I haven’t read the entire thread, but just to +1 to the general dissatisfaction on the thread.
For the Sonos techs, I’m assuming with this announcement you’ll stop ramming software updates onto users, and actively support setups where users have decided not to update controller or software?
From a company that has so aggressively pushed new and entirely unnecessary software updates (I have no voice-enabled Sonos, I do not want any, I do not need it in the software), this move smacks of forced obselescence, and with Amazon and Google improving their speaker setups, you want to be careful about alienating Sonos users…
I have read most of the comments here and I think it comes down to these questions.
What about controller apps (phones/tablets/Windows/Mac)? Will updates to that still be able to drive the legacy system? If not then will the “legacy” apps remain available in case of new purchase or reset of devices requiring re-install?
Does legacy equipment have to be actually connected to prevent the update. Or registered or either?
Can new equipment be downgraded to this level to enable it to be connected to this legacy network. Scenario - I may want to upgrade my equipment piecemeal but keep the rest running - even in legacy mode.
What happens if a component (either legacy or modern) is factory reset or disconnected for reconnection later to the same or a different network.
If streaming services change their protocols (API), will retro-fit updates be available for legacy systems? Probably not. The greatest risk to me here is Tune-In radio.
Yes I just got this email, 2 of my speakers are supposed to be unsupported, a PLAY 5 that was pretty expensive- I invested a lot in Sonos over the years but if this is the deal, its a 5 yr speaker and they force you to buy a new model, Im out. Too many new options out there and I don't want the 30% discount to be forced to buy new speakers, I like the speakers I have- absurd that they are to be bricked after 5 short years??? I have 25 year old BOSE speakers that work great. What a crap model, going bak to wired speakers that I OWN and control.
This really aggravates me.
Support is being dropped for products being produced as recently as 2015. There are probably quite a few people with less than 4 years on those products.
Audio gear historically had very solid longevity. How often do you need to replace an audio amplifier?
If Sonos is turning away from the audio market and towards the disposable digital device market I’ll be turning away from their products. Sonos works best when paired with many devices and groups around the home which means a significant monetary investment. And it was worth it - if that’s a one time investment. While I’m sure Sonos would love everyone to keep replacing all of those devices every 3-4 years it’s just not going to happen.
The vast majority of people that regularly shop at Best Buy will not invest heavily in a system that has such a short lifespan for a small improvement in sound quality. Good luck competing with the endless Bluetooth speaker hoards priced at $40.
d Incidentally, I have Bluetooth speakers considerably older than 4 years that’s still compatible with all of the latest streaming services and as long as Bluetooth is supported as a standard - it will continue to work well in the future. ]
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.
So the writings on the wall.
Play 5 this year, Play 3 next year, or maybe my Play 1, Playbar or my Sub?
It’s clear that this is part of the strategy to keep the money flowing in and turn Sonos into an Apple clone.
Maybe it will work, and I understand things move forward, but it seems the upgrade path is being driven not by features but by a need to drive revenues. It’s a dangerous game and it’s got me looking at the Sonos Competitors for future purchases rather than signing up to a relentless upgrade path.
if it’s broken I would have replaced it with Sonos. Not so sure now....
I only bought my Sonos system 4 years ago from a high end sound system retail outlet, so over £1000 worth of speakers useless. I loved my Sonos and couldn’t praise them enough and about to buy the move NOT NOW!!! Sonos have lost what was a loyal customer never again and I look to replace the whole system of 12 elsewhere. What a let down
I only bought my Sonos system 4 years ago from a high end sound system retail outlet, so over £1000 worth of speakers useless. I loved my Sonos and couldn’t praise them enough and about to buy the move NOT NOW!!! Sonos have lost what was a loyal customer never again and I look to replace the whole system of 12 elsewhere. What a let down
I’m sure this has already been asked but, suppose in December 2020 I decide I would like to add a new Zone. Will this be compatible with my legacy systems? If so, you are forcing me to NOT be a future customer?
Hello Mr. Spence,
I am not at all happy with your corporate decision to end support for one of my many Sonos devices, thereby forcing me to get rid of it or forego software updates for all of those devices.
If this is part of your long term strategy, I will presumably lose others of my Sonos devices that I have acquired over the years to build this system. After investing a considerable amount of my hard-earned after-tax money with your company, this leaves a very bitter taste. My most recent purchase, within the last year, was a sound bar. Had I known that your products, not to mention the systems that they are a part of, have a lifetime arbitrarily determined by your company that can be terminated without warning prior to sale, I would probably have chosen another product.
I urge you and your corporate and technical teams to reconsider right away, and to find a satisfactory way to continue support for older products and the systems they're part of (which work just fine, thanks, except when I tried your beta test and ill-considered software updates before they were ready for prime time). I would rather have solid long-term support than the newest, largely unused by me, features that you feel must be incorporated.
This is very disappointing. I have four Connects and two Play:5s. This means, even with the 30% discount, that I will need to spend more than $2,000 just to get back to where I am now.
In addition to the newly obsoleted equipment above, I have twelve Play:1s and two subs and a Playbar.
I have a considerable investment in Sonos gear. Before I even consider the Trade-In offer, I am going to research options for replacing all of my Sonos equipment.
Will be a lot of cheap white boxes on ebay the coming weeks bought by the less informed. Have to confess to doing that with my old CR200 and I made a profit over the original purchase price.
Not desperately ethical but ….
What about controller apps (phones/tablets/Windows/Mac)? Will updates to that still be able to drive the legacy system? If not then will the “legacy” apps remain available in case of new purchase or reset of devices requiring re-install?
^ THIS!
Sonos, we need an answer on this key question!
I will never buy another Sonos product.
Your product should last a long time and is expected by your customers to last a long time.
Music systems and Hifi are not mobile phones - people expect them to last for years and work for years.
Customers do not expect their Hifi system to be made defunct overnight.
You have at a stroke made half of my system obsolete, BUT in effect the whole system is now obsolete because I play music across all my units at the same time - so if I split the system into defunct and supported units I can no-longer do the ONE and only ONE THING that I use my Sonos for - which is to play music in time with each other across multiple units in multiple rooms.
Of course I could spend £££££££ upgrading. BUT why would I - all I get is the same system I used to have today.
I was a strong support of Sonos and many of my friends have bought into the system on my recommendation. How embarrassed I am now, and how I will need to apologise to them.
Once bitten twice shy.
I will not make the mistake of buy Sonos again.
I only bought my Sonos system 4 years ago from a high end sound system retail outlet, so over £1000 worth of speakers useless. I loved my Sonos and couldn’t praise them enough and about to buy the move NOT NOW!!! Sonos have lost what was a loyal customer never again and I look to replace the whole system of 12 elsewhere. What a let down
Just for clarification, your system will continue operating as it does now without any updates for sometime. Looking at your profile, it looks like most of your speakers are not legacy. You would only need to replace your Play:5 Gen1 (s) and amp(s), if you decided to allow upgrades and add new products and features.
I strongly suggest figuring out how to reduce your software footprint with more efficient code or optional feature support based on product.
This is a shameful solution and probably means I will abandon Sonos products. I need a better excuse for this tactic than “new features”.
First, the Play:5s were expensive.
Second, they are in perfect condition and working perfectly.
Thirdly, I have a house full of other first gen Sonos speakers that will be abandoned in the near future even though they are declared “modern” today. Multiple thousands of dollars. Your upgrade program is almost worthless to me.
posted too quickly (hadn’t realized I posted) .
A more complete post is on page 19 of this thead.
Not feeling very impressed with this information at the moment. Similar situation with my system to many other of those who have commented. 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.
Surely there is a way to create software that will allow these “legacy” products to function, maybe with some limitations, but remain within a newer Sonos system with less functionality extended to the older devices.
Circa £2,100 before discount makes this a decision to be made with care. Will the upgrade discount still be available when the reality of lost function actually bites!?
However when some form of upgrade 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 imagine Sonos’ competitors are busy creating strategies on how they will win over former Sonos customers. Gonna be an interesting time...
I have always loved and supported Sonos. The 1st time I started to question Sonos as a good system to use, was when I couldn’t play music from my itunes. Now that they are saying I have to buy new equipment and they will only give a 30% discount towards new equipment, I am done with Sonos. The only good news is that I was about to get a sound bar and a sub woofer. I am so glad I did not buy that yet. I also think this should be a class action law suit. You lost a good customer and long time supporter.
Still only had them 4 years, and still over £1000 worth of product now not fit for purpose. How long will it be before everything is obsolete? I will never purchase Sonos again I want a system that last more than 4 years. Disgra
AND then, as if to prove their total tone-deafness, I received an email this afternoon offering free shipping on new SONOS gear. REALLY? Unless this gets resolved I will never purchase another piece of SONOS equipment -- NEVER!
Therefore, if we no longer provide extensive backward capability for our products, we may damage our relationship with our customers, and the value proposition of our products with existing and prospective customers may decline. We may lose existing customers if their older products cannot integrate with newer versions of our software, and this may also result in negative publicity that could adversely affect our reputation and brand loyalty and impact our ability to attract new customers or sell new products to existing customers.
No ****!
Good find. Definite existential threat for Sonos. Will be interesting to see the publicity over the coming weeks.
Perhaps this thread should be re-titled ‘End of Sonos’.
All this said, Sonos app is working on all our old android tablets over time that we were told might have limited functionality and no new features.
Maybe I missed it in the discussion but does it mean that those boxes “will not play music” or “will not have new whistles and bells”?
I’m unclear on that?
I have recently received an email about legacy systems being redundant and the whole of my Sonos system will stop receiving updates. As an early adopter I supported Sonos and added to my system with a number of pieces of equipment, including a sound bar. But now due to pushing increased sales revenue have had a ransom email to upgrade or lose service. Has anyone else had these unscrupulous demand and what is the effect of not complying to the aggressive sales techniques that some smart …. VC decided would generate more sales.
All this said, Sonos app is working on all our old android tablets over time that we were told might have limited functionality and no new features.
Maybe I missed it in the discussion but does it mean that those boxes “will not play music” or “will not have new whistles and bells”?
I’m unclear on that?
If frozen on an old version of software, the music service providers could make changes to codecs, security, APIs, etc. that will not be compatible with the older software. So a gradual deterioration of services/functions will occur. Local library streaming should be fine forever.
Whomever in SONOS decided this farcical policy needs dragged out the building and sent on their way!
I will never buy another Sonos product ever again and I’m going to look to move away from Sonos as the earliest possible chance.
modern programming makes it easy to deal with this situation but this isn’t about memory or CPU - it’s all about trying to con hard working punters to buy new Sonos kit.
i predict an MBA white paper - the demise of Sonos where they talk about the smart VP in Sonos who decided this mental policy.
adois Sonos!
Still only had them 4 years, and still over £1000 worth of product now not fit for purpose. How long will it be before everything is obsolete? I will never purchase Sonos again I want a system that last more than 4 years. Disgra
Please would you clarify which of your products bought in the last four years are affected by this announcement?
