Sonos Controller

Regardless, this is getting offtopic. The thought was that Sonos had made the move to mobile app setup only to enable data collection, which is completely untrue.

Yes, considering Sonos has been collecting data forever, the data collected is almost exclusively via the Sonos players themselves, and (even if it wasn't) there is nothing unique about a PC/Mac app that precludes collecting data, the premise is nonsense.

Regardless, this is getting offtopic. The thought was that Sonos had made the move to mobile app setup only to enable data collection, which is completely untrue.

Yes, considering Sonos has been collecting data forever, the data collected is almost exclusively via the Sonos players themselves, and (even if it wasn't) there is nothing unique about a PC/Mac app that precludes collecting data, the premise is nonsense.
To the contrary: 'Manage --> Settings --> Additional Usage Data'.

To the contrary: 'Manage --> Settings --> Additional Usage Data'.

Not what I meant. I meant that Sonos can collect data via the PC/Mac just as easily as it does via the mobile app, so the premise that they are pushing people towards the mobile controller in order to facilitate data collection is nonsense.

To the contrary: 'Manage --> Settings --> Additional Usage Data'.

Not what I meant. I meant that Sonos can collect data via the PC/Mac just as easily as it does via the mobile app, so the premise that they are pushing people towards the mobile controller in order to facilitate data collection is nonsense.
That's exactly what I meant.

That's exactly what I meant.

Gotcha!

To the contrary: 'Manage --> Settings --> Additional Usage Data'.

Not what I meant. I meant that Sonos can collect data via the PC/Mac just as easily as it does via the mobile app, so the premise that they are pushing people towards the mobile controller in order to facilitate data collection is nonsense.

Then what is the reasoning to require a phone to set up. No one can answer this.

Then what is the reasoning to require a phone to set up. No one can answer this.
The reasoning is fairly clearly to reduce development and support costs, in order to focus engineering investment in other areas. It's not a change I welcome, but I don't find the motivation mysterious.

Then what is the reasoning to require a phone to set up. No one can answer this.

As stated by pwt, Sonos has usage data on what controllers are used and how often, and they used that data to decide to concentrate development on voice/mobile instead of PC/Mac because they foresee a greater ROI by advancing mobile/voice and deprecating the PC/Mac controller. No conspiracy, just economics.

Then what is the reasoning to require a phone to set up. No one can answer this.
The reasoning is fairly clearly to reduce development and support costs to focus engineering investment in other areas. It's not a change I welcome, but I don't find the motivation mysterious.

Not one person in customer service would admit that. I've installed Sonos in three locations and each would run solely with the PC app.

Not one person in customer service would admit that. I've installed Sonos in three locations and each would run solely with the PC app.

I'm pretty sure Customer Service personnel aren't privy to the level of management at which these decisions are made.

Then what is the reasoning to require a phone to set up. No one can answer this.

As stated by pwt, Sonos has usage data on what controllers are used and how often, and they used that data to decide to concentrate development on voice/mobile instead of PC/Mac because they foresee a greater ROI by advancing mobile/voice and deprecating the PC/Mac controller. No conspiracy, just economics.

So it's strictly for their own benefit.
I just wanted something to play my music through my houses. I could have just bought a receiver but I liked the ideas of playing different music in different rooms. This has become super disturbing for me.

Then what is the reasoning to require a phone to set up. No one can answer this.
The reasoning is fairly clearly to reduce development and support costs to focus engineering investment in other areas. It's not a change I welcome, but I don't find the motivation mysterious.

Not one person in customer service would admit that. I've installed Sonos in three locations and each would run solely with the PC app.

Ryan stated this when it was first annouced. Not sure if he's technically branded as customer service in the Sonos employee classificaiton or not.

Our research shows that most Sonos owners reach for their mobile devices when it comes time to set up or control their systems, and so we've decided to focus on building interfaces where our owners go to look for them, which means our app for iOS or Android.

https://en.community.sonos.com/announcements-228985/updates-to-the-desktop-controller-coming-soon-6813300


So it's strictly for their own benefit.


Devoting limited resources to developing features useful to the larger groups of customers is hard to classify as strictly for their own benefit.


I just wanted something to play my music through my houses. I could have just bought a receiver but I liked the ideas of playing different music in different rooms. This has become super disturbing for me.


Huh? The desktop controller still exists, allowing you to control playback of music in different rooms. Read the annoucement thread I posted above for more details of what features have been removed.

And of course, you can still control through mobile apps, voice, hard buttons on the devices, and third party coutrols through Sonos provided APIs.

This has become super disturbing for me.
If you don't already have a suitable mobile device (most people do), then acquiring an inexpensive tablet like a $50 Amazon Fire 7, just for setup tasks, might help alleviate the super disturbance. It's annoying, I know, but (for the great majority), it's not a show-stopper.

So it's strictly for their own benefit.
I just wanted something to play my music through my houses. I could have just bought a receiver but I liked the ideas of playing different music in different rooms. This has become super disturbing for me.

There aren't many corporations on earth who make decisions that are not for their own benefit. Even those decisions that benefit some customers are made with a profit in mind.

As to having "something to play my music through my houses", you can still play music with the PC app. The only things deprecated from the app are settings menus, which have nothing to do with playing music, grouping rooms, adjusting volume, etc. Is it really so "super disturbing" that for the few times you may need to configure a device or service you need to use a mobile device?

[quote=jgatie]

Is it really so "super disturbing" ?

Yes. Its like buying anything (washer, tv, car...) and then 6 months later they say you have to use "this" now or it wont work. I could see if this was a subscription that I was paying monthly for, I would just cancel...Not when you spend thousands of dollars for something that cant be returned.

[quote=kevin4525]

Is it really so "super disturbing" ?

Yes. Its like buying anything (washer, tv, car...) and then 6 months later they say you have to use "this" now or it wont work. I could see if this was a subscription that I was paying monthly for, I would just cancel...Not when you spend thousands of dollars for something that cant be returned.

What exactly "won't work"? 95% of the functionality of the system, and 100% of the stuff that is done often, is still supported by the PC/Mac controller. It may be inconvenient that you now must break out the mobile for the 5% of things you do infrequently, but I find describing it as "super disturbing" (or "super" anything) to be hyperbole of the first order. Even worse for your cause, it is hyperbole which takes away from legitimate complaints in many eyes.

[quote=jgatie]

Is it really so "super disturbing" ?

Yes. Its like buying anything (washer, tv, car...) and then 6 months later they say you have to use "this" now or it wont work. I could see if this was a subscription that I was paying monthly for, I would just cancel...Not when you spend thousands of dollars for something that cant be returned.

What exactly "won't work"? 95% of the functionality of the system, and 100% of the stuff that is done often, is still supported by the PC/Mac controller. It may be inconvenient that you now must break out the mobile for the 5% of things you do infrequently, but I find describing it as "super disturbing" (or "super" anything) to be hyperbole of the first order. Even worse for your cause, it is hyperbole which takes away from legitimate complaints in many eyes.

Do these equate to 5%:
Setting up or transferring a system
Adding a player to existing system
The ability to bond/unbond players (surrounds, stereo pairs, or adding a Sub).
Registering players
TV setup for Beam, Playbase, and Playbar
Enabling parental controls
Network settings and management
Line-in settings
Renaming a Room
Opting in or out of a beta program
Resetting your Sonos account password

Listen, I was a huge fan. I wouldn't have spent 10s of thousands wiring my homes and offices and purchasing amps for everyroom if I wasn't....But now I feel like i've been duped.
Think of it this way, you go out to your car to go somewhere and it wont start. It now says you need "this" to start it.
When the update happened, two of my office locations were not recognizing the amps and I had no music for 6 days until someone in their tech department could log into my computers and do something that made them work.
Now I bought a Sound beam and it can't be added. "super" is the polite way of saying how I feel.

When compared to how often they are used vs, the every day control of music, yes they are 5%, probably less. I can't tell you the last time I did any of those items, probably was the last time I bought a new device a couple years ago. And if I bought one today, I would grin and bear it for the 25 seconds it takes to add the device via a mobile controller and be done with it. If I didn't have a phone? I'm sure there are a couple people I could borrow one from, just like I borrowed an iPhone for Trueplay.

First world problems.