Roam Stereo Pair issues

Show first post
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.

63 replies

T

Getting worse. Now, they pair but only one plays. The other is silent. I have factory reset and reinstalled multiple times and no resolution. I own about every Sonos product and am a huge advocate. As a founder of a software company, I consider Sonos a Gold Standard in quality and customer experience. It’s a new product and I am hopeful fixes will follow. For now, running unpaired I suppose. 

B

WTF Sonos? Just got mine today, and setup stereo pair, sound great. Stopped the music for a few hours, and when I play via Spotify or anything, Only the right speaker (primary) plays sound (altho the left will control the music, they still show as paired). This is a similar problem that the Move had last year with Air Play, taking a few minutes to play in stereo. Do you test your products anymore?

Called support, and they had me power cycle my router to see if it was a UPnP discovery error, and they seem to work better now. (altho, the support technician was also confused about the need to re-pair to stereo after power cycling the Roams, lol)

M

Same issue losing the stereo pair. (two roams) Raised a ticket with sonos support, casenumber 02829603 (last april!). No reply and never got solved. Another complaint, ability to use the roams as satellites (for example with a beam and/or an ARC). Never got an answer on that one. Although these speakers are not cheap at all, you can only use them as a expensive BT speaker (and for that there are much cheaper options). Not satisfied at all.

A 0.

B

WTF Sonos? Just got mine today, and setup stereo pair, sound great. Stopped the music for a few hours, and when I play via Spotify or anything, Only the right speaker (primary) plays sound (altho the left will control the music, they still show as paired). This is a similar problem that the Move had last year with Air Play, taking a few minutes to play in stereo. Do you test your products anymore?

K
Badge +2

This is depressing!! I’d planned buying a second to add a stereo pair in the conservatory or outside. But they would be joining other speakers around the house. I thought they'd act as one speaker, my old Sony cubes worked similarly & brilliantly in stereo, and would join other easily. Is Sonos aware of this as it is a feature they promote?

A

I created an account just to share my experience with this and possible solution.  
 

Me: Sonos power user/brand advocate with setups in multiple rooms, in ceiling speakers, 3 Amps and 1 port total. iPhone 12 max pro with latest iOS, google fiber/mesh. 
 

Purchased 2 Roams with intent to pair for stereo. Went through same steps. Sonos confirmation audio in stereo. Tried to play music in Music app. Failure. Only 1 speaker played music. Tried reconnecting from other speaker, etc. I could select both speakers separately and they would play together but each in mono. That was not satisfactory at all obviously.  

THIS WAS LITERALLY MY FIRST EVER BAD EXPERIENCE WITH SONOS AND I WAS SOMEWHAT SHOCKED  

I just now randomly tried loading music through the Sonos app instead of iOS Music, which required me to authorize my phone on my Apple Music account (had no idea it wasn't authorized). I logged in, loaded My Library, opened a playlist and suddenly everything plays in stereo. 
 

Note this isn't a perfect fix. I went back to Apple Music app and stereo broke again. But I didn't have to repair the speakers again. I just had to back to Sonos app and load Apple Music in the Sonos app again and back to stereo. Not perfect but good enough for me. 
 

TLDR: if you're having issues using 2 Roams in stereo mode, try loading your music within the Sonos app (ie, use Sonos app to play music.)

Y

Just picked up a pair of Roam and my issue is a bit different.  I don't mind so much that they unpaid, though my play 1s never had this issue.  My issue us even when I pair them as stereo, app seems to play as stereo but one of the two will not have sound.  This appears to be random as sometimes it works sometime doesn't.  I end up just playing both and that's more reliable, as stereo pair doesn't always work for me.

 

Bummer as I like how small they are and playing both fills the room very well (though still lacks base).  If I cannot reliably connect both, they are going back...

GVP
Badge +1

I also bought a pair of the wireless charges so I could keep the roams charging while playing on the deck and they still seperate pairs. I don't find those chargers work all that well 

A
Userlevel 2
Badge

Same for me.  I had hoped for a while that a recent update (13.1.1) may have fixed it but again today my Roams went to standby, then show as Offline in the S2 app.  When they show back online they show as individual speakers.  The pairing process is quick but potentially I would have to do it every time I want to use them.

Keeping a portable battery powered speaker on charge all the time is not a solution or even a workaround.  It spoils what is otherwise a great little speaker.  Well the other issue is likely to be the poor battery life.  I thought I was getting 5 days on standby then revised that to 4 and now I think that might be optimistic.  I would be interested to know how Sonos can claim it lasts 10 days on standby.  

GVP
Badge +1

I am having same issue with dropping stereo pair as well. My roams are connected Wi-Fi, and seperate every time I turn them off. The do connect back without any issues. It is annoying but I do hope Sonos will address the issue. 

M

Add mine to the chorus of voices Sonos apparently doesn’t care to listen to with regards to problems stereo pairing two Roams.

It’s not even something I want them to do very often. Typically, they just sit in different parts of the home. But we’re leaving on a road trip, so I thought I’d pair them as stereo and take them as a mini-system on the road for two weeks of travel. That’s not going to happen.

The two don’t even stay paired for longer than a few moments. Tried it on an Android device as well as an iOS device, to see if it might by software related. Fails on both Android and iOS within moments after initially announcing success in pairing two speakers, quickly reverting to playing music only through one speaker (the one, incidentally, it plays the chime through in the pairing process).

Pairing two speakers as a stereo pair is something Ultimate Ears had down *years* ago. Very disappointing that it clearly doesn’t work well, if at all, on Sonos, given the considerable premium one pays.

V
Userlevel 1
Badge

Again, I agree, and I didn’t buy two for the purpose of portability, but rather I was impressed with the size and sound (always a Sonos plus for me) and where I intended to use them.  I even intended to accept “plugged in all the time” if it would work, but tech support told me that would severely diminish the battery life by doing that, so that was a non-starter, and like you say, without sound they eventually sleep, as they should. So, I have seen no movement by Sonos to make a change or even commit to development, other than customer support “opening a ticket” for consideration by the developers, with the caveat, “but there is no guarantee they will act on it” as I was told.  As such, I will returning the second one and accept no stereo for me. (Except in other rooms where I have One’s and One SL’s paired). BUMMER!!!!!

Airgetlam

So why not submit a diagnostic, and call Sonos about it?

Bruce
U

My use case is two Roams in the bathroom, one plugged in and the other on a Sonos charging base so I can pick it up and take it into the shower, then put it back on the base afterward, so both are left always on.

I had the same issues as above when one Roam was allowed to go into standby, or if one was taken away from the other as I did when I got them and was trying them out - which I sort of understand and can definitely live with.

I soon discovered that leaving both powered on and on charge so they don’t go into standby solved the issue - until the past week or so. Now the stereo pair breaks after around an hour of the speakers not playing even when they are both left untouched and powered up, just like they have been for the weeks since I got them on launch day. It’s nothing to do with Bluetooth, using Alexa or any other of the theories above as it happens when the bathroom is unoccupied and the speakers are not touch or interacted with in any way.

I have zero interest in a portable Sonos speaker - I just wanted a waterproof one so I could take it in the shower with me to listen to audiobooks without having to have the volume up loud enough for neighbours to hear through the open window, and bought a pair so I can hear the book when I move out of the shower, and so it sounds better when my wife uses it for music.

The behaviour of losing stereo pair when on standby was a bad enough experience (I couldn’t leave one speaker in the shower except when charging as I had planned to do), but regressing to breaking the pair regardless of what I do pretty much has me regretting buying the Roams - and that as a happy Sonos user of over eight years with 13 other Sonos products.

V
Userlevel 1
Badge

I too found the same issue and very disappointed since I intended to mostly use a pair in stereo! I absolutely love the quality and features of the Roam for my use, but as written in the prior post, “I was able to get ahold of the Sonus customer support. The Sonos technical support person I talked with said the issue with the Roam portable speakers losing their stereo pairing is a known issue. He said that it would be noted on my open ticket but it was not clear if they plan to address this issue or not.”, I also contacted customer service and got the exact same response.  I didn’t feel confident (even after it was acknowledged they are aware of this widely-known issue/complaint) that they are going to do anything to make it better.  At least there was no sense of any commitment.  As such, I may have to join the group of folks returning the second unit since I don’t need two, except for the purpose of stereo pairing, and having to set up every time I want to play music is a real pain in the (well you know) and not for me.  (Not to mention each time I do that, my Alexa notification of the unit joining the Alexa skill is annoying).  Sure wish it could have turned out better, but not giving up hope for the next few weeks while I remain within the return period.

R
Userlevel 3
Badge +1

I have exactly the same extremely annoying problem. So far it seems I have to reestablish the stereo pairing just about every single time I use the Sonos Roam speakers.
I was able to get ahold of the Sonus customer support. The Sonos technical support person I talked with said the issue with the Roam portable speakers losing their stereo pairing is a known issue. He said that it would be noted on my open ticket but it was not clear if they plan to address this issue or not.


I found that If the Sonos Roams get separated from another the stereo pairing is broken, if they are put in standby the stereo pairing is broken, if they switch from Wi-Fi to Bluetooth or back again the stereo pairing is broken and if they hear the Alexa wake word and respond the stereo pairing is broken . It makes them very awkward to use and I can think of at least three different ways that This could be fixed.
Basically the SONOS technician said this is a known problem and to be expected for a portable speaker.  The Sonos play ones are essentially the same except they have an external AC power supply yet they don’t Have these problems with the stereo pairing being broken If they’re moved, unplugged, or any other condition.  I would put the roams at only a 2 out of 5 because of this annoying problem.  


Another thing I’ve noticed is that the play time of 12 hours is only true if you don’t forget to turn the speakers to standby mode when you’re not using them otherwise they gradually drain down to zero. And of course if you put them in standby mode the stereo pairing is broken.

 


 

U

Yes i Have the same issue, every morning the stereo pair disappears, and the devices are plugged in and I never turn them off, it’s really quite annoying. It doesn't happen with any other devices (the sonos ones for example)

J

Ugh.  Super frustrating.  I have the exact same issues.  I have 2 Roams in my kitchen and want stereo sound. (Speakers are 10 feet apart I never move them) Nope, inevitably sound will come out of one speaker after a while. 

 I have created the pair 20 + times, done a factory reset.  Firmware is up to date. 

I have an other room set up with a beam , ones, and a sub and that always works perfectly but can’t get reliable stereo sound out of my brand new and pricey Roams.  
 Come on on Sonos!!  You need to do better  ! 

 

T

I’m experiencing the same issue. Just bought a pair last weekend. Thought they would be perfect since I’m depending on a solar set for my electricity, and these speakers only use a very small amount of electricity. Since I turn of my power every night I have to reconnect every morning. Very annoying and something I didn’t experience with my Play 1’s. 

J
Userlevel 5
Badge +1

Yes, agree, it seems to be by design. It’s replicable so consistently and you can see the logic behind the decision the firmware makes. It also gives me hope that it can be improved easily. They’re pretty cool speakers otherwise.

I was hoping that they would work like the Move.  Sometimes, when moving the Move, I accidentally press the power button but it doesn’t affect the stereo pair.  The sound on the Roam is great but it’s disappointing that powering off one of the Roams would mean that you have to re-pair, etc.

 

M
Userlevel 3
Badge

Same problem here! My pair of Roams will not stay in a stereo pair configuration over wifi but will drop out of the pair constantly. Or, even more annoying, the app will indicate they are paired, but one of the speakers doesn’t produce sound. So you have to unpair them and the again create a pair to be able to use them both. This is in a small room (my home office) with a great wifi signal because there is a router in this room. 

 

This happens to me constantly - and the crazy thing is volume control will work on the speaker not playing (affecting the other speaker that IS working), same with other controls, just no sound.  Need to re-pair to get it to work.  Half the time the re-pairing doesn’t work and it shows broken stuff in the app and need to start again.

 

Also I tried these today at an outside birthday party and one would constantly lose the pairing and I’d have to re-pair.  I assume it’s a wi-fi issue (even though they were only 30 feet max from the closest router) and then when they get connection again they don’t re-pair. 

 

Am assuming/hoping this will be fixed in a future update, but woof.  Not a great first experience.  I spend so much time messaging with them to make them work properly every time I want to listen to music outside, whereas my old UE speakers just worked.

 

Anyone heard anything more from support?

E
Badge

Same issue, total PITA

H

I am having the same issue. On top of that, the paring is extremely difficult. Sometimes the pairing/on offbutton seems not to react as well.

E
Userlevel 1

Same problem. Sold my Bose revolve for a pair of roams as I am invested in the Sonos system. The stereo pairing problems are a travesty. I have to repair after putting them to sleep every time. Shouldn’t be this difficult. Fix it Sonos!

D

I’ve got the same issue, but in addition to losing the pairing when one of both speakers goes to sleep, I’ve had issues even when both are on but have switched from a non-Roam source back to the Roams.  This is by far the the least seamless experience of my 8+ years of owning 9 Sonos products.  Incredibly frustrsting!

Terms & ConditionsCookie settings