New App - where is your user testing Sonos !!!!

  • 11 October 2017
  • 14 replies
  • 799 views

Userlevel 3
Can't believe Sonos have made so many mistakes with the latest update. I seem to recall that all previous updates appeared to improve the functionality of Sonos, but not this one. Did you guys not have the common sense to test the update with real people, rather than sitting in your ivory tower thinking that what you had done was great ? Do you not realise that people have made a significant investment in your products and don't deserve to be mucked about.

My issues are:
1) Room Functionality - it took me 30 minutes to realise how multi-room now works. So frustrating
2) Changing between EVERYWHERE and back to distinct rooms doesn't work. I just recently put on my music to all 5speakers in my house (2 in one room and 3 in another) so I could prepare a bit of food in the kitchen. It worked fine until I then wanted to go back to my den and only have 2 speakers working. The controller would not allow me to swtich off the other 3 speakers. It is a glitch !!!! I had to stop everything and start again
3) Next song. I loved the previous functionality of seeing what song was on next. Why da hell did you think that was a good idea to get rid of that. Yes, we can look at the queue if we want, but that is annoying.

My concerns don't even take account of other issues that people listed. I have only had the new update for 24 hours, what a piece of junk. I dread the days ahead I have a lot of time ahead in my home and worried what other glitches or poor functionality I will come across.

Please release a new update and this time please test it properly and more importantly use real people !!!

Thanks
Unhappy Sonos Customer

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14 replies

Userlevel 6
Badge +11
Not only is SonoPad great, you don't have to relearn it every 3-6 months.
Userlevel 1
Badge +1
I have started using Sonophone and while it has its limitations it seems much more logical in layout and a lot more user friendly than the official joke of an app. It just 'flows' better and seems designed by someone who actually uses Sonos.
I agree the mobile app now is terrible. It is so difficult to figure out how to navigate around and figure out how find the list of all the services. There is nothing intuitive about the app.
It seems so simple, but I guess not. Why can't there be a list of rooms (or device names) that I can select? Then under the room I select, is a list of audio sources that I can assign to that room. Is that so hard? If I want the same source in other rooms I can go to that room and assign it. The rooms or devices should be the main objective. This ain't rocket science. I need functionality over looks. God, I miss analog functionality.So tap the Rooms button and select a room, then tap Browse and choose a source. That isn't rocket science either.
Userlevel 6
Badge +12


I use Sonophone and SonoPad long forgotten the Sonos app, both work great.


I bought SonoPhone and while it had many appealing features (most importantly I could install it on an old iPhone with unupdatable iOS 7) I was quite disappointed that I could not configure my own shortcuts. That would really make a big difference for me since I seldom use the configured ones. Instead I like to browse by Genre and Composer.

I have made a request to include this.
Userlevel 3
Badge +4
I agree with the complaints about the new App. It is really frustrating and clunky with all the excess navigation and key presses needed. Also why has "line in" been hidden under "Browse". As a user of several "Connects" this is really frustrating.
In an attempt to get round these issues I have now discovered "SonoPhone" third party App. It's only UK£2.99 and is really slick and tidy. Think I will be using it for the foreseeable future. I recommend it to all frustrated with the latest Sonos official offering.


I use Sonophone and SonoPad long forgotten the Sonos app, both work great.
It seems so simple, but I guess not. Why can't there be a list of rooms (or device names) that I can select? Then under the room I select, is a list of audio sources that I can assign to that room. Is that so hard? If I want the same source in other rooms I can go to that room and assign it. The rooms or devices should be the main objective. This ain't rocket science. I need functionality over looks. God, I miss analog functionality.
Badge
Agree; this last update (round of updates) is really bad news. The new interface on my phone and tablet is horrible. If there were software-based sound changes, that's great. But the user interface, responsiveness for volume adjustments, keeping rooms straight, and simply navigating are all functions that are far worse, indeed often annoying, compared to the previous version. The stark black-and-white layout also looks bad, not nearly as pleasing to view as the previous controller app versions. Sonos really bombed this one. Please give us an option to revert back at least on the UI. Also, seems like this update is constantly updating itself, which is also a nuisance, and can't keep straight when it's already been updated on a given device.
Re points 1 and 2 of the original post. Are you trying to use the 'quick grouping' facility or the proper Rooms screen, which seems to me to operate pretty much like it did before?

I miss the 'next song' too. But I think it disappeared before 8.0. Not sure about that and I guess it doesn't really make any difference when.
Line in is a source. Browse is a list of sources. Not sure in what sense that is 'hidden'. It used to appear on the main menu... with all the other sources.
Badge
I agree with the complaints about the new App. It is really frustrating and clunky with all the excess navigation and key presses needed. Also why has "line in" been hidden under "Browse". As a user of several "Connects" this is really frustrating.
In an attempt to get round these issues I have now discovered "SonoPhone" third party App. It's only UK£2.99 and is really slick and tidy. Think I will be using it for the foreseeable future. I recommend it to all frustrated with the latest Sonos official offering.
Userlevel 3
Not good enough
Userlevel 7
Badge +17
the app was tested in beta but was a bug-fixing exercise only. The UI decision was already made and any comment on it was simply 'passed onto the team' (whatever that means)
They did user test it - unfortunately with the Sonos 'YES' team who frequent, and try to rule this forum.