The Sonos Brexit and pragmatic ways past it

In my experience, very little - syncro is available, but I don’t use it, so I can’t comment.

The major stumbling block is that the initial setup of the software can be fiddly (depending on the base server machine) - but the user community is very helpful.   

It doesn’t replace your existing sonos setup - it just complements it.  You can continue using your sonos setup as before.

Hi guys, all very interesting reading, and glad to see people working on ideas, which will probably work for now, based on the assumed position of Sonos. What we need is a roadmap though, not just point solutions based on the here and now. I'm not impacted this time, but it is likely I will be next time, and the time after, how many separate systems might need to be managed? When the next products go legacy they can't go down to this Mays codebase without loosing functionality, so Sonos needs to then support 3 versions, original legacy, new legacy and modern. Which means either 3 systems, or the legacy sytem supporting 2 different software versions, something they say they can't do today. There are some big implications to either Sonos or their customer base which they need to answer or things will only get worse

@johngolfuk as to the pi beta test you refer to it may have been @pwt.

Yes.  I’m not aware of any specific guides, I’m afraid.  Look for the slimdevices forum.  Setting up the server software is fairly straightforward for Windows and MasOS.  Using a Pi is a bit more complicated as you need to choose between 3 options - Picoreplayer, Max2Play, or install the distro on Raspian (most complex).   Once you have LMS running then you need to investigate how to install the upnp/dlna bridge plugin on LMS.   Some extensive reading probably pays off. 

That is an excellent point! I have some thoughts, but this is definitely one for @Ryan S to answer . Whose nerves must be close to getting shot...Sonos needs to think of spelling him every few days for r&r before he is told, as Henry V told his soldiers at Agincourt...once more into the breach my friend...if he is to last even till just May:-)

It’s a great question, but I can’t answer it. We haven’t shared all of the details of how the current legacy process is happening. Let’s get through May first before we start worrying about unannounced things. If you haven’t heard it yet @RedSonos, we are committed to supporting Sonos speakers with software updates for at least five years after we’ve stopped selling them. We’ve got a track record of much longer, as all of the devices going into legacy now were designed at least a decade ago and some of them we stopped selling around 10 years ago. They aren’t getting moved to legacy because they’re old, it’s because their hardware can't keep up with the software demands of the future, all of the modern devices are quite capable of handling those needs. 

And I have been waiting to use this word that the military guys often use: What a cluster.…

Insert appropriate four letter word there. Hint: it isn't love.

Whilst I support the efforts to concentrate on May, in my experience (I'm an IT infrastructure architect) many projects deal with the here and now without considering the implications of these decisions on future iterations. In some cases this means that they paint themselves into a corner, so a long term objective/viewpoint is always something which should be taken into account to ensure there can be a future. I appreciate Sonos's commitment to supporting products for a minimum of 5 years, but my gateway into Sonos was some second hand kit from a friend, so I could become unsupported in less than 5 years. Whilst I know that isn't Sonos's intention today, who knows what hardware requirements will be required to support services in 4 years time, so all I ask that there will be the option to support 2 iterations of legacy devices without huge compromises having to be made

Extensive reading I can manage, I just need pointing in the right direction so thanks for the info, much appreciated.

For now, of course, I’m not impacted but it would be nice to have all options available if Sonos falls over on its promise or Napster etc. change anything - I am firmly in the “not wanting to throw away perfectly working equipment” camp and most of my stuff (barring the P:1s) is knocking on for 15 years old….

I happen to have a PI W floating around - since it was only £15 I bought one out of curiosity - amazing what they can squeeze out of such a tiny PCB. But aside from the basic load (I recall it was Raspian as it goes), I never really got to grips with it.

Windows might be the better option for me, after all I have my ripped CDs stored on a hard drive fitted to a PC that is always on.

Anyways, as time permits, I’ll have a play around and report back with anything interesting.

Cheers

J

First, the terms “geek” and “non geek” words are used with no connotations of disrespect to either.

That said, this thread has gone long enough to need this post for the benefit of non geeks like me that are still with us:

It is interesting to see how many Sonos geeks this thread has drawn and what feels like an apocalypse to us non geeks, is a “isn't this fun, and I told you so” moment to them, with so many geeky approaches that are fascinating, bubbling to the surface. Which is fine, of course, that is the purpose of the thread; what is over the top for me, may be pragmatic for some one else.

But for people at a non geek level or inclination, some reminders to interject as a break in a long thread that looks to have legs:

1. There is absolutely no need to do anything at this time. Wait till May, for Sonos to announce all it says it will - that will provide a better base from which to move forward.
2. For those subscribing to the ethos suggested by the opening post and the thread title, adopting the legacy system approach, that will become clearer in May, is the way forward.
3. Be very careful before opting for the other approach of a split system. Running such has a risk of being found to be tiresome in use, while also running a risk of not being able to come back to a single legacy system.
4. Even if the legacy system option brings trouble for streaming services working with your kit at any time after May, as long as you retain the legacy kit with line in jacks that you have today, there is a non geeky solution as simple as wiring something like an Echo Dot, or similar made by someone else, to these jacks; all that will need is simple stereo cable/s. 
5. Music play from your local NAS will continue to work as long as legacy hardware works. Sonos has said this clearly more than once in the last few days. It will work even if the NAS or router dies and has to be replaced before any legacy hardware suffers a failure - @Ryan S for reconfirmation please.
6. While I detest the Trade up program for creating environmental damage by every unit sent to a landfill that is far in excess of the 30% discount it delivers as mere money, that’s just me. If you still think it makes sense to you, Sonos has said that it has no end date. Having said that, I can see a conflict there - Sonos may come under environmental lobby pressures, or those arising from any corporate conscience it may have, to withdraw or amend that program to be a more environmentally responsible one, but that is speculation that no one can or should undertake to do on your behalf. And for all you know this change may also not leave you worse of than you are now - something that achieves that would be the best kind of change to the program. 
7. Before buying any more smart audio kit henceforth, be it from Sonos, or from anyone else, do research/due diligence adopting the “Once bitten, twice shy” thinking.

If I am sent a private message of any further items that I could have missed, between Ryan and I, we can incorporate them in this post to leave all such advice in one post - if the message comes to me while the edit function is still available to me, I can do this on my own.