Onkyo "Works with Sonos" issue - Please help



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Support request logged with Sonos and Pioneer 

 

Can the other people having this issue please do the same, log with Sonos and Pioneer / Onkyo 

 

For Pioneer this is the necessary form. 
 

https://www.pioneer-audiovisual.eu/eu/customer-support

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Hi Dave,

 

That’s similar to how I have mine setup, with a hard limit on the output. 
 

Works with Sonos is certainly broken with Sonos 10.5.1 and Pioneer firmware 1030-4010-1020-0010 both of which are the latest version. There is no combination where the AMP will ever see the a Sonos box in the setup menu. 

 

Totally broken. Any thoughts welcome. Sonos?


As a customer I’m very annoyed my system is completely broken and useless. For no good reason that I can see 

 

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I am having the same issue with a Pioneer VSX-934 and a Sonos Connect. 

 

It works initially after but not consistently with seemingly no pattern. Doing some deductions I’ve narrowed it down to a consistent way to fix the issue. Which may in turn lead to the problem. 

All streaming services direct to the amp always work and wake it up - AirPlay, Spotify Connect etc

I found the issue by switching to WiFi. When the unit stops responding to the Sonos prompt, checking the Works with Sonos setting shows no devices available.

However if you toggle WiFi off then on then the devices reappear. This leads me to believe it’s a problem in the network stack side of the Pioneer unit. 

This is extremely frustrating. As pointed out by other people. I invested in more Sonos equipment and purchased the Pioneer unit specifically for this role. 

 

The feature is excellent. But more effort needs be made to maintain and enhance its stability. It is very annoying and difficult to get to this AMP. 

 

Has as anyone else found anymore info?

The problem is identical on my Onkyo NR-585. Toggling the Wi-FI network setting makes it possible to ‘find’ the SONOS Connect again. 

For Onkyo users, here is the sequence in settings:

Setup > Hardware > Network > WI-Fi (toggle once from Off(Wired) to On or On to Off(Wired))

and then,

Setup > Hardware > Works with SONOS > Connected Device (now your Connect should show up)

I then tried to change other settings on the Amp to try to get rid of the volume limitation. I have set all (that I can find) volume limits to be ‘off’, but I am still not getting full volume from Sonos. As part of my attempts to get the volume working I may have also changed other settings, including upgrading my Sonos system to 10.5. Now the auto-switchon isn’t working either, but I don’t know if this specifically stopped working when I upgraded the Sonos version - given the earlier posts that seem to point to the upgrade to Sonos v10.0 stopping ‘Works with Sonos’, it could be something similar.

 

OK, volume issue is simple user-error (and poor documentation!). There are several settings for the volume limit for the Sonos input on the amp (in Works with Sonos), I had it set for ‘Last’, and the limit inherits the last setting for volume, which was relatively low as it was late-night TV. Once that level is inherited, it cannot be increased unless the limit is reset, and this can be done as a decibel value. Setting to a decibel value starts at minus infinity (silence!), and then has to be increased slowly through a range from about -85 (still inaudible on my system). Eventually, when the volume limit setting approached -30 I started to hear something and took it through to -15, which now gives me sufficient range for most of my listening.

Still no luck with the auto-switchon, though.

I am having the same issue with a Pioneer VSX-934 and a Sonos Connect. 

 

It works initially after but not consistently with seemingly no pattern. Doing some deductions I’ve narrowed it down to a consistent way to fix the issue. Which may in turn lead to the problem. 

All streaming services direct to the amp always work and wake it up - AirPlay, Spotify Connect etc

I found the issue by switching to WiFi. When the unit stops responding to the Sonos prompt, checking the Works with Sonos setting shows no devices available.

However if you toggle WiFi off then on then the devices reappear. This leads me to believe it’s a problem in the network stack side of the Pioneer unit. 

This is extremely frustrating. As pointed out by other people. I invested in more Sonos equipment and purchased the Pioneer unit specifically for this role. 

 

The feature is excellent. But more effort needs be made to maintain and enhance its stability. It is very annoying and difficult to get to this AMP. 

 

Has as anyone else found anymore info?

Hi,

I have just read your note and I am also seeing a couple of issues with the Sonos/VSX-934 connectivity.

When I initially set up the 934 (last Saturday!) and configured the ‘Works with Sonos’ settings the auto-switchon worked perfectly. I noticed, however, that the volume on the Amp was limited on my Sonos connection (and on the display of the Amp it did say exactly that, i.e. the volume is limited for the channel that I’m using which is CD/Coax).

I then tried to change other settings on the Amp to try to get rid of the volume limitation. I have set all (that I can find) volume limits to be ‘off’, but I am still not getting full volume from Sonos. As part of my attempts to get the volume working I may have also changed other settings, including upgrading my Sonos system to 10.5. Now the auto-switchon isn’t working either, but I don’t know if this specifically stopped working when I upgraded the Sonos version - given the earlier posts that seem to point to the upgrade to Sonos v10.0 stopping ‘Works with Sonos’, it could be something similar.

Have you got the same issue that I have with the volume limit? I am investigating this as my priority because it only just gets to the minimum acceptable volume for me and I need to get rid of the imposed limit, but I can’t see where to do it. I have tried ringing Pioneer, and they haven’t answered the phone, and my retailer who I got the Amp off, and they are going to try to re-create in the shop over the next couple of days. 

I will let you know if I get any more information.

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I am having the same issue with a Pioneer VSX-934 and a Sonos Connect. 

 

It works initially after but not consistently with seemingly no pattern. Doing some deductions I’ve narrowed it down to a consistent way to fix the issue. Which may in turn lead to the problem. 

All streaming services direct to the amp always work and wake it up - AirPlay, Spotify Connect etc

I found the issue by switching to WiFi. When the unit stops responding to the Sonos prompt, checking the Works with Sonos setting shows no devices available.

However if you toggle WiFi off then on then the devices reappear. This leads me to believe it’s a problem in the network stack side of the Pioneer unit. 

This is extremely frustrating. As pointed out by other people. I invested in more Sonos equipment and purchased the Pioneer unit specifically for this role. 

 

The feature is excellent. But more effort needs be made to maintain and enhance its stability. It is very annoying and difficult to get to this AMP. 

 

Has as anyone else found anymore info?

I’m having the same issues with the Onkyo TX-NR696. I’ve found that if I re-select my Port within the “Connected Device” topic of the “Works with Sonos” setting, I temporarily regain full functionality. It’s as if the receiver forgets with which Sonos device it’s supposed to be associated after some time. For what’s it’s worth, an onkyo tech support person recommended I return the device if I expected the works with Sonos function to work consistently. She said that the functionality was never “guaranteed” to work. What a joke…..  Could not believe that was their stance. I’ve been waiting for days for a higher up tech person to call me back. I’m not holding my breath....

Well, given that they’re wired, it does seem hard to support any WiFi interference, doesn’t it?

I would suggest that it is not a widespread issue, given the dearth of posts about it, but then again I have no concept of how many installations that there are.

I would suggest that that your best bet at this point would be to contact Sonos Support directly to discuss it.

I suggest the phone folks, they have more tools available because they're on the phone with you, but they are only available Monday through Friday during business hours. Both the Twitter and Facebook support folks are available 24/7.

I am unsure as to whether a diagnostic would be useful, as it would only show what is going on on the Sonos side of the equation, and I still consider that to be a lower chance. But I’ve been wrong before. And will again.

If you get a resolution, I’d ask that you come back here and let us learn from your experience.
Bruce -

Both devices are connected by wired Ethernet into the same switch. I've made sure the IPs do not change by setting DHCP reservations on my router. I did call Onkyo and after speaking with a tech and leaving a detailed technical description of the issue I was promised a call back, but I never heard from them. Judging by the number of posts on this issue it seems to be common and widespread.
Have you contacted Onkyo for assistance? Given the lack of other complaints here in the Sonos forums, it leads me to think that it may be an issue on their side, rather than on the Sonos side. Especially as you've done what I consider to be the normal troubleshooting step of checking firmware updates.

I suppose it might be wifi interference between the two devices, since I don't know how you have them connected, or even a rarer duplicate IP address issue, since it seems intermittent.
I have an Onkyo TX RZ830 and a Sonos Connect - both updated to the latest firmware on each. If I reboot (as in remove power cord) the Onkyo, and run through the setup menu, it will find the Sonos Connect at it's IP address and then the "works with Sonos" functionality works - for maybe 3 or 4 times, then it stops. If you return to the setup menus in Onkyo, it says no Sonos device found. It's been this way since I purchased the Onkyo in April, through multiple code upgrades on each.

Like others, the only reason I purchased the Onkyo Receiver was for this functionality.
Just as a note, wikipedia tells me that both companies are essentially the same:

In March 2015, Onkyo purchased Pioneer Corporation's Home Electronics Corporation, which produces home cinema amplifiers, Blu-ray players and other AV products. In return, Pioneer took a 14.95% stake in Onkyo. The Ohtsuki family remain the largest shareholders of the company with an approximately 26% stake,[1] just above Gibson Brands, with a 16.5% stake.[3]

So it doesn't surprise me that you're having trouble with both devices simultaneously. They're probably running essentially the same firmware.
In all of the resolved cases, i.e. people who bothered to report back here, it was always a case of running a firmware update on the "works with Sonos" device. Apparently, if I remember correctly, Sonos made a change that confounded the way that these companies had implemented it. Don't really know if Sonos ignored their own standards on the API, or the companies didn't implement the API the way that Sonos said it needed to be. Been in that kind of situation on my own, where someone thinks "I can just shortcut this, I know what the API is supposed to be doing, and it's too complicated, I'll make it run faster" and then get bitten, so I'm a tad sanguine about assigning blame to Sonos. But it's possible, and I'm not in the audio business, my experience is in games.

That being said, it's always a possibility that the issue you're experiencing is not a true "works with Sonos" error, but simply a network issue which has that aspect. Hard for me to tell. I can certainly give advice about network issues, that's pretty much 99% of what this forum is about, actually, but truthfully, your best bet is that diagnostic, and then contacting Sonos directly. There's all sorts of data (I think...never seen one) in that diagnostic that shows the techs from Sonos what issues are popping up. Including some network data. But I wouldn't expect it to show anything if there was an issue inside the receiver's firmware. I doubt their diagnostics can reach into those devices and pull information.
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Unfortunately, I don't own either of these devices, so I'm not going to be much help beyond what I've read in these forums in other user's cases.

Perhaps you may want to contact Sonos support directly, rather than relying on other user's experiences? You could reach out to Sonos Support to discuss it. I suggest the phone folks, they have more tools available because they're on the phone with you, but they are only available Monday through Friday during business hours. That might give them the opportunity to remote into your system, and see what's going on from the network level.

Both the Twitter and Facebook support folks are available 24/7.


Thanks for the reply Bruce. I appreciate it. I'm not very active on this forum. I am going to do a search, but just curious. From what you have read, did it seem like most users were able to get this resolved?

I noticed when I have the problem, if I redo the "Works with Sonos" setup again that it works for awhile, but then by the evening or next day it is flakey again.
Unfortunately, I don't own either of these devices, so I'm not going to be much help beyond what I've read in these forums in other user's cases.

Perhaps you may want to contact Sonos support directly, rather than relying on other user's experiences? You could reach out to Sonos Support to discuss it. I suggest the phone folks, they have more tools available because they're on the phone with you, but they are only available Monday through Friday during business hours. That might give them the opportunity to remote into your system, and see what's going on from the network level.

Both the Twitter and Facebook support folks are available 24/7.
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Have you updated the firmware on both devices? For most posts of this type, that's resolved the issue.

You want want to check with both Pioneer and Onkyo, as Sonos doesn't write their software for them, they only provide an API that those companies have to interface with.


Yes, I've updated the firmware for the Pioneer and Onkyo. They are both on the latest versions. The Onkyo seems to work a little bit better but it's still not consistent.

Have you had any luck with this?
Any idea how this works? When I start the music on the Connect, it must be sending a request to the receiver's IP address to tell it to turn on. Seems like that may not be happening consistently?

I'm a software developer with about 4 years experience with home automation, so I would be willing to dig in deeper if needed. I honestly bought these products because I didn't want to program this. Just hoping they come up with a solution soon.

Thanks
Have you updated the firmware on both devices? For most posts of this type, that's resolved the issue.

You want want to check with both Pioneer and Onkyo, as Sonos doesn't write their software for them, they only provide an API that those companies have to interface with.
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Anyone have any lucks with this?
I bought a Pioneer VSX-lx503 and also a Onkyo RZ830.

They both have issues with "Works with Sonos" When I first set it up, it seems to work great. Then after awhile it stops working. It's basically hit or miss whether is actually will turn on the receiver anymore.

At this point, I may return both receivers unless I find a solution in the next couple of weeks. I basically bought the receivers for this feature as I have bout 20+ Sonos speakers, but this is getting really frustrating.

Thanks
Latest firmware on both Sonos and Onkyo and it is again not working.... How bout talking to eachother, Sonos and Onkyo?
Where you able to fix the issue? I recently purchased the onkyo tx-rx840 as well especially for the works with sonos feature, but it really is a hit or miss. Sometimes the receiver turns on and sets the correct input and plays correctly, other times it turns on, sets the input but does not play anything and other times it simply won't turn on. I tried to setup sono news, in the receiver as well, with no luck

Anyone managed to get a permanent fix on this? It is frustrating...
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The latest firmware initially fixed the issue but it is broken again for me now. I have rebooted my router, sonos connect and Onkyo amp several times but the sonos is still not found.

I am hoping this gets fixed once and for all or I am just going to bin the Onkyo and go for something simple, it is not worth the hassle or getting shouted at by Wife.
I had the same issue with the onkyo TX-NR686. The latest onkyo firmware fixed the issue for me.
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Sonos changed the xml data they send for Groups, which causes third party software to not find any players any more. Why they changed this is a mystery, but it broke almost everything (except my stuff?). It certainly puts into question the validity of the whole "Works with Sonos" program.
That statement from Sonos makes no sense as onkyo firmware was not updated, automatically or manually. Can someone confirm same?
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So gutted this is broken, it was the only reason I bought an Onkyo receiver. The first reply from Sonos I got stated:

"We are aware of this and are working on it please accept my apologies for the inconvenience"

The next response from another advisor at Sonos through up this different response:

"Thank you for getting back to us. This integration is something we offer to many manufacturers as an "open-source" way of connecting their devices to Sonos. With that, we would like to ensure that the Sonos side of things is working as expected and if so, we recommend reaching out to Onkyo to have them look into why the receiver is no longer communicating with Sonos"

Go figure..