My curiosity started with my other research in the Sonos forums; I found interesting discussions on the whole DTS/ Dolby 5.1 compatibility as far as the streaming pass through (like Netflix shows with surround sound), as well as physical media (like Blu-Rays, which I rarely use). This got me thinking about whether Sonos would consider patches or firmware updates that allow future compatibility. Soon after, I started thinking about my "smart home" setup.
As of today, I have the following devices:
- Master bedroom -
- Amazon Echo Dot (which will soon be releasing the Sonos voice-control update),
- 40" Flat Screen with Chromecast attached
- Sonos Play 5
- Sonos CONNECT Amp attached to vintage Pioneer record player.
Living room:
- Acer Projector
- Playstation 4 (not pro, not slim)
- XBOX One
- (soon) Sonos Playbase
I also have a Google Pixel XL as my daily driver phone (so I work primarily in the Android/ Google ecosystem for my files and communication).
For my music subscriptions I have:
- Amazon Unlimited (which I only purchased because calling out songs to Alexa is only seamless with a subscription, otherwise it only answers my requests with Pandora Radio stations),
- Google Play Family (with YouTube Red/ YouTube Music),
- Apple Music,
- TIDAL Hifi,
- and Soundcloud Plus.
Now after seeing yet another home speaker/ digital assistant hit the market, and this time with Apple's ecosystem including a Siri assistant that will be the same across all devices (unlike Google Assitant being different between Mobile and Home Versions), I am genuinely concerned about how deep into the future my Sonos setup will be adaptable. This includes changes to digital inputs (like optical audio and HDMI). It's the biggest downside to me of investing in this ecosystem; Dropping $500+ USD per speaker is tough when I don't know how long it will be friendly with my other components.
Thoughts?
TL;DR: How are you Sonos users preparing for the changes in IoT/ synchronization? The rise of digital assistants, along with the new and continued support/ integration of various streaming services and digital codecs has me wondering how often I need to worry about upgrades to Sonos, including when or if I'd have to purchase new speakers and hardware.