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annanemas
Contributor II
November 3, 2018

No More Sonos for Me

  • November 3, 2018
  • 54 replies
  • 3442 views
My reason for buying a multi-room Sonos system was to enjoy my large PC-based music collection throughout the whole house. Removing functionality from the Windows PC controller makes this a lot less enjoyable because now I need to both use my computer and keep a phone or tablet with me all the time. I own 6 Sonos speakers now and was interested in upgrading to newer models, but now I've changed my mind because functionality is being removed for desktop users, rather than improved. Restore and improve desktop functionality or kiss my thousands of dollars' worth of business goodbye forever.
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      davidjohnnewman
      Lyricist III
      November 20, 2018
      Yes, I have one speaker Play5 wired to my new router and one Play1 powered on and wireless.
      You said "Just select a room in the controller and try to play a station from TuneIn"
      but I cannot select a room option or see Tunein options anymore.
      All I can do with the controller menu now is literally just this:-
      1) select mini controller - a blank box appears with no text or menu options
      2)reset controller - which returns as "Sonos connected" - no room/setup data whatsoever
      3)exit Sonos
      that is it !
      Are we really running the same desktop app for Windows PC/laptop?
      John B
      November 20, 2018
      Please would you post a screenshot of what you see when you have opened the controller ( and maximised to full screen if necessary)
      John B
      November 20, 2018
      Did you download the controller from sonos.com and select to connect to existing system?
      John B
      November 20, 2018
      This is the sort of thing you should see.

        davidjohnnewman
        Lyricist III
        November 20, 2018
        Yes, I downloaded the controller from sonos.com and , because I have been trying to get this working for two weeks now, I may have selected to connect to the new system because I thought that a new router would be seen as such.
        Concerning your screenshot - I get nothing like this.
        What I get is - a blank box appears maximised or minimised with no text or menu options whatsoever ?
        Like (0)
        John B
        November 20, 2018
        Well this is some sort of progress in that we have discovered that you don't have a normal, reduced functionality desktop controller, you have one that is totally screwed. The question is: why?
        I think we have reached the point where you will have to phone Sonos Support. This is not normal.
        One last question - which OS are you running on the PC?
        Smilja
        Smilja
        November 20, 2018
        Yes, I downloaded the controller from sonos.com and , because I have been trying to get this working for two weeks now, I may have selected to connect to the new system because I thought that a new router would be seen as such.
        Concerning your screenshot - I get nothing like this.
        What I get is - a blank box appears maximised or minimised with no text or menu options whatsoever ?
        Like (0)
        This may sound strange but uninstall the graphics driver, restart the PC, and go afterwards to the manufacturer's page and download the driver installation file from there and reinstall it.
        »And the world is like an apple whirling silently in space, Like the circles that you find in the windmills of your mind.« (›Windmills Of Your Mind‹ [1967]. Music by Michel Legrand ; English lyrics written by Alan & Marilyn Bergman)
        davidjohnnewman
        Lyricist III
        November 21, 2018
        Ok - some small progress!
        For clarification, I am using Windows 7 version 6.1
        Sonos update pack 9.2, for Windows downloaded app program from Sonos.com
        I did manage to connect one speaker (hardwired via Ethernet to new router) ok but when I tried to connect the 2nd speaker via Wi-Fi nothing happened. Yes I did power down and up the speaker as the Sonos video suggested.
        So I disconnected the 1st speaker from the router and connected the second via the Ethernet cable.
        And now nothing works and the menu has collapsed back to the greyed out one where nothing can be done or setup.
        In desperation, i then uninstalled the Sonos desktop app for Windows and reinstalled it.
        Back to square one now. Nothing is working
        Come on Sonos - it can't be that difficult to change the router and get things working again!
        I have come to the conclusion that the desktop app running under Windows no longer supports the hardware in any reliable fashion!
        Please tell me truthfully if I am correct so that I can stop wasting my time
        John B
        November 21, 2018
        You are running Windows 7 which is pretty old tech, although technically supported by Sonos. Changing routers is normally straightforward, and the Windows app works fine for 99.999% of users. Your best bets are to call Sonos Support as I have already suggested, and probably to invest $50 in a Amazon Fire tablet to control your Sonos. I hope you resolve this.
          davidjohnnewman
          Lyricist III
          November 23, 2018
          For Your Information all Desktop PC controllers of Sonos:
          Finally, I got an official answer from Sonos Care and it seems my worst fears are true.


          "Sonos Customer Care. In the last updates for Sonos those settings for Sonos has been removed from the Desktop Controller Program for Mac's and PC's. The settings for Sonos has been removed the Sonos Desktop Controller., and those settings are available on the mobile controllers. So in this case the Settings, and wireless setup, are available from the Sonos Mobile Controller.

          When it was first introduced in 2005, the desktop controller was intended to be a fully-featured Sonos controller that could be used alongside our dedicated hardware controller. Now that smartphones and tablets make up the vast majority of how people interact with Sonos, we don't believe the desktop controller needs to fill the same role.

          We see the primary role of the desktop controller as being a convenient way to start, stop, and control music playback and grouping while you're actively using a computer. This is how the majority of people use the desktop controller today. When adding new speakers or changing settings in rooms, most people choose to use the Sonos app, and this change reflects that behavior."

          i.e You have to use a mobile tablet from V9.2 onwards to make any changes including new speakers,routers etc.
          What happens if you do so but then go back to your old Desktop PC as a controller is anyone's guess, but I am about to find out.
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