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The new Sonos S2 App Sucks

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The new app is terrible. I think my experience is worse because the app update happened during our move into a new house, new network, new ISP, etc. I have deleted my Sonos app, Sonos account, reinstalled the app, set up a new account, factory reset all devices a dozen times, tried 2.4 GHz, IoT onboarding, etc, etc, etc. I can see the devices all connected to my Wifi, but none appears in the Sonos S2 app on my system. I was able to get the ARC to finally appear on a wired ethernet connection, but disappears when I unplug and go wireless. I might be able to run a switch at my TV to connect TV, ARC and Sub wired, but Sonos should fix their issues.

I think the best thing I can do right now is file a warranty claim on my Platinum AMEX since Sonos will not respond to Support emails. I don’t have hours to spend on the phone on hold since apparently their help desk is overwhelmed with customer issues. I have already wasted hours trying to set up the Sonos. I installed at least a half dozen other devices (two garage door openers, two wireless garage door opener keypads, power shades, etc) on our new network easily in a few minutes, so it is not me or my networks that are the issue. Sonos is the problem.

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Ken_Griffiths

I’m not a wealthy person but I invested a lot of money (for me) in almost twenty Sonos speakers a few years ago. We absolutely LOVED the old Sonos and our house was full of music. The joy is GONE. Pairs of speakers simply drop out of a group, songs skip/start/stop all on their own, the volume controls are almost unusable. I can’t believe that Sonos has done this to their users. What a complete disappointment this has become. From LOVED to LOATHED with this new app disaster. I sure hope this isn’t some attempt to get us to buy newer speakers in something similar to Apple’s intentionally slowing their Iphones that ended them in a $500 million class action settlement. I used to brag about having Sonos in my home, now I’m embarrassed to admit it. I certainly won’t being buying Sonos ANYTHING in the future unless this gets worked out, and soon. Bordering on criminal in my opinion. It can’t be that hard to fix this mess. Get off your butts Sonos and just get it done!!!! Please!!!!!

As a fellow Pink Floyd fan, I’d just thought I’d ask if you’re sure that these things you mention are not related to your local network setup. I have a couple of reasons for asking because Sonos have (mostly, it seems), updated their controller App since early May this year, which is just a ‘remote’ for your 20 speakers and if you begin playback from the App, you should be able to close it and even power off the mobile device and the audio should continue to play ‘direct’ from the chosen source. At least that’s what I see with my own setup and there are no songs skipping, or stopping on their own here.

I also have no issues with the volume controls - that early issue has apparently been greatly improved since the App was first launched. See example attached from my own Home system.

If using WiFi, rather than SonosNet, perhaps check your device SNR connection levels in the new App, as mentioned in this Sonos Support link to see if that might help to improve things.

https://support.sonos.com/en-us/article/understanding-the-network-details-section-in-the-sonos-app

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wahab12

Lyricist I

That sounds really frustrating! Moving can be stressful enough without dealing with app issues on top of everything else. Have you been able to pinpoint what specifically is bothering you about the app? Sometimes it helps to troubleshoot or at least vent a little!

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JavSmith

Lyricist I

The new app is terrible. I think my experience is worse because the app update happened during our move into a new house, new network, new ISP, etc. I have deleted my Sonos app, Sonos account, reinstalled the app, set up a new account, factory reset all devices a dozen times, tried 2.4 GHz, IoT onboarding, etc, etc, etc. I can see the devices all connected to my Wifi, but none appears in the Sonos S2 app on my system. I was able to get the ARC to finally appear on a wired ethernet connection, but disappears when I unplug and go wireless. I might be able to run a switch at my TV to connect TV, ARC and Sub wired, but Sonos should fix their issues.

I think the best thing I can do right now is file a warranty claim on my Platinum AMEX since Sonos will not respond to Support emails. I don’t have hours to spend on the phone on hold since apparently their help desk is overwhelmed with customer issues. I have already wasted hours trying to set up the Sonos. I installed at least a half dozen other devices (two garage door openers, two wireless garage door opener keypads, power shades, etc) on our new network easily in a few minutes, so it is not me or my networks that are the issue. Sonos is the problem.

Both the Web App for iMac and the S2 for IOS are both absolutely SHI*!!!!! I have dedicated to SONOS for over 12 years now…. and it just gets worse and worse!!!!!!!!!!

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JamesTurn3r

Lyricist I

I had the same experience, moved house. Luckily I'm a geek, I got it right eventually. But frankly their software has killed their hardware. It is so amateur it is laughable.

Sonos have opened the door for dozens of competitors to waltz in and take their business.

Hope you come right with your devices!

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RickandLorie

Lyricist I

It is soooooooooooo bad. I’m about to upgrade to a different system.

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thecoolestusernameever

Contributor I

I experience the sluggishness that so many people did, and improved my setup by wiring my ethernet cable into a Connect Amp. My music lag time (for playing / pausing) has gone from minutes (or never) to about 1.8 seconds. Actually, pausing is now usually near-instant (maybe a 100 or 200 ms lag.. still too slow IMHO), but playing takes up to 1.8, sometimes 2 seconds. That is still frustratingly long.. but is closer to being acceptable.

My main issue with the UI is when I want to search for a new song to play, it takes multiple actions to get to the search box;

I can tap Sonos logo at the top to go to the Your System screen, where the search box is below Recently Played and Your Services, and near invisible. That’s two actions.
Or, if I have on room open in the app, I can swipe that down to get to the Your System screen, then click the search box.

Why, oh why, isn’t the search box simply where the Sonos logo is? That Sonos logo takes up valuable screen real estate, and having search there would make all kinds of sense.

The top left < nav icon is confusing, and I think it would be better to replace that with a Home icon, linked to Your System. Users don’t need to see a Sonos logo in the app UI to remind them they’re using the Sonos app. I just find these to be bizarre UI / UX decisions.

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Ken_Griffiths

I experience the sluggishness that so many people did, and improved my setup by wiring my ethernet cable into a Connect Amp. My music lag time (for playing / pausing) has gone from minutes (or never) to about 1.8 seconds. Actually, pausing is now usually near-instant (maybe a 100 or 200 ms lag.. still too slow IMHO), but playing takes up to 1.8, sometimes 2 seconds. That is still frustratingly long.. but is closer to being acceptable.

My main issue with the UI is when I want to search for a new song to play, it takes multiple actions to get to the search box;

I can tap Sonos logo at the top to go to the Your System screen, where the search box is below Recently Played and Your Services, and near invisible. That’s two actions.
Or, if I have on room open in the app, I can swipe that down to get to the Your System screen, then click the search box.

Why, oh why, isn’t the search box simply where the Sonos logo is? That Sonos logo takes up valuable screen real estate, and having search there would make all kinds of sense.

The top left < nav icon is confusing, and I think it would be better to replace that with a Home icon, linked to Your System. Users don’t need to see a Sonos logo in the app UI to remind them they’re using the Sonos app. I just find these to be bizarre UI / UX decisions.

I don’t see too much sluggishness in the new Sonos App, except perhaps when playing from some streaming services, but the search feature at the foot of the Home Screen is really quick, all things considered.

I don’t mind the fact that Sonos have chosen to locate the search feature at the foot of the Home Screen and it’s nice that you can filter the search by each one of MSP installed in the App, by selecting a service first and then performing a search and/or then go onto tab across the top of the search screen to search within each service separately. See attached screen-captures, as examples, recorded a few moments ago.

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Mr. T

Why, oh why, isn’t the search box simply where the Sonos logo is? That Sonos logo takes up valuable screen real estate, and having search there would make all kinds of sense.

The top left < nav icon is confusing, and I think it would be better to replace that with a Home icon, linked to Your System. Users don’t need to see a Sonos logo in the app UI to remind them they’re using the Sonos app. I just find these to be bizarre UI / UX decisions.

Thankfully Sonos appear to acknowledge the UI still requires work as “UI fit and finish” appears on their Trello board. Nick Millington himself also stated “There are certain compromises that are not ideal in my personal opinion” so one can hope there will be improvements made to UI/UX in coming updates as the current UX is still well below par in comparison to S2.

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Airgetlam

I wonder if Mr. Millington has ‘impersonal opinions’ as well?

:)

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Bruce

Ken_Griffiths

If I recall the comment Nick Millington made on the Reddit Q&A, it related to the actions performed on the mini-player/slide-up ‘room-selector’ screen.

In the background area of the minimised player at the top of the ‘room-selector’, in the Sonos App, the user ‘taps’ to show the ‘now playing’ screen, or slides ‘up’ to reveal the ‘room-selector’, or touches the volume slider to increase/decrease volume (by 1%) or ‘taps/slides right’ to show group volume screen (in the case where rooms are grouped/displayed in the mini player), or presses and holds the volume button to increase/decrease volume on a room/group… he was concerned that those things were perhaps confusing for the end user and there might be a need to improve the UI/UX at some later point.

It certainly was not a reference to the new Sonos App search feature, which was first introduced in the S2 App as an alternative to the Classic search. That said I guess Sonos will go onto listen to their users/testers and will make any changes they think will help to improve the UI/UX.

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