End of software updates?!

The design of this solution is meant to be modular in the sense that you build your product library on the platform provided. To interconnect all components as one and say arbitrarily that one of your components is older therefore your entire solution will not longer receive updates tells a story about how the direction of this company has changed. We have seen a continual shift from supporting the Sonos Communities investment in the Sonos solutions to a never ending list of news updates stating that your products are too old or the technologies have changed too much for Sonos to keep up. Really? Invest some of your energy and our money in providing firmware updates that will keep ‘legacy’ products on the same platform as our current products while limiting functionality on those legacy items to keep them in range of their capabilities and not limit all components of the solution. Don’t offer a worthless 30% discount on newer more expensive replacements, I am questioning whether I want to invest anything going forward. Sonos is literally asking us, the consumer, to pay for there poor design after convincing us to invest in their platform and in many cases helping them improve the design. I am not interested in stating personally what this does to my solutions at two different locations, I am more interested in making the point that Sonos should take notice that this decision really makes the consumer re-evaluate where we want to invest our dollars in audio solutions and technologies going forward. The end of life announcement is not the community based approach I bought into over the past years with Sonos and is very disappointing and concerning. 

I also have 10 components being end-of-lived. The cost to address will be significant no matter what.  As a result, I refuse to convert to new Sonos units and will do my best to inform others of this risk.  What are the best alternatives on the market to explore?

Blackmail?

My system worked well for years. Then started degrading. I was told I needed to change my BRIDGE for a BOOST. It worked well. My system is now good again.

Now I’ve been told I will need to upgrade the whole lot in May.

Have Sonos deliberately downgraded? Will they continue doing so?

Are they aware that to replace my system (even with a 30% discount) it will cost me my pension from two and a half months.

That’s not going to happen.

I’ve been with Sonos for 20 years now.  I’ve purchased just about every product you’ve ever made from the beginning.  Over $10,000 worth of your equipment and I’ve sold even more for you with recommendations.  I’ve already thrown away the Controller 100, two Controller 200’s and 3 Bridges.  Now you want me to “Upgrade” and give you more money.  I’m finished.  Bluesound here I come.  It’s better anyway.  It has High Resolution.

Wow, this is super frustrating.  I have 7 - seven! - devices, which were NOT cheap.  

Replacing them is going to be a very expensive proposition, and based the casual attitude at Sonos, I will not be doing that with Sonos equipment.

As a software engineer, I know it’s hard to support older products.  But you do it!  It’s part of being a consumer hardware company.  My TV is older than my Sonos devices, and it’s supported.  Hell, my TiVo is older than my Sonos, and it’s a LOT more complex than speakers.

VERY disappointed.

What are folks replacing with, instead?  I have three AMPs and four various speakers.

Amps, or Connect:Amps?  Amps are unaffected, as are Connect:Amps sold since 2016.  

If you have Connect:Amps purchased before 2016, the replacement would be the Amp.

I think my anger and vitriol didn’t quite come through, at being told to replace many thousands of dollars of equipment….I’m not looking for a SONOS replacement.

And yes, they are three Connect:Amps, three Play 5: GEN 1, and one Connect.

I too have received the fateful email.

Arrogant and uncaring.   Is this the real Sonos?

Sonos - Look at what your customers are saying.   Review your decision.

I too have had this email today. I am absolutely shocked at their cavalier attitude to their customers. I’ll certainly be making a noise about this on social media and suggest others do the same. It’s nothing more than ripping people off.

I am furious and will NOT be replacing with another Sonos. Shocking!

And far from being an obsolete piece of equipment, my system was bought new 5 years ago. We had the intention of developing it into a whole house system. Bin it- and don’t replace!