why so many updates

I never have the same demand for updates on my tv. Turn itv on and it works. Turn Sonos on and it always wants an update to work. The only way is to keep the Sonos on all the time day and night which is wasting costly electricity particularly if Sonos is only used mainly on weekends. Updates should be optional not compulsory. Such a shame as its a good sounding system

But Sonos updates are optional, they are never done unless a user requests one be done.

Do you possibly have your phone or tablet automatically requesting controller updates? If you do that then yes, the speakers will want to update to match what you have already done to the controller.

There is no need to keep your Sonos on, just let it go to low-power mode and set it to update automatically overnight, have your controller also update and you will never see an “update needed” message again.

It is not optional when you are prohibited from adding new services or doing anything but basic operation before you update. 

In most instances this is probably due to a mismatch in versions when an update has been made to a controller app but not to the system, rather than on not being on the latest version.  This situation can be avoided by the user, as explained by @Stanley_4 .  Most uses of Sonos are simply to play music, and it is to be expected that “system management” tasks require a stable and predictable environment.

Do you have your Sonos system set not to update automatically (setting in Sonos app) but the Sonos app to update automatically (setting in your app store)?  If so, then that would explain your experience. 

‘In most instances this is probably due to a mismatch in versions’

that sounds like guessing to me, but updating is defo not optional.

It’s not guessing, and you didn’t respond to JohnB’s query:

Then prove it.

Anyone with any significant experience of the system knows that a version mismatch between controller and players can often, but not always, result in greyed out options. 

And you still didn’t answer the question JohnB posed.

I think you are mistaking me for someone who now gives a **** about whether or not you improve your understanding of the Sonos system.  I was just trying to help, as in your thread here.

I can’t prove what I said there, either.

A “poop”?