Mac OS app - intel based to silicon

Do you know if it has an apple silicon binary, or is it just x86

What did a Internet search show, when you looked for ‘Phonos Ultimate’?

It doesn’t say on the developer’s site (no contact info and the faq doesn’t have a search function), and in the app store it just says compatible with this mac, which for now may require Rosetta or it may not.

I’m sure the developer will be along to say for sure, but it looks like a universal binary to me. So, no, it doesn’t require Rosetta.

did you verify that it has an arm64 app?.  I find out by using Terminal to go to the /Applications/Example.app/Contents/MacOS folder and ls to get the files there and use “file filename” and it will tell you if it’s x86_64, x86_32, arm64, arm64e or a combination of two of those.  The reason I ask is because on older universal apps, the universal meant x86_64/x86_32, and new apps could be x86_64/arm64.

Or, I could just pull the trigger on the $5 app and look myself, lol.   I’ll do that.

PhonosUltimate: Mach-O universal binary with 2 architectures: [x86_64:Mach-O 64-bit executable x86_64] [arm64]
PhonosUltimate (for architecture x86_64):	Mach-O 64-bit executable x86_64
PhonosUltimate (for architecture arm64):	Mach-O 64-bit executable arm64

Doesn’t require Rosetta.

Thank you very much for posting that.  Downloading it now.

It’s both. You can open the package and take a look inside if you like. (I am the author).

Why would the app not run via Apple’s Rosetta 2?  So far I haven’t had any trouble running my existing Sonos app for Mac.

Apple’s next MacOS will no longer support Rossetta 2 as an interpolator for InTel based apps to work with Apple Silicon.

Chiming in here a little late, but I have tried a stupid amount of 3rd party MacOS (and iOS) Sonos apps. It’s really obnoxious that Sonos is abandoning a group of people that have a specific MacOS workflow like OPs here, which seems close to mine. Throughout my day, working on different projects, I have to switch back and forth between my Mac Mini, Macbook Pro and company-issued Chromebook (via KVM), and the web app does suffice when working strictly off ChromeOS - you can easily create a nice little web app if you choose to do so. But that segue to a web app has been pretty awful with Safari for instance which like OP, don’t want open at times. I created a web app via both Unite Pro and Coherence X that aren’t bad, but I love the frills of a real player that stacks some fun functionality in it. Music is my world and why should it have to be mundane - especially when we’ve dropped god knows how much money on hardware to see some major fails time and again - and as a loyal consumer I’d like to see Sonos pay it back with something that wows. Maybe the web app will get there, but in the meantime here are my favs for 3rd party MacOS functionality in order of preference:

1) MenuBar Controller for Mac (made by Lyd, which is also an awesome iOS app) - really quick functionality from your Menu Bar including grouping, volume, track change and a player/library function that keeps on improving - you can now search library and services with ease.

2) Clic (also has an amazing app for with robust functionality) - Clic is constantly getting better, the dev is super active and if there were a few tweaks to the menu bar and quick volume edits it would be my daily Sonos macOS driver

3) Orto - doesn’t look pretty and there is some glitchy behavior, but it works (

I wouldn’t recommend Soro for MacOS - there are a bunch of reasons, but it just feels unfinished and they hype it up, but it can’t compete on MacOS and has too many places where extra clicks are unnecessarily added. 

Frills: For both MacOS and iOS I place a ton of value in stuff like Control Center, Live Activities, lockscreen controls, apple audio player integration, widgets, etc.

I’ve also used these apps and their iOS apps on my Mac Mini through iPhone mirroring which normally is pretty solid unless the apps are wrapped in a way that don’t allow for the scrolling, clicking, etc via a computer mouse.

Sidenote for iOS users - Sonify is an amazing option, it’s a fairly recent addition, is free and the dev and updates are active. For straight functionality and what I envision a Sonos app should look and feel like, Sonify wins. They just need to add a MacOS app and throw some of the frills I noted above in there and then it will be my “go to”.

Second sidenote for iOS user - Sono+ is also a great app that is kind of like an addendum to the Sonos app rather than something to replace it. It provides alot of those frills above.

Hope this diatribe helps someone.

There does not seem to be a way to play from the library on the Web App.  Only streaming services.

On Android and Chrome web controller, the music library is at the bottom. 

Unlike in the IOS app, there does not seem to be a way to reorder sources in the web app. Or maybe I’ve missed it ?

I don't see an option to reorder either.

It seems like a simple answer would simply to allow the iOS / iPad app to be downloaded and run from mac.  This is a feature that Apple promoted for a while but hardly anyone actually uses - seems odd. It would be a straight forward way to not manage multiple code bases or apps but allow users to use where they want.

That isn’t an option for Intel Macs though.

That is true, but given MacOS27 won’t be supported on Intel Macs any way does that really matter?  Just keep using MacOS 26 and rosetta 2 (and the Sonos app as is). no?

Good point,yeah.

I agree with many of the points here, and similar threads on the MacOS App. I am a long-time user of the MacOS app and other Apple platforms. I actually used the original Sonos “Brick” hardware controller, at first.

Today, I think this is really a broader company issue than just the Controller app for Mac Silicon. Full disclosure - I follow Sonos only intermittently. I think they’ve emerged from the issues with the mobile controller from 2 years ago with a revised focus. They want to be a well run, ‘financially responsible’ publicly traded company. Based on their actions and their messaging, I believe they have made the conscious decision that they are not a broad ‘consumer UI software company’ and are quietly divesting of delivery platforms that they have not identified as strategic (Android, IOS, limited voice assistants) but are a leader in modern home audiophile hardware/software systems. IOS and Android is their only focus for UI dependent software. I don’t think they want to invest much resourcing into UI and usability, and have consciously decide to reduce their exposure to that part of their old business model.

Tom Conrad, CEO: “...our strategy is clear: to unite every dimension of sound – through world-class hardware, software, and design – into one seamless platform for the home.”  (Sounds great to me!)

Saori Casey, CFO: “Over the course of Fiscal 2025, we executed on our pivotal transformation work, becoming a leaner, more focused organization with sharper financial discipline.” (‘Focused’ means conscious decision on what you will and won’t focus on in the future. ‘Financial discipline’ = financial engineering, imo - work your business and processes and compensation systems and HR processes so they align to financial metrics desired.

Frank Barbieri, COO was positioned as support for tighter execution across the business and its customer/partner-facing operations. Mr Barbieri comes most recently from Walmart, the dominant giant of retail, notorious for being relentless cutting costs and managing operations, especially supply chain, very tightly.

I’d LOVE to see them announce they’re coming out with a lightweight app for MacOS and Apple silicon.

(To the developer type folks - would a MacOS widget work? It’d be nice just to show the album cover, artist, song & album, pause/skip, and have it long running in a corner of a monitor or screen.)

The other dimension that is part of this is voice UI access with personal (Home & AI personal) assistants. The timing of when they announce and when they deliver will send clear message on who they plan on being in the future. 

When Captain Phillips was HELD CAPTIVE by Somali Pirates he said “I never lost hope for myself, but I didn’t see a good ending coming out of it.” - Ditto.

no one asked for it, but there’s my $0.02. disappointed...

As mentioned in this thread, the web app at play.sonos.com might meet your needs.

Thanks kdowling for the suggestion. My apologies in advance if I am missing something. The web app you refer to is the browser based app, correct? If so, they’ve done a nice job with the look of it. For my use, I’d prefer something that can be minimized as an album cover itself with basic controls on that album cover, similar to the MacOS app look an feel. When you select the album cover in the MacOS app and it enlarges in a separate window, and then you can minimize the app while keeping the album cover displayed by itself in a corner of the monitor. Ideally it would also not have the overhead of the browser. Thanks - let me know if I’m missing something please.

I don’t think you’re missing anything. I also like that feature of the macOS controller. The web app is what Sonos intends as the replacement for the desktop controllers. If they don’t release an apple silicon version (and it looks like they won’t), we’ll have to see if the market fills the vacuum.

I have several mac’s, some old and limited to macos versions which will continue to support rosetta. However, the issue for me is the play.sonos.com won’t actually function against a pure s1 system. 

The s1 apps for both macos and ios work perfectly fine -- for now. I’m sure if I ever turned on a windows device… those would probably work fine too. I’m currently on version 11.16.1… for the firmware’s and the controllers. I’ve enjoyed this setup for 15+ years… when I started the journey the old hardware controllers still existed, and the “apps” were just starting.

The web app only works with S2 system. So that’s not an option for us S1 folks. I also have a few older macbook pros. Two (one intel, one M1) will not be upgraded, so those will continue to work with the S1 controllers they have.

A couple weeks ago the download page was redesigned and they left off the S1 Desktop controllers. I then discovered the last time I downloaded the installer was quite a few updates ago. I downloaded current installers as soon as they fixed that (just in case!).