The system you bought is still functional, at the level you chose to purchase it, and Sonos have undertaken to provide fixes to S1 so long as they are able.
As with all technology, older platforms are unable to support new developments because they lack the necessary processor or memory capacity. An extreme example, I grant you, but nobody would expect Windows 10 to run on an Intel 80286.
Your answer is a confirmation of a planned obsolescence. There is a 30 years gap between 80286 and Windows 10. My system S1 is only 4 years old. You made S2 incompatible to S1 on purpose. I was one of the first to buy Sonos system when it began and I somewhat contributed to the development of your company and now you let us down.
. I was one of the first to buy Sonos system when it began and I somewhat contributed to the development of your company and now you let us down.
In that case you’ve had your system for something like 15 years, and Sonos are still supporting it!
I’m sorry, but your dates are slightly out. The very first Sonos products were released back in 2005.
The S5 was introduced in Nov 2009 and replaced in Nov 2015 by Play:5/gen2. If you really purchased only 4 years ago I’m afraid you were sold old, discontinued stock.
You made S2 incompatible to S1 on purpose.
I’m not Sonos, I’m just another user. But, like I said, it wasn’t a case of ‘making S2 incompatible on purpose’. It simply won’t fit on the older devices. They have too little memory.
And, to repeat, you can continue to enjoy your S1 system just as it was when you bought it.
Planned obsolescence is when normal obsolescence is artificially reduced in time in order to push customers change more often.
Don’t give me examples of normal obsolescence over forty years of age to justify Sonos policy.
I think you’re perhaps missing the point.
- If you want to continue with what you have, you’re fine. Unlike some well-known companies which abandon all support for older software, Sonos continue to support S1.
- If you want to migrate to something newer, you’d need to replace the S5 with a more recent, more capable model.
The choice is really quite simple.
Let's not feed the troll. Joined forum today. Gets his facts wrong. Understands nothing. Deliberately provocative. Not worth anyone's time.
Everybody is missing the point here. Sonos could have easily made a single app, two groups of units - S1, and S2. They don’t have to work together, just have them both available in a single app. Don’t even have to share playlists… although there is no technical reason that an S2 unit could not be made to access an S1 playlist (but not the other way around). Sonos did it this way to try to push people into upgrading their old units to S2 units. I and others, NOT TROLLS fully understand that S1 are old technology and limited...But if Sonos had gone the single app route, two seperate groups of units, this would be better for users and for Sonos… owners of S1 and S2 units would be able to see both… and therefore be gently reminded that they can upgrade older units to S2. Heck, put the purchase option in the app even. As it is now I get constant reminders in my S1 app to upgrade. Extremely irritating. Instead of thinking of what is best and easiest for their customers, Sonos devised a strategy to push people into replacing their perfectly functional S1 units into S2. The reality for their most loyal customers is that they will have both S1 and S2 units, and Sonos should have made it much easier for them to co-exist… and not constantly pester S1 users to upgrade. Or use two different apps.
It’s not about planned obsolecence, it would be perfectly OK to freeze S1 at this point… not even bug fixes.
@RentalGuy . That makes no sense, not least because there are no such things as S1 or S2 units.
Separate apps for what are separate systems is the most sensible solution. Whether Sonos should stop prompting to upgrade systems is a different issue entirely.
Of course older equipment is likely to have less features but surely the main reason for having a Sonos system is grouping. By ensuring that it is not possible to group S1 and newer S2 devices Sonos have confirmed to their established older customers that they want S1 devices made obsolete. And they sent an unambiguous message to their newer customers which says they are likely to introduce S3 at some point with the same intention.
Of course older equipment is likely to have less features but surely the main reason for having a Sonos system is grouping. By ensuring that it is not possible to group S1 and newer S2 devices Sonos have confirmed to their established older customers that they want S1 devices made obsolete. And they sent an unambiguous message to their newer customers which says they are likely to introduce S3 at some point with the same intention.
They didn’t “ensure” it’s not possible, it is, in fact, not possible. I can go into an explanation as to why this is a fact, if you wish. However, it is fairly technical.
Of course older equipment is likely to have less features but surely the main reason for having a Sonos system is grouping. By ensuring that it is not possible to group S1 and newer S2 devices Sonos have confirmed to their established older customers that they want S1 devices made obsolete. And they sent an unambiguous message to their newer customers which says they are likely to introduce S3 at some point with the same intention.
You’re assigning motivations to the S1/S2 change over that ignores much of reality of the system. Sonos could not continue adding features to a system that was using older hardware for processing and communication, and Sonos didn’t think they could stay competitive without adding features. While features are speaker specific, not system wide, that is not the case for all features.
The idea that this is just about getting old customers to buy new gear doesn’t make a ton of sense since it was a PR nightmare for them. No way Sonos does this for that reason alone. I’d argue that if that was there actual intention, they should have done that many years ago, rather than wait till 2020.
As far as S3 at some point, if you’re going to use history to determine that’s coming, then you would have to estimate that is at least 10 years off. With S2, you could some what see the writing on the wall considering the popularity of high res music and increased smart speaker competition. There is nothing on the horizon like that that would point to a need for an S3.
Joined the forum today. Interesting reading.
I mistakenly downloaded S2. Now my Play5 will not play; incompatible. My question is, how to I revert my Play 1 and One to S1? Appreciate a clear process.
Regards,
Fred
It requires an existing S1 device/system.
- remove the S2 controller from your device.
- download and run the S1 controller. If presented, make sure you ‘connect to existing system’, which will be your S1 device(s).
- factory reset the Sonos device that was upgraded to S2.
- use the ‘add a device’ in the S1 controller to re-add the ‘new’ device.
Given the environmental impacts associated with disposing of electronic equipment every few years, it seems to me that it is fair to ask SONOS, and others, to design upgradable equipment.
And ultimately, if I SONOS is not responsive, and I am likely to need to replace wireless speakers every few years, or use multiple apps, perhaps as a consumer I should stop thinking of “grouping” as the overriding factor and start considering whether to remain a SONOS-only home, as opposed to buying speakers (Marshall, KEF, etc.) that may work better for particular rooms and settings.
@Billina . Which Sonos speakers are you referring to that have needed to be replaced every few years?
Given the environmental impacts associated with disposing of electronic equipment every few years, it seems to me that it is fair to ask SONOS, and others, to design upgradable equipment.
And ultimately, if I SONOS is not responsive, and I am likely to need to replace wireless speakers every few years, or use multiple apps, perhaps as a consumer I should stop thinking of “grouping” as the overriding factor and start considering whether to remain a SONOS-only home, as opposed to buying speakers (Marshall, KEF, etc.) that may work better for particular rooms and settings.
Blah, blah, blah, "or the bunny gets it!"
*YAWN*
Open letter
Hi Sonos,
I have been an avid fan and grass-roots supporter of Sonos for over 10 years. Buying more than 6 different devices that covers my whole home. You were my “go to” guys.
However, as you are already aware from community reaction, most of these devices are regarded as obsolete S1 and seem unworthy of your support or attention.
And Look, I get it, I understand that as a company you will move forward with technology and the devices you create to support this.
However as an early fan and advocate for your company I am getting really fed up being made to feel unwanted and unloved. The reminder to check my App. updates for S2 devices and then to be told that Uh uh no no no… you only have our old S1 stuff, so cannot look forward to any system improvements or new services, really is tiresome and annoying.
To give you a reality check, the reason we bought your devices, all those years ago, and spent so much more money on them, was because they worked seamlessly with our home wifi’s and had such great sound.
And that’s really all we want them still them to do. Play our music and make it sound fabulous. And S1 does…… Yes it does, Sonos 5 is brilliant. Congrats you built a brilliant system.
So lets stop making us S1 people feel bad. Sure we cant expect to get new features or system upgrades…… but that does not make your S1 a bad thing or us bad people.
So lets stop the guilt trip and let us enjoy what we have, for now. Because when we return to the market for a sound system, in the not to distant future, SONOS will be still be considered a Company to buy from, but at the moment, however, all I want to do is find another system to replace yours.
I hope you take this to heart, and consider other ways of marketing S2.
with kindest regards
Andrew
Sent from my iPad
