc=0
Try this sliding port stand............. https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B06X6GYMWY/_encoding=UTF8?coliid=INE5CZK8SXVKN&colid=1JQ4EP7YV32CD&psc=0
This looks good. I've bought 3 Kindle Fire 7's and 3 generic stands but the stands I went for do not solve the charging issue like this one looks to do.
Also on the Kindle Fire 7, it comes with a 90cm usb cable which frankly is not enough for the distance from my sockets to the table height I'm putting it at . At the moment I'm using a couple of longer blackberry charger cables that I had to hand.
I have gone the "child account" route for my kids bedrooms. Have tried the adult account approach in our Living room but it doesnt work for me because I want to leave it unlocked (so anyone can pick it up and use the Sonos app) but dont want people running through my books, audible and video purchases and using the device for anything non Sonos related. Pinning would be the solution but it appears just not possible on the Kindle Fire 7.
Thinking about trying the Lenovo tablet from Tesco mentioned by OP together with the charger above.: Can you pin on that? Looks likely though I dont think OP mentioned it?
I assume one could set up a separate Amazon account purely for the dedicated Fire controllers so that no privacy issues arose????
I am not sure if content controls can be applied to adult profiles given possible concerns over child access.
I am not sure if content controls can be applied to adult profiles given possible concerns over child access.
Yes, the idea occurred to me, but I didn't do it because I wanted to have my cake and eat it. I wanted to try and achieve a set up that locked down the Fire to Sonos, but that I could unlock with a passcode to access the rest of the functionality.
A separate account will hopefully sort out the privacy issues, though it does still mean that the device can be used by my kids to browse the net, go on YouTube. For the Living room one that is ok as its in a public space.
It does seem that 'parental controls' are intended to restrict adult profiles so that a tablet can be passed to a child. I have only experimented briefly with this though
There is a separate parental controls password.
There is a separate parental controls password.
there are android apps which can convert volume buttons to music controls. anyone know if these would work with sonos ?
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=frinky.music.controller.pro&hl=en_GB
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.purelogicapps.android.tactileplayer&hl=en_GB
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=frinky.music.controller.pro&hl=en_GB
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.purelogicapps.android.tactileplayer&hl=en_GB
I've just ordered an Asus Zenpad 8. I'll post here with details of my setup and experience with it once I get that far.
Try this sliding port stand............. https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B06X6GYMWY/_encoding=UTF8?coliid=INE5CZK8SXVKN&colid=1JQ4EP7YV32CD&psc=0
getting closer... I think I'd anticipate a couple if annoyances with something like this though... - I don't know how weighty this one is, but with similar stands I've had in the past, the grip between the micro-usb plug & socket has always been enough that when picking up the tablet, the stand comes too... - it invariably requires 2 hands to lift the device off the stand.
Also, I think with not a lot of lift/replace cycles, the micro-usb plug or socket is going to get bent out of shape or damaged in some way... - I've had at least one iPhone that had to have a replacement lightning port fitted due to stress between the plug & socket causing damage (I think I can trace it back to one particular event when the iPhone got knocked over whilst on the stand).. - I therefore suspect that it might only take one or two ham-fisted attempts at lifting/lowering the device, perhaps at anything much off the perfect perpendicular angle to cause damage to one or the other...
For those reasons, I'd prefer not to use a stand that requires a physical plug/socket insertion... I'd rather seek a wireless charging mechanism if possible... - ooh, rather like the current CR100 & it's cradle... :-)
I'd also be looking for something wall mountable, as that's how my CR100's are installed today..
Obviously I've also been looking at various wall mount frames, but so far, everything I've seen (that doesn't look like a dogs breakfast) is a completely flat against the wall mounting position... - I'm anticipating that being an annoyance too, as mine aren't planned to be mounted way up high at eye level (and what is eye level anyway, when there are 4 people in the house, including some young children). So mine are mostly mounted at "convenient arm level", which is quite a bit lower than my eye-level, and so I look down on them from above.... the CR100's deal with this perfectly by being gently raked backwards when sitting in their cradles, and I think if I changed to flat against the wall, I'd find myself forever stooping down to be level with the screen in order to avoid reflections etc.
I've recently got a couple of desktop QI chargers for my iPhone 8, which I'm quite happy with, - they also position the screen at a gentle angle to optimise viewing, but they aren't anywhere even close to being wall mountable... :-(
So I'd *like* angled screen for optimal viewing, and plugless charging for easy lift & replace on the dock...
so... - pretty much what the CR100 gives me today then... 🙂 Too much to ask?
One relevant factor for some users will be the ability of Android controllers to connect to SonosNet, not just to wifi. I have managed in the past to connect the Amazon Fire 5th gen to SonosNet, but for the most part it doesn't seem to see SonosNet (which doesn't matter to me as wifi is strong throughout my home).
I think it would be helpful if those testing the various devices reported on this. To enable it you go to Settings, Advanced Settings, Connect to SonosNet, from where it's obvious. (At this point you are just enabling the device's ability to connect, not actually connecting.)
In the device's available networks you should now see a network starting with 'Sonos_', to which you should be able to connect without entering a password (but this does not mean it is unsecured).
I am sure feedback on this aspect would be useful to some, particularly as the CR100 connects over SonosNet. It really should work for all Android devices, but confirmation would be good. (The Fire's Android is a bit non-standard.)
I think it would be helpful if those testing the various devices reported on this. To enable it you go to Settings, Advanced Settings, Connect to SonosNet, from where it's obvious. (At this point you are just enabling the device's ability to connect, not actually connecting.)
In the device's available networks you should now see a network starting with 'Sonos_', to which you should be able to connect without entering a password (but this does not mean it is unsecured).
I am sure feedback on this aspect would be useful to some, particularly as the CR100 connects over SonosNet. It really should work for all Android devices, but confirmation would be good. (The Fire's Android is a bit non-standard.)
I think it would be helpful if those testing the various devices reported on this. To enable it you go to Settings, Advanced Settings, Connect to SonosNet, from where it's obvious. (At this point you are just enabling the device's ability to connect, not actually connecting.)
In the device's available networks you should now see a network starting with 'Sonos_', to which you should be able to connect without entering a password (but this does not mean it is unsecured).
I am sure feedback on this aspect would be useful to some, particularly as the CR100 connects over SonosNet.
5th Gen Amazon Fire Tablet, the setting is in Sonos, and selected. The only WiFi network I see other than expected was HHID_andthengobbleydegook5. Have connected to this, can't find IP address on fire but it is controlling Sonos (so I presume that must be it - it won't be anyone else's round here unless they fitted cows with WiFi. If I remember I'll have a look on router and network switch and see if I can determine if its routing via Sonos.
Grr second duplicate post!
That will be it - I think it would depend on the age of your wired device. Older SonosNet identifiers began with HHID. Useful to know you can see yours - don't know why mine isn't showing up!
For systems set up in the CR100's heyday the SonosNet SSID is likely to be HHID_*.
(Duplicate - InSided is up to its old tricks again, throwing an error when the post has actually been received.)
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