Question

Sonos remote

  • 10 January 2017
  • 8 replies
  • 1066 views

Ever since Sonos dropped the dedicated remote control in favour of the Smartphone app, I feel the solution isn't as good as it once was. I notice in recent weeks, new remotes such as sevenhugs hitting the market. These I feel are a little but if a gimmick in terms of costs and some requiring yet another hub connected to the network. The application I'd like to see is basic Sonos commands such as volume or play favourite supported on the Philips Hue remote which already control my lighting.
I see Lutron Caseta supports Sonos integration. This is the type of functionally I'm after. A simple and cheap remote which on entering a room can switch on the lights and have basic Sonos controls. We are after all in the age of IoT but I see Sonos making little progress on this area.

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8 replies

You haven't looked very hard. Sonos has a documented API for home automation providers, most of whom have excellent integration products. This does what you're asking for $40. https://www.prolighting.com/pj2-3brl-gbl-a02.html

You will soon be able to voice control Sonos from anywhere in a room using a $50 Amazon Dot.
Thanks for the reply. My post was really targeting integration with Hue as I already have wall mounted remotes in each room.
Thank you chicks, until now I didn't look at the home automation side at all!
That Lutron thingy almost looks like what I am looking for:
A replacement for a simple Play/Pause/Skip/Volume infrared remote.

But surely you would need some Lutron infrastructure to get it running, wouldn't you?
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I have a Nuimo. That works with my Hue lights too. It started off a bit ropey but later firmwave has transformed it into a must have remote for me.

Beware though as the Nuimo does need to be connected by BT to an IOS or Android device in order to work. I have a very cheap Amazon Fire tablet (Cost £25) which I keep in the room purely to keep the Nuimo connectionm live.

Th Nuimo is touch and motion based. Draw you finger down the device and it switches between tasks (Hue, Sonos, Lifx etc) Then draw across or press to control tracks and presets. The rotation outer ring is then used for volume and dimming.
This one does it without a hub, but is $99. I'll wait for the Alexa / Dot myself.

http://iportproducts.com/xpress/#xpress-intro
Thanks!
It's WiFi, not infrared, but that's just as well as the battery lasts 6-9 months.
$99 seems a bit steep, but if you'd have to buy additional Lutron equipment anyway to get that $40 device running...
Wait, it says there 'Requires an iPhone, iPad or iPod touch with iOS 9 or later.'
Does anyone know if this is like 'for everyday use' or 'just for the setup process'?
For the configuration app.

"The App is iOS for now (iPhone, iPad, iPod touch). You will need iOS 8 or later installed. But we do plan on releasing an Android app later on (don't worry we didn't forget about you 😉."