Android Controllers and Setup, past the CR100 brick



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Userlevel 7
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now got magnetic USB cable (I like these a lot - will be getting more)
Mind sharing which model you purchased? There are decidedly mixed reviews on Amazon for some makes of such cables.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01M27KINN/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Honest review after an hour or so of ownership. Build quality seems reasonable, fit and finish adequate, nylon braiding tidy, nice organised packaging. Durability is always the key with this stuff though.

There was another I looked at that had three heads for iPhone, micro-usb & usb-c. Leave the heads in the devices and can charge bose headphones and iPhone with the same cable (sequentially) when travelling. If you did all your kit then 5 usb cables would be 5-cables regardless of the device type. Given we have an 8-port rack in the kitchen and still plug stuff in//out this would be great! (sports watches, fitbits, trackers, phones, tablets, headphones, speakers, etc) It needs 5-lightening cables every night!

As a concept its great. And I can't believe Apple are dropping magnetic from the Mac (shakes head).
now got magnetic USB cable (I like these a lot - will be getting more)
Mind sharing which model you purchased? There are decidedly mixed reviews on Amazon for some makes of such cables.
Good to hear there is progress. Maybe when you get to the final position with a more modern tablet it will be better still. I understand that the CR100 has unique features that you value highly, but hopefully in the end your Sonos experience will still be a great one overall. At least you are taking positive action to get to the best place that's possible for you.
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It can be turned off for £10, there is also a jailbreak methodology, but will put a call in and ask nicely.Ah this does ring a bell now. I think I asked nicely and they removed the ads without charge, so worth a shot.

Thats the thing. Amazon kindly removed the ads free of charge (last years 240 orders probably had something to do with it). Now I get the app(let) on the lock screen just like your picture!

Postman just been, so now got magnetic USB cable (I like these a lot - will be getting more)

It's getting usable:
- will always look ugly
- isn't as dedicated as CR100
- isn't waterproof
- still needs manually plugging back-in
- still can't pin so if others are desperate and the iPad is flat then it may disappear.

But some of those can be overcome with hardware changes (nexus or similar).

Dave
I know this is a bit tangential, but Sonos v8 introduced a new feature that many people seem to have missed. I use 'long press to group' quite often. Please see the thread linked below. Don't be put off by mention of Alexa, this thing involves real buttons, so I thought you guys might like it :)

https://en.community.sonos.com/amazon-alexa-and-sonos-229102/playing-to-an-additional-sonos-speaker-via-alexa-6802409
It can be turned off for £10, there is also a jailbreak methodology, but will put a call in and ask nicely.Ah this does ring a bell now. I think I asked nicely and they removed the ads without charge, so worth a shot.
Just a note: While the Fire tablets are good, cheap, and will run the Sonos app just fine, they are not eligible for beta because Amazon requires a special build. So if you run beta now, or ever intend to sign up for a public beta, your Fire tablet will not be able to load the beta software.

Edit: I stand corrected. If you remove the standard application and download the beta directly from the beta site, it will load. You just cannot load the beta from the update screen on the non-beta app.
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The volume buttons now do seem to control the app after I have pressed the lock button I am sure they didn't so will have to retest next time it goes 30-minutes and times out to see if still does it then but a manual sleep/lock seems to allow it.
This capability may be sensitive to the smart power setting, which claims to disable WiFi when not required.

Aaah, makes sense, I was fiddling with power stuff yesterday, in an effort to hold off sleep, so that may have done it. Although I don't really want it on all the time, would OK for my office but not for the bedroom, plus screen burn and energy use would be downsides.

I have a throw away stand that came from an exhibition, it needs more weight as poking the screen starts to tip it over.

I like this one.

Hopefully the least of my worries! The fire still looks budget, and the test stand has already been weighted down with plasticine - thanks kids.

I suspect the final version will be a more premium tablet, ideally with Qi charging, and an angled Qi charger stand similar to what you posted. All the offerings so far have been for kit that is 2012/2013. I would rather a new tablet that once I'm happy with I can just order 3, with stands etc all together. Trying to buy 5-year old kit off eBay seems a pain.

Even better would be the ability to exit the app, on a temporary basis to use other stuff, with automatic return to Sonos on sleep. And a motion sensor! But I'll not hold my breath.

Thanks for the input.
Dave
Userlevel 7
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Here is my lockscreen

Don't recall a brainwash vs non-brainwash decision! :)

A tap on the control gets me into my already-open Sonos app.


On the cheaper Fires at least there is an option to pay even less and get ads streamed to the lock screen. Saved £10 on the device cost. Ours was bought and loaded with kids programmes for a holiday in (2015) for use at airport/airplane/resort, since then it has sat in the drawer as quite frankly it doesn't quite match up to the iPad experience. I know it was on special at the time so cost something like £35 and I viewed it like the cost of two DVDs.

It can be turned off for £10, there is also a jailbreak methodology, but will put a call in and ask nicely.
Here is my lockscreen

Don't recall a brainwash vs non-brainwash decision! :)

A tap on the control gets me into my already-open Sonos app.
You can easily turn off sleep when charging, thus avoiding the lock screen. You need to turn on the developers options, then select the proper setting from the new developers option menu. To enable developer options, go to Device Options on the Settings menu and tap on the Serial Number entry 7 times in a row. The new developers options menu will then appear.
do you have the brainwash version or non-brainwash?
non-brainwash

The volume buttons now do seem to control the app after I have pressed the lock button I am sure they didn't so will have to retest next time it goes 30-minutes and times out to see if still does it then but a manual sleep/lock seems to allow it.

This capability may be sensitive to the smart power setting, which claims to disable WiFi when not required.

I have a throw away stand that came from an exhibition, it needs more weight as poking the screen starts to tip it over.

I like this one.
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If you have the Sonos app open on the Fire, do you have a Sonos widget visible on the lock screen, that requires a single tap to return to the open Sonos app, and of itself has play/pause and skip buttons? I do, but I honestly cannot remember if I did anything to put it there or it was just there
Lock-screen notification/controls are enabled by default. If not required they can be explicitly disabled in Advanced Settings.
Thanks @ratty.
I also note that in lock screen mode, with the Sonos app open (beneath the lock screen), Sonos volume is still controllable by the Fire's physical volume control..


Mine goes to sleep after 30-minutes, the only way to wake it is to press the hard button near the power input. The screen that appears is just a big Amazon advert, with a little unlock padlock at the bottom. I have the cheaper let Amazon brainwash you version. I believe this can be turned off (for a small cost), do you have the brainwash version or non-brainwash? I don't have a PIN set.

I have everything selected in Sonos Device allowing stuff on lock screens. The volume buttons now do seem to control the app after I have pressed the lock button I am sure they didn't so will have to retest next time it goes 30-minutes and times out to see if still does it then but a manual sleep/lock seems to allow it. This speeds up silencing music when phone rings.

I have a throw away stand that came from an exhibition, it needs more weight as poking the screen starts to tip it over. That is sortable. I have also order two magnetic USB cables being delivered later today.

I have removed the CR100 from my desk so currently using just this as test!
I also note that in lock screen mode, with the Sonos app open (beneath the lock screen), Sonos volume is still controllable by the Fire's volume physical volume control..
And with the screen asleep in fact. No need to wake the display to tweak the volume.
If you have the Sonos app open on the Fire, do you have a Sonos widget visible on the lock screen, that requires a single tap to return to the open Sonos app, and of itself has play/pause and skip buttons? I do, but I honestly cannot remember if I did anything to put it there or it was just there
Lock-screen notification/controls are enabled by default. If not required they can be explicitly disabled in Advanced Settings.
Thanks @ratty.
I also note that in lock screen mode, with the Sonos app open (beneath the lock screen), Sonos volume is still controllable by the Fire's physical volume control..
If you have the Sonos app open on the Fire, do you have a Sonos widget visible on the lock screen, that requires a single tap to return to the open Sonos app, and of itself has play/pause and skip buttons? I do, but I honestly cannot remember if I did anything to put it there or it was just there
Lock-screen notification/controls are enabled by default. If not required they can be explicitly disabled in Advanced Settings.
Do all Android tablets have the ability to connect via SonosNet? Or is there something in the specs I will have to check, if so what is that?

I currently only have iOS Controllers (and CR100 + 200). Since I'm freezing my system and taking it off my regular wifi I'm interested in a solution where I can control it via Android and SonosNet since not all settings are available in the CR's.

These are three tablet's I've read about but I'm not sure if the can connect directly to SonosNet:
Amazon Fire
lenovo Tablet
Nexus 7


My amazon fire does connect to sonosnet. But you can’t pin app to lock or home screen. Best you can do is set it not time out for 30 mins. After that screen locks and you have to reopen app.
If you have the Sonos app open on the Fire, do you have a Sonos widget visible on the lock screen, that requires a single tap to return to the open Sonos app, and of itself has play/pause and skip buttons? I do, but I honestly cannot remember if I did anything to put it there or it was just there
Amazon Fire 10 and Lenovo Tab 7 Essential (Android 7) both definitely connect to Sonos Net, I'd be surprised if the Nexus didn't.I agree. Really any Android device should do - it was only because I had trouble with the Fire, and the Fire's Android is a bit non-standard, that I wondered if there might be issues. It seems even that might be something local to my setup.

Hopefully, if nothing else, this will have raised awareness of this capability in Android controllers.
Userlevel 4
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Amazon Fire 10 and Lenovo Tab 7 Essential (Android 7) both definitely connect to Sonos Net, I'd be surprised if the Nexus didn't.
Userlevel 7
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Do all Android tablets have the ability to connect via SonosNet? Or is there something in the specs I will have to check, if so what is that?

I currently only have iOS Controllers (and CR100 + 200). Since I'm freezing my system and taking it off my regular wifi I'm interested in a solution where I can control it via Android and SonosNet since not all settings are available in the CR's.

These are three tablet's I've read about but I'm not sure if the can connect directly to SonosNet:
Amazon Fire
lenovo Tablet
Nexus 7


My amazon fire does connect to sonosnet. But you can’t pin app to lock or home screen. Best you can do is set it not time out for 30 mins. After that screen locks and you have to reopen app.
Userlevel 4
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Actually what I meant was " screen pinning" the Sonos App. This is a feature available on android devices running Lollipop 5.0 and above. It means that the pinned app is the only one available on the device. You have to enter a PIN to get to any OTHER apps you might have on the device, but not to get to the pinned app.

The Sonos support note on how to do this:
https://sonos.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/3241/kw/Guided%20access

doesn't tell you that actually it won't work on the Amazon Fire 7 (because Amazon have played about with the OS). If it works on your Lenovo Tab then it could be pretty useful.


Oooh sounds good, Ok this new to me so I will have a play tomorrow!
Do all Android tablets have the ability to connect via SonosNet?
They should do. The controller simply writes the SSID/key of the hidden SonosNet SSID into the Android WiFi settings. iOS doesn't permit this manoeuvre.
Userlevel 6
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Do all Android tablets have the ability to connect via SonosNet? Or is there something in the specs I will have to check, if so what is that?

I currently only have iOS Controllers (and CR100 + 200). Since I'm freezing my system and taking it off my regular wifi I'm interested in a solution where I can control it via Android and SonosNet since not all settings are available in the CR's.

These are three tablet's I've read about but I'm not sure if the can connect directly to SonosNet:
Amazon Fire
lenovo Tablet
Nexus 7
Contacts have been cleaned repeatedly using IPA. I suspect the spring is weak inside one or more contacts in the dock.
You might want to clean your connections as both of mine work each and every time they are re-docked.

I agree QI charging actually works better as a technology BUT there isn’t a dock that works in the same way that I’ve seen