SONOS...don't be silent about V8 backlash

Sonos has not been silent at all. Recently a Sonos rep said the following:

There are lots of big plans around the new app, voice control, and the future of Sonos, and it's moving a lot faster than we ever have before. I can't speak to what's coming next, or when, because software development takes time and things come up that change dates all the time.

The team is hard at work looking at feedback and criticism, and they will continue to do so as we develop the software, and hardware too for that matter. Feedback on the community tends to include a lot of criticism because having concerns is far more motivating when it comes to offering suggestions compared with enjoying a new design. We got a lot of feedback and some great constructive suggestions which will be getting fed into future versions of the app. This is just the start of the new design for the controller.

I think you've already shared some great feedback in other threads that has been passed up, but if you have any other suggestions please feel free to share.

Thanks!

He and others have repeatedly stated they are collecting feedback and relaying it to the development teams and that there will be changes coming soon, with others coming later.

It is true that few people go online to complain about good things. However for a lot of people things have to get pretty bad before they will go online to complain.

I have never complained in the last 8 yrs if ownership until now, but not because I haven’t seen things I don’t like. I just haven’t seen anything I dislike as much as v8. And I have seen people actually creating user accounts just to say how much they don’t like v8.

We are not trying to persuade those of you who are ‘pro’ v8 that you are wrong. Just stop trying to persuade us that you are right.

Andrew

Thanks for sharing that post, jgaite.

My apologies if it seems we've been quiet, I can assure you that we're reading everything posted and talking about your feedback here as we continue to develop the app. We'll keep on working on the software and you'll see some changes soon with more to come. This is just the beginning of the new app, so you'll see revisions as we build.

We'd love to get your feedback and suggestions as we go.

Just a note, things like playback problems and rooms not responding aren't likely to be app related, so if you do experience this sort of problem, it's best to contact us and do some troubleshooting. Those are almost certainly fixable and caused by something environmental.

SONOS, now is not the time to be silent. People have spent SIGNIFICANT money on your products, and for you to FORCE an update on everyone, an update that the large majority find unusable, unstable, and overall just BAD, we need to hear from you on what your intentions are. Transparency is important. Do not just sit back and be silent. Don't make us sort through hundreds of posts to find whatever information you are giving. Put information clearly on your support page.

In the future, remember that your software is tied to very expensive hardware that we, your customers, have purchased. Before you go making huge changes to the software, how about putting it out as a trial, or send users emails with images of the UI, demo site, so we can give feedback BEFORE you ruin everyone's systems? Or better yet, give us a ROLLBACK option that works.

I second this very eloquent plea for reasonableness (especially ROLLBACK - you had some pretty great software back in the day, and for the most part it just got worse and worse), and wish to add my own related suggestion:
One of the things I find simply horrendous is the partitioning of Sonos Favorites into the very arbitrary, one-size-fits-all categories tied to item type (playlist, podcast, station, albums, etc.) Since EVERY function that applies to actions performed on these things is consistent across-the-board regardless of their placement, why not let users define their own hierarchy of "buckets" for faves? I couldn't care less WHERE my stuff is sourced, so I would, as an example, create three folders for music labeled "Bedtime", "Relaxing", "Lively" and a fourth called "Spoken" for podcasts, news, and sports. Other people might divide them as "Jazz" and "Classical"; and some might even just rock it old school and leave the items in the Sonos Favorites root folder (always worked for me - I only ever had about 20 favorites.) My one parting remark (question, really) is this: on what planet does ANYONE care to sort their favorites by whether they're a list, an album, or a podcast? (Did you hire the same person who designed the method of programming Japanese VCR's in the 70's???)

That is all. Great hardware and concept, but I REFUSE to buy one more piece until this software sh*t-show is resolved. (And may just sell my four Connect units on Ebay, as there's a pretty vigorous market for them and I won't lose much at all.)

Peace, out.

. This is just the beginning of the new app, so you'll see revisions as we build.

And that's the problem right there!

You forced people to upgrade - from a reasonable functional controller - to some kind of early release.

Just roll this back until you get it right.

Yes how ridiculous to have organised Favourites by type when they could have left everything mixed up with no customisation. Outrageous.

Sonos has not been silent at all. Recently a Sonos rep said the following:

There are lots of big plans around the new app, voice control, and the future of Sonos, and it's moving a lot faster than we ever have before. I can't speak to what's coming next, or when, because software development takes time and things come up that change dates all the time.

The team is hard at work looking at feedback and criticism, and they will continue to do so as we develop the software, and hardware too for that matter. Feedback on the community tends to include a lot of criticism because having concerns is far more motivating when it comes to offering suggestions compared with enjoying a new design. We got a lot of feedback and some great constructive suggestions which will be getting fed into future versions of the app. This is just the start of the new design for the controller.

I think you've already shared some great feedback in other threads that has been passed up, but if you have any other suggestions please feel free to share.

Thanks!

He and others have repeatedly stated they are collecting feedback and relaying it to the development teams and that there will be changes coming soon, with others coming later.

The trouble with this is, of course, that while they're dicking around with all sorts of stuff that works and doesn't work, we're forced to endure it all. Feels a LOT to me like Microsoft Windows all over again (a perfectly wonderful Windows 7 is replaced by POS 8, and then 10, over the protests of HUGE numbers of users.) And even there, the users have the option of a transitional period in which to find a replacement, and Microsoft made concessions with settings that could make 8 and 10 behave more like 7. With Sonos, you just come home from work one day, go to turn on some music, and find that you've been gifted with a new, inferior design, whether you like it or not. No options. Take it, or turn off your hardware that you paid hundreds (or even thousands) for. The problem isn't change, it's forced change with no warning or accommodation for those who are very enamored of and accustomed to the current version.

Yes how ridiculous to have organised Favourites by type when they could have left everything mixed up with no customisation. Outrageous.

I will engage you once (and never again, since your 5700+ replies indicate this is your hobby, if not your obsession), and state flatly that you clearly don't understand the point of what I posted if you interpret it as not wanting customization. Read it over once again. I merely see no point in the customization (it's not customization by the way, it's categorization - and fixed, at that - customization would imply that the user can control it) that Sonos provided. It is useless to me, and I suspect, many others.

V7 favourites were unstructured and had zero customisability. V8 has structure and minimal customisability. I understood perfectly what you said. I do find the separation useful, although I too would like greater choice. Maybe I am odd but I rarely go looking for a favourite playlist then decide to put on a talk radio station instead

Always amusing how changes trigger these visceral responses, with often the same people who complained bitterly about the previous update now claim it was beautiful. It never ends, lol.