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Airplay 2 - Only for the new Sonos One

  • 5 October 2017
  • 56 replies
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Userlevel 1
Hi
Was glad to hear that you're going to support airplay 2 in 2018. Im just wondering if this will be a software / firmware update that willl work with older speakers, like play; 1, 3 etc. or will airplay 2 only support the new speaker Sonos One?
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Best answer by Ryan S 6 October 2017, 01:17

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56 replies

Userlevel 7
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Hi Andy24, we haven't shared all the details on this one and will be keeping it pretty quiet for a bit as development is early on and things tend to change. For now, it'll be on a selection of Sonos players, the latest ones to have come out. We'll share more in the future as this all develops. Glad you're excited and stay tuned for more.
Userlevel 5
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Hi Andy24, we haven't shared all the details on this one and will be keeping it pretty quiet for a bit as development is early on and things tend to change. For now, it'll be on a selection of Sonos players, the latest ones to have come out. We'll share more in the future as this all develops. Glad you're excited and stay tuned for more.

Wow that's a helpful reply - typical Sonos.... treat the users like crap and then release software that annoys most of their loyal customers.
I am basically ready to buy some more Play:1 speakers, if only I knew they supported Airplay 2.

So, how new is new – is play: 1 supported, or is it just, say, the Playbase and the Play:5?

Alternatively, can I mix a new One with the 1, and have both combine in stereo mode using Airplay 2?
Userlevel 7
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I am basically ready to buy some more Play:1 speakers, if only I knew they supported Airplay 2. So, how new is new – is play: 1 supported, or is it just, say, the Playbase and the Play:5?
Alternatively, can I mix a new One with the 1, and have both combine in stereo mode using Airplay 2?


Sonos has stated that you can't stereo pair a PLAY:1 with a ONE. Personally, I'd just wait a couple of weeks and buy ONEs intstead of PLAY:1s. My own guess is that PLAY:1 will not provide an Airplay 2 endpoint.
Thanks.

I guess a solution is always to just trash the old stuff and buy new shiny Ones 🙂
So, I think it's finally clear now why they're updating the Connect (the FCC S15 product). They needed to add a chip to support the upcoming Airplay 2. I hope the Connect:Amp gets an overhaul too.
Dammit, why didn't I think of that.

Nice one, chicks!
Userlevel 5
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Hi Andy24, we haven't shared all the details on this one and will be keeping it pretty quiet for a bit as development is early on and things tend to change. For now, it'll be on a selection of Sonos players, the latest ones to have come out. We'll share more in the future as this all develops. Glad you're excited and stay tuned for more.

Wow that's a helpful reply - typical Sonos.... treat the users like crap and then release software that annoys most of their loyal customers.


Erm...only annoys a tiny, tiny, tiny number of loyal customers.
Hi Andy24, we haven't shared all the details on this one and will be keeping it pretty quiet for a bit as development is early on and things tend to change. For now, it'll be on a selection of Sonos players, the latest ones to have come out. We'll share more in the future as this all develops. Glad you're excited and stay tuned for more.

Thanks Ryan. Taking this as Sonos not ruling out older systems being able to support AirPlay 2. Hoping that customers with older systems (likely the majority of Sonos customers given the relevantly recent additions of the new play 5, playbase and Sonos One) will be able to take advantage of this great functionality.
So, I think it's finally clear now why they're updating the Connect (the FCC S15 product). They needed to add a chip to support the upcoming Airplay 2. I hope the Connect:Amp gets an overhaul too.

Airplay 2 does not require a chip. It's in software. Thats why so many devices can be updated to use it and why even more devices now will have Airplay although it was already pretty ubiquitous in home theater receivers etc.
Airplay 2 also implemented much larger buffers and will stream faster than real time to eliminate buffering as much as possible not that I ever had a problem with buffering and I used it extensively.
Also it does multi-room of course but there were ways to do that before too.
I've seen statements that current models would support Airplay 2 but I guess we will see.
Hopefully the Connect will get a better dac.
Hi Andy24, we haven't shared all the details on this one and will be keeping it pretty quiet for a bit as development is early on and things tend to change. For now, it'll be on a selection of Sonos players, the latest ones to have come out. We'll share more in the future as this all develops. Glad you're excited and stay tuned for more.
Wow that's a helpful reply - typical Sonos.... treat the users like crap and then release software that annoys most of their loyal customers.

Erm...only annoys a tiny, tiny, tiny number of loyal customers.


Having to use the app prevented a lot of people from buying Sonos including me.
I am only buying now because they are opening up. It always stopped me from a purchase before.
Not requiring the Sonos app for everything will get them a lot more customers.
Too bad their finances had to get bad before they woke up to this.
I'll be using voice for Pandora and the Roon app for iTunes Music and Tidal.
I'm eliminating Vanatoo One speakers with an Apple TV attached for Airplay and an echo dot by buying two Sono's Ones for the bedroom. A much cleaner solution although probably some minor drop in sound quality over the Vanatoo's.
I was going to do this with two Homepods but the Sonos one will be more flexible and costs $300 less although I expect the homepod will sound better.
Now if they would release home theater products with HDMI and real stereo separation I would spend even more.
Very much the same page I'm on. Please make it happen Sonos.

I am basically ready to buy some more Play:1 speakers, if only I knew they supported Airplay 2.

So, how new is new – is play: 1 supported, or is it just, say, the Playbase and the Play:5?

Alternatively, can I mix a new One with the 1, and have both combine in stereo mode using Airplay 2?
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For now, it'll be on a selection of Sonos players, the latest ones to have come out.

Can you guys say whether or not support will be implemented for the new Sonos One?
So, I think it's finally clear now why they're updating the Connect (the FCC S15 product). They needed to add a chip to support the upcoming Airplay 2. I hope the Connect:Amp gets an overhaul too.

Not true... I quote: "Unlike the original AirPlay, AirPlay 2 doesn't require special hardware anymore, but is entirely software-based, which allows for companies like Sonos to add support to their devices after the fact."
;););)
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I bought two Play 1s and had two more as a gift off my partner. I've had this set up for around 4 years now and I have to be honest I realised a long time ago that I had wasted my money. What I would give to be able to offload these things for something that's not a part of Sonos walled garden. Never again will I buy any of their products. My prediction: they got about two years left tops; this company is doomed....
Userlevel 5
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I bought two Play 1s and had two more as a gift off my partner. I've had this set up for around 4 years now and I have to be honest I realised a long time ago that I had wasted my money. What I would give to be able to offload these things for something that's not a part of Sonos walled garden. Never again will I buy any of their products. My prediction: they got about two years left tops; this company is doomed....

Doomed you say????!!! Want to take a bet on your silly 2 year prediction???? I'll even give you additional time....5 years.

You guys give yourself way too much self importance.
I bought two Play 1s and had two more as a gift off my partner. I've had this set up for around 4 years now and I have to be honest I realised a long time ago that I had wasted my money. What I would give to be able to offload these things for something that's not a part of Sonos walled garden. Never again will I buy any of their products. My prediction: they got about two years left tops; this company is doomed....

There are Play:1s available on e-bay right now selling for more than the recent price change. "Offloading" them should be no problem. If I were you, I would spend less time posting here and more time on e-bay getting rid of your burden.

And exactly what does this have to do with Airplay 2?
Userlevel 7
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I bought two Play 1s and had two more as a gift off my partner. I've had this set up for around 4 years now and I have to be honest I realised a long time ago that I had wasted my money. What I would give to be able to offload these things for something that's not a part of Sonos walled garden. Never again will I buy any of their products. My prediction: they got about two years left tops; this company is doomed....
In some respects Sonos is indeed a walled garden, but in many others it's the most open and agnostic platform available -- in terms of integration with streaming services and with emerging voice assistant ecosystems.

If I really want Airplay 1 or BT support, I've enabled them for my Sonos systems, but they only get used in extremis, because they are inferior to native streaming in multiple ways.

So, you should sell your PLAY:1s. There are plenty of people better equipped to appreciate their advantages, and who will enjoy them being supported for many years into the future.
I have thousands of dollars of Sonos speakers (two Play 5's, five Play 3's, one Play One). This should simply be a software update. They'd be wise to not only update anything bought in the past few years, but be done with the secrecy regarding what they are going to do. If the Airplay update doesn't apply to products I've purchased in the past year or so I'll be selling it all and looking for (or even waiting for) a better solution from a company with bigger resources and a better sense of loyalty to their loyal customers. Sonos - you have an opportunity to both keep loyal customers and gain new customers or suffer a serious loss of both. Even if you don't care much about the former, the latter is what every company needs.... Doesn't seem like a difficult decision. And those two Subs I'm thinking about.. well, I'm still thinking.
So you think this is a mere business decision, and not a technical limitation making Airplay 2 support on older Sonos devices impossible? Why would a company that has gone out of it's way for over a decade to keep their older units updated and compatible with the current functionality suddenly decide to exclude older devices from future functionality simply on a mere whim of a business decision? Seems pretty illogical.
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Hey Sonos, here's something to think about while you continue to fumble around with Airplay support (I've been asking for this since the day after I bought my $2000 system on 7/9/16—Playbar, Sub, & Play1s): If you don't support last gen gear with a firmware update, I'll be sending this garbage back to you in a body bag—complete with a toe tag. Your apps have been a complete train wreck since day one. To this day, I still cannot access all my iTunes playlists—especially those pointing to Apple Music content. If I were you, I'd think this one through very carefully because this is a make or break decision for your future in the wireless speaker space.

I received a Sonos e-mail today, titled, "You asked. We listened"—rrrrrrriiiiiigggggggghhhhhhttt. You wasted my time, yet again, by sending me another app interface improvement e-mail instead of addressing the elephant that's been in the room for a long time: Airplay support! If you had truly listened to "valuable customer feedback", you'd have released Airplay support over a year ago!
Userlevel 7
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You obviously have no concept of airplay vs airplay2.
A little melodramatic, aren't we? And I'm not sure Sonos would mind getting back $2000 of gear for free that they can then refurb and use for warranty replacement.
You obviously have no concept of airplay vs airplay2.

Apple hasn't even released Airplay 2, yet Sonos is supposed to release it today? :8
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No I think he wanted it a year ago.