The Sonos Brexit and pragmatic ways past it

Sigh. I really appreciate seeing all this discussion around solutions. Thanks to Kumar for starting it. 
 

it does seem however to be gravitating off topic.

I think it is outrageous that somebody with a legacy system would be denied the ability to add another legacy device. 

All components need to be on a Compatible version. SONOS deems which versions are compatible.

You need the ability to load a compatible version on the device to add it to your network.

If they deliver an incompatible version from the Cloud, you will not be able to add it to your system unless you update all your system. 

Until this point there has been no going backwards in versions.  There is no vehicle to take the system back.  No factory reset and local software loading mechanism is available to the public, although i am sure the service department at sonos has the tools.

You can block the updates from coming but once you take them, you cant go back.

I am not concerned that the system will stop functioning as it is today and I have all kinds of tools to control the system from third party plugins. I just worry that if things go south at SONOS and somebody decides to turn off the Legacy Software delivery that the end will be very near for the platform.

The line in on the devices can be fed with any new platform and I will never loose the grouping and control but once the download mechanism stops, then we are bust.  Any software glitch and you are done.

@chickentender @chickentender I get what you suggest about the big three, so good luck with that - not many of us can do what you are doing, and I certainly cannot. I use all three in a horses for courses way - Google for Android and search, Apple for Mac/Time Capsule/Music and Amazon for Echo, Music, Kindle and all sorts of online shopping. I realise the risk, but I also think I am too insignificant to be of much interest to them. I also realise that things like the slider to cover the camera on the Show is a sop. But if they still want to see/hear all the banal things that go on my home which are the same that go on in billions of homes, they can have it all and keep building more server farms to do that. In any case, any government is just as much a tyranny, so what's the difference of one over the other? So I just find that for my future Sonos roadmap, products from the big three will probably suit me best. For you, others might - what is pragmatic for me may not be a constraint for you.

I am sure you understand though that there are many ways the big guys can access you and if you can't cover all the bases, there may be no point in covering just a few. Covering all probably means a Unabomber lifestyle, minus the bombs. To me, life is too short to spend like that or wearing a tin foil hat. One just has to be watchful of not getting brainwashed by them, in the same way one needs to not get brainwashed by Sonos.

@dan8558  I can invoke via voice both Amazon and Apple Music. Doing this for Spotify hasn't been brought to India yet by Amazon/Spotify, but it may be possible in your location. In the Spotify app, only the Connect Amp is seen as speaker available, not the Show - again this may be a India specific gap that will get addressed sooner or later and Sonos can neither aid nor hinder that. At that time I should be able pick the Show as the target speaker as an alternative to the Connect Amp. I can do that today in the Amazon app.

Once you find that your plan to keep a legacy system running is successful, it should not matter to you what life the play 1 and Sub have - they will just move to legacy product category and keep working as now. One of my zones has a 1+ Sub in it, and I want to make sure I have a solid way of moving to and then staying in legacy system mode to accommodate these too in future; that is not too far away, because my 2014 play 1 units have just 64 mb, a far cry from the latest units that have 1024 mb, which memory is what I am sure Sonos developers are anxious to access.

@Ralpfocus  I have answers to some of your questions, but as you suggest, I think it is better we leave them to Ryan. If he does not answer, you may want to summarise them and repeat them in a post later and then some one here will take a stab at them, I am sure.

Two examples of what I thought is delicious irony, to end this post.

1. Early adopters of Sonos that have built large systems with the inevitable legacy products that are still working, are now Luddites if they resist the Sonos push to get them to change their products.
2. The many here that are fiercely anti Apple because of how Apple is a closed system and the consequences thereof, have no trouble fervently supporting a similarly closed Sonos, whose behaviour, if it still differs from that of Apple, differs only by degree

Yes, but that has been the case since 2005 so now same hands around the same balls, what's the difference? Yes, any legacy maintenance plan is and will always be at the mercy of Sonos, but short of throwing out all Sonos hardware what’s the choice? I would say wait till they actually squeeze out even this legacy plan before doing that, don’t do it in anticipation.

I’d imagine, as we’ve been discussing, if you’re remaining entirely legacy in your network, you have many years left for all your stuff. If you want a Play:5, look to the used market. I just had an offer accepted for 100 bucks… Quite the bargain. If you’re currently happy with how everything works and aren't aching for some sort of new API enhancement or voice feature, then I reckon you’re good to go. In fact, these legacy system could be far more stable for all of us remaining with them - fewer updates and changes mean fewer opportunities for for a wrench in the works as updates roll out.

This has been on my mind too, after seeing how well everyone here has exerted themselves to avoid rants as well conversations that degenerate into point scoring. All aided in no small way by @Edward R .

It isn't just the off topic thing, that can be addressed in some way at least. But as the days pass the thread just gets more and more unwieldy and more and more repetitive. It is the nature of the beast.

I have no solution to prevent this inevitable outcome. Anyone that does, please step forward.

I have no problem with current abilities. I had it locked at the version ?? to be able to use my CR100s for a long time but in a weak moment decided to update because I had tablets laying around which waited for another purpose. Which turned out to be not a great idea. I prefer the legacy devices like the ZP100/ZP120/Connect Amp for their design.and was curious if they block the ability to add those down the road.

If you want a similar set up in its concept, go ahead and buy the Sonos amp. Or, if you can find an unbricked one, a used Connect Amp as long as your speakers are able to deliver with the 55 watts that the amp delivers.

But in both cases, the Sonos controller interface is a must. If you despise that as you say, you have to also give up obtaining grouped play for this new zone with the play 5 units.

Wanting music storage in such a system starts getting complicated though. Other than that, it should be quite feasible, although since I don't know winamp I can't offer specifics.

The difference is the hardware”s best before date has been set to expire in May.

There is no choice but to ride it out and beg for a software install tool to be delivered before the servers shutdown.

Then we can continue to use the hardware as it is and attempt to keep it all running even after the Servers stop delivering Legacy.  That day will come.

As an early adopter I have got a great deal of use from my 20 plus devices. It has been a great investment that I no longer want to rely on SONOS to keep running.

I will work towards building a backend that does not rely on Cloud Software to keep it running.  MULTI channel amps - wire - speakers, feed it with the disposable stuff for the services.

Like you say, Modular.  It may not be pretty to control but It will expire on my terms.