Finally pulled the trigger on replacing the remaining Legacy components in my set up, at least the critical ones. This was a tough and close decision for me. The Legacy decision almost forced me to walk away from Sonos. This purchase consisted of just south of $3000.00 for 6 new amps (after discounts). The extended Plan was to just junk the remaining residuals of my stuff for now, and add and restructure with some other options as we go. This purchase would keep the party going so to speak.
Shipping and packaging was awesome, got me pretty excited before I even opened the boxes. Install and connection was an absolute nightmare. Every unit couldn't be discovered for multiple attempts, the controller app would freeze and lock up on numerous occasions, Reboots, resets, and reattempts galore. And I am not talking once or twice here either. So after multiple HOURS - yes multiple HOURS, to get 6 new amps swapped out and recognized, still nothing wanted to communicate properly. Grouping is painfully slow, as is volume adjustment and loading a file or station to a play que, group, or zone. I have 1 gig internet on a large wifi mesh format and have zero issues with connections of any other devices or systems in use. (Please don’t insult me with the wifi signal/ interference troubleshooting replies) The old components were very responsive and virtually issue free for months and/or even years at a time, aside from the minor issues that present in all tech.
NOW: Put everything I have mentioned aside and My biggest complaint of all is the poor volume levels of these new amps. my previous amps had much more punch…. MUCH! The sound quality is good, don’t get me wrong, but where 40 or 50% volume sufficed previously, now we need 70 or 80% to achieve the same volume. I am hoping this is app or controller related as I have noticed this is across the board for all my gear, as even my existing Play 5’s now play at a much lower volume level since adding these new Amps.
I added these components only today, and finished up with some serious agitation, so maybe a brighter future will present, however currently I find myself full of regrets for my decision. As I mentioned, I almost walked away from Sonos when the “Legacy / forced update” announcement rolled out. You Know, When us long time, large system customers, got the middle finger. So I won’t sugar coat it, At this very moment I wish I had moved on. $3000 for a system that works inferior to the original at least at first impression, seems like a pretty solid kick in the nards. Maybe Sonos can smooth this crap out and bring me back some faith, but they have a long way to go.
My attempt here was not to rant but to simply express my input and my experiences - Y’all need to hear this stuff.
Sadly,
David Smith