Skip to main content

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 The information contained in this thread is outdated and may no longer be accurate.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.

All of my legacy products have bricked as of today,non will connect and all all “offline” on the same day you announce that you will no longer support legacy products. Is this a coincidence?

 

 

Yes.  It doesn’t take place until May 2020.

My product has not reached the end of it’s useful life.

Do you even care about the environment? This stinks...

I’m trying to remember a bigger “fuck you” delivered by a company to it’s best customers

This.

 

 “Dear fervent early Tesla adopters with a Roadster or older Model S: due to our increasingly complex software updates and the limits of our older hardware, we will no longer be supporting the OS on your legacy vehicles. We can’t be bothered to support multiple OSes. Your legacy vehicle should, maybe, work for a while. If you want, we’ll crush your Roadster and give you 30% off on a new model 3. Also if you park your model 3, Y, X or newer S near your legacy vehicle, it will not be able to receive updates either.”

Classic!  Spot on.

In some respects I do not care, on the whole I’ve found the updates to the apps irritating.  I have no use for streaming services such as Spotify, but I will be annoyed if in the future the radio apps break.

I have a Connect - not a Connect:Amp, and from what I can see the upgrade product is to the new Amp - not the Port.  So even with the discount an Amp is still more than a Port.

poor show Sonos.  Very poor show.

...How is possible the Play:5 (released Nov 2009) is impacted by these potential “changes” and does not have enough memory or processing power to sustain future innovation, but the Play:3 (released July 2011) and the Play:1 (released Oct 2013) are not impacted?

@aquapowers , the Play:5 gen1 was built with less memory than the Play:3 and Play:1 that were released in subsequent years. The old Play:5 just doesn’t have updated components needed to support new features and services in the future.

 

 

This effects ALL my Sonos gear, including the CR200 !!

I would be slightly considering upgrading at least my main component, the Connect, but since I need an optical connection that is not available on the successor, this is also a no-go.…

For me this is definitely the end of my relationship with Sonos. I will keep the stuff alive till they die or are not longer supported by Deezer or Calm Radio and then replace them with Bluesound probably.

 

Bye Sonos

 

 

Seriously reconsidering my investment in Sonos in two houses. Not a satisfied customer at all. Agree with above post that I will start warning people away from Sonos until something is done to rectify this situation.  Researching other options starting right now. 

In some respects I do not care, on the whole I’ve found the updates to the apps irritating.  I have no use for streaming services such as Spotify, but I will be annoyed if in the future the radio apps break.

I have a Connect - not a Connect:Amp, and from what I can see the upgrade product is to the new Amp - not the Port.  So even with the discount an Amp is still more than a Port.

poor show Sonos.  Very poor show.

 

No, the upgrade for the Connect is the Port.  

All of my legacy products have bricked as of today,non will connect and all all “offline” on the same day you announce that you will no longer support legacy products. Is this a coincidence?

 

 

Yes.  It doesn’t take place until May 2020.

Yes it doesn't, yet ALL of my legacy products are currently offline and no longer responding. My products that don’t show as a “trade up” are all working, but not the legacy products. Weird timing, very weird. this is the biggest PR DISASTER I have experienced to date with any company.Ever. 

I think the comparison to mobile phones is not relevant. You can still use old Iphones or Android phones to undertake their primary purpose of making calls and they still work with the network provider. Some Apps won’t work and you don’t get to use the latest OS but they co-exist with new phones.

In this case you either hold back the entire system and potentially lose access to the primary purpose of the system (ability to play music) or you throw away a perfectly good product that has years of life left in it.

I have a complete Sonos system and cannot believe that Sonos has made a decision to abandon  their early customers who supported their business in its early stage.  Most high end audio manufacturers offer a paid upgrade path for their equipment to insure it remains fully functional for years.  I guess Sonos would rather offer a 30% discount on an already overpriced product to generate even more revenue.  Perhaps a class action lawsuit should review if a successful company can abandon its customers with such an early exit on product support.   I could understand if their products were 20 years old or the company had poor financial performance.  Most owners don’t expect their older products to have the latest features such as DSD or the latest and greatest wireless connectivity but to abandon us is terrible. I guess our only option is to fill social media with the sad story of abandonment and resolve to never buy another Sonos product. 

This sucks! After investing thousands in SONOS I am screwed. Any system with a mix of OLD and NEW products will not be updated, period. Am I forced to trade in my perfectly fine, hard working Play 5’s at a high cost (the trade up deal is a joke, 30% off) another $1000 + a new phone because the app is not supported. I will not be giving SONOS any more money, spending $3000 on audio equipment should last a lifetime. I suppose the rest of my SONOS device are not far behind, SUB, Play 1’s. When that happens it will all go in the trash and I will be FORCED to move to something else. I used to be a huge SONOS fan, but more and more I am becoming disillusioned. I am sick and tired of having to shell out money for upgrades to technology that works just fine, because the manufactures just hang us out to dry. I was gong to buy Sonos Move, but, not now as who knows how long before it becomes another doorstop to add to my collection. 

Was nice while it lasted.

 

To reiterate what others have said…  Sonos needs to think again.  You are basically saying if I want my product to continue working I need to replace it with only a 30% discount.  So with the 30% discount a PLAY 5 is going to cost about £300.  In return, I get no new features I want.  Oh, and if I don’t you will keep the rest of my devices hostage and they will also not get the updates so I can expect streaming services to stop working at some point.

 

Sonos is a ‘premium’ brand.  This isn’t the behaviour associated with premium products.  In one announcement I’ve gone from an evangelist and happy customer to never going to buy a Sonos product again.  Time for Sonos to think again.

 

I foresee that this will be a thread of record length!

 

Only offering a 30% discount makes the upgrade undoable for me as it’ll cost way over $1K (2 5s and a Connect:AMP) after already spending $$ to upgrade to Boost, and I just bought what I have a little over two years ago.   I get the technology change argument, but this seems very harsh, almost unethical to a degree unless SONOS is claiming that their breakeven is 70% of list which I’d find hard to believe.  Buyer beware! I used to be one of their biggest fans until this announcement!  Ughhh….

Maybe.  Hard to tell.  This is a little different than other announcements since nothing is being bricked involuntarily.  You can continue to use what you have till it dies or doesn’t work with your streaming services anymore.    You just can’t expand your system.  This fits what a lot of people wanted when the CR100 incident happened.    

I think people who just about a legacy Sonos product used, or about to sell, are going to be upset.  That value just hit rock bottom.  It might be a while before we start hearing those complaints.  There will be those asking for a full refund, not just 30% tradeup. 

And if a device has been factory reset after May, and thus not registered to any one, I don’t see how it can be claimed for 30% tradeup by anyone.  This won’t make the reuse/recycle bunch happy at all.  Maybe Sonos can prevent factory resets for these after May?  Or maybe I don’t understand tradeup and factory reset properly?

There may also be some difficulty in telling the difference between a legacy connect or connect:amp and a still supported, 2015+ connect or connect:amp.  That will bring some complaints.

Probably not thinking of some aspects.  Still very early.

 

I’m not quite sure how I feel.  I understand and respect dropping updates for products that are over 5 years old.  At the same time, I would like to keep using the non-updated products without lcoking down my system.  Seems like I should be able to take advantage of new products and features without losing the old.  However, I did get a lot of features added to my legacy products that were not even on the horizon when I originally bought my speakers, which I certainly took advantage of.

 

Sonos, I am utterly disappointed in a company that I have championed over the last 5 years with my friends and family.  Over this time I have build up a collection of 18 speakers.  It would appear that I am ‘lucky’ to only have two Play 5: Gen1s to replace…. but how long before you give me 3 months notice on my 13 Play 1s?

In order to appease me you would have to at least double the 30% trade back rebate. But even then I don’t like the way you have gone about this at all and I am off now to start researching alternatives.

It is disgusting the way you are treating people and quite frankly it could mean the end of your business.

Please let me know where your Sales & Marketing director got educated, I will make a note not to send my two boys the same way!

P.S.  @RyanS this is in no way directed at you and I am sorry that your employer has made you the messenger for this.  Not good of them.

 

 

Expensive day! …. 5 boxes gone out of a stable of 14!!! ….guess I’ll just have to turn the ones in the other rooms up to 11! :-)

I sort of get the need for movement and progression but a bit of a brutal tsunami of tech death all at once me thinks ….

 

 

I will ask again. 

 

If you have legacy products in your system, then buy a new product after May, with a later firmware, will you be able to even add it? 

 

I will ask again. 

 

If you have legacy products in your system, then buy a new product after May, with a later firmware, will you be able to even add it? 

 


Good Question!

Are you freaking kidding me? After buying your expensive speakers, that’s all I get out of them? What a joke. You earned another unsatisfied customer here - will never buy Sonos again, or recommend Sonos to anyone (quite the opposite). Wow. What a way to dump your best early adopter customers. When is the bankruptcy announcement coming?

In some respects I do not care, on the whole I’ve found the updates to the apps irritating.  I have no use for streaming services such as Spotify, but I will be annoyed if in the future the radio apps break.

I have a Connect - not a Connect:Amp, and from what I can see the upgrade product is to the new Amp - not the Port.  So even with the discount an Amp is still more than a Port.

poor show Sonos.  Very poor show.

 

No, the upgrade for the Connect is the Port.  

Ok, so it’s just a rubbish website layout.

“ over time functionality of features and services will be impacted “

This better not make the equipment I have purchased unusable whether it be in 6 months or 10 years.  I also paid for the hardware! Hey Sonos, DO NOT take the money and run!

GRRRRR

I will ask again. 

 

If you have legacy products in your system, then buy a new product after May, with a later firmware, will you be able to even add it? 

 

Luckily for you, Sonos has incentivized you to never buy another product from them, so you won’t have to find out 

The *absolute* bare minimum you should be considering is for EOL’d speakers to lose their ability to be the master unit of a group of speakers.
 

They should still be able to function when grouped with more recent units, since every speaker you’ve ever sold has the ability to do this and there’s no reason why the processing required to do play a synchronised sound stream will ever increase. 

In some respects I do not care, on the whole I’ve found the updates to the apps irritating.  I have no use for streaming services such as Spotify, but I will be annoyed if in the future the radio apps break.

I have a Connect - not a Connect:Amp, and from what I can see the upgrade product is to the new Amp - not the Port.  So even with the discount an Amp is still more than a Port.

poor show Sonos.  Very poor show.

 

No, the upgrade for the Connect is the Port.  

I think the Port from a Connect is a downgrade. What genius designer removed the optical out to save a £ or $. Ridiculous, upgrade to this…….oh it doesn’t plug in. Clowns.

6 legacy products and only 2 “modern” products (I was an early adopter and have built my system over many years)

A replacement bill of over about £2000 after the discount.  

I just dont have the funds to do that to keep software updates.  

Very disappointed and I can’t help but suspect that functionality of legacy systems will be reduced from it current state which does everything I need.

Similar situation with my system. The components that are considered “legacy” meet all my listening requirements at the moment with great usability and sound quality. I see no need to follow the upgrade path from my perspective. However when this eventually becomes necessary I do not expect to replace like-for-like. My Sonos system will probably shrink with just a few components replaced or I will move to an alternative provider. I imaging Sonos’ competitors are busy creating strategies on how they will win over former Sonos customers. Gonna be an interesting time...

Terms & ConditionsCookie settings