Retired Sonos Staff

End of Software Updates for Legacy Products

Related content:Software

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Please note that we’ve created a new thread with some clarifications to questions that have come up several times in this thread. Please see here to continue the discussion if you still have any questions. The information contained in this thread is outdated and may no longer be accurate.

We have some important news regarding our oldest Sonos devices shared on the Sonos Blog today. The text of that blog post is being included here for your convenience:

Starting in May 2020, some of our oldest products will no longer receive software updates or new features. We want to explain why and your options.

When we first set out almost 20 years ago to invent the technology to easily listen to any song in any room, most of the ways we listen to music today did not exist. In fact, the first Sonos products were introduced before the first iPhone was announced and when Myspace still ruled social media.

In order to invent multi-room music and smart speakers, we combined the worlds of high-fidelity audio and computing. Every Sonos product has a microprocessor, flash memory, and other hardware components typically found in computers and smartphones.

Since launching our first products, technology has advanced at an exponential rate; from streaming services and voice assistants to wireless networking and Bluetooth capabilities. Through all of this transformation, we have continued delivering new features via software updates. We’re extremely proud of the fact that we build products that last a long time, and that listeners continue to enjoy them. In fact, 92% of the products we’ve ever shipped are still in use today. That is unheard of in the world of consumer electronics. However, we’ve now come to a point where some of the oldest products have been stretched to their technical limits in terms of memory and processing power.

This coming May, these legacy products—our original Zone Players, Connect, and Connect:Amp (launched in 2006; includes versions sold until 2015), first-generation Play:5 (launched 2009), CR200 (launched 2009), and Bridge (launched 2007)—will no longer receive software updates or new features.

Today the Sonos experience relies on an interconnected ecosystem, giving you access to more than 100 streaming services, voice assistants, and control options like Apple AirPlay 2. Without new software updates, access to services and overall functionality of your sound system will eventually be disrupted, particularly as partners evolve their technology.

To help you through this transition, we’re providing two options:

Option 1: Continue using these legacy products, recognizing that your system will no longer receive software updates and new features.

Option 2: Trade up to a new Sonos product with a 30% credit for each legacy product you replace.

If you’re not sure if your products are affected, you can check in the System tab in your sonos.com-account

If you choose to participate in the trade up program, your legacy products will be put in Recycle Mode, a state that deletes personally identifiable information and prepares these products for e-recycling. Recycle Mode also protects unsuspecting people from buying legacy products that are approaching the end of their useful life and won’t provide the Sonos experience customers expect today. Recycle Mode will only apply to the legacy products listed above.

We ask that you take your legacy products to a nearby certified e-recycling facility. This is the most environmentally friendly way to recycle. That said, if there isn’t a facility in your area, we are happy to pay for you to ship your products back to Sonos for responsible recycling.

Ideally all our products would last forever, but for now we’re limited by the existing technology. Our responsibility here is threefold: build products that last a long time; continually look for ways to make our products more environmentally friendly through materials, packaging, and our supply chain and take responsibility for helping you through the transition once products near the end of their useful life.

We’ve always believed in freedom of choice, whether that means choosing a certain streaming service or way to control your listening experience. We hope the choices provided here—continuing to use these products without new software updates or trading up to our modern products—enable you to make the choice that’s right for you.

We are honored to have a place in your home and want to make sure that we help continue to bring the best experience we can, even when products reach the end of their useful life.

More information.

Please let us know if you have any questions.

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.

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Brentr

Trending Lyricist I

What happened to Sonos, used to be a good company that valued their customers. Now just a bunch of money grubbing prick. How dare you brick my $2500 sounds system that is only 4 ½ years old. Never again will this company see a cent from me, I suggest if you agree then vent below before Sonos removes this post.

Lets send the bastards broke. Post anywhere on the internet your frustrations with Sonos,. ( google, Facebook, Twitter ect)

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patbla

Enthusiast II

I would like to add my voice to that of those who are truly disappointed by this decision and this apparent change of direction by Sonos.

I have invested in many Sonos components over the years with the (now mistaken) belief that they would continue to stand behind their equipment. While I understand that some of the new services may require more processing power I always assumed that the basic functionality would continue to be supported in a seamless manner.

I hope that nothing is done that breaks my ability to use my (now) legacy speakers in connection with the more modern ones for basic functions like listening to music stored on my NAS. While I don’t believe I will continue to recommend Sonos products, should future updates require that I split my Sonos network into two that will be the end of any future relationship I will have with this company.

I would have thought that such a leading company in wireless home audio would value its reputation and the good will it has built up with its invested customers a little more.

Offering a 30% discount to upgrade perfectly functional equipment seemed like a strange move at the time and I now view it as an attempt to have a speaking point when this news came out.

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Kumar

Wait till May for all the clarity to be delivered by Sonos. The trade in will still be available then, should you want it.

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woodborough

Lyricist I

I feel this legacy issue advised by a poorly worded email of download support being progressively withdrawn from this May is so wrong on many levels.If this is correct i will not purchase or recommend another Sonos product and to then offer a pathetic trade in as a consumer offset is a poorly veiled product marketing campaign would be well below cost and should be for the original purchase value or swap for new product .I would encourage ( as i will) to contact your local state consumer bureau and determine your rights of proper recourse and determine if Sonos can act this way .Hopefully volume of feedback will make Sonos think that as a technology platform provider that there are other solutions to bridge the changes.otherwise what type of so called leading technology company is behind this group. Very disatisfied consumer

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agd2

Trending Lyricist I

The products/technology being sunset are/is over 10 years old, regardless of when purchased and first put into service....

It was bound to happen as technology does obsolete over time, and the support requirements to support would hurt Sonos’ ability to innovate. Windows 98 is also long gone.

That said the trade-in should offer greater discount for items more recently put into service. 30% is just meh if you bought in within the past 2 years... I traded 3 connect:amps and a connect earlier this year because I knew it was only a matter of time once the new versions were released. The 30% helped, but I decided the echo system was well worth eating the rest. that is me.

(I took another old Connect I had and traded it for 100% purchase credit at PS Audio, which is an amazing trade in plan!!.)

Still love Sonos!! It rocks on my PS amps..

Echo system?

ecosystem. (english is my third language, sometimes no so good)

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ojosverdes

Lyricist I

You just lost a customer.

I was about to purchase additional units for my Sonos system as I just moved to a bigger house, when I received an email stating that my play:5 will no longer be receiving updates in May. This means that unless I hand over hundreds more dollars to Sonos, my entire system will slowly degrade and become non-operational. Then I would have to spend hundreds more dollars to expand my system. The 30% discount is a bit insulting as it doesn't really change the fact that I have to pay a lot just to keep my system going. I was even more frustrated that your 30% discount didn't even apply to a play:5 gen 2 product to replace the gen1. I spent over $1,000 on my system and I can't trust a company that's going to suddenly render it inoperable. I have a great macbook pro from the same era that still works perfectly.

I'm very sad because I was rooting for Sonos. You've made an otherwise great product that offered a wireless alternative to the likes of Google Home & Amazon Echo, which I don't like listening in on my private conversations. Not to mention the far better sound quality and multi-room functionality. At the end of the day though, the cost is too high if I have to keep upgrading the already expensive devices.

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johram

Lyricist I

Maybe the reason for this is an upcoming update that will bring real surround sound support with no more phantom center speaker for Sonos amp users and or adding separate right and left speakers for Sonos playbar/beam users. That would take the sting out… it would make me buy _more_ Sonos gear!

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peter gerst

Enthusiast I

stay tuned guys…..big class action case on the way. a big press release is coming…..

sons better do something quick or I’m dumping my whole system and I too will be shorting the stock. What a lousy way to pay back customer loyalty. goodbye sonos!!!

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Brentr

Trending Lyricist I

What happened to Sonos, used to be a good company that valued their customers. Now just a bunch of money grubbing pricks. How dare you brick my $2500 sounds system that is only 4 ½ years old. Never again will this company see a cent from me, I suggest if you agree then vent below before Sonos removes this post.

Lets send the bastards broke. Post anywhere on the internet your frustrations with Sonos,. ( google, Facebook, Twitter ect)

K

kassey22000

Enthusiast II

They obviously forgot to focus group this. The only reason why we all shouldn’t short the stock is because there is NO WAY they are stupid enough to stick with this plan. If they reverse course they might be able to salvage the brand. Maybe.

This is what happens when a great company plans to go public, abandons technology in favor of short-sighted profit goals and let’s the former CFO run the place into the ground. Nice work board members for approving this disaster!

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