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Your feedback on the new Sonos App

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2311 replies

M
Userlevel 1

The new app is super confusing. In fact buggy sometime. Slow too. I just don’t see the point of having this app update at all. I wish Sonos can roll back to the previous version. I doubt anyone like this new app at all.

R
Userlevel 4
Badge +1

And now for something completely different . . . 

It’s now mid-June, the time when Sonos told us access to one’s local music library will be sorted, and I still can’t access my local music library (and yes - I’ve tried every fix suggested here).

Oh wait - it’s not completely different . . . it’s the same. Apparently my Sonos speakers really are obsolete.

I think the access to library had always been sorted - users need to switch the library share to use SMBv2 or higher sharing protocol - what was supposedly coming soon was the option to now search the local library. I have always been able to access the local library on the NAS box here, but note SMBv1 and http shares are not supported and likely won’t be in the new Sonos App at any point going forward.

Ken . . . 

Just for context Ken, are you a Mac user?

I have to respectfully disagree that access to the music library issue has been sorted, at least for this Mac user. Sonos still can’t find the Music folder unless I put in the path manually and i’s my understanding that macOS Sonoma 14.5 supports SMBv2. 

Admittedly, I know just enough to get by and be dangerous with the Mac. After finally getting the path to the Music folder restored, Sonos still will not index the Music Library. Maybe I’m the only Mac user who hasn’t figured all this out. Perhaps I didn’t get the advance notice from Sonos to all the Mac users that explained how the Mac desktop controller would no longer work after the updated app was downloaded unless the user did the following: (insert solution here). 

But I’ve moved on. Sonos support has been of no help whatsoever unlike the Sonos Community Mac users and others who have provided several helpful suggestions. I used to check daily to see if there was any additional updates, then weekly and now I check here just in case. I’m happy to use my bluetooth speakers linked to my iPhone with my entire music library. 

If Sonos works for you Ken - then good on ya! I thought the speakers were great until Sonos fouled up (a different phrase comes to mind but I’ll save the moderator the trouble of editing) their software so much that at least my speakers don’t function.

Now back to standing in the dark corner behind the door.

Radley   

T
Userlevel 2
Badge +1

We reached the point where we are not even trying to use sonos anymore… from loving using it until the last update…

Rhonny
Userlevel 7
Badge +11

Now my system is out of sync… and still only 2 apear in the app, but they all play, out of sync…

wth is sonos doing about it? It s been weeks!

Are you using the Grouping screen to play speakers together? It sounds like you’re playing music on individual speakers and hoping they will play the same thing at the same time, rather than ticking the relevant speakers on the grouping screen and pressing Apply?

J
Userlevel 1

Is there any way to fix the lag on the new app? When I press the music controls there is a couple of seconds lag before the speakers react. Then I’ve inevitably pressed the button twice and the system then ends up in a loop of starting and stopping. Then the grouping changes itself and starts playing a previous song.

The app is out of control - so I have now stopped using my Sonos kit completely.

any fixes for these performance/ speed of reaction issues or is it just the new app experience everyone has?

S
Userlevel 1

And now for something completely different . . . 

It’s now mid-June, the time when Sonos told us access to one’s local music library will be sorted, and I still can’t access my local music library (and yes - I’ve tried every fix suggested here).

Oh wait - it’s not completely different . . . it’s the same. Apparently my Sonos speakers really are obsolete.

I think the access to library had always been sorted - users need to switch the library share to use SMBv2 or higher sharing protocol - what was supposedly coming soon was the option to now search the local library. I have always been able to access the local library on the NAS box here, but note SMBv1 and http shares are not supported and likely won’t be in the new Sonos App at any point going forward.

 

As I’ve previously said to you Ken, it hasn’t been sorted for some users, me included. It’s become quite frustrating to see it repeatedly suggested to be a user/configuration/SMB version issue, when it’s anything but for some people.

IIRC you’re not a Mac user, I am. There is no option in MacOS to specify the SMB version like there is in Windows or on some NAS machines - it’s not necessary under MacOS.

My version of MacOS (Catalina) supports SMBv3. I’ve been using MacOS File Sharing to make my local library folder available to Sonos for *years* before this botched update. Everything worked perfectly. Since the update, I cannot re-add this same library to our two Sonos Ray devices.

I’ve watched all the videos and read all the guides, but the workaround is simply setting up what I already have in place. My file permissions are already set as suggested, Shares configured as suggested.

The only variable here is the Sonos update.

I believe that Sonos have not tested their SMB changes against the full range of MacOS versions. I’ve seen several other people using MacOS Catalina report *exactly* the same problem as me. Catalina supports SMBv3, Terminal reports the share as being available via SMB3.0.2.

Sonos connects to it and begins indexing, but after 10 minutes Sonos says the device is no longer available and may have been “powered off”, despite me sitting at said device!

If I intentionally supply Sonos an incorrect or non-permissioned path, it immediately reports it cannot access that location, so I know that it is able to access the correct path, and is not simply falling at the first hurdle but taking 10 minutes to report such.

 

This is something that Sonos broke. It’s something that Sonos need to fix.

S

As a SONOS owner and shareholder I am appalled by the lack of testing and competence prior to releasing the app. Every day using it is a trial and thoroughly frustrating. It’s damaging the community, confidence and sales. I have rarely been so frustrated and disappointed in equal measure. The main gripe for me is the constant reversion of the app to one outpost (ie Move), which drops sound/connection across other outputs eg Beam, Five etc. Constantly having to reboot and restore, link cables etc negates the prime benefits of easy music listening across or within rooms and zones.  I suggest it’s withdrawn until it’s actually ready. 

A
Userlevel 4
Badge +1

As a SONOS owner and shareholder I am appalled by the lack of testing and competence prior to releasing the app. Every day using it is a trial and thoroughly frustrating. It’s damaging the community, confidence and sales. I have rarely been so frustrated and disappointed in equal measure. The main gripe for me is the constant reversion of the app to one outpost (ie Move), which drops sound/connection across other outputs eg Beam, Five etc. Constantly having to reboot and restore, link cables etc negates the prime benefits of easy music listening across or within rooms and zones.  I suggest it’s withdrawn until it’s actually ready. 

As a shareholder as well as an owner, you have a particular opportunity to exert pressure by sharing your frustration and disappointment via investor relations (if Sonos has such an office). 

T
Userlevel 6
Badge +10

As a shareholder as well as an owner, you have a particular opportunity to exert pressure by sharing your frustration and disappointment via investor relations (if Sonos has such an office). 

Investor relations contact

 James Baglanis

301 Coromar Drive
Goleta, CA 93117

Email: ir@sonos.com

P

Not enjoying the new app.  My phone / tablet don't stay connected to the system.  I can start the music but the moment phone goes to sleep and want to go back in app to change music, it is no longer connected to the system.  It's a pain.  Constantly have to restart, definitely not working right.

K
Userlevel 7
Badge +4

As a shareholder as well as an owner, you have a particular opportunity to exert pressure by sharing your frustration and disappointment via investor relations (if Sonos has such an office). 

Investor relations contact

 James Baglanis

301 Coromar Drive
Goleta, CA 93117

Email: ir@sonos.com

Having been a shareholder for almost as many years as I’ve owned over $10k worth of Sonos gear, and having experienced past debacles from Captain P.Spence (of the Sonos Titanic), I sold off all shares two days after this disaster rolled out. Heck, even the preview link in the per-release email was broken! 

And for the superfans here who buy into the Spence BS that it’s just a few winers who always complain about new Apps, try checking out the recent Apple/Google app store ratings, Amazon review, BBB, Consumer Affairs, Trusted Pilot, comments from the recent Verge and Wired articles +++.  This has NEVER been this bad superfans, and you know it. 

I did write investor relations once I read that some Sonos leaders/employees were selling their shares right after the roll-out, and never heard a peep.  Now I am writing to several investment companies to ask them to look deeper into what the leadership team has done to this once great audio products company.  Short-term thinking/planning + over promised while under delivered in the worst way.  That’s how Spence rolls.  Time to put pressure on the investment community b/c clearly the board is in bed with the rest of c-suite. 

C

The new app sucks - I can no longer play any music at all and nothing I do fixes issues - The geniuses who think they are all that in giving us a better user experience aren’t old enough to know what gives a good user experience...and the people who made the decision to go live with this “new” app need their heads examined - they also don’t know what they are doing. Ever hear of user testing prior to a major release like this! I am so disgusted with this product!!

B
Userlevel 3
Badge

One of the most infuriating things to me is you can now no longer control the volume using the side buttons on your iPhone with this horrible app. The volume sliders are simply not responsive enough. I hate this update. It is next to impossible to make incremental increases or decreases in the volume now. Thanks for screwing it up. I don't even want to listen anymore. I see that Sonos retained disability for android users but not iOS. Why?

Rhonny
Userlevel 7
Badge +11

One of the most infuriating things to me is you can now no longer control the volume using the side buttons on your iPhone with this horrible app. The volume sliders are simply not responsive enough. I hate this update. It is next to impossible to make incremental increases or decreases in the volume now. Thanks for screwing it up. I don't even want to listen anymore. I see that Sonos retained disability for android users but not iOS. Why?

It’s so simple. Tap the volume slider line up or down to adjust the volume by one increment at a time. 

jgatie

One of the most infuriating things to me is you can now no longer control the volume using the side buttons on your iPhone with this horrible app. The volume sliders are simply not responsive enough. I hate this update. It is next to impossible to make incremental increases or decreases in the volume now. Thanks for screwing it up. I don't even want to listen anymore. I see that Sonos retained disability for android users but not iOS. Why?

 

Loss of the side buttons isn't a result of the new app.  That happened many months ago, and it was Apple who forced Sonos to stop using the hack they were using to get around Apple's rule against using hard buttons and Lock Screen controls to control 3rd party hardware.

B
Userlevel 3
Badge

Screw Apple.

I know how it is supposed to work with the sliders but either my fingers are too big or the phone is too small and it is not responsive or effective. Frustrating.

Rhonny
Userlevel 7
Badge +11

Screw Apple.

I know how it is supposed to work with the sliders but either my fingers are too big or the phone is too small and it is not responsive or effective. Frustrating.

Don’t slide. Just tap.

A

Awful new app.Keeps dropping out ,not connecting with some speakers ..why did sono release this new app before testing..very poor ..if there was an alternative would gladly move ..

M
Userlevel 4
Badge +2

Time to put pressure on the investment community b/c clearly the board is in bed with the rest of c-suite. 

 

It's a good example of why CEOs should not be on the Board IMHO.

T
Userlevel 4
Badge +2

 

 

https://www.theverge.com/2020/1/21/21075043/sonos-software-updates-ending-play-5-connect-zone-players

Rhonny
Userlevel 7
Badge +11

 

 

https://www.theverge.com/2020/1/21/21075043/sonos-software-updates-ending-play-5-connect-zone-players

What’s the context for posting? (This article is from Jan 2020.)

T
Badge +2

I found one thing that actually works better in the new app than the old one. The sleep timer now is set correctly every time I set it, while in the old app I sometimes needed to set it twice. The rest of the new app still suck of course, but I am trying to stay positive... Would be good to some day get the real explanation from Sonos as to what happened to cause this disaster.

Rhonny
Userlevel 7
Badge +11

I found one thing that actually works better in the new app than the old one. The sleep timer now is set correctly every time I set it, while in the old app I sometimes needed to set it twice. The rest of the new app still suck of course, but I am trying to stay positive... Would be good to some day get the real explanation from Sonos as to what happened to cause this disaster.

Their headphone launch.

P
Badge

No doubt (some of) these items have already been documented, but just to add my voice.

  • Qobuz library is not imported correctly. My favourite albums are there, but favourite artists (my main access route to the music I want to play) and favourite playlists just are not there.
  • Volume control is woeful. I liked seeing the volume number when adjusting the volume for multiple speakers at the same time. Now you only see the number when adjusting each individual speaker. Moreover, you need to have the finger of a child (but with adult motor control) to adjust the volume.
  • Once you’ve searched, say, an artist and you have a list of releases, it is difficult to get back to this list once you start playing a particular release.
  • It would it be nice if the main volume control on your phone would adjust the volume of your sonos speaker (when in the app), but I get that Apple may be preventing you from doing this.
  • Not sure whether this is Sonos or the way Qobuz deliver the data to you, but the list of releases is a totally unordered mess. Release dates are all mixed up, albums are mixed up with singles, EPs, live albums etc.

Actually, there are a few improvements for me:

  • When selecting speakers, the order of the speakers no longer jumps around so you’re no longer playing “whack-a-mole”.
  • The colourscheme is nicer.
  • I *think* the app may be slightly faster for me.

These minor improvements do not outweigh the car-crash elements of this “upgrade”.

I
Userlevel 2
Badge

One of the most infuriating things to me is you can now no longer control the volume using the side buttons on your iPhone with this horrible app. The volume sliders are simply not responsive enough. I hate this update. It is next to impossible to make incremental increases or decreases in the volume now. Thanks for screwing it up. I don't even want to listen anymore. I see that Sonos retained disability for android users but not iOS. Why?

It’s so simple. Tap the volume slider line up or down to adjust the volume by one increment at a time. 

Which is of course very easy to do if you want to increase the volume, but if the volume is at 10% and you want it down to 5% only a tiny fraction of the left portion of that slider is responsive, so with average-sized fingers either nothing happens or the volume is muted/unmuted at every tap.

Why is it so terrible to, I don't know, put volume buttons in your app (onscreen or physcial) that people can actually use? If that doesn't rhyme with the app's intended aesthetics, then I would like to hear an explanation from the designers.

It's an app used to control an audioplayer. That means it requires buttons to play/stop music, select tracks and control the volume in an intuitive manner. If you, as a designer at Sonos, think otherwise you should find another line of work.

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