Question

Trueplay - Why are android uses having to wait so long to have this feature?

  • 12 December 2016
  • 21 replies
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My understanding is this was initially released only for apple products, because of the variety and varying quality of microphones used by android phone manufactures.

Surely the simple solution to this problem is to use an external microphone, that plugs into the headphone or micro USB port.

SONOS could either create one, and make money by selling it. Or team up with third parties currently producing these microphones, and get licensing money from certified Trueplay compatible microphones.

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21 replies

iPhone7 is still not supported, I don't own one but it is interesting that they haven't been able to add this, technical issues on their end?
Would be good if they added support for at least some Android phones. Further, Connect and Connectamp support is missing. Still lots of work to be done.
iPhone7 is still not supported, I don't own one but it is interesting that they haven't been able to add this, technical issues on their end?
Would be good if they added support for at least some Android phones. Further, Connect and Connectamp support is missing. Still lots of work to be done.

I agree with first bit - if they just did it for Galaxy S6 and S7 they would capture a lot of users. Although everybody else would then complain they were being discriminated against, probably.
I think Trueplay for Connect:Amp and Connect is a complete non-starter because of the variety of speakers (and of amps in the case of Connect), none of which is under Sonos' control anyway.
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They have said android phones have too much difference in microphones even within the same model line. May be difficult for them to ever support android.

As rich mentioned - certifying a particular microphone may be the way to go to get additional support.

iphone7 - yea been quiet on that front. I wonder if its just taking that much testing time (they may have had their hands full testing the new Playbar Trueplay version) or is there inconsistency between iphone7 models.

Of course I wonder if the new trend will be like apple and removing hard ports (which would then make microphone solution not work unless it would be possible to certify a Bluetooth one).

Connect and Connect:Amp wouldn't be applicable to Trueplay as your using speakers (and even amplifier in the Connects case) from other vendors and they can't specifically tune each driver as they do with their speakers. The last missing piece was trueplay for playbar.

Now - how seriously are they even taking the issue? Not sure. I think Sonos may believe it is pretty easy for the average user to get a hold of an ios device to perform the calibration. It's not like the calibration needs performed regularly.
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John - its not a thing with microphones being different between models. They have even said in cases like Galaxy S6 different microphones were being used even within the line. They sell so many they have to have too many different suppliers to keep pace so the handsets do not have a consistency among them to be able to use trueplay. Its just a fact they have said. It can't happen unless they find a model that has consistency and so far only apple handsets have shown consistency throughout the model.
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My understanding is this was initially released only for apple products, because of the variety and varying quality of microphones used by android phone manufactures.

Surely the simple solution to this problem is to use an external microphone, that plugs into the headphone or micro USB port.

SONOS could either create one, and make money by selling it. Or team up with third parties currently producing these microphones, and get licensing money from certified Trueplay compatible microphones.


I am not sure that you actually understand the question, never mind the answer. Do you have any idea of how much it would cost for a FREE, repeat FREE, add on.

Maybe you could explain why any company would go to the trouble of developing a microphone and associted software for a one-off use: that may not solve a "problem" you think you have nor provide something that you like. It may likely provide no difference at all.
Don't be so quick to rule out Connectamp and Connect, just sayin - I'll defer to Ratty on this
https://en.community.sonos.com/components-228996/trueplay-on-connect-or-connectamp-6732736

@Boredofballam, while I don't think OPs idea is feasible, Trueplay gives sonos a competitive advantage, helps them sell boxes, making it more useful to their customers is in their interest, so the idea isn't totally crazy FOR FREEEEEEEE
Don't be so quick to rule out Connectamp and Connect, just sayin - I'll defer to Ratty on this
https://en.community.sonos.com/components-228996/trueplay-on-connect-or-connectamp-6732736

What I said was:
CONNECT:AMP ... may lack the DSP horsepower

and
CONNECT has no idea what changes the downstream amps could make to the sound, so setting a fixed Trueplay profile would make little sense.

Basically, no for both.
WTF please enlighten me on "may" means I'm confused? Cause I think it means something different than u.

Basically no? Basically you don't know either which was the point, don't just say nope can't happen when none of us really know.
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its a NO
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I mean even on a Connect:Amp you can't control the crossover of the speaker your playing to so how do they take complete control to get a perfect tuning.

With Sonos speakers they have complete control of what is going to each and every speaker of the Play unit and can effectively do a full tuning.

I just don't think worth anyone's time or effort to try and "Tune" 3rd party speakers via Sonos.

Now - would a more functional equalizer be a good option for a Connect:Amp - if that was the question then a categorical yes.
Chris Sonos has said a definitive no to Connect amp ?
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No I'm just giving you an informed opinion not to plan on that ever happening.
Informed how? -via knowledge/experience of drc or inside info from Sonos
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Just keep waiting.
So the absence of the feature is the proof it will never happen or.....? Sonos took a long time for playbar. Gut feeling..... or?
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Pretty much facts of obstacles in implementing and lack of being a sales driver for those products lines -making it not worth the R&D effort required to overcome those challenges.
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Here's the answer for the Connect:Amp: It's not possible. There are too many variables to take into consideration with unknown speaker data. Will it ever be possible? Only Sonos knows if they're willing to put in the time to research thousands of different speaker manufacturers and if TruePlay could reasonably affect the audio output of their products to provide a good all-around sound in any room.

The Connect will never have TruePlay available. As ratty mentions, it's impossible for Sonos to know what the amplifier/receiver connected to it might be doing to the audio as well, so any adjustment Sonos makes could be undone or further enhanced by the receiver's own DSP processing. Most newer receivers offer their own tuning processes anyway.
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He doesn't like our answers as non-Sonos employees. Yet he knows no Sonos employee is going to answer the question.
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So with a Connect:Amp and generic speakers, why can't Truplay (or a variant thereof) measure the impulses in the room and apply an eq curve to adjust problem frequencies? If you don't move or change speakers it would be pretty reliable. It wouldn't be able to adjust individual tweeter throws, etc. but it could profile the response and attempt to flatten it. I do this with calibrated microphones and real time analyzers in music mixing rooms all of the time. Don't tell me some form of Truplay couldn't be done with Connect:Amp unless, as was mentioned, it lacks the DSP to apply the filtering.
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I understand the issue with multiple handsets, but they really should create an option for people that don't want an Apple device, even if it requires a small purchase.

Also find myself wondering about the possibility of them using Alexa for trueplay, that would probably work for a lot of folk.