Will Sonos support Google Cast for Audio?

I've invested heavily in Sonos, but that has stopped for now. Moving into a new house next week, and will likely wait for more casting support from Sonos, or just leave all together. I can't justify spending so much money on a closed system when so many new options are coming to the market. Being able to cast directly from original native apps is simply just easier and faster in most cases when compared to using the Sonos app. I think the Sonos app is fine, and probably useful in certain situations, but I've literally decided to not listen to music at times because of going through 2 or 3 extra steps. Lazy? Sure! But we've paid a lot of money to have the best.

I agree, I am holding off on any more speakers until I hear more on this, I really hope they are working with Google to try and add support for cast, would make their system the best out there, also Sonos is starting to add other features (ie Truplay) which would still help set them apart from other hardware manufacturers. I think even if you could cast between many different brands I would still choose Sonos.

Interesting article about CCA and Spotify - it seems that you will need one of the premium subscriptions in order to be able to cast via CCA.

http://www.androidcentral.com/googles-deal-spotify-start-unfortunate-new-chapter?utm_medium=slider&utm_campaign=navigation&utm_source=ac

http://www.androidcentral.com/go-wireless-these-google-cast-enabled-speakers

So another use case for Google Cast for Audio that the native Sonos app cannot do. I was listening to a two hour DJ mix on SoundCloud on my way home from work. Get home, and would like to resume it on Sonos. Except there is no way to sync the listening position from the SC app to Sonos. So I ended up casting it to the CC hooked up to my TV (which is not connected to my Sonos speakers). Simple stuff like this wins BIG on user experience, and the native Sonos app cannot do it.

Google Cast does help with bridging that gap between home and away. Lets hope Sonos can get it running natively. I'm assuming you have no playbar or Sonos unit with input to feed google cast into your system currently.

It's possible that Sonos' hands are tied. They appear to have a great relationship with Google, and allow the Google Music app to cast to Sonos devices. They are also improving relations with Apple and Amazon, implementing Apple Music and Amazon Prime Music, neither of which support Google Cast, and probably never will.

How does Sonos go about adding native support for Google Cast without adding support for (the vastly inferior) AirPlay and risk offending Apple? Would Apple and Amazon pull their support if Sonos appeared to favor Google?

Not merely a technical challenge, I think.

If in the case of CC:
1. Multi room play in sync works as well as it does with Sonos
2. Music play is as stable as it is with Sonosnet
then Sonos has an existential challenge as an independent operation, for the first time in ten years. CC then suddenly expands the competitive scenario for Sonos by orders of magnitude, to include the makers of all kinds of active speakers at price points from 2 digits all the way to 5 digits. Not just the Bluesound and few others of today.
I also see no reason why Google can't do something similar and yet more innovative given that it is now ten years down the line, than what Sonos has done with Sonosnet, if something is needed to be done for stable music play.
Interesting times ahead, and good news for all home AV users.

We can have some fun here putting out our views on what Sonos management can do to counter this threat, and I suggest the following should be ruled out straightaway:
1. Praying the Google is unable to achieve multi room and stable music play
2. Sell the company while the value remains high

Maybe SONOS will finally reduce the price on the grossly overpriced Connect.

I expect to see that happen if Google does a good job of the multi room upgrade promised before end of 2015. If it does, and if audio streaming it delivers is close to being as stable as that on Sonos net, Connect pricing is blown out of the water, and then that becomes domino number one. Reducing price to 2 digit levels may be vital for not just Connect sales but for sales of the entire product line.

However, there are those two pretty significant "ifs".