Onkyo "Works with Sonos" issue - Please help


Userlevel 2
Badge
  • Trending Lyricist I
  • 12 replies
I am having a problem with my brand new Onkyo TX-NR686 that is advertised as "Works with Sonos" actually connecting to my new Sonos Connect for the purpose of having the receiver turn on and the input switched so the Sonos Connect input. I have updated the Onkyo to the latest firmware. All my Sonos speakers and connects are at the latest 10.0 update. I connect the Sonos Connect to the CD analog inputs on the Onkyo like the instructional video specifies. I go through all the correct settings on the Onkyo as per the instructions. The Onkyo and Connect are on the same network and subnet. I have verified that I can see both units on my network. The Sonos system works fine and I can even manually turn on the Onkyo and change the input to CD and the Connect music comes through fine.

However the reason I bought it and the Connect is because of the "Works with Sonos" integration feature that automatically is supposed to turn on the Onkyo receiver and change inputs to the Sonos input when it detects music on that input.

I am a Network Administrator have have a Meraki Mesh WiFi system and an MX Meraki security appliance. I have two VLAN's and had to enable Spanning Tree settings on all may switches to be able to have multiple Sonos Connect:Amps connected to ethernet. My network works great, Sonos works great, the Onkyo connects to the internet and I can stream Spotify, Tidal, and Pandora on it. But it cannot find my Connect during setup. Both are connected wired to the same switch. I have tried putting both on WiFi and have even ran two long 100 ft ethernet cables directly to the router thus bypassing the managed switches to no avail.

Could the Meraki MX65 security appliance router be the issue? I have no way of testing on a different router. I have read elsewhere where some others have had similar problems after the Sonos 10.0 update. However neither Onkyo or Sonos have been able to verify if that is in fact an issue. They cannot figure it out after multiple calls to each.

If someone on here is running and Onkyo and has the "Works with Sonos" working after Sonos update 10.0 please let me know so I can exclude the software upgrade as the issue.

This topic has been closed for further comments. You can use the search bar to find a similar topic, or create a new one by clicking Create Topic at the top of the page.

64 replies

Badge
Just got off the phone with Onkyo re this same problem. They couldn't solve the issue. Tried updating the Sonos system software, soft-resets, hard-resets, etc., etc. This is getting really old!
Userlevel 2
Badge
It is frustrating that they both advertise this feature and no support rep at either company has any idea about it and that it may be broken. I suspect the latest Sonos update is the issue. Are there any Sonos reps in these forums that can look into this for us?
strange, but there is absolutely no support for this issue! Hey Sonos!
Userlevel 2
Badge
strange, but there is absolutely no support for this issue! Hey Sonos!

Right! I am going to call both Sonos and Onkyo again today to see if they have any updates. If I can't resolve it by tomorrow I will either return both items to Amazon or figure another smart home way of turning on my Onkyo and changing the input to CD when I press play on either my Lutron Caseta Audio Pico or my iPort Xpress.

Anyone have any ideas on how I can achieve this? I have a Harmony Hub that can control my Onkyo but I cannot find a way for either the Xpress or the Lutron Caseta to send a control command to my Harmony Hub. I may need to use a middle smart hub that can work with both. Any recommendations are greatly appreciated. It is frustrating that I may need to resort to this considering the supposed integration feature being pushed and advertised by both companies. And I do not want to use Alexa (staying away for privacy reasons).
Userlevel 2
Badge
I just got off the phone with Onkyo support and they finally acknowledged that the new Sonos 10.0 update broke the Works With Sonos Onkyo integration. They told me they had a few other similar calls about it and that they were going to escalate the issue and will roll out a new firmware in the future. No timeline was given and they told me to manually turn on and switch input for now. I am fine with that if it will be fixed eventually.

In the meantime I learned how to use IFTTT to integrate multiple Zwave and WiFi devices. I was able to place a widget button on my phone that will turn on the receiver and switch the input to CD via Harmony Hub and also start playing a specific Sonos Favorite list on a specific Sonos group at a specific volume level just by pressing the button widget. My next step is to somehow do the same by pressing the Play/Pause hardware button on the Lutron Caseta Audio Pico remote. If I can achieve this then it would be better than Works With Sonos because it would also turn off my Onkyo when I pause the music. I have been able to achieve this already by sending email alerts to IFTTT which in turn triggers multiple applets to achieve this. I just need to find a way to integrate Lutron Caseta Smart controller in. It is compatible with IFTTT but has no triggers on the Audio remote.
Badge
I just got off the phone with Onkyo support and they finally acknowledged that the new Sonos 10.0 update broke the Works With Sonos Onkyo integration. They told me they had a few other similar calls about it and that they were going to escalate the issue and will roll out a new firmware in the future. No timeline was given and they told me to manually turn on and switch input for now. I am fine with that if it will be fixed eventually.

In the meantime I learned how to use IFTTT to integrate multiple Zwave and WiFi devices. I was able to place a widget button on my phone that will turn on the receiver and switch the input to CD via Harmony Hub and also start playing a specific Sonos Favorite list on a specific Sonos group at a specific volume level just by pressing the button widget. My next step is to somehow do the same by pressing the Play/Pause hardware button on the Lutron Caseta Audio Pico remote. If I can achieve this then it would be better than Works With Sonos because it would also turn off my Onkyo when I pause the music. I have been able to achieve this already by sending email alerts to IFTTT which in turn triggers multiple applets to achieve this. I just need to find a way to integrate Lutron Caseta Smart controller in. It is compatible with IFTTT but has no triggers on the Audio remote.


It's relatively easy to do with Home Assistant, although HA itself requires a bit of a learning curve and about a $40 outlay to buy a RasberryPi 3B+ so to run it. Once you get HA up and running on the RPi (or NAS or some other type of always-on home server), you can set a listener in HA that listens for a "state" change of your Sonos to "play". And once HA detects the state change you can have HA automatically trigger the Onkyo to turn on, change inputs (to CD or whatever input you use for your Sonos) and set the Onkyo to a specific volume. A similar listenser would turn the Onkyo off on a change of the Sonos' state to "pause".

In general, Home Assistant is super powerful . . . far more so than other solutions out there, and it can be operated without any cloud-based connections so to insure higher security than other solutions. If you are into home automation you really should check it out at: https://www.home-assistant.io/
Userlevel 2
Badge
I just got off the phone with Onkyo support and they finally acknowledged that the new Sonos 10.0 update broke the Works With Sonos Onkyo integration. They told me they had a few other similar calls about it and that they were going to escalate the issue and will roll out a new firmware in the future. No timeline was given and they told me to manually turn on and switch input for now. I am fine with that if it will be fixed eventually.

In the meantime I learned how to use IFTTT to integrate multiple Zwave and WiFi devices. I was able to place a widget button on my phone that will turn on the receiver and switch the input to CD via Harmony Hub and also start playing a specific Sonos Favorite list on a specific Sonos group at a specific volume level just by pressing the button widget. My next step is to somehow do the same by pressing the Play/Pause hardware button on the Lutron Caseta Audio Pico remote. If I can achieve this then it would be better than Works With Sonos because it would also turn off my Onkyo when I pause the music. I have been able to achieve this already by sending email alerts to IFTTT which in turn triggers multiple applets to achieve this. I just need to find a way to integrate Lutron Caseta Smart controller in. It is compatible with IFTTT but has no triggers on the Audio remote.


It's relatively easy to do with Home Assistant, although HA itself requires a bit of a learning curve and about a $40 outlay to buy a RasberryPi 3B+ so to run it. Once you get HA up and running on the RPi (or NAS or some other type of always-on home server), you can set a listener in HA that listens for a "state" change of your Sonos to "play". And once HA detects the state change you can have HA automatically trigger the Onkyo to turn on, change inputs (to CD or whatever input you use for your Sonos) and set the Onkyo to a specific volume. A similar listenser would turn the Onkyo off on a change of the Sonos' state to "pause".

In general, Home Assistant is super powerful . . . far more so than other solutions out there, and it can be operated without any cloud-based connections so to insure higher security than other solutions. If you are into home automation you really should check it out at: https://www.home-assistant.io/


I really appreciate the info. I am a software developer and am sure I can figure it out. Just needed the initial guidance. I will start reviewing Home assistant.
Badge
I just got off the phone with Onkyo support and they finally acknowledged that the new Sonos 10.0 update broke the Works With Sonos Onkyo integration. They told me they had a few other similar calls about it and that they were going to escalate the issue and will roll out a new firmware in the future. No timeline was given and they told me to manually turn on and switch input for now. I am fine with that if it will be fixed eventually.

In the meantime I learned how to use IFTTT to integrate multiple Zwave and WiFi devices. I was able to place a widget button on my phone that will turn on the receiver and switch the input to CD via Harmony Hub and also start playing a specific Sonos Favorite list on a specific Sonos group at a specific volume level just by pressing the button widget. My next step is to somehow do the same by pressing the Play/Pause hardware button on the Lutron Caseta Audio Pico remote. If I can achieve this then it would be better than Works With Sonos because it would also turn off my Onkyo when I pause the music. I have been able to achieve this already by sending email alerts to IFTTT which in turn triggers multiple applets to achieve this. I just need to find a way to integrate Lutron Caseta Smart controller in. It is compatible with IFTTT but has no triggers on the Audio remote.


It's relatively easy to do with Home Assistant, although HA itself requires a bit of a learning curve and about a $40 outlay to buy a RasberryPi 3B+ so to run it. Once you get HA up and running on the RPi (or NAS or some other type of always-on home server), you can set a listener in HA that listens for a "state" change of your Sonos to "play". And once HA detects the state change you can have HA automatically trigger the Onkyo to turn on, change inputs (to CD or whatever input you use for your Sonos) and set the Onkyo to a specific volume. A similar listenser would turn the Onkyo off on a change of the Sonos' state to "pause".

In general, Home Assistant is super powerful . . . far more so than other solutions out there, and it can be operated without any cloud-based connections so to insure higher security than other solutions. If you are into home automation you really should check it out at: https://www.home-assistant.io/


I really appreciate the info. I am a software developer and am sure I can figure it out. Just needed the initial guidance. I will start reviewing Home assistant.


As long as you're comfortable with YAML and perhaps a little Python you'll be more than good-to-go.
Badge
@bs49 - As long as you're comfortable with YAML and perhaps a little Python you'll be more than good-to-go.
Userlevel 2
Badge
I actually figure it out just with Samsung Smartthings Hub. The hub connects to my Sonos speakers and also to my Harmony Hub. I have an activity in my Harmony Hub that turns my Onkyo on and changes input to CD (Sonos).

I created an automation within Smartthings that when my Connect powers on it runs my Harmony activity. Then when my connect powers off it turns off the activity. The nice thing is that Smartthings uses the state of resume/play and pause as power on and power off. By doing this then I can use either my Lutron Caseta Audo Pico remotes or my iPort Xpress remote or any iphone/ipad to play sonos and as long as the connect is part of the group being played it runs the Harmony activities.

I first was able to achieve this using IFTTT because the Smartthings Hub could not find my sonos speakers but after doing some research I reserved a fixed ip address for each sonos device and used the Classic Smartthings app to find my Sonos devices. Worked like a charm.

I no longer need Sonos or Onkyo to fix the issue. It is actually better anyways because my onkyo now turns off when pausing sonos. With the integration the onkyo would stay on.
Did you ever find a solution to get "Works with SONOS" to find your Sonos Connect?

I have the same problem here with an Onkyo TX-NR686.

All settings are according to the manual, but the receiver can't find the Sonos Connect.

I'm pretty sure my network is setup correctly, as both devices have a pingable IP from my local router and I can see and select the Sonos Connect and my Sonos Speakers as a music server from the NET-Input of the receiver.
Userlevel 2
Badge
Not yet. Waiting for a firmware update from either Sonos or Onkyo. I’m still using the workaround solution.
Same here, official reaction/support/fix would be much appreciated!
Definitely broken integration between Onkyo and Sonos with new Sonos update
Badge
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..
That statement from Sonos makes no sense as onkyo firmware was not updated, automatically or manually. Can someone confirm same?
Userlevel 7
Badge +23
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.
I had the same issue with the onkyo TX-NR686. The latest onkyo firmware fixed the issue for me.
Badge
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.
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...
Latest firmware on both Sonos and Onkyo and it is again not working.... How bout talking to eachother, Sonos and Onkyo?
Badge
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
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.
Badge
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
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.