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Contributor I
December 17, 2016
Answered

Sonos have one of the worst music apps I have never seen in a desktop

  • December 17, 2016
  • 27 replies
  • 982 views
The visual aspects and the options are very poors and the way it manages the library is the worst intuitive and usable ways to run...Please tell SONOS if you are agree.
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    Best answer by ratty
    I'm sorry my English is so bad
    No worries. It's infinitely better than my Spanish.

    - Have access to my ridiculous library in a small column

    The 3 panes are re-sizable, at least to a degree.

    - Not being able to order my library by date of the disc or by news in my library, cities, etc.

    That's a not infrequent request. Unfortunately Sonos doesn't store a date tag, and given that index space is severely constrained to maximise track capacity it's highly unlikely that any changes will be made in this area. Many users simply prefix the album name with the year.

    - You can not choose a start view with the library when you start the application.

    Actually I agree this would be nice. The controller remembers the last room, so why not a menu position.

    - Not be able to search all services at once.

    Agreed it would be a nice option to have an 'all sources' in the dropdown menu.

    - Not having a decent podcast service

    That's nothing to do with the controller. Services are being added all the time, but it takes a willingness from the service provider to interface to Sonos' open API.

    - Can not hide the view rooms if I only use it in one or do not want to see that information.

    You can squeeze that pane, but not eliminate it totally.

    - Not able to change or choose the configuration of what I want it to do when double clicking on a song or folder (substitute queue, queue, put at the beginning of queue ...)

    That could be a nice option too, at least for the Desktop controller. Some would also want that kind of flexibility in the iOS/Android controllers.

    In the end up to the volume seems to me that it has a little progressive use and coarse

    You can in fact adjust the volume by 1% at a time using a mouse pointer. The shortcut keys or mousewheel move it in increments of 2%

    27 replies

    Chris
    Lead Maestro
    December 17, 2016
    Many people love the layout of the desktop application and complained rremendously when the tablet version was changed. I don't forsee Sonos putting any development into changing the desktop layout. I personally like the desktop version and don't care that the colors aren't the most modern.
    Respect the Queue (2)Move (3)Beam (1) Era100 (2)ARC (1)SonosOne (1)Playbar (4)Play5 (4)Play1 (3)Play3 (1)Port (2)Connect (1) Roam (2) Ace (1)Connect:Amp (4)Sonos Amp (1)Sub + (9) Echo + Smartthings; (2)Play)
    December 17, 2016
    The visual aspects and the options are very poors and the way it manages the library is the worst intuitive and usable ways to run...Please tell SONOS if you are agree.

    Totally disagree - the desktop PC version is the only decent software controller left - the rest have changed to the new 'form over function' versions. It a real joy to be able to use the desktop version. And the more muted colours are fine, particularly in a darkened room.
    Chris
    Lead Maestro
    December 17, 2016
    See. I told you.
    Respect the Queue (2)Move (3)Beam (1) Era100 (2)ARC (1)SonosOne (1)Playbar (4)Play5 (4)Play1 (3)Play3 (1)Port (2)Connect (1) Roam (2) Ace (1)Connect:Amp (4)Sonos Amp (1)Sub + (9) Echo + Smartthings; (2)Play)
    Prodigy II
    December 17, 2016
    The visual aspects and the options are very poors and the way it manages the library is the worst intuitive and usable ways to run...Please tell SONOS if you are agree.

    The desktop controller is excellent and is very intuitive - it just works differently from the rest of the unintuitive pack that you have just got used to and so longer notice they aren't very good.
    chicks
    December 17, 2016
    Desktop? What year is this, 1997? Lol.
    December 17, 2016
    I quite like the controller for PC. But hardly ever use it. Voice control is coming - like Sonos are going to revamp the controller? No reason, no chance.
    December 17, 2016
    And it isn't actually a music app anyway. Perhaps this explains the OP's bewilderment.
    ratty
    December 17, 2016
    I've used the Windows Desktop Controller, in its current guise and its original style, pretty much every day in my home office for 9+ years. Perfectly intuitive and a doddle to use.

    Elsewhere in the house are mostly Android controllers, apart from an iTouch employed for Trueplay. The CR100s are left on a shelf as museum piece curiosities.
    buzz
    Grand Maestro
    December 17, 2016
    I prefer the desktop controller and I hope that it is not "updated" to follow the current trend of minimalist white screens. Yes, minimalist screens may seem "easy" if one views a screen snapshot out of context, but one must dig and dig down through layer after layer in order to accomplish anything. These "easy" screens waste a lot of my time.

    For example, on the other SONOS controllers, it has become tedious to play just one track from an album. I must dig down to do this. On the desktop controller I can drag, drop, done. This is a great time saver for me.
    December 18, 2016
    I've used the Windows Desktop Controller, in its current guise and its original style, pretty much every day in my home office for 9+ years. Perfectly intuitive and a doddle to use. .

    Agree completely.


    Elsewhere in the house are mostly Android controllers, apart from an iTouch employed for Trueplay. The CR100s are left on a shelf as museum piece curiosities.


    Problem with an Android controller is you have to find a device that uses wireless charging so it is as convenient as the CR100 charging cradle to just pick up and use without dealing with any cables. It also requires a lot of configuration so it will wake when picked up, always open into the Sonos app, and use Sonsnet instead of Wi-Fi. If you want the same level of water resistance as the CR100 it gets even more challenging. I think the CR100 has a lot of important features that are hard to replicate making anything else a bit of a step backward. If the CR100 is a "museum piece curiosity" then all of the other alternatives are "unfortunate compromises" that cannot live up to past achievements.
    Local music library with carefully constructed playlists - no shuffling!, Integration with Homeseer Automation, No touch screen devices, No streaming services, No Apple products ever