Chromecast functionality


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Why is Sonos lacking the Chromecast functionality, which basically every 100€ WiFi speaker has. It makes it impossible to use YouTube music ( you have to open the Sonos controller and control it from there instead of just pressing the cast button) and it makes using the Google Assistant unnecessarily cumbersome. You have to specify the speaker after a voice command instead of being able to simply set Sonos as a default speaker. That not enough, it also makes it impossible to cast all audio to Sonos. Sonos always talks about being open and support all platforms, yet after waiting a year longer than Airplay 2 users (which got supported as soon as the service got released), we get a shitty, half-assed service lacking basic functionality. Sonos basically incentivizes people to switch to Google Home Max et al, to use get the full capability from the services.

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Chromecast support is imperative for Sonos. I have to think that they are in a death march to implement this functionality. I have >10 Sonos devices in my home and am responsible for at least another 30 in the homes of relatives and friends.  I hope Sonos doesn’t make me look like an idiot. The last thing I want to do is use the Sonos app to do anything. The Sonos app was great in 2014, but it’s been years since usability has improved. Roon solved this problem for me in my home, but I can’t setup Roon servers for my relatives (expensive, complicated, PITA). However, Plex provides a great solution, and now you can cast to Sonos speakers from the Plex apps (see https://support.plex.tv/articles/218237558-requirements-for-using-plex-for-sonos/). This is great, but please implement Chromecast support generally. Thanks.

Adding my name to list of would who would buy one of these for every room in my house except for it not supporting Chromecast and forcing me to use their app is a deal breaker. So annoying because they look and sound amazing for the price

 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/9to5google.com/2019/05/17/google-assistant-sonos-home/amp/

 

This basically sums up the Google integration problem's for Android people.

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Now Harman Kardon Citation One new revision called Mk ii supports both Airplay 2 and Chromecast and also stereo pairing and have Google Assistant built-in and also stronger bass than Sonos One so I think we found substitution. Sorry but Chromecast built-in is a dealbreaker in 2020.

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I think it’s time to give this one a rest. Sonos doesn’t have Chromecast functionality, and it’s not up to Sonos. Google decides who gets Chromecast support. There have been no improvements or even bug fixes since GA for Sonos was first released, and with Sonos suing Google, none are likely in the near future.

 

What might help is for this Community to have a poll where people could vote on requested features or bug fixes to provide some feedback to Sonos to help them prioritize. But apparently that’s controversial: https://en.community.sonos.com/controllers-software-228995/the-hot-mess-of-this-community-forum-for-feature-feedback-request-voting-6798703/index2.html

God damn it. I wish I saw this thread before I invested in Sonos.

It’s frustrating as hell that I cannot cast anything to my Sonos. My dingie little Sony speaker can be cast and airplay. What sort of joke is Sonos playing on us?

It’s basically a useless ecosystem when you’re forced into the Sonos app which relies on integration services.

Yes, Sonos fanboys please down vote this post I’ve seen how you’ve all attacked legit feedback from owners who are not happy with the way Sonos is prioritizing their software development. This is a software product prioritization. Chromecast is as open as it can be. It is not Apple AirPlay.


@Foofoo: I completely agree. I have 2 Play:3s, a Soundbar, and 2 Play:1s. But I listen to podcasts, etc. on my Google Home Minis because Sonos is so freakin' inconvenient. I'm ready to dump the Sonos gear.

I totally agree. I listen to Podcasts very often. Works like a charm on my Google devices with my Android phones. Using my beam as a overpriced dumb TV speaker because its lack of support of the Chromecast protocol. 

pls get chromecast asap SONOS!

I have 2 Sonos Ones and was planning to invest in a Beam since I am watching a lot more TV these days. I have decided not to invest in further Sonos gear until the connectivity to Chromecast etc is sorted out. Pity though - i like the sound quality of the products.

Omg. Glad I bought only one to test - the other 5 devices will not be Sonos unless they add Chromecast anytime soon.

I need the Chromecast option!
Using my mackbook and Airplay is so easy, so why can’t i keep listening to my music or podcast from my android when I come home?
 

What is stopping you? Sonos supports podcast apps and you can play music files using "on this mobile device'. It may not be exactly what you want but basically Sonos does those things.

What is stopping you? Sonos supports podcast apps and you can play music files using "on this mobile device'. It may not be exactly what you want but basically Sonos does those things.

This is not enough...

For me, I just want to add my Sonos Beam and two Play:1 to a group of speaker, to be able to cast audio on every speaker in my house (Multiple Google home mini, smart clock...).

Voice match is also not available on all Sonos devices…

Sonos is such a deception, I bought Sonos because it was supposed to be Google compatible, I should have read more about that for sure.

Please do something Sonos, give us a clear answer at least...

 

 

For me, I just want to add my Sonos Beam and two Play:1 to a group of speaker, to be able to cast audio on every speaker in my house (Multiple Google home mini, smart clock...).

I think that expecting lots of dissimilar devices from different manufacturers to work together in sync is rather naive.

I should have read more about that for sure.

Well, yes...

 

 

For me, I just want to add my Sonos Beam and two Play:1 to a group of speaker, to be able to cast audio on every speaker in my house (Multiple Google home mini, smart clock...).

I think that expecting lots of dissimilar devices from different manufacturers to work together in sync is rather naive.

I should have read more about that for sure.

Well, yes...

 

 

Maybe that's naive, but that's the whole point of supporting Google interface…

Well of course I should have read more, but that's not explicit, at all... And it should be.

In the process of getting rid of my Sonos speakers and replacing with Harman Kardon Citation series. Fully implemented Chromecast so I can add my choice of speakers to groups.

IMHO I think the HK Citation one sounds better than One-Play 1 and SL, cheeper and like I said they all work well with Chromecast, sick and tired of companies tying you into there own eco systems " YOU WILL USE OUR SPEAKERS HOW WE WANT YOU TOO"!.

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In the process of getting rid of my Sonos speakers and replacing with Harman Kardon Citation series. Fully implemented Chromecast so I can add my choice of speakers to groups.

IMHO I think the HK Citation one sounds better than One-Play 1 and SL, cheeper and like I said they all work well with Chromecast, sick and tired of companies tying you into there own eco systems " YOU WILL USE OUR SPEAKERS HOW WE WANT YOU TOO"!.


I don’t know if this is the system, or if things have changed since this info was provided by Harmon Kardon, but It looks like the Citation is a closed system -not what you want? 

 

Mario at Customer Service

  

· a year ago  

It is true that WISA is a technology that can be shared, similar to Bluetooth or WiFi. However, the CITATION system is created as a closed system, meaning that the CITATION WISA system will only work with units in the CITATION family.

Ok, I'm no tech head. What I was trying to say is that my HK speakers can be incorporated into a group with all my other Google/Chromecast speakers,  which Sonos can't. And they also have Bluetooth.

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A brand new very disappointed sonos customer here. Why advertise google integration if you can't cast to the speaker? My crappy Google mini's have better functionality than the sonos..... Why should just apple users get this functionality? 

Spent £360 on two sonos ones which will only play spotify or radio??? Yes they sound beautiful....no complaints there, but such an investment for such limited use. Devasted none the less. 

As far as I remember, you can cast to Sonos. You can doing from either in the Sonos app which lets you cast Google music and the like. You can also cast from within the Google music app to speakers. My gripe was the poor integration with other Google Chromecast products. Anyway sold my play 1s now and replaced with Harman Kardon Citation One speaker, full Google Chromecast implementation and also, in my opinion sound better than Sonos Ones.

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As far as I remember, you can cast to Sonos. You can doing from either in the Sonos app which lets you cast Google music and the like. You can also cast from within the Google music app to speakers without setting up a tv and soundbar. My gripe was the poor integration with other Google Chromecast products. Anyway sold my play 1s now and replaced with Harman Kardon Citation One speaker, full Google Chromecast implementation and also, in my opinion sound better than Sonos Ones.

Good morning. You cant cast you tube, netflix, prime, itv app etc from an android tablet or phone to the speakers. There is no air play equivalent functionality for android. In android chromcast is our equivalent and sonos aren't chromcast compatible.  I can stream music beautifully directly through apps such as spotify,  But no audio for any visual apps 😔. If anyone knows of a solution please do let me know as im gutted x 

A brand new very disappointed sonos customer here. Why advertise google integration if you can't cast to the speaker? My crappy Google mini's have better functionality than the sonos..... Why should just apple users get this functionality? 

Spent £360 on two sonos ones which will only play spotify or radio??? Yes they sound beautiful....no complaints there, but such an investment for such limited use. Devasted none the less. 

yes happened to me too...
Sonos webpage infos are very minimalistic and there was just mentioned Android this and there
So I bought basic equipment, connected my Android and opened my favorite http://radio.garden/

But I was unable to stream the stations Audio to Sonos !!
So after reading more details on external tech pages I found out it does not support this basic feature.
I am really frustrated now and cancelled my plans to buy the new ARC and Subwoofer etc.

I think a lot of us got screwed by buying sonos products on the vague promise of “google assistant” support, which was eventually half-delivered like a year late and then never updated. Sonos is more concerned with keeping people in their proprietary ecosystem (see: sonos radio, S2, etc) than the compatibility and openness that originally won them fans. Honestly the S2 thing pissed everyone off, but if they gave me the choice to have no sonos app at all and join everything to the google ecosystem I’d take it in a heartbeat.

I guess this topic only has 43,000 views though, so it must not be an important feature to their customers. 

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@U2Pas You can add radio stations to Sonos like this https://support.sonos.com/s/article/260?language=en_US

thank you 106rally
yes I added manually my most favorite stations already, but I prefer to travel around the globe and just listen some of the 8000 stations, so I will not do this every day, it’s annoying...

And its only one example of usage.
I never imagined Sonos will not support this basic feature when I bought this highly advertised multifunctional brand.

fact is - sonos needs also chromecast support, otherwise it’s wasted money for the buck for most android users and we better switch to other brands

fact is - sonos needs also chromecast support, otherwise it’s wasted money for the buck for most android users and we better switch to other brands

 

Sonos offers pretty much every major streaming services streamed directly without the use of chromecast, airplay, or any other mechanism in between.  They also offer Tune In and their own Sonos radio as a means of accessing hundreds (thousands?) of radio stations.  I think you might be overstating the necessity of chromecast support for android users.

fact is - sonos needs also chromecast support, otherwise it’s wasted money for the buck for most android users and we better switch to other brands

 

Sonos offers pretty much every major streaming services streamed directly without the use of chromecast, airplay, or any other mechanism in between.  They also offer Tune In and their own Sonos radio as a means of accessing hundreds (thousands?) of radio stations.  I think you might be overstating the necessity of chromecast support for android users.

It's not overstated. I have a home ecosystem with multiple speakers that can be grouped via Chromecast. I purchased a Sonos One and was surprised that I couldn’t group it with my other speakers. It is possible with Airplay but as an Android user, it was very disappointing. I promptly returned the Sonos and purchased a Harmon Kardon Citation One instead. It has been able to integrate with my Google Home ecosystem smoothly via Chromecast and the acoustics are comparable, if not, slightly better.

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