Thank you Patrick Spence for the partial reassurance on this topic. I would hardly call a 6 yr old Rolls Royce a heritage motor car and am concerned Sonos describes my equipment as such. I bought at the top of the range because it was just that. I expect to continue to be able to use my equipment for upwards of 20 yrs in the same way that I continue to enjoy listening to 30 yr old vinyl on similar aged hi fi kit. 
it seems a modern affliction that no sooner have we installed electronic gear that we get frequent updates. After only 5 yrs I found I was no longer able to control the Sonos with my iPad as it’s software couldn’t be updated. Why would the Sonos not continue to be operated by an older software version?   I am not convinced the reassurance offered by Mr Spence is adequate. The media coverage has been damaging to the reputation of Sonos and owners of its equipment deserve to have ongoing support. Please respond. 
 

I’m throughly pieved. Just 5 years and you want to not update my firmware. Your worst that a cell phone company. I’ve spent thousands and expect them to still receive firmware updates. How dare you try to force me to upgrade my speakers. And for what a 30% discount! Now that’s a kick in the teeth.  
I won’t be upgrading my  speakers through you! I will be now looking into companies that we look at updating firmware for more than a few lousy years. Your excuses are ridiculous.  With today’s tech if iPhone and androids can update firmware for longer than 5 years there is no excuse why you can’t update much longer than this. This is a blatant money grab and nothing more. I think a CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT!!  Maybe in order.

With respect to Apple, they will make changes, “upgrade” if you like, in the basic operating system such that it will not run on older iPads. The “upgrade” will often remove or change some features that Apps need. Developers are forced to remove the “old” and start using the “new” or the App will be removed from the App store. The changes are not always minor. For example, newer iPads use newer hardware and programs that run on the latest hardware will not run on older hardware or will run so slowly that they are no longer useful.

Like many here, I would be content to keep running older iOS code, but I must keep my iPad up to date for some work related functions. Unfortunately, the latest iOS breaks some older applications. In a couple cases the developer is more than willing to update their code, but iOS no longer provides the information that the Apps require in order to function at the previous level. In these cases the “new improved” has less function than the version replaced. Even if you can freeze all of your applications, if the iPad breaks and all data can be transferred to a new iPad, the new iPad will use the newer version of both iOS and Apps, potentially breaking the legacy App version that you had been using.

I notice that many Apple users demand that all Apps follow the latest Apple trends. For example earlier IPad/iPhone used colored backgrounds. Then Apple switched to a bright white background. There were numerous user complaints about “old fashioned” Apps that had not immediately adopted the white background. Then Apple adopted “dark” backgrounds and Apps had to switch again. Now, we seem to be moving toward light backgrounds again. This forces developers to spend development time simply responding to Apple’s changes, rather than innovating.

There are similar issues on the PC platform now that free support has ended for Windows 7. I’ve been notified that some of my “must use” applications will no longer run at full function unless I upgrade to Windows 10.

Not all upgrades are driven by greed. Older programs and operating systems have some dangerous security flaws. In some cases a particular feature is creating the flaw and the feature must be removed in order to improve security.

I’m not attempting to apologize for the recent SONOS messages, I’m simply providing some background about what developers face in the marketplace. These developments cannot be ignored and each developer must respond in some fashion.

Yes i think this is greed by Sonos.  I have 15 Sonos units mainly s5 units in my house which sonos have not totally devalued to Zero.   I will now never ever buy Sonos again and would certainly not upgrade on a point of principle.  I am positive a small cheap tweek to something inside would upgrade this kit so it could still work foe decades to come.  But no greed and stupidity has taken over by Sonos.

Sonos has ruined its reputation! When told my units ($6,000) would be ‘legacy’ products in May 2020, I could hardly believe it. My Kef speakers will work forever - not Sonos. How incredibly stupid, greedy and small-minded - exceptionally small-minded. I was told to look at the other side by Sonos personnel - to look wondrously at how great Sonos will become. I am 70. I’m on fixed income. I have no $$ to experience how ‘wondrous’ Sonos will become. I just want to play my music until I reach heavens gate. Not long from now. My car is older than my 13 Sonos units, and my car runs great. This is just pathetic. Small minded, greedy pugs with no regard for loyal customers. Put out a damn update so my units still function! What jerks. Class action lawsuit on the way. Would you like to participate? Let’s rip this company to the shreds they aspire to become. Again, just bs!

You posted similarly ill-informed (and intemperate) comments on another thread.  Your speakers will function after May.  You don’t need to spend any money to do that.  If you had any idea how inaccurate your comments are I think - at least I hope - you would be profoundly embarrassed. 

You should be embarrassed, buddy boy! The information I’ve stated is EXACTLY what Seth told me. This was also stated in your email a few weeks ago. The day my products no longer work TOGETHER - using one app (Seth informed me I’d need to regroup my speakers and use a separate app for my Play 5’s.) a class action suit will be filed. Put out a statement explaining EXACTLY what the future holds for suckers like me. CLARIFY! 

Three points.

1. I do not work for Sonos.

2. You will have the option to keep your system as one in its current state, but with no updates, OR to split it and receive updates on the modern part only, OR upgrade your legacy units.

If you do nothing your system will carry on as it is, which I thought was what you wanted.

3 Age is no excuse for ignorance in every sense.

The following is from a Sonos statement:

Customers with both legacy and modern products have time to decide what option is best for them. You can continue to use your whole system in legacy mode - in this case, it will stop receiving updates and new features. 

Another option available to all customers with legacy products is to take advantage of the Trade Up program, which allows you to upgrade older Sonos products to modern ones with a 30% discount. Trade Up will be open to customers at any time should they decide to upgrade. 

I am also very disappointed at Sonos. It was a really expensive system, and to be forced to upgrade to a newer system every 5 years is not something I can afford (those 30% off is a joke compared to zero expenses). 

So is the only solution to get rid of your sonos system as quickly as possible and change to another brand? 

So don’t buy any more Sonos products… Your existing kit will continue to work on S1 until the hardware fails….

Switch to Bose.  They just discontinued an entire lineup, and brought out another line that is incompatible with the former line which were on sale right up to the day they cancelled it.  Compared to that, branching off a line that was designed over a decade ago and hadn't been sold in 5 years makes Sonos look like saints.

Exactly. And my experience till date is that Sonos hardware will last a long time, unless abused via mains power supply issues.

If you use the kit as what it is - home audio speakers - there is little to nothing to be lost by staying on S1. 

That’s what I’d have said, until Christmas Day. From upstairs I simply turned up a downstairs Play 5 Gen 1 to see if it was working (I tried to surprise SWMBO by having carols playing when we got up) but it blew the mid-range. Quite how a powered speaker does this simply by turning it up using the Sonos app I have no idea, as I’d have thought that the speaker would have protection mechanisms aplenty to stop this, but it did.

I refuse to send repairable kit to landfill, or to pay Sonos £350 for a replacement, so I sent it to a very nice guy in the UK who repaired the amps. It wasn’t cheap, but it was a lot cheaper than the alternatives.

I’m currently listening to the repaired unit, and all is well….

I expect some bit of hardware finally failed...and you are lucky to have access to repair skills.