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Trending Lyricist I
February 7, 2016
Answered

It's 2016! Make PlayBar Gen 2 for DTS / Fix Aux for Play 5 GEN 2

  • February 7, 2016
  • 56 replies
  • 41537 views
I know, it's another DTS thread. Sonos, I have used your products over many years. I am very impressed and right now, you are the Apple of Speakers when it comes to terms of quality and sound. I own 4 x P1s, 2 x P3, Sub + 2 x Gen 2 Play 5's and the very ... very... sad Playbar.

I have read many forums over the years and I have seen the anguish between many customers. I have never really commented because my patience was long and lasting... assuming one day you would care about this one point... but you are selling a locked eco-system that has the capability to drive customers mad. As I stated, you are the Apple of Speakers... but I feel like at times, there is a Steve Jobs at your company that is saying "no" to the bigger iPhone and watching customers endure the madness. What I am getting at is that it's 2016 and there are two things that are driving me mad (it's been a slow build up).

1. The new play 5's... the GEN 2s... some genius decided that the AUX ports are disabled when paired as a 5x1 theater system. For the first time, I was like... hey... I can use apple airplay (airport express) with my SONOS. Nope, I have two expensive speakers that when I use them as a theater system, the AUX ports do not work. So I sent an email and you thought it was a good idea... just a good idea... something that should have been standard from release. It's actually a main reason why I bought them and pushed over the play 3's. I can have upgraded speakers and use the AUX port when needed. When I disconnect them from the theater system, the AUX port shows back up... how convenient.

2. The DTS issue. I understand that over time, this may have not seemed like a big deal. You have to understand everything is moving to 1080p - 2160p and 4k. Audio is moving towards that direction also. I have implemented solutions where the audio splits so I can get 5.1 with the soundbar... but there needs to be some announcement in regards to a solution (and I respect the current play bar cannot handle it). Maybe the solution is a GEN2 speaker. Me personally, I would pay $999+ if you have a new sound bar that could accept hi-def connections... just as you created the GEN2 Play 5's.

Anyways, I can no longer defend SONOS. I am getting mad. If you know your going to create a locked eco-system and have consumers invest in an expensive theater system... you should listen to this one part. You see endless threads on it. Your right... I can just walk away, but you had me invest into an eco-system and you sold something that was only partially true. I know your response team reads this and there is a complicated process to make products. This is why Samsung and other companies can never match you... but a company that offers consumers a high-def system for twice the price.. I would be willing to toss every speaker on eBay and switch. My friends laugh at the SONOS system that pushes only... STEREO... unless there is a work around.

As of now, there is no worry because no one can match your quality... yet. Please create a GEN2 play bar... I bet people will pay even more... but in the end... your products are always worth it and that's why I would purchase it. Fix the DTS weakness (and please fire the engineers or quality control team who thought the AUX ports being disabled for the new GEN2's when used as a theater system - joking... but it's like selling a TESLA that requires a manual crank to start the car).

I mean well and write this because I care about the organization and I'm not here to randomly complain. Do something... than state what we already know.
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    Best answer by tiago
    Well I guess every passionate SONOS user will agree with your demands! I was very frustrated to find out that the AUX is disabled when PLAY:5 Gen 2 is added as surround, I’ve made a thread here and got some explanation (https://en.community.sonos.com/home-theater-228993/it-possible-to-use-the-line-on-a-home-theater-setup-6735262). What I managed to do is that I had another PLAY:5 Gen 2 on other room I used its AUX port and I can select in what room I want to play the AUX port, it woked for me this way, but you need an extra speaker 😕.

    About DTS is the only thing that keeps me from being 100% happy with my SONOS system. I have a lot of DTS content and my tv passes through DTS, thank god that it also converts to PCM so I don’t get “no sound”, but its stereo 😕.

    I tend to believe that SONOS is working on a new playbar with DTS support, if not they would be left behind by competition. It would be also a good idea to make a new connect, or something, so we could use for example 3xSONOS PLAY:5s as Center, Right, Left and 2xSONOS Play:1s as Surround speakers or any other combination.

    Well, we can just hope that we invested our money on the correct system and that they will handle DTS with time. A statement that SONOS is working on it would be nice, but as I’ve read before they do not comment on future products or features.

    Thanks for your post!

    +1 for your requests!

    56 replies

    Chris
    Lead Maestro
    August 17, 2016
    Its a shame TV can't be the hub as it makes the most sense when it comes to having the various HDMI inputs and then single audio needed.

    Otherwise you have to have an external box to do the switching. Either purchase and HDMI switch or if the SUPER CONNECT was an HDMI switcher.

    I think to avoid future compatibility problems and external switch with toslink extractor would work best - feeding a SUPER CONNECT which has a toslink input and and HDMI input/passthrough. Then the super connect feed the various speakers in the house audio channels up to at least 7.1.
    Respect the Queue (2)Move (3)Beam (1) Era100 (2)ARC (1)SonosOne (1)Playbar (4)Play5 (4)Play1 (3)Play3 (1)Port (2)Connect (1) Roam (2) Ace (1)Connect:Amp (4)Sonos Amp (1)Sub + (9) Echo + Smartthings; (2)Play)
    nicka99
    Local Superstar
    August 18, 2016
    Id love a SUPERCONNECT with hdmi and output to choice of play 1/3/5 and sub 🙂
    Lyricist I
    September 18, 2016
    I went into a John Lewis store in the UK yesterday to purchase a Sonos Soundbar, Sub and 2 x Play 1's. There were no Soundbars in stock and the nice sales lady looked in her computer and it said "discontinued soon". She offered me 10% off a showroom model but I declined. Not sure whether it's just John Lewis that is stopping stocking them or if this is the first clue that a new Soundbar is about to be released. I chose to wait.
    Chris
    Lead Maestro
    September 18, 2016
    Sonos definitely hasn't announced much on hardware side past few years. It's about time for some more refreshes as the play:5 refresh has appeared to be a major success
    Respect the Queue (2)Move (3)Beam (1) Era100 (2)ARC (1)SonosOne (1)Playbar (4)Play5 (4)Play1 (3)Play3 (1)Port (2)Connect (1) Roam (2) Ace (1)Connect:Amp (4)Sonos Amp (1)Sub + (9) Echo + Smartthings; (2)Play)
    Lyricist III
    September 18, 2016
    Bang on i will wait till the day they do , i will never buy the **** looking , tack , dust magnet , poorest product they make till they bring out a 2
    September 18, 2016
    I'd have thought it more likely that Sonos would be upping the £ rrp as a result of the weakening of the pound against the dollar. Iirc when they increased the Euro price for the same reason a while back there were numerous "discontinued" items in various stores until the new price regime became active.
    Chris
    Lead Maestro
    September 18, 2016
    I actually like the playbar looks
    Respect the Queue (2)Move (3)Beam (1) Era100 (2)ARC (1)SonosOne (1)Playbar (4)Play5 (4)Play1 (3)Play3 (1)Port (2)Connect (1) Roam (2) Ace (1)Connect:Amp (4)Sonos Amp (1)Sub + (9) Echo + Smartthings; (2)Play)
    nicka99
    Local Superstar
    September 18, 2016
    would be nice if it were true but probably more likely a minor change similar to that just made with the sub
    https://en.community.sonos.com/what-to-get-228989/new-sub-on-the-horizon-6738589/
    Chris
    Lead Maestro
    September 18, 2016
    Short of an external input I'm not sure what much they could have done to improve on the sub
    Respect the Queue (2)Move (3)Beam (1) Era100 (2)ARC (1)SonosOne (1)Playbar (4)Play5 (4)Play1 (3)Play3 (1)Port (2)Connect (1) Roam (2) Ace (1)Connect:Amp (4)Sonos Amp (1)Sub + (9) Echo + Smartthings; (2)Play)
    Lyricist III
    November 11, 2016
    Hope Sonos reads this: I'm not buying a playbar until it has DTS. Why would I buy an obsolete playbar for my OLED TV? Release the playbar 2, and I'm stocking my house with your products with the playbar as the first item.

    I also registered a forum account just to communicate this.


    I registered also just to comment. I would love to see a player that has cdmi input and its support. It would be even better if it also supported Dolby HD and Atmos maybe sonos could consider up firing speaker to add to a scenario that would enable Atmos also! Or better still incorporated into a new speaker and soundbar! I am so wanting to invest in the sonos world but having a soundbar that doesn't even offer hdmi is a total no go for me. This product does seem ripe for an upgrade having been on the market for quite some time now. I hope that some of this will happen sooner rather than later before I cave in and buy something else, like the Bose 300 system with sub and rears