Retired Sonos Staff

End of Software Updates for Legacy Products

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 The information contained in this thread is outdated and may no longer be accurate.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

Lyricist I

I've just received an email from Sonos telling me that the brand new Connect:Amp purchased only one month ago, is about to be made a legacy product from May. How can this possibly happen???

Bizarrely, this is the newest of 5 Connect:Amps powering speakers around my home, the others having been bought between December 2017 and May 2018. Yet the older connect amps have NOT been flagged in this email and all but the newest show in my account (system) as being modern products, with NO ‘Trade Up Eligible’ label next to them. Only the newest Connect:Amp has the ‘Trade Up Eligible’ label showing against it (but also still showing the ‘Modern product label’).

So could somebody please explain what is happening here? I was told that only products manufactured before 2015 would be affected?

The 3 products bought in December 2017, all have serial numbers beginning with 1710 5CAAFDEXXXXXX, with the 4th Connect:Amp purchased in May 2018 beginning with 1801 5CAAFDEXXXXXX. Given the most recent serial number begins with 1807 347E5C2XXXXXX, surely this would indicate this unit is the newest (logically it must be, having been purchased 18 to 24 months after the others)? So what on earth is going on? Has anyone else experienced this?

I would appreciate any advice other Sonos owners can offer who may have experienced similar ‘treatment’ from Sonos.

Sonos clearly doesn’t give a hoot about its loyal customers. They just lost thousands of customers. What a stupid mistake on their part.

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mushroomhunter

Avid Contributor I

There should 10000% be a legacy mode to utilize the quality sound equipment with limited features, perhaps separate from the new stuff.

There is. The features being limited to those it had when you bought the products plus those added up to May 2020.

Wrong, they are threatening that ALL the newer stuff will quit working too if you don’t upgrade because you keep legacy products in the system!

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irishbore

Lyricist I

I have spent around £4,000 on Sonos products. My first two where a pair of play 5’s in 2015. Less than five years later they are no longer going to have full compatibility with my newer products some bought within a few months. Two plan fives were about £900. To only get five years proper use out of that is very poor. My old technics separate system still works fine and I bought that it 1989! I agree with many saying that 30% discount on upgrading is very poor. I assume you don’t get to keep your old products you upgrade either.

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craigw

Lyricist II

I, too, am very concerned.

Today, software updates are all-or-nothing. E.g., every time a bug is fixed with Spotify or Google Assistant or the IOS AirPlay, your system is forced to update even if you don't use those features. (in theory you can delay an update but, in practice, your system is held hostage until you do)

If Sonos were to break updates into their respective feature and let users pick-and-choose which to update -- music services, controllers, airplay/cast, alexa/google assistant, etc -- then I’d feel much better. But Sonos has always done monolithic, all-or-nothing updates. .

Frankly, as long as a system has one modern Sonos component installed, why can’t the legacy equipment continue operating as multi-room satellites? That’s been the magic of Sonos right back to the beginning.

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Bobby3333

Lyricist III

Why dont you introduce a separate software upgrade for the older units so that we can enjoy the system with Spotify and the likes.

I dont want or need voice comands. Just use the APP on my phone.

Me too.
Just want Spotify and local network music and iOS as a remote

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jgatie

Why don’t you let Sonos relate the “facts” and show some outrage too, or is this all fine with you?

Sorry, I don’t rage to nameless, faceless corporations. I vote with my wallet.

And I’ll post what I want, when I want. There are some people in here who are looking for information. If that is not you, you can ignore my comments.

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Sheldon Miner

Contributor I

I have been a staunch Sonos user and advocate. I use my system daily and tell everyone about how much I love Sonos. Over the past 10 years I’ve continued to add products to my system. Now I’m told that the vast majority of my system will no longer be supported. I am still reeling over the loss of the 3 controllers that I used to play music throughout the house. I was given a measly $100 credit so I could by this little piece of junk remote control that I works sometimes and has no screen. Now that virtually my whole investment is being decommissioned and that I get a 30% credit towards new products, What the heck am I supposed to do? Spend another $12,000 for a system that will be bricked 10 years from now? Why build (and charge a HUGE premium for) top-quality products that are built to last decades just to tell me that they’re garbage a few years later? I’m done with these games Sonos is playing. I can longer, in good conscience recommend this company. They are an embarrassment to me and the friends I convinced to get on-board with them. Good bye and good riddance Sonos!!!

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Mark McIntyre

Lyricist I

Where did the Boeing CEO go after he got fired? Did he pick up a gig at Sonos?

I’ve got two Play 5 (gen 1) that I love in spite of the fact that I can no longer play my iTunes library. Rather than breeding product loyalty they’ve got me wondering why I don't just get a couple great Bluetooth speakers.

I want to suggest that we get on Twitter / FB / Instagram and flood them with negative comments. Negative PR on social media is about the ONLY thing that can turn around this sort of idiotic corporate behavior. It worked at Backcountry.com

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Geoff o

Contributor I

Given the investment made in Sonos equipment, the 30% discount does not seem reasonable. That discount was available to the public over Thanksgiving. I have a Connect and at 50% would feel like its fair. With $3000 in this platform, asking for $2100 over the next few years seems like a slap. Its great they sre dynamic and upgradable until it bricks you. The connect i had was purchased in 2014. !!!! This will either be a boom for sonos or cripple the company and stock price. Shorts?

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JohnM99

Lyricist II

It is just GALLING that they are trying to say these were “introduced” 2005-2011 - but they were sold as brand new state of the art equipment 5 years ago!

Do you IDIOTS think I am going to buy a whole new speaker system every 5 or 10 years????

If you wanted to make absolutely sure that a customer would never under any circumstances buy any more prodcuts from your company, this is a foolproof way of doing it.

Who is running your company? Some spies trying to ruin it?

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