Forced Software Updates.

If there was enough interest in running un-updated Sonos gear maybe Sonos could add a block all updates option. Don’t know if there is enough support for this to give it room in the very limited device memory space, maybe it could just be in the controller?

Probably want to block sending Diagnostics and add a disclaimer somewhere prominent: “Updates Blocked - System Not Supported” just to avoid surprises.

@ronlcart What Onkyo Music Player do you use?

DP-X1A

Why would Sonos want to do this?  It is one thing to have a relatively small number of users on old unsupported software, but it is not in their best interest to outright encourage this practice.  For one thing, there will always be customers who expect support even though they want to stay on unsupported software.  They will still call looking for assistance with issues.  Sometimes that’s how-to’s for the specific version they are in.  Sometimes it’s going to expect fixes for a security issue or streaming service that isn’t working.  The expectation will quickly turn from being unsupported to ‘you can keep the version you like and we’ll make sure it stays running for you’.  If Sonos doesn’t help these customers, then they’ve got customers complaining about Sonos.

What’s worse than that...Sonos makes it’s money on product sales.  Customers who aren’t on the current version are incapable of adding new products.  Why would Sonos implement a feature that specifically cuts off their source of revenue?

As noted in https://www.techradar.com/reviews/onkyo-dp-x1a-digital-audio-player Onkyo usenet a very old Android version for this player to start with.

This is a tricky issue for Sonos. Because of the big range of price points at which Sonos products are sold. Folks buying the high price point ones would be interested in the quoted, those at the other end of the spectrum would not mind obsolescence to the same extent. As of now, no music player has suffered that fate, so that is something to the credit of Sonos and something that should reassure the high price point installed base.

As to the UI devices, I suppose that getting a cheap dedicated to Sonos, but also the most recent version of the device can’t be a hardship for most users, and this should serve for a minimum of five years before being obsoleted, so on balance this isn't a big issue for most.

What would be nice is a reduction in the number of upgrades that Sonos, a home audio system, subjects its users to, but that is easier said when one isn't responsible for successful product marketing.