SAVE THE CR100

I just saw the email coming in, and read it twice to believe it... I am quite a techy guy, have played with many automation, geeky systems. The ones relying on smart phone apps always end in a drawer: too clunky, too slow to control, just a pain.
I love my sonos system because it has a dedicated controller. Fast and easy to control, always on, always in the room where it's supposed to be. And now I am told that I am supposed to discard it?

Come on Sonos, years of excellent service, don't ruin it now.

I see from a help topic that you can setup an iphone or android device as a dedicated controller (only sonos app available on home screen/ requires password and funky button presses to access normal phone operating mode), so I wonder if that means that the annoying time delay is eliminated ?
If it is, I can probably live without the controller as in my domestic situation it was only being used as a backup when I couldnt find my phone (and the voucher for €125 will be accepted with open arms for a new speaker !)

Agree that losing the CR100 will be a pain. We have kids and they each have a CR100 in their rooms. We have done this because we don't let them have unsupervised use of their smart devices.

Frankly a £100 voucher off a Sonos purchase doesnt really help as I already have one Play 1s, 5 Connect amps, one ZP80 and one Play 5. There's nowhere else to put music unless I build another room onto my house! What I want is a controller - well 4 to replace my CR100's but I can't buy any with a £100 voucher cos they don't sell any (not that £100 would be enough to do so).

Incidentally, a £100 voucher if you have a CR100, and still just a £100 voucher if you have 4? Or more? What's that about?

This is a real shame. There are plenty of products out there with lithium ion batteries which are still allowed to function after many years. Imagine a laptop vendor disabling internet connectivity on older devices?

It would be great if Sonos could continue allowing CR100 controllers to participate in a Sonos environment, even with limited functionality (which I believe is already the case to some extent).

£100 voucher doesn't really help if there is no replacement hardware controller.

😞

is there a way to disconnect from internet, so it still can be used??
That will make using Amazon, Napster, Tune in and Apple music a bit difficult.... and I use them all.

I feel very sad, angry and surprised too!!! Why is it not possible to keep basic functions going on the CR100. All that is needed is, select a radio station or something from the music library and zone functions, join, leave. No need for new fancy stuff! I use 2, one in the kitchen and one in the bathroom. Areas where moist and mobiles/tablets do not go together.
Also in the context of resource conservation and environmental reasons this is sending a very wrong signal. Ditch perfectly working electronic tools, that is ultimate wasteful. I am already very concerned in the way Sonos is forcing us to take up new software and changing the terms and conditions while doing this. I bought Sonos components with the understanding that I bought something that will continue to work till it breaks ( not by software updates). I still want to be able to use my 1st gen Sonos stuff in 20 years time, even if that means I don't have access to all new functionality that is released in the mean time.
I really would like to see an option to create a 'freeze' on the software installed and keep that going for the rest of the working life of my sonos components. I will accept I cannot add new stuff to it. Fine!!
The next step I can see coming is that the 1gen Sonos connect (ZP90) and Play gen 1 will not be supported any more and new Sons controller software will render them obsolete.
This cannot continue!!
I can still use my old CPM/2 based computer and my XP based laptop, so it should not require rocket science to keep a CR100 going using basic functions.

I have 5 controllers spread around the house and losing them will be a real problem. The Sonos app is really clunky and nowhere near as easy to use as the CR100. What's more Sonos completely redesigns it every year or so and it takes ages to get used to the new design. Please keep the CR100.
Indeed, the last revamp of the controller app is especially bad, moving away from a single pane to access all functions was a very bad decision in my opinion. Please move back to the screen layout as is still used on the macOS controller version.

Here here! - wholeheartedly DISMAYED AND DISGUSTED by this announcement... I have 3 x CR100s all with wall cradles, and all in a permanent mount scenario, where NO OTHER CONTROL OPTION is as elegant, and straightforward for the particular use cases where I have used CR100's - why on earth else do you imagine I still have them in use today?!?!?

I have literally only a month or two ago, purchased & installed all new batteries in my 3 CR100s, in the expectation that I'd get another 10 years sterling service from these much beloved units.

a £100 voucher of another SONOS purchase??? - do me a favour!... - that is completely & utterly value-less to me... - I already have the 8 zones in my house that I need, & thus I *have* no future SONOS purchases in mind at the moment.. Now, talk to me about a (worthwhile) discount against 3 tablet devices that it looks like I'm going to have to purchase to wall mount in place of my CR100s, (then spend no doubt many hours of my time trying to configure them to behave as elegantly as a control point as the CR100's do), and perhaps we might have a conversation.

SONOS - DO NOT DO THIS

Believe it or not, there are use cases in which no other controller is as simple & elegant as my wall-mounted CR100s, and that, in my opinion, is one of the 2 main pillars of the entire SONOS value proposition: excellent audio quality, and *supreme* ease of use - often this is paraphrased into the much-sought and rarely awarded; "It just works". Forcing me to adopt a different control paradigm, which is LESS satisfactory than what I have now, damages that reputation.

I cannot conceive of any other company (who's products I would consider paying for), deliberately "bricking" functioning products that customers are happy with. I'm perfectly OK with any or all of:
- we don't / won't offer further software updates
- we don't / won't offer spare parts or repairs
- these units may not support future features
- we are not liable if the batteries explode (which may be in the T&C's already?)
I am NOT at all happy with SONOS taking an affirmative action to deliberately brick hardware that I own, that I paid (handsomely) for, that has served me perfectly well for the last decade, and more to the point is continuing to serve me satisfactorily to this day.

Can you just *imagine* Apple doing this? - deliberately bricking original iPad 1's for example? (I still have an old iPad 1, - it won't take any recent iOS updates, and many apps on the appstore won't run on it, but it STILL WORKS, and Apple aren't (AFAIK) planning on deliberately destroying it...

Class action suit anyone??? :@:@:@:@:@

disappointed about CR100 being discontinued also your Freephone is not available anymore 😞

Similar story to you.
I liked having the convenience of one of my controllers sitting out on my covered entertaining area to be used during party’s etc
Easy to quickly grab and change volume, skip tracks etc which anyone could easily do and not have to worry about leaving my phone lying about. Also very rugged and didn’t mind getting dropped or the occasional splash of water or beverage 🙂 Like you I also have a few of these, would hope to get a voucher for each unit.

Indeed, - a couple of my 8 zones are pretty much permanently & exclusively used for TuneIn radio stations. SWMBO has been saying for ages that for at least 1 of my zones, a simple DAB radio would be "better" - she *hates* the iOS app - even more so since the last disastrous redesign, but is perfectly happy with the simple & intuitive CR100. This announcement *may well be* the straw that breaks the camel's back, and force me to acquiesce to her request to ditch the Play:1 in the kitchen in favour of aforementioned DAB radio... - could this be the trickle that starts the flood????

The next step I can see coming is that the 1gen Sonos connect (ZP90) and Play gen 1 will not be supported any more and new Sons controller software will render them obsolete.


Actually gen 1 is ZP80 (I have 1) and ZP100 (I have 4)

If Sonos kill these I will lose 5 rooms and nearly 2 grand - don't scare me!

Gosh... *many* years ago... but that (IMO) is hardly the point...
Thanks. Not really making a point, just seeking information.