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So many problems with the Roam!

  • 26 April 2021
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99 replies

Airgetlam

Sounds like they gave you an open box device. The Bluetooth function can not be used until such point as the Roam has been set up on the Sonos software. 

I’d highly recommend that you do a factory reset of that device, before attempting to add it back to your existing Sonos system. 

Bruce
R

 

Thanks, Ken.

Yes, I just spoke with Sonos support and they will send a new unit. My theory of a fault during the firmware upgrade was wrong and there is indeed a hardware issue. The CSR was able to confirm the issue when I initiated a stereo pairing and the second Roam went to the orange-white status state.

Sonos needs to do more testing before shipping these units out. At the least a stereo pairing, though it may be difficult to automate.

Ah that’s good news @rsivarajan and will save you the bother with troubleshooting things further.

I guess Sonos have been selling many hundreds/thousands of these devices all around the World in the run up to Christmas/Holiday season, so I guess a few devices may run into a few problems and of course that means the customer often then lands here in the Sonos community to complain and that can make the issues feel worse, as rarely do people pop-by these pages to say they’re not having any issues. 

At least Sonos will often quickly diagnose a fault when a diagnostic report is sent to them …and they certainly never quibble to replace a device if something is found to be wrong with it. I still find that to be great service, personally speaking.

Anyhow I hope the new Roam, when it arrives performs well and that this is the end of your troubles…

Happy Holidays & New Year too.👍

 

No doubt.

I think these are awesome speakers, packing a punch with both treble and bass. I had the pair working for an hour or so before the second one went dead and was amazed at the stereo imaging of the two devices. It became even better when the “Auto Trueplay tuning” was enabled.

My only gripe, than one of the two being defective, is that you cannot create a stereo pair over Bluetooth. Hopefully, that will be a feature coming soon with a software update.

jgatie

Seeing all the different posts and stories about the ROAM being defective, I have a hard time reconciling myself to some stupid comment posted about this obviously not being a product problem and  scores of users have no problems so it must be a “you” problem.

 

Mine is dead. Normal use for about a month. Was glitchy while it still functioned. But I lived with it. Now I begin my journey trying to get a refund… (and yes it’s past the 45 day period) I started with the “email our CEO direct” link. Very interested to see how that works out.

 

This topic is barely 2 pages long.  Want to know what a real problem looks like?  

A few years back there was an actual “widespread” problem with a single Sonos device, the Playbar, a rather expensive, relatively low sales item, and the problem only manifested itself with a certain brand of TV.  Even so, the main thread for that problem made it past 200 posts, and ended up being almost 10 pages, even though a fix was almost immediate. 

 

Another time the Playbar was found to be affected with all TV’s.  That thread hit 75 pages and over 1800 posts.  There was also a couple dozen or so other threads about the same problem.

 

So no, a few dozen or so posts does not mean a widespread problem.

X
Userlevel 1

My roam simply doesn’t make any sound (both music and chimes). I can see that a song is playing. Any idea what to do?

jgatie

jgatie - this is one specific topic titled “So many problems with the Roam!”

 

Look for anything involving Roam Battery, Roam Dead, Roam Charging, and many more key words. There are pages of different issues and all go back to a lot of people buying the Roam and it’s defective.

 

Your other examples of crappy Sonos products makes me seriously consider my future plans for home entertainment electronics though. Appreciate that info.

 

Add up every post on the Roam and you still won’t get 75 pages and 1800 posts (not to mention the dozens of other threads about that Playbar problem).  And I guarantee you there are far more Roam owners than Playbar owners out there.  Fact is, the vast majority of Roam owners, including me, have no problems.  Otherwise, you’d see what you saw for the Playbar and then some.  

And one problem (the other was a Samsung fault) with one product that was fixed within a few days does not a "crappy" product make. 

S

Thanks for all the info Ken! I’ll try a different channel as you suggest. Although, the weird thing is that today all of the speakers are playing just fine with no intervention on my part, and that is a first since I added the Roam.

E

We received our Roam last week and have had endless problems with it, which haven’t been solved by Sonos Customer Services.

Initially, it wouldn’t connect to our existing Sonos system at all. Then when it did, the speaker didn’t work properly - it was really tinny with no bass, and when we tried to change the volume there was an awful scratching noise.

We eventually managed to play music normally - but the it cuts out every 3-5 minutes!! On the Sonos app it still says music is playing, and the buttons on the Roam don’t work.

This happens whether it’s on Bluetooth or wifi. Other problems include not being able to turn it off, and the buttons sporadically not working at all.

We spent 45 minutes on hold to CS, and then 2.5 hours chatting with a very nice but ultimately unhelpful technician who remote-accessed our router settings and tried everything he could to get it working. This resulted in us having no internet…. because he changed our router to modem mode, which meant nothing else connected to the router worked! He then told us to call our ISP - even though it’s clearly a problem with the Roam and not our wifi network.

We’ve had no problems with our other Sonos speakers. But although I am loathe to call CS again but I’m going to have to to return this obviously faulty item. Sort it out Sonos!

Are these common problems or is it just us? How do you get Sonos to acknowledge that something is faulty?

I had the same issue, so the problem isn't unique it rampant. The volume reduces everytime I recieve a email or text on my phone. I have a Samsung galaxy s21. The music is still playing thru the roam the volume is so reduced I can't hear it. If I hit thr volume button on the roam it increases. But as soon I recieve another text, the volume reduces again. Sonos DOES NOT HAVE A SOLUTION!! and are unwilling to admit it. I wasn't $168 on a speaker I can't use. So I share your frustration. I was also left on hold for over 30 minutes and just hung up. I have over 6 Sonos speakers but will never but won't buy another again. The customer service is horrid and to release the new speaker without vetting all the issue in beyond redemption.  

A

I am having the exact same problems. Again tried CS and still not working. I’ve kinda given up on getting it fixed. Use it when it works and use my other speakers when it doesn’t. 

C
Userlevel 2

You have 45 days to return your Roam.  https://support.sonos.com/s/article/5030?language=en_US

Free shipping as well.  

If your other Sonos speakers work fine, it is not your system that is at fault, it is their product.  

C
Userlevel 2

Sonos claims it will work independently as a Bluetooth device or with your other Sonos speakers as part of your system.  This product does neither properly.  That is a product issue, not a setup issue.  My iPhone could not even connect with it as a simple Bluetooth speaker.  Lemons happen, this is one.  The Product Manager responsible for the Roam didn’t do his/her job, simple as that.

Ken_Griffiths

I’m having similar problems with my new Sonos Roam. Very frustrating as it routinely won’t operate. On/Off button is also poorly engineered. Need help to fix, a refund or a replacement. 

It’s perhaps best for you to contact your local Sonos Customer Support/chat online to Staff via this LINK. HTH

Airgetlam

I’m trying to reconcile your statement with the fact that thousands of folks, including Ken, are using the product without issue. The conclusion I come to is that Ken is correct, either you have network issues to resolve, or, and significantly less likely, that there is an actual problem with your individual device. 

There are some questionable decisions taken in my mind, and some small portion of users seem to be having issues with the difference between asleep and off, but there do appear to be many that continue to use the device without any problems.

Bruce
Ken_Griffiths

Yep, as Bruce mentions the Wife and I have two Roams working perfectly here, and my Son and Daughter also have one each at their Homes. Each of our setups work fine on both the LAN and/or Bluetooth connections.

There’s ‘perhaps’ little doubt in its worldwide production/roll-out that some small percentage of Roam units may encounter a fault, but that can happen with every/any similar product and in that case a product exchange will clearly work and resolve the issue, but if the LAN environment is the problem and the stated system requirements are not met, then a product exchange is just not the answer. 

We all want things to work straight out the box, but sometimes that may not always be the case, especially as some features on a LAN maybe switched off ‘by default’ on some routers, or a user has altered a setting themselves on their network, or mobile device. 

However my own personal experience is these Roam portable speakers work just fine and I think some folk forget that these are multi-room wireless/bluetooth computerised networked speakers with lithium-ion powered batteries - they do far more than normal Bluetooth speakers and have the following outlined features (not an exhaustive list):

  • Waterproof 
  • Auto-Trueplay 
  • Apple Airplay 
  • Wireless Audio
  • Sound Swap
  • Bluetooth (with line-in/pass-through to WiFi audio)
  • Stereo pairing & grouping.
  • 10+ hour playback battery life
  • Built-in mic with voice assistant (Alexa/Google)
  • Available in Black/White colours
  • Wireless Qi/USB-C charging

These portable speakers will work for the ‘majority’ of folk straight out the box, but like any network devices you may have to switch on/off things that have been switched off/on, either by default. or by the user themselves… such as ‘multicasting’, as mentioned in the example in my previous post. 

A

It seems that we also ended up with a Roam paperweight. This speaker has been nothing but trouble since we purchased it at Christmas. It seems like a ton roam speakers are plagued with similar issues. 

Bumper
Userlevel 6
Badge +12

Sonos claims it will work independently as a Bluetooth device or with your other Sonos speakers as part of your system.  This product does neither properly.  That is a product issue, not a setup issue.  My iPhone could not even connect with it as a simple Bluetooth speaker.  Lemons happen, this is one.  The Product Manager responsible for the Roam didn’t do his/her job, simple as that.

Like you I returned my Roam because it didn’t meet my expectations. 
 

But come on man one can’t take your personal experience and say they whole product is bad, this simply isn’t true and IMO not really helpful to discussion here. 
 

That said I encourage you to keep posting your experience with the Roam as it is as valid as the other few posters who rave about it. 

C

Update on this - Sonos acknowledged that there’s a fault and agreed to replace the Roam. We got our replacement this morning and it worked straight out of the box - no problem connecting, system sounds working, no problem with the top buttons, plays continuously, super responsive.

Sooooo if you’re having problems with your Roam, you might have got a faulty one like us...

Good luck getting Sonos to replace anything after the 1 year.  2 Roam units both with major issues playing continously, dropping out, charging, connecting.. you name it.  They are both bricks now after the suggested reset due to charging issues.  400$ worth of equipment rendered useless due to poor design of battery charging system.  Next up is a laywer.. Yes, I may spend a few thousand dollars but it will be worth it to expose Sonos and the lack of support for the roam.   The roam is Junk and Sonos knows it.

J

We received our Roam last week and have had endless problems with it, which haven’t been solved by Sonos Customer Services.

Initially, it wouldn’t connect to our existing Sonos system at all. Then when it did, the speaker didn’t work properly - it was really tinny with no bass, and when we tried to change the volume there was an awful scratching noise.

We eventually managed to play music normally - but the it cuts out every 3-5 minutes!! On the Sonos app it still says music is playing, and the buttons on the Roam don’t work.

This happens whether it’s on Bluetooth or wifi. Other problems include not being able to turn it off, and the buttons sporadically not working at all.

We spent 45 minutes on hold to CS, and then 2.5 hours chatting with a very nice but ultimately unhelpful technician who remote-accessed our router settings and tried everything he could to get it working. This resulted in us having no internet…. because he changed our router to modem mode, which meant nothing else connected to the router worked! He then told us to call our ISP - even though it’s clearly a problem with the Roam and not our wifi network.

We’ve had no problems with our other Sonos speakers. But although I am loathe to call CS again but I’m going to have to to return this obviously faulty item. Sort it out Sonos!

Are these common problems or is it just us? How do you get Sonos to acknowledge that something is faulty?

I have the EXACT same issues! The Roam have been pretty much unusable. I have been waiting for updates to solve the issues but none of the updates have fixed the problems. I need to do a hard reset (power button for ~13s) every single time i wan't to use it. Then it makes scratching noises, the buttons stop working constantly, the sound get all weird from time to time.

 @James L. Can you please help me resolve my issue? How should i proceed?

R

The Room is defective---I just returned one it worked once. Took forever to go through replacement process, and I the new one doesn't work either. At first it worked for a few minutes. Then it went to Bluet tooth and I had to reset it to get it off. Then it would not sync with system and said off-line. Did another reset. Then listed to if for an hour. Next day offline again. Reset again, reset router. Was using it tonight for 25 minutes and then powered it off bc I did not have it pugged in bc I was walking around house --now it is won't turn back on just like the one I returned--it was on full batter, but seems like a battery charge issue---this is not a cheap product and is unacceptable 

I also had two Sonos one just go kaput out of the blue, and Sonos won't return on bc out of warranty---

It took me 20 emails and many calls to get the replacement id id get...no great customer care and the hours of operation are not like most companies

 

J

Bruce, this thread has about 70 posts complaining of the same problem so it is not a sample size of 1.  I have no idea what James L is basing his conclusion on - he doesn’t say - but my guess is that where there are 70 folks who have gone to the trouble to log in and explain a problem, there are many, many more who haven’t bothered.  I have been experiencing issues with my Roam since I got it but this is the first time I’ve bothered to post, out of sheer frustration.  I will call customer service on Monday and I expect return this product…  

B

I’m having issues too, first roam went offline, got it back on somehow. This time it started a loud static noise that we couldn’t stop using any of the buttons on the speaker. Now it’s offline again! Nothings working. Very dissatisfied with it. Now what?

W
Userlevel 1

Perhaps if you’re invested in the Sonos ecosystem the value proposition is different, but as a first-time Sonos buyer it had the opposite of what I assumed was the intended effect of bringing in a new customer, and instead alienated one for life.

I’m sure Sonos is a decent brand all in all, it does obviously have it’s fierce promoters/defenders as evidenced every time one dares to question the QA. But this is a thread about the very real shortcomings of a specific product, not a general philosophical debate about the brand. 

My own experience very much mirrored the posts here. Just a huge time-suck of trying to get it configured, to connect, and then after it finally did - work consistently. It never did, so I returned it. Maybe other folks have endless time to devote to making gadgets work in their advertised, intended way but I simply don’t. Got my money back, but the time is lost forever.

One faulty product does not a crappy brand make, but based on my own experience with the Roam as a first Sonos product, I’ll never touch anything made by it. Pretty bad “halo effect” for the cheapest product in the lineup.

It didn’t help that the actual sound quality was mediocre at best. It was embarrassing putting it side by side with my buddy’s Bose 3 yr old Soundlink. (And I’m no Bose fanboi either!)

To be charitable, maybe a Roam II will be better but I definitely steer anyone in the market for a portable speaker away from this iteration.

L

Same. What a mess. Just wanted a good quality Bluetooth speaker. Always a hassle to get connected and usually give up. 

R

Similar story. I purchased two Roam units to add to my existing Sonos (generation 2) ecosystem.

First one is flawless, the second one has issues:

  1. Goes to orange-white status whenever stereo paired to the other Roam. It does not matter which is the primary one to initiate stereo pair.
  2. Audio cuts out and there is a periodic (scratching?) sound. App thinks everything is fine.

I’ve tried numerous things:

  • Reboot
  • Reset
  • Use iOS device for setup
  • Turn off WiFi when resetting
  • Remove units as BT devices from phone

I tried Sonos chat last night and went through all the questions and the bot finally said no agents are available. I will call support at 10 AM when they open today.

 

A potential root cause: When the second Roam was going through the initial software update, I switched to another app on my Android device. It did complete and I did not think much of it, but I do not have any other leads other than a hardware fault with the second one.

I wish there was a way to get the device to actual factory setting with the original software, downgrade the software, or reinstall the software. But it appears the software update overwrites the firmware and there is no downgrade/reinstall procedure.

B

I am having problems with the Roam and getting it to connect to my network.

Very frustrating, I have not had so many problems with other Sonos products

jgatie

I'm sure Sonos, the billion dollar a year company approaching 2 decades of existence, will survive the dozen or so posts in this thread.

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