FEATURE REQUEST: Add option to enable "Center speakers" for the ERA's 300, if they are added as surrounds

Majo133
Userlevel 7
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After suggestion by @Corry P in the  Sonos Era 300 wall mount positioning post, where we discussed the issue of ERA’s 300 “center speaker” not playing at all, while added as surrounds.

I asked this:

@Corry P

 

I don’t want to “reach”, but couldn’t there be a toggle to enable the “center driver” for example only for music?

Something like the Surround Audio — Music Playback feature.

So at least in music scenarios, ERAs are not “crippled” in surround setup. Because in “stereo” standalone mode without ARC, they sound much better in my opinion.

 

Corry P replied:

Hi @Majo133 

Perhaps - I recommend you start a new topic making this point and it will be marked as a feature request. Thanks!

 

I am therefore creating this post marked as “Feature request” and i am requesting feature described below.

 

Feature to be added:

“Allow user to manually enable center speakers of the ERA’s 300, if they are added as surrounds to the ARC/BEAM + SUB setup.”

This could be added for example only for music playback, to the section “Sound” --- “Surround Audio” --- “Music Playback” as an option, so user can choose, if he wants all ERA’s 300 speakers to be enabled or not.

Even better if it would function for the rest of the content as Movies/Games, but that might be a stretch and maybe not as easy to implement.

Yesterday, is not today.
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133 replies

Corry P
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Hi @Dan011093 

I have no time frame to share.

If and when I get further answers relevant to your questions I'll post them here, but this thread has run its course and I'll lock it now due to further cleaning up of it having been needed.

"Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by age eighteen." - Albert Einstein
M
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+1 vote from me too!

jgatie

Great.

 

Any chance we could get an ETA on when we'll hear a potential answer regarding this?

Thank you :)

 

Sonos never gives an ETA on anything.  Especially things they haven’t even stated they are working on.

D
Userlevel 3
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Hi @Dan011093 

We pay attention to all comments - especially after a product launch - and inform relevant colleagues of any trends.

I hope this answers your question.

Great.

 

Any chance we could get an ETA on when we'll hear a potential answer regarding this?

Thank you :)

Corry P
Userlevel 7
Badge +18

Hi @Dan011093 

We pay attention to all comments - especially after a product launch - and inform relevant colleagues of any trends.

I hope this answers your question.

"Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by age eighteen." - Albert Einstein
Flare
Userlevel 4
Badge +5

Yes please! +1 Vote from me for this FR too!

Arc + Sub x 2 + Sonos One Surround | PlayBar + Sub + Sonos One Surround | Beam Gen1 | Play5 Gen2 x 2 + Sub | Sonos One x 4 | Play3 x 1 | Boost
D
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Hi All

I’ve cleaned up this thread for some replies that are not aligned with our guidelines which you agreed to when you joined this community: https://en.community.sonos.com/site/terms . In particular I want you to pay attention to the following: “Stay courteous. Everyone wants to have a positive experience on The Sonos Community - so make sure that you are not detracting from anyone else’s experience.”

If you all can’t get along, I’ll close this topic for any further replies, so let’s try to get this topic back on track.

Thank you.

Thanks Corry. Couldn't agree more.

 

I do happen to have a Question for you. Is just what's posted on the feature request what's being addressed or also are folks looking at the entire thread -> e.g the multiple complaints of 5.1 audio not being handed in a smarter way by the ERA 300S?

 

Thank you Kindly.

Corry P
Userlevel 7
Badge +18

Hi All

I’ve cleaned up this thread for some replies that are not aligned with our guidelines which you agreed to when you joined this community: https://en.community.sonos.com/site/terms . In particular I want you to pay attention to the following: “Stay courteous. Everyone wants to have a positive experience on The Sonos Community - so make sure that you are not detracting from anyone else’s experience.”

If you all can’t get along, I’ll close this topic for any further replies, so let’s try to get this topic back on track.

Thank you.

"Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by age eighteen." - Albert Einstein
melvimbe

@weimin108 Thank you for the follow-up with us. I’m no longer surprised Peter Pee went suddenly mute either. It is more disappointing that we have silence from Sonos too—even though it is inconceivable this issue did not come up during the testing process and that complaints were entirely unforeseen (that would require incompetence on an almost epic scale). Hope your return goes smoothly for you.

 

It’s the end of a holiday weekend, and posting vids about wireless speakers is Peter Pee’s side gig.  I’m not surprised he has not responded.  As for Sonos, Corry P replied just 10 hours ago, and has stated that Sonos is looking at the issue seriously.  Not silent.

Danny
P
Badge +2

Hello, So it has been a few days and Peter Pee never replied back to me. I’m not too surprised but wanted to share the update.

Apart from this. Returns -- I was informed by customer service that we do not need the original Era 300 box when we return for refund. Just pack it well. I’m sure most of you kept the original box, I was just too excited to clean up and had high hopes in the speakers. =)

You have roughly a month to return it from when you create the RMA # with Sono’s customer service.

 

@weimin108 Thank you for the follow-up with us. I’m no longer surprised Peter Pee went suddenly mute either. It is more disappointing that we have silence from Sonos too—even though it is inconceivable this issue did not come up during the testing process and that complaints were entirely unforeseen (that would require incompetence on an almost epic scale). Hope your return goes smoothly for you.

W
Userlevel 3

Hello, So it has been a few days and Peter Pee never replied back to me. I’m not too surprised but wanted to share the update.

Apart from this. Returns -- I was informed by customer service that we do not need the original Era 300 box when we return for refund. Just pack it well. I’m sure most of you kept the original box, I was just too excited to clean up and had high hopes in the speakers. =)

You have roughly a month to return it from when you create the RMA # with Sono’s customer service.

 

P
Badge +2

And you have every right to an opinion. 👍🏻 

I cannot help but wonder why certain people find “grovelling” and “shill” to be so triggering, however. 😉

 

You must be a blithering idiot if you don’t understand why someone would find the description “groveling shill” to be less than laudatory.  Now remember, no getting “triggered” by anybody else’s opinion!

Please do not derail this thread. We are all friends here. 👍🏻

P
Badge +2

There’s nothing really helpful that could be added to the thread at this point.  Feature request was made and acknowledged. It’s really just people adding their voice to the request and venting at this point.

 

… Which is a perfectly legitimate thing to do under the circumstances. 

Sure, but the whole ‘groveling shill’ comment is a bit humorous to see, looking in from the outside. Comes off as bit over the top

And you have every right to an opinion. 👍🏻 

I cannot help but wonder why certain people find “grovelling” and “shill” to be so triggering, however. 😉

 

Finding a comment to be a bit humorous is to be triggered? 😀

I was not referring to you my friend….

melvimbe

There’s nothing really helpful that could be added to the thread at this point.  Feature request was made and acknowledged. It’s really just people adding their voice to the request and venting at this point.

 

… Which is a perfectly legitimate thing to do under the circumstances. 

Sure, but the whole ‘groveling shill’ comment is a bit humorous to see, looking in from the outside. Comes off as bit over the top

And you have every right to an opinion. 👍🏻 

I cannot help but wonder why certain people find “grovelling” and “shill” to be so triggering, however. 😉

 

Finding a comment to be a bit humorous is to be triggered? 😀

Danny
melvimbe



 But please, arrange something with your product and engineering team and come up with a future solution so that we can know whether we should make the expense or not.

I think we need to have confidence that we are being heard. If a good reason exists for this engineering decision, let us in on it. If it can’t be fixed, please tell us so, and why. If it can be fixed but won’t be, share your reasons for that decision. If engineering says it will be fixed, we deserve a sorta date certain. So far, we are hearing crickets. I am cautiously hopeful that we hear something soon.


@jonmichael @Dan011093 Speaking of crickets, a former colleague is one of the tech editors at The Verge: apparently there is a popular wager being made among staff members regarding the timing of an official Sonos announcement on this fiasco. It would seem the majority believe it will be made after the returns window expires for the bulk of the earliest buyers.


They would face some customer anger, the thinking goes, but the modern Sonos doesn’t seem too worried about that kind of thing given past controversies covered in the media. That anger would pale in comparison to the backlash from angry businesses facing an avalanche of returns. The corporation would get to enjoy that injection of fresh liquidity which would otherwise be threatened by returns en masse. The theory did not originate there, of course (it’s all over the internet), but most at the publication are betting against any announcement before the earliest deadlines, taking the cynical (or realistic?) view.

 

I heard something similar from my cousin’s step brother who knows a guy.

Theory doesn’t make a lot of sense.  What exactly would Sonos announce after returns expire?  If they are not going to make any changes, they wouldn’t make an announcement.  They have never made a   ‘We are never going to do that’  announcement regarding feature requests,  in the history of the company.  If they are going to make changes, makes more sense to do that before returns expire.

My advice, for those of you who are bothered by this, I wouldn't wait to hear from Sonos on this.  Take it for what is now and decided whether you want to keep it or not   If you can’t live without the center speaker, then return it.  You can always buy again later.  If you like it well enough without, then keep it.

 

Danny
P
Badge +2

There’s nothing really helpful that could be added to the thread at this point.  Feature request was made and acknowledged. It’s really just people adding their voice to the request and venting at this point.

 

… Which is a perfectly legitimate thing to do under the circumstances. 

Sure, but the whole ‘groveling shill’ comment is a bit humorous to see, looking in from the outside. Comes off as bit over the top

And you have every right to an opinion. 👍🏻 

I cannot help but wonder why certain people find “grovelling” and “shill” to be so triggering, however. 😉

melvimbe

There’s nothing really helpful that could be added to the thread at this point.  Feature request was made and acknowledged. It’s really just people adding their voice to the request and venting at this point.

 

… Which is a perfectly legitimate thing to do under the circumstances. 

Sure, but the whole ‘groveling shill’ comment is a bit humorous to see, looking in from the outside. Comes off as bit over the top

Danny
P
Badge +2



 But please, arrange something with your product and engineering team and come up with a future solution so that we can know whether we should make the expense or not.

I think we need to have confidence that we are being heard. If a good reason exists for this engineering decision, let us in on it. If it can’t be fixed, please tell us so, and why. If it can be fixed but won’t be, share your reasons for that decision. If engineering says it will be fixed, we deserve a sorta date certain. So far, we are hearing crickets. I am cautiously hopeful that we hear something soon.


@jonmichael @Dan011093 Speaking of crickets, a former colleague is one of the tech editors at The Verge: apparently there is a popular wager being made among staff members regarding the timing of an official Sonos announcement on this fiasco. It would seem the majority believe it will be made after the returns window expires for the bulk of the earliest buyers.


They would face some customer anger, the thinking goes, but the modern Sonos doesn’t seem too worried about that kind of thing given past controversies covered in the media. That anger would pale in comparison to the backlash from angry businesses facing an avalanche of returns. The corporation would get to enjoy that injection of fresh liquidity which would otherwise be threatened by returns and backorder cancellations en masse. The theory did not originate there, of course (it’s all over the internet), but most at the publication are betting against any announcement before the earliest deadlines, taking the cynical (or realistic?) view.

P
Badge +2

There’s nothing really helpful that could be added to the thread at this point.  Feature request was made and acknowledged. It’s really just people adding their voice to the request and venting at this point.

 

… Which is a perfectly legitimate thing to do under the circumstances. 

melvimbe

There’s nothing really helpful that could be added to the thread at this point.  Feature request was made and acknowledged. It’s really just people adding their voice to the request and venting at this point.

 

Danny
P
Badge +2

Even if not everyone is here, voicing their opinion, there are probably many more users that are wondering the same thing as we are here.

The most baffling thing about this is that tech influencers / youtubers are acting like if this was not even an issue, looking at you Peter Pee, or did not even mention it in they “reviews”.


Exactly! I brought up this very point with my partner yesterday: why was the issue not mentioned in “reviews?” They all just happened to leave it out? It beggars belief, particularly when the centre driver’s absence is so conspicuous.

It is bad enough Sonos itself wasn’t open about it until forced to be (but not unexpected given the corporation’s increasingly unscrupulous track record in recent years). The YouTubers (agreed, Peter Pee among them…) were no better. I cannot say whether, like most influence-peddlers, PP has become another grovelling shill enticed into the corporate fold, but, at the very least, his review and those of others have proven inept. About as disappointing as my speakers.  

Corry P
Userlevel 7
Badge +18

Hi @sidereal1 

I just replied to you on that thread 2 hours ago.

I am tier 1, so I’m not sure how I can do anything more than what has been done already. I recommend you wait for your reply from tier 3.

Please be assured that the relevant parties have already been informed.

"Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by age eighteen." - Albert Einstein
S
Userlevel 4
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Hello @Corry P ,

 

I'm involved in this thread, but also this related thread which I'd like to draw your attention to. 

 

It's a shorter thread, so will be quick to catch up on, but many of us are having issues with drivers not working even with Atmos mixed music.

 

I'm still waiting to be contacted by tier 3 tech support from last week, after my 2 hour tech support call went beyond the abilities of tier 1 & tier 2.

 

Can you help with this/get this info in front of the relevant parties?

 

Thank you.

Corry P
Userlevel 7
Badge +18

 Hi @MattJCand 

Maybe @Corry P could help us ? 🙏

The feedback has been passed to who it needed passed to - I assure you we are paying attention.

 

"Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by age eighteen." - Albert Einstein
T
Userlevel 1

Let me start by saying I’m a big Sonos fanboy. 

 A Playbase was my start into the Sonos universe followed quickly by the Arc, two Gen 2 subs, two ones, a Beam 2 and a sub mini. 
 
All of them satisfied my audio needs. 

When the Era 3 speakers were announced, I immediately decided that would upgrade my ones to the threes in my master bedroom. The sound difference was immediately noticeable, the ones filling the room with surround sound versus the threes neutered sound. 
 

I watched John Wick 1 on Blu-ray today with a Dolby Atmos soundtrack. The sound from the Sonos Eros 3 speakers came fully to life and blew me away.

If Sonos can figure out a way to bring to life the full capability of these speakers in ALL surround sound formats, they will come full circle from a limited audience into a great product. 

 

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