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trueplay for Android?


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When is trueplay being released for android? ?
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Best answer by Max P 12 November 2015, 10:43

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TruePlay for Android is very important.

I am sure Sons doesn't want to be known as only supporting proprietary devices.

Maybe Sonos can make a dedicated Andoid controller or "approve" a few devices from major manufacturers such as Samsung.

NJSS
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Sonos has in the past made a dedicated controller.

What I am suggesting is that they either:-

1. Test & approve a number of Android devices; and/or

2. Produce a dedicated Android controller, which could be based on an existing Android device.

Supporting Apple devices exclusively is a retrograde step.
No irony. Sonos should definitely not become dependent on proprietary devices from third parties where factors beyond their control can limit or eliminate positive elements of the end user experience.. Sonos definitely should develop and maintain their own proprietary devices that lets them control all aspects of quality, function, and the total user experience.
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As a 10 year iPhone user, I switched to a Google Pixel 3XL this fall and have no plans on returning to iPhone anytime soon. Last year I spent $2,400 on Sonos speakers. Tonight I discovered that I can no longer tune them because I am not using an Apple iPhone. That is either a pure disregard for your customers or you are saying TruePlay isn't really necessary (unless you're an iPhone user). While I love the sound from my Sonos speakers, they do have a great deal of limitations compared to a much cheaper bluetooth system (i.e. no way to play sound from other applications like bluetooth can). I was willing to work around those limitations, but this TruePlay discovery has a sting to it. You make a Sonos app for my $1,000+ premium phone, but you're not willing to include tuning capabilities unless I am an iPhone user? Either TruePlay is a Sonos feature or it's an Apple iPhone feature. Which is it Sonos?
The right solution would be to support a select set of bluetooth microphones, to be used with iPads, iPhones or Android devices. The microphone quality would be a lot better and any device could be used.
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NeillJ's response is excellent.

Solution 3, a Sonos microphone to plug into an Android device would be acceptable, if somewhat clunky, as Neli points out.

What is important is that Sonos address the issue without delay.

NJSS
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Borrow someones IPhone to do the trueplay tuning. You do it once and forget it. Apple microphones were the only ones found consistent enough to use as trueplay tuning microphones. Android used too many manufacturers to be able to implement.
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Sonos needs to add support for Android for its Truplay feature. IOS is becoming an increasingfly more niche player in the market and will continue to see its share decline. You can't tell me that there aren't Android models available that offer as good or better audio detection capabilities. Sonos could list an approved, even if a beginning small subset of supported handsets, or even issue a caveat, use at own risk. Currently I own a Pixel handset by Google. Its far and away the best phone I've used or compared against, I hate to see Sonos paint themselves in a corner by supporting only a IOS. Its not the best for their own future. Heck, I love the Sonos product line, but if I were starting from scratch, I might just purchase a Google Home, some Chromecast Audio devices and pick the speakers I want to use. The Google Home with Chromevast Audio functions much like Sonos. And its barely getting off the ground. Sonos will have to up their game to stay extremely competitive, This doesn't entail only backing a one trick pony like IOS.
This is a shame, when we see the price of the product, I don't have an iPhone, can't use this new stuff....
At least make it work on the most famouse android phone like the nexus/pixel series !!!
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iPhone 7 is now supported so catdoot is in luck since he has a mate with an iPhone 7.
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Hey guys, let's cool it on the antagonizing posts and try to stay on topic. I understand wanting to add to the discussion but let's try to get along here. I just deleted a couple posts that weren't going anywhere nice, please try to keep things in line.

Thanks!


Here's another reminder not to attack or antagonize other users. If this continues we will have to lock this thread down and make sure it doesn't spill into other or new threads.

@Insertuernamehere, Chris' post was to Catfoot who had just mentioned that he had an iPhone 7 he could borrow but it wasn't supported for Trueplay. As of today it is supported.
______

We know there's a lot of interest on getting Trueplay working on Android phones. We don't have any new details on that front to share as many of the same challenges that we first ran into continue to exist. If we have any news we'll make sure to let everyone know, but for the moment we'll keep making sure to let the team internally know that it's still a big request
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maybe sonos should consider a simple mic setup that could plug into a speaker in future designs. I had an amp that had this type of feature. I think forcing users to use mobile devices for an in-home setup is very lame.
Given the prices of sonos systems I dont think its unreasonable to add a dollar or two's worth of electronics to a very setup.
Yamaha tuners come with a plugin mic with a long cord for this purpose. Simple low cost solution. It wouldnt be that hard to convert that mic to connect to Sonos system. Doesnt have to be a full phone. Would be well under 100 dollars. It doesn't have to look pretty. You only need to use it once (or when you rearrange furniture).
The Sonos app for android is free, so it's hard to put a discount on that. If you're expecting a discount on the speakers themselves, how would Sonos know whether you're going to use an android or iOS. If you got a discount for using android, would you then owe Sonos money if you controlled the system with iOS?
Hi, totally understand why for now no trueplay on Android, however in an Android predominant house the last functioning ipad which had trueplay working now has the feature removed from the sonos app as its a very early one.

Can I humbly suggest that even a poorer version on android would be better than nothing. Two suggestions, one is a more involved method to normalise the mic before trueplaying (eg challenge response) Im sure the clever tech guys could come up with some method. Two just give us the option to trueplay, but allow manual tweaking of the result. Three (sorry!) even just balancing the playbase+surround speakers would be incredibly beneficial, without changing the sound envelope. Sorry if these have been suggested before. I feel passionately about this!
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When is trueplay being released for android? ?
Unfortunately due to the wide variety of devices on the Android platform using different software versions, microphones and ways to process audio we could not ensure a consistent and reliable Trueplay tuning experience thus far.

We will continue to explore the use of Android for Trueplay tuning, but can't confirm that it will be supported in the future.
Not supporting Android devices which were never previously supported hardly fits the dictionary definition of retrograde.

On the other hand I'd argue that getting back into the dedicated controller game would be a ridiculously retrograde step business-wise. Reinventing the wheel, being behind the technology curve, lacking the economies of scale, consuming piles of R&D dollars in return for zero USP. It's hard to think of anything worse for Sonos to contemplate.

The impression Sonos have given is that even 'premier' lines of Android devices had major variations in microphone characteristics. Presumably if they could have supported some models and/or Android variants they'd have done so. They clearly acknowledge the requirement.
We've been here before, with the CR200, and Sonos no doubt heaved a corporate sigh of relief to be able to discontinue it.

Mainly because they needed a way out of the high failure rate of the touchscreens that they never could resolve. If it weren't for that problem I believe the CR200 would still be in production as an alternative to the app controllers and Sonos would likely be considering a CR300 with microphone to support TruePlay. That device could very well have been the "customized" Android device discussed here as opposed to putting out R&D for homegrown hardware.

Also a $300+ controller is not out of line for a 32 zone whole house audio system which is what Sonos was designed from the ground up to be. It is only folks who treat Sonos as a fancy Bluetooth equivalent or high end boombox who would balk at the notion of paying for a dedicated controller.

So, in that 32 zone house, where would the $300 controller live? Would there be 32 of them, or just 16?


I have 22 zones and 11 controllers so I would assume for 32 zones it would be 16 or less. I don't walk around with a cell phone in my pocket when I am in my own house and I wouldn't want to have to start doing so just to control my music system.
Someone who would contemplate spending $3300 on dedicated controllers has an interesting kind of problem.

Compared to the cost of 22 zones of players the controller cost was trivial... until Sonos started disabling functionality on them. I'm not going to criticize people who want to be tethered to an electronic device they carry all the time. It just isn't the paradigm I wanted when I purchased my system.

But this is getting off the original point that Sonos could better manage Trueplay support if they had more control over the hardware it was using.
Upstatemike, I think you need to understand that just because you personally are able to drop thousands of dollars on dedicated controllers you are a vanishingly small minority in the market. The majority of people could never contemplate that and would much rather just have a free app. Those are the people driving the market, not you.

I can only suggest you replace your Sonos with a system that provides you with a hardware controller if you feel that strongly about it.
Or even low spec iPod Touches.
I can only suggest you replace your Sonos with a system that provides you with a hardware controller if you feel that strongly about it.

I probably will move on at some point but that was not the point here. I was only pointing out that a dedicated controller provides better opportunities to introduce new functionality without the unintended consequences caused when you become too dependent on third party hardware that has issues that are outside of your control.
I was only pointing out that a dedicated controller provides better opportunities to introduce new functionality without the unintended consequences caused when you become too dependent on third party hardware that has issues that are outside of your control.
But, as already noted, this ignores the counter-argument that one's then hostage to reduced R&D investment, higher component cost, and (over-)extended life cycle due to being a small player in a commoditized mass market of such touchscreen devices. I was originally a fan of the CR100, less so of the CR200 (notwithstanding its touchscreen faults), and IMO Sonos made absolutely the right decision to ride the wave of smartphones and tablets.
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Back to the original point: (currently) no TruePlay functionality in the Android app.
Possible options to rectify this shortcoming:
1. SONOS built or spec'd controller. SONOS would already have considered this. Given the damage to their until then flawless reputation plus the ROI (Return On Investment) probably being -ve this is a non-starter.
2. Commission one or several top segment Android device operators to include a "standard" microphone and audio codec into their product will cost the proverbial arm and a leg and would fail the ROI test. Also other manufacturers would bleat "cartel formation" leading to financial and reputation damage. Thus a non-starter.
3.A SONOS TruePlay tuning microphone with the( necessary audio codec?) included in the Android controller. As mobile phones (and tablets?) have a jack plug wired for both incoming and outgoing audio for hands-free phone calls and as it should be easy and cheap to build a suitable microphone into a really small jack plugged device. OK, OK, so Apple doesn't need it but you do want TruePlay don't you? Slightly clunky solution but workable.
4. SONOS are already working on an elegant solution which they will release when it is ready. This is probably the real world solution currently in progress.