Some of the packages that I use have a “stable” version that is well tested and could be a year or two old, and a “new” version that may still have a few bugs or developing features.

Certainly would increase complexity for the user, and cause Customer Service to support more versions of the system. 

The routers shouldn’t have any effect on whether or not Sonos system updates suck.  We have sonos in 3 retail locations, at home and a rental unit.  CONSTANT updates are so bothersome.  I want my systems to be up to date.  I don’t understand why they can’t figure out how to do it at 3am in the background.  I have selected automatic updates to no avail.  The app, controller and speaker updates are just too much.  Most of the time you also have to reconnect apple music or spotify accounts because the update disconnected you.  It’s such a crappy experience.

There are several points I find puzzling about your post. 

First is the use of the word ‘CONSTANT’. This is certainly counter to my experience, and if you look at the dates on the release notes page, not what I would consider constant.

Second, there are two parts to an update, generally speaking. The first is on the computers that run each speaker, and controlled by that ‘automatic updates’ flag you’ve mentioned. Since that feature was released, I’ve not had to update my speakers once, it has always occurred automatically, I assume at the assigned time. However, I mostly use the iOS controller, so that I manually update, once on each device (I tend to have three, two iPads and an iPhone). At most, this takes a minute to download and install, on my sub-gigabit network. When I sit down at a desktop, I update the controllers there, but that doesn’t happen often.

Having to reconnect a streaming service frequently is more concerning to me. You shouldn’t be needing to do that. It suggests that either Sonos has stored an old authorization token (which aren’t supposed to change), or that your speakers are unable to properly connect to the service’s authorization server. This is unlikely to have anything to do with an update, unless the network is experiencing duplicate IP address issues being generated by the router. 

It may be worth the time to read the manual for the router, and set up reserved IP addresses for all Sonos devices. It’s good network practices, and certainly won’t hurt anything, and it could resolve this issue you seem to be experiencing. 

Since doing the reserved/static IP settings I have not noticed Sonos updates, they happen overnight, invisibly.

I lean to the IP issues being Sonos’ fault but without access to the internals I ca’t prove anything. The wide variety of routers that seem to have issues with Sonos point in the same direction.

I never have the same demand for updates on my tv. Turn itv on and it works. Turn Sonos on and it always wants an update to work. The only way is to keep the Sonos on all the time day and night which is wasting costly electricity particularly if Sonos is only used mainly on weekends. Updates should be optional not compulsory. Such a shame as its a good sounding system

But Sonos updates are optional, they are never done unless a user requests one be done.

Do you possibly have your phone or tablet automatically requesting controller updates? If you do that then yes, the speakers will want to update to match what you have already done to the controller.

There is no need to keep your Sonos on, just let it go to low-power mode and set it to update automatically overnight, have your controller also update and you will never see an “update needed” message again.

It is not optional when you are prohibited from adding new services or doing anything but basic operation before you update. 

In most instances this is probably due to a mismatch in versions when an update has been made to a controller app but not to the system, rather than on not being on the latest version.  This situation can be avoided by the user, as explained by @Stanley_4 .  Most uses of Sonos are simply to play music, and it is to be expected that “system management” tasks require a stable and predictable environment.

Do you have your Sonos system set not to update automatically (setting in Sonos app) but the Sonos app to update automatically (setting in your app store)?  If so, then that would explain your experience. 

‘In most instances this is probably due to a mismatch in versions’

that sounds like guessing to me, but updating is defo not optional.

It’s not guessing, and you didn’t respond to JohnB’s query:

Then prove it.

Anyone with any significant experience of the system knows that a version mismatch between controller and players can often, but not always, result in greyed out options. 

And you still didn’t answer the question JohnB posed.

I think you are mistaking me for someone who now gives a **** about whether or not you improve your understanding of the Sonos system.  I was just trying to help, as in your thread here.

I can’t prove what I said there, either.

A “poop”?

Something like that. 

Exactly like that

Came here to note two things on this year old but still popular thread:

1. I too find the app update process a pain. I used to leave auto update enabled. Each time the iOS app updated - seemingly once a month for "bug fixes and performance enhancements" but with no details about what those might be - I would suffer through another round of a four component Sonos system that was working just fine before the update but is unable to find the system after and required fights with a Wi-Fi system that no other components have issues with.
   
   I now manually check for updates shortly *before* the phone app is due for its next monthly and, if the complaints have died down and my system is still working I *might* pull the trigger and update. Sadly this means I have to disable auto-update for all the rest of my phone apps too. Thanks, Sonos, for forcing this on me.

2. Those who claim "but it just works": I invite you to look at the details of the app reviews, sorted by most recent. The vast majority I see are similar complaints - people who allowed or were pushed an update and their system stopped working. The favorable reviews seem to be mostly buyers who just got a new system and were able to set it up to enjoy; but who will likely join the ranks of disgruntled owners in after an update in their near future.

This doesn't seem like an app support strategy with long-term customer satisfaction as a goal to me. I know that I have decided to defer any future Sonos component acquisitions until the app update process improves. Meanwhile the rest of the tech in my house is putting Sonos to shame. Don’t rest on your laurels too long.