I know Google doesn’t allow audio grouping with its own 1st gen chromecast products, so I can’t see them doing it with Sonos products, or vice versa.

Their website says this...

Group any combination of Google Nest or Google Home speakers and displays and Chromecast devices together for synchronous music throughout the home. Your music and audio from Chromecast-enabled apps are instantly available to stream.

Compatible devices include speakers and displays (Google Home, Google Nest Mini (2nd gen), Google Home Mini (1st gen), Google Home Max, Google Nest Audio, and Google Nest displays), Chromecast with Google TV, Chromecast, Chromecast Ultra, and Chromecast Audio.

Note: This feature is not supported on Chromecast (1st gen). 
...

I have not ever seen them mention Sonos as being a compatible speaker, nor Sonos mention that their speakers can be grouped with Google devices? ...Unless you have read that somewhere else online?

Hi

Thanks for the reply.

Before I bought the Beam I checked them out in an electrical retailer and asked the sales man about hooking up with my current Google home system like minis and Home Max’s and he told me not a problem to do this.

So I then waited for the Black Friday sale and bought my Beam directly from Sonos

So will Sonos speakers only group with other Sonos Speakers?

If so then this is not great and I’ll be sending my Beam back to Sonos 

It’s your prerogative what you choose to do. I have a good mix of different branded products around the home and like them all for a variety of reasons. 
 

Admittedly I do love both the Beam and Arc 5.1 surround sound setups with a Sonos Sub. So I’m definitely hanging onto mine.

Just to clear things up, Sonos devices and Google Home/Nest devices cannot be grouped together.
Google’s own speakers and third party ones use the Chromecast streaming protocol, which Sonos devices don’t support, which is a real shame, especially since Sonos’ speakers support AirPlay 2, which lets you group Sonos and Bose Home Speakers together for example and of course Apple’s own devices such as the HomePod and HomePod mini.

Having no Chromecast is extremely annoying, especially to Android users. People using YouTube Music/Deezer etc. cannot use the app itself to play music on Sonos but must revert to the Sonos app which just isn’t as convenient and lacks functionality compared to its native counterpart.

Chromecast support would also mean that users would no longer have to rely on Sonos’ terrible Google Assistant implementation. Google Assistant on Sonos devices is basically unusable, I’m surprised Sonos is actually allowed to advertise about having GA support.

There are loads of other reasons for Chromecast too, many of which are mentioned in articles you can find online. There have also been many, many complaints about this topic which can be found on this forum.

Thanks for the feedback JamesDan. 
It’s very interesting and really quite annoying to be honest. 
I bought into Sonos on the premise that I could hook a my Google devices up together. As you have said it’s surprising that they can advertise the Google assisted feature on there devices if they don’t pair up.

l’ll really have to consider if I keep my beam now or not.

So disappointed with my €400 plus purchase.

Does your TV support Chromecast or do you have an external Chromecast device plugged into the back of the TV?

That way you could use the Media option in the Google Home app to cast music to your TV and your Google Home/Nest speakers.
The TV would then have to be on while you’re streaming music.

I know this isn’t a really a solution, especially when it comes to Sonos speakers not connected to your TV.

Sonos make multiroom audio systems that can be voice controllablelable.  Nowhere have they said or implied that the Sonos system would integrate with Google or any other speaker system.

Thanks JamesDan

My tv has chrome cast built in so I’ll give your opinion a try. Cheers 

Hi JohnB

I was it by a salesperson who was told my current set up and what I wanted from the Beam. He told me at length that it was possible to set up with my current speakers

I would maybe go back and complain to/about that salesperson - if nothing else it may help to stop them giving out what sounds like ‘mistaken’ or perhaps ‘false/misleading’ information… whether that was intentional, or otherwise.

I am perhaps much older and wiser, but personally speaking, I would not believe anything a salesperson said to me about any product they are looking to sell - I would at least look to check/corroborate things before purchase - there is a ton of information online these days about both Sonos and Google products to have quickly seen that they do not ‘group’ in the way you were hoping for.

Your gripe is really with the local electrical retailer salesman who you briefly mentioned in your second post above.