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wireman007
Contributor III
Jul 23, 2014 7:13 AM UTC

Bring Back the Sonos CR200 Controller!

It is my opinion that "dropping the CR200 dedicated controller" was the WORST decision ever made by Sonos.

I have just spent another wasted afternoon unsuccessfully attempting to teach an elderly customer how to control his new $3000 Sonos system without the CR200.

I tried an Android phone, iPhone, iPad Mini, iPad and he could not understand how to control Sonos.

My clients are all age 60+. Most don't even have smart phones. The CR200 worked perfectly for these people. I still prefer my own CR200 over any other controller. My Sonos sales have nose-dived after the CR200 was discontinued!

Wake up Sonos. Even Bose understands how vital a dedicated controller is. Bring back the CR200!!!
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    49 replies

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    ratty
    ratty
    Dec 3, 2014 10:59 AM UTC
    Found Expansys selling 8gb nexus 7 for £59.99
    To be fair, those are refurbished units.
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    ratty
    ratty
    Dec 3, 2014 11:07 AM UTC
    Never ceases to amaze me the stuff people complain about.
    iOS appears to be the culprit here. When an iThing is woken, already connected to the WiFi, the Sonos controller still has to go through the Trying to connect to your network routine. At least that's how my iTouches have always behaved. By contrast the Android controller app reconnects without a blip.
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    ninjabob
    Chromatic Producer I
    Dec 3, 2014 11:08 AM UTC

    We do too. CR100 minimal delay & maximum ease of use (hard buttons!). :D

    Three still in daily use and always what I reach for.
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    DavidField
    Lyricist III
    Dec 3, 2014 6:12 PM UTC
    £60 - a small price to pay for peace and quiet!!
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    DavidField
    Lyricist III
    Dec 3, 2014 6:16 PM UTC
    To be fair, those are refurbished units.
    Still a lot cheaper than second hand CR200s
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    ratty
    ratty
    Dec 3, 2014 6:38 PM UTC
    Still a lot cheaper than second hand CR200s
    Indeed. Stretch your budget to the official charging cradle and the Nexus 7 will use the charging contacts without having to faff about with the microUSB connector. Lift it off when you need it.
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    DavidField
    Lyricist III
    Dec 3, 2014 8:03 PM UTC
    Stretch your budget to the official charging cradle.

    Just ordered one new from eBay for £31
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    BCM
    BCM
    Dec 4, 2014 12:03 AM UTC
    iOS appears to be the culprit here. When an iThing is woken, already connected to the WiFi, the Sonos controller still has to go through the Trying to connect to your network routine. At least that's how my iTouches have always behaved. By contrast the Android controller app reconnects without a blip.

    True, but mine takes a second or two to reconnect... If you're whining about something taking that much time to get you to your entertainment, you really have to review your lifestyle.
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    Kumar
    Dec 4, 2014 3:39 AM UTC
    iOS appears to be the culprit here. When an iThing is woken, already connected to the WiFi, the Sonos controller still has to go through the Trying to connect to your network routine. At least that's how my iTouches have always behaved. By contrast the Android controller app reconnects without a blip.
    I agree - the i touch user experience isn't as slick as even legacy kit remotes because of this - granting that things such as playlists can be managed so easily on the touch. But I often find that when I am accessing playlists after some idle time on the touch, the controller app disappears and it has to do the above referred jig before becoming usable again - and this can be irritating, because this can happen even after the playlist or zone has been reached.
    I am new to Android - does it matter what kind of OS one needs to get this blip less reconnection? If yes, which is the minimum level of Android OS needed? I need to get it on a touch sized device.
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    ratty
    ratty
    Dec 4, 2014 9:00 AM UTC
    I am new to Android - does it matter what kind of OS one needs to get this blip less reconnection? If yes, which is the minimum level of Android OS needed? I need to get it on a touch sized device.
    Of the controller app, Sonos says "Requires Android: 2.1 and higher. Certain features may require higher versions of Android."

    Frankly I'd recommend getting nothing less than KitKat (v4.4), ideally with the option to upgrade to Lollipop (v5.0). The Google Nexus phone or tablet is a safe bet.

    Alternatively you could consider simply getting a Motorola Moto E or Moto G phone and operating it SIM-free. They run virtually stock Android KitKat with the promise of a Lollipop upgrade. There are of course cheaper possibilties, but as budget handsets the Moto range has won plaudits.
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