Amazon Alexa or Google Home

First Alexa:

You can control any Sonos speaker via Alexa voice control. You would need an Echo device (Amazon Echo, Echo Dot, Echo show etc.). The Sonos One has Alexa built into it - so you can control the Sonos One via voice without an additional Echo unit from Amazon. The Sonos One will also control other Sonos speakers via voice as well (just like a normal Amazon echo will).

All the same would go for google when Sonos rolls out Google support. There currently is no google support. The Sonos One is supposed to understand google as well when that ability is released.

Hi

To make Sonos work? Do we need to buy devices like Google Home mini or Amazon Echo.

You do need an Amazon Echo (Dot, Echo, Echo Show or Echo Plus) or an Echo Enabled device (i.e. a Sonos One) to have voice control of your Sonos system. You can also intermix Sonos One players with Echo Dot's across your home and each will control Sonos. The only difference is that the Sonos One doesn't require you to include the Sonos Room Name in the command, whereas the Echo device does. The deciding factor on which to choose is budget (Echo Dot is £50 and Sonos One is £199) and whether you need additional Sonos players.

And Sonos one replaces these devices???

The Sonos One has Alexa built in, although it doesn't support 100% of the Alexa functionality. (The difference between an Alexa device and an Alexa Enabled device) So if you want control of your current Sonos devices, an Echo Dot is probably your best bet. If you want to extend your existing Sonos set-up then a Sonos One is a good idea. (Please note, the Sonos One and Play:1, although similar looking, cannot be paired into a Stereo Pair.)

Will Google home work with Sonos One???

Sonos have announced that Google Assistant will be available early in 2018 and will work with the current Sonos One speaker.

I hope that answers your queries, please feel free to ask more questions as they arise.

Edit: Chris obviously types quicker than me. 🙂

UKMedia - hey at least we had the same answer!

lol 🙂

Just wanted to add that the Amazon music app is Alexa enabled. To clarify, within the app, there is an Alexa button that you can press and then speak to your phone or tablet as if it was an echo. It is not as useful getting an echo or other dedicated alexa enabled device, but if you want to test it out before buying something, it's a good way to do it. Of course, you have to have an Amazon account and do all the usual setups.

Also, if you have a firetv, with voice remote, that is also Alexa enabled. If you already have one of those, it can be a nice to use for testing as well.

Will google assistant ONLY work if you have a sonos one?
I haven't seen a rep mention working with just play1s if you already have a google mini....

Will google assistant ONLY work if you have a sonos one?
I haven't seen a rep mention working with just play1s if you already have a google mini....

It won't work yet as the integration hasn't been released and Sonos haven't given any information but I would expect it to work in the same manner that the Alexa integration is currently supported.

You can use Google Home and assistant now. However it requires a wire from Home to Sonos product. Software update coming 2018. I hate my Echos, Google is clearer and understands natural speak better. This only works on Sonos products with line-in.

You can use Google Home and assistant now. However it requires a wire from Home to Sonos product. Software update coming 2018. I hate my Echos, Google is clearer and understands natural speak better. This only works on Sonos products with line-in.

You can also use ChromeCast Audio but to a Line In Sonos device but the sound quality is poor compared to the Sonos App.

Actually I didn't find Chromecast audio connected to rear of my Play:5 to have poor audio when casting from apps that support Chromecast audio. As Chromecast audio when casting works just like Sonos in pulling the music direct from source (not via the phone).

Now if you use the android feature to stream sound from your phone - like Bluetooth. That gives you flexibility of playing sound from any app or source but the sound quality then is highly diminished.

P.S. I used my Chromecast dongle for about a week trying it out and it has been in my drawer ever since. Never found any real use for it. I like the Sonos Controller vs. using any native apps.

Hi Chris, that's interesting. I was using the Spotify app on my Android phone to Chromecast to my Connect which was grouped with my other speakers and the sound quality vs the Sonos app playing the same song was a noticeable poorer standard. I'll retest and see if this is still the case.

You were actually casting from the Spotify app (not using the android ability to play anything to a chromecast).

In theory casting from Spotify app (Spotify connect) to the dongle should be the same as if doing it to Sonos. Of course it then depends on how well the analog input into Sonos re-encodes A/D. Probably Uncompressed it may degrade a little - Compressed I would think would be noticeably different.

I never did a head to head between direct from Sonos and via Dongle casting so you may know better then I. In theory the Chromecast Dongle should itself be receiving the song exactly the same as a Sonos speaker does.