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junking legacy equipment.

  • 21 January 2020
  • 23 replies
  • 946 views
J
Userlevel 6
Badge +1

Why should perfectly functional gear be binned because of lack of memory/processing power? An external device very like a raspberry pi with loads of memory can be integrated into the sonos system with a bit of ingenuity. The problem for any size of speaker system should cost 50 quid. Or put a sonos badge on it and charge 200. 

This is planned obsolescence and there are enough items in landfill without needing a specific hole just for sonos' junk.

 

Fix this legacy problem with an external stand-alone memory/wifi/processing raspberry pi either as a day hack or put a sonos badge on it and vastly over charge for a simple solution.

 

The speakers are great, just a pity the imagination of the executive profitseekers at sonos.

 

Johnnydot 

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Best answer by LynnGrace 21 January 2020, 19:37

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23 replies

L
Userlevel 3

Money money money. They don’t care about their customers. 

Airgetlam

You don’t have to ‘bin’ it, it will continue to work as before, it just won’t receive further software updates. 

Bruce
J
Userlevel 6
Badge +1

The equipment will work "as before" til sonos decide it wont. Whrn your music streaming service "upgrades", our fancy sonos gear will stop working.

The raspberry pi hack could fix this issue for ALL "legacy" gear, sonos could put their badge on it and rip us off but our speakers would continue to function though future software updates would have to go via the raspberry pi.

If only sonos cared about their customers AND our planet. Earth is not landfill for tech companies.

John 

Airgetlam

What did you do with your ‘386 computer, when it wouldn’t run XP? 

For my legacy equipment, when I decide it’s time do do something with them, I will be recycling them with a responsible electronics recycling company, who can break it into useable components that can be reused.  

Bruce
J
Userlevel 6
Badge +1

Thanx Bruce for your reply.

I bought my "legacy" sonos gear LAST YEAR, i dont see the comparison with "legacy" computers. A speaker is a box which plays sound thru speaker cones. Sonos SHOULD think "outside the box (cabinet)' and sell we sonos users a tiny box which can route the software updates to the year-old equipment. The raspberry pi computer could have thr same chip sonos use for their wifi/network connection and a MUCH larger memory to cope with decades of updates. This idea could become a "hack" and then a gadget which could join our sonis systems and save the speakers to make mudic for years&years.

sonos could put their badge on this gadget & make we legacy listeners happy. Ive already chosen a spot next to my router for my SONOS UPDATE BOX. S.U.B.

Johnny 

jgatie

Thanx Bruce for your reply.

I bought my "legacy" sonos gear LAST YEAR, i dont see the comparison with "legacy" computers.

 

Only if you bought it used.

Stanley_4
Userlevel 7
Badge +22

Or your seller sold you something they had sitting on the shelf for years. That happens, Best Buy did it to me.

B
Userlevel 4
Badge

I bought mine 4.5 years ago and for the price I  expect a hell of a lot more use than that. Sonos can get stuffed as far as I am concerned. They won’t see another cent from me. I suggest those affected also go to their competition. Let’s send the bastards broke.

chickentender

What did you do with your ‘386 computer, when it wouldn’t run XP? 

For my legacy equipment, when I decide it’s time do do something with them, I will be recycling them with a responsible electronics recycling company, who can break it into useable components that can be reused.  

I can appreciate this analogy, as well as the want to defend what’s happening, but it does not hold up… The vast majority of home computers at that time were stand-alone devices that at-best connected to dial-up services for web connectivity; and certainly there was no home network in place to which multiple machines were connected. And, more certainly, even if there were a home network environment, the update availability and available software choices for all machines connected to it was not determined by the lowest common denominator OS on the network. Even in a business environment DOS machines existed with Windows 2000/XP and beyond with everything in between. The resulting mix was that legacy machines could not benefit from the many features the modern ones could, and some interoperability wasn’t possible (or was but with great measures taken to provide it). Certainly the modern machines were not restricted to the feature sets of the oldest in environment.
Just doesn’t hold up.

B
Badge +3

The argument that a Sonos device is like a PC OS is wrong on many levels.

  1. Sonos is not a software version. Its marketed as a speaker or receiver like my 15 yr old Yamaha or Denon. 
     
  2. Old PCs and Iphones still perform their core features. 
     
  3. EOL dates are published when you buy your NEW chromebook or PC
T
Userlevel 6
Badge +12

What did you do with your ‘386 computer, when it wouldn’t run XP? 

For my legacy equipment, when I decide it’s time do do something with them, I will be recycling them with a responsible electronics recycling company, who can break it into useable components that can be reused.  


But you can still mix old and new computers and os:es on a network and keep updating the new ones. I’m pretty sure Sonos could offer this too. If I can stream movies (pictures and sound) from my very old iPad to my very new AppleTV then I’m pretty sure an updated modern Sonos component could stream audio data to an old Connect.

But that’s not good value for money, from a Sonos perspective.

C
Userlevel 6
Badge +14

No need to junk anything

https://en.community.sonos.com/announcements-228985/end-of-software-updates-for-legacy-products-6835470/index44.html#post16394082

 

U
Userlevel 6
Badge +4

What did you do with your ‘386 computer, when it wouldn’t run XP? 

 

How about: Carry on using it for the things it was still good for, safe in the knowledge that your XP machine wouldn’t be prevented from having updates. You could even interface the new and the old together over a network! Imagine a world where Sonos had such futuristic technology.

 

T
Userlevel 6
Badge +12

No need to junk anything

https://en.community.sonos.com/announcements-228985/end-of-software-updates-for-legacy-products-6835470/index44.html#post16394082

 


So your system is Squeezbox or?

Are these produced still?

jgatie


So your system is Squeezbox or?

Are these produced still?

 

No, they aren’t produced still.  castella is our resident Squeezebox fan.  He still uses the Open Source Squeeze software long after the Squeeze entity ceased operations.  Best to just ignore him.  As bad as this announcement is, it’s no reason to switch to that nonsense.  

melvimbe

What did you do with your ‘386 computer, when it wouldn’t run XP? 

For my legacy equipment, when I decide it’s time do do something with them, I will be recycling them with a responsible electronics recycling company, who can break it into useable components that can be reused.  


But you can still mix old and new computers and os:es on a network and keep updating the new ones. I’m pretty sure Sonos could offer this too.

 

 

I think this is pretty accurate statement.  The assumption is that a Sonos system could continue to operate, as it currently does with a mix of old and new devices.  I think it’s pretty safe to say that the networking requirements between a ‘386 and XP are not the same.  Certainly, a ‘386 or XP never had play audio in sync across devices the way Sonos does.  The network communication did not have that timing requirement which logical would mean capabilities between the devices were not going to as important.  I think it’s safe to say that the phrase ‘a chain is only as strong as it’s weakest link’ applies much more to Sonos than it does to a network of computers that do not need to be processing in sync in order to achieve their individual tasks.

 

Again, Sonos has been operating with the constraint that old and new units work together in the same system.  I think it’s logical to assume that there is a change coming, most likely a change in greater stability or a new/improved feature.  It seems that Sonos felt they needed to make this change despite the predictable reaction from legacy customers.

 

 

If I can stream movies (pictures and sound) from my very old iPad to my very new AppleTV then I’m pretty sure an updated modern Sonos component could stream audio data to an old Connect.

 

 

Streaming to a single device is different than streaming to several devices that play in sync.  Your very old ipad likely has a very large buffer so that it can get ahead of the stream, so to speak, and have less chance of a need to pause the content displayed to you because there was pause in downloading content to your device.  With several devices in sync, it gets much more complex   And of course, sometimes the devices don’t play in sync, but play separate content.  Sometimes that content is radio /live where a large buffer is a problem even if the device has the capability for more.  In the case of home theatre speakers, the buffer and network speed needs to be small enough to that viewers can’t see a delay between video and audio.

 

So could Sonos provide some sort of add on supplement product to legacy devices to bring them up to speed on modern hardware requirements?  I don’t know.  Assuming they can, I don’t think that means that they necessarily should.  Such a device would need to be developed, tested and manufactured and would only be useful to a relatively small market (those that have legacy products).  The smaller market means that the cost per device would likely go up (cost to Sonos, not actual price).  In the end, the cost for this device might not be much different than the cost of a modern replacement device (espeically after 30% discount), which will further lower the market size for the device.  And even if they did create this, chances are that a big portion of legacy customers will still be upset.  They will not want to pay more money to retain what they have or for features they don’t think they need.  They will decide to stop being a Sonos customer anyway.

 

But that’s not good value for money, from a Sonos perspective.

 

I don’t think Sonos views this a win in any way.  I think it’s a lose for Sonos legacy customers and a lose for Sonos itself.  I don’t think this was a rash decision, but something debated, and dreaded, for quite sometime.    Whether it’s the right decision or not, I think it was a decision they felt they had to make in order to continue as a business going forward.  Could be because of rising competition, could because they felt they need to innovate and provide new features or stagnate or die.  Again, whether they were right or wrong, don’t know, we will probably have a good idea or year or so or now.

 

Of course, that likely doesn’t matter to any customer who just wanted Sonos to continue providing support for their legacy products for a longer period of time, or perhaps indefinitely, and either believe Sonos could stay in business with that strategy or don’t really care whether Sonos stays in business.

Danny
B
Userlevel 1

This is RIDICULOUS.  I’m so frustrated, I don’t know even where to start.  I want to scream from every chat room, “DON’T BUY SONOS!!!”.

This is a huge strike two.  First, the shift to subscription-only streaming, cutting down the freedom and choice of how I use my Sonos system.  And now this…  

30% is a slap in the face.  Try an 80% credit.  Paying even 20% for new hardware to replace components purchased 6-7 years ago; to do exactly the same thing as it’s doing today.  This is a CRIME!

Sonos, you should be ashamed of yourself.  Stand behind your product.  If you’re hardware cannot support your updated software, you should replace the hardware FOR FREE!

I’m not sure what my next step will be.  I just received “the e-mail” this morning.  But I tell you, I am not impressed.  SHAME ON YOU, Sonos.

G
Userlevel 1

I’m absolutely fuming you no longer supporting the old products to which I have spent thousands of pounds on!!!! Are you now say they wouldn’t work at all after the next updates

J
Userlevel 6
Badge +1

This is RIDICULOUS.  I’m so frustrated, I don’t know even where to start.  I want to scream from every chat room, “DON’T BUY SONOS!!!”.

This is a huge strike two.  First, the shift to subscription-only streaming, cutting down the freedom and choice of how I use my Sonos system.  And now this…  

30% is a slap in the face.  Try an 80% credit.  Paying even 20% for new hardware to replace components purchased 6-7 years ago; to do exactly the same thing as it’s doing today.  This is a CRIME!

Sonos, you should be ashamed of yourself.  Stand behind your product.  If you’re hardware cannot support your updated software, you should replace the hardware FOR FREE!

I’m not sure what my next step will be.  I just received “the e-mail” this morning.  But I tell you, I am not impressed.  SHAME ON YOU, Sonos.

The crime of which you speak is blackmail and extortion. SHAME,SHAME,SHAME on sonos.

T
Userlevel 1

Streaming to a single device is different than streaming to several devices that play in sync.  Your very old ipad likely has a very large buffer

...

I don’t think Sonos views this a win in any way. 

 

 

We’ll then I can give you the Airport Express (not sure how old but at least 7 years) which is capable of playing in sync with other devices nowdays. That was a $100 piece of hardware and Apple fixed the networking stuff with a firmware upgrade.

Superior hardware? Superior programmers? More interested in customer value?
None of these possible explanations speaks in favour of Sonos from a consumer perspective.

 

And of course Sonos views this as a win. Otherwise they wouldn’t do it. I’m pretty sure they have a bussiness plan.

 

C
Userlevel 6
Badge +14

No need to junk anything

https://en.community.sonos.com/announcements-228985/end-of-software-updates-for-legacy-products-6835470/index44.html#post16394082

 


So your system is Squeezbox or?

Are these produced still?

Squeezebox original devices are no longer produced but the free open-source software is - and it’s very good with very supportive and active community involvement.  Here’s a copy of a post I recently made to the ‘closed’ Sonos VIP forum.

You’ll encounter detractors here whose comments are usually mis- or ill-informed and don’t bear much relationship to how the LMS system has developed over the years.  None of the original squeezebox devices I bought years ago has been trashed by company but has been significantly enhanced in performance over the years!   

At the moment, I run a mix of player/speakers (including original squeezeboxes, chromecasts, upnp speakers, airplay speakers).  The streaming service integration I mention below now covers both Spotify and Qobuz..  

Here’s my original post:

LMS offers some interesting features which you can use alongside the standard Sonos setup.  Using LMS requires that you install the server software on a networked device (eg. a PC running Windows, iOS, or Linux, and even some NAS) - a popular choice is the Raspbery Pi (even including the ultra-cheap Pi Zero at 20 USD).   Installing the software is a task for an average user (and is largely accomplished via a web-browser interface).  Once installed, Sonos devices are seen by LMS as squeezebox players, and have full access to all the features which the server software offers.

Why might you consider this as an addition to your Sonos system?   Here are some pros:

  1.  LMS is complementary to the native Sonos setup.  You do not lose any Sonos features.
  2.  LMS is multi-platform.   Media control is also multi-platform (via web--browser access).   Apps are also available for both Android and iOS (either free or at low cost.
  3. There is no limit for local music libraries
  4. Offers access to Spotify, Qobuz, Tidal and Deezer streaming.  You can also access one of the UK’s most popular radio services, with listen again features!  Podcasts are also available.
  5. A recent addition (in beta) integrates local music library with your Spotify library (albums and playlists).   Probable that Qobuz and other streaming will be integrated)

An active and very supportive community forum

… and a couple of cons:

  • Additional cost (if necessary)
  • Initial installation effort

 

I’m offering this brief overview in a spirit of cooperation and sharing.   Maybe somebody will find it interesting and useful.

It is not intended to decry or compete with the base Sonos system..

T
Userlevel 1

No need to junk anything

https://en.community.sonos.com/announcements-228985/end-of-software-updates-for-legacy-products-6835470/index44.html#post16394082

 


So your system is Squeezbox or?

Are these produced still?

Squeezebox original devices are no longer produced but the free open-source software is - and it’s very good with very supportive and active community involvement.  ...

It is not intended to decry or compete with the base Sonos system..

 

Thanks for sharing. I have this folder with links and tips for alternatives when my Sonos system stops working properly. Since most Components are legacy (or soon will be for sure) buying new Sonos will not happen. One concern though is if Squeezbox will manage to support both legacy and updated Sonos components.

C
Userlevel 6
Badge +14

As long as the sonos devices offer upnp/dlna then they should work.

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