End of Software Updates for Legacy Products

It is time for us Sonos users to band together and class action against this corrupt company.  How dare they threaten to stop supporting my system all at once?   This is outrageous

stay tuned   This is why class actions exist 

This is going to backfire big time for sonos 

No - you can use the speakers with other systems and controllers.  You’d maybe find they work better ...

Thanks, anyway you know to clarify that? I’d have thought the website would have confirmed.

On my account on the Sonos website there’s a “Modern product” label next to my actual system, no idea if that’s an indication.

Well I’ve been debating whether to invest in Sonos further, we have a play5 (gen1), play5 (gen2) and a play1 (gen1) and this has made the decision a little easier. I think we’ll be ditching Sonos, the 30% upgrade offer is pretty derisory when I have to brick the play5...I can’t move it to the workshop and use it with an old phone from there. I’ve got to bin it. It’s pretty shitty behaviour considering the state of the planet. Personally I think Sonos has made a huge error here and so I’ll be moving on. A shame as it’s well made kit, just not built to last!

Furious doesn't really cover it. Thank goodness I didn't buy the move I was hovering over last weekend. 30% discount is an insult, just a complete joke.

How much spare capacity do the other units have? I have a 1, 3 and 5. Can't afford to replace the 5 and then have the other two bricked in a year.

Not sure I believe the excuse of not enough memory or processor power. I suggest instead of losing a massive amount of your loyal customers you use your big software developer brains to write better code or come up with some fixes that keep the old systems working. 

If it says “Modern product”, you are good.  Affected units are marked “Legacy product”.  

I am incredibly happy that I did not pull the trigger and buy a couple more Sonos devices at Christmas as four of my current devices (half of my ecosystem) is now “legacy”. I bought Sonos because of it’s high quality and (now previous) high expectation of support but at the downside of expense. 

And a pathetic 30% discount otherwise my devices rot without the needed updates to keep connected to services? Isn’t that extortion?

I’m not willing to spend on something that apparently has the same lifespan as a much cheaper alternative. Goodbye Sonos. 

Thousands of dollars invested in the system. Why should I buy/commit to further Sonos products if they will be deemed obsolete and no longer supported in 10 years or less?  Sorry Sonos, you’ve lost me as a supporter. 

If you choose to keep your legacy equipment, Sonos won’t be “updating” your system at all, that’s kind of the whole point.

I am really disappointed in Sonos for this move, they announced that my play 5 would basically be obsolete, proof? These speakers are not cheap, and are a so called premium product, well if that’s the case a premium product should last until it gives up the ghost, I thought hard about going for Sonos, as I was always a traditional hi Fi man, still have quality speakers that are decades older that my play 5, still work perfectly,  let’s be honest here how long before our play ones are obselete??? That amount of money on a complete system is absolutely disgusting if you are going to be forced to upgrade every 8-10 years, I believe that what really is the case is that you can pick up second hand components easily and build a system at a reasonable cost, Sonos don’t like this, so this will force you to buy completely new. I’m happy with the functionality I have now, I ever wanted airplay 2 or whatever , so why should I be penalised? And in the era of alleged climate change etc, shouldn’t every effort be made into allowing people to use what they have until it breaks… this is just a business profit decision … I shall be looking at alternative systems in the future if at all….  there are other ways people.

Hey….anyone want to buy some perfect condition Sonos speakers from me?? Cheap.

Right...didn’t think so….

Sonos are absolute Charlatans. I have been a loyal customer since they started in the UK. And have invested many thousands of pounds in their equipment. This has now been rendered absolutely useless by this removal of Update Service.

 Do they honestly think I will ever spend another penny on anything they now produce?

Where as previously I have told my friends Sonos is a good system with great support , I will now tell them never to go anywhere near sonos and never to touch any of their products.

This sort of behaviour is typical of what you find at the lower end of the market.. At the top end of the market you expect continuing support. Especially as the cost of these units is by no means insignificant.

Not to mention the environmental impact this has on me having to dispose of many thousands of pounds worth of very good, working, electronic equipment that over the coming months will become completely useless. This is purely about generating extra profits.

I was a very early adopter of Sonos, and have been a big promoter of the system through the years. I have a mixed system that works great, and having to shell out $1000 just to keep it the way it is is beyond disappointing. You go from one of my favorite companies to one of my least favorite in the blink of an eye. Remember that trust arrives on foot and leaves on horseback. 

Exactly this…. A better approach would be an addendum to this policy as it stands, one that adds an additional 10% (or more) discount for each current-gen device on a user’s Sonos network that now stands to be deprecated as the result of a end-of-lifed model being present in the system. (And certainly not bricking that legacy unit would be a good gesture as well.)

That would be awesome, but I couldn’t find any information on that. Can you mention a company that makes a Sonos-compatible controller?

Just had a look on the Sonos website… I couldn't be bothered reading further after I saw the proclamation of TRUST, ACCOUNTABILITY and COLLABORATION. they all are sub headings under the page heading RESPONSIBILITY. If you want to find the page, click on the link called SUSTAINABILITY under their main menu…..  

Who thinks any of their blurb is sincere?

Does any of it have substance… ?

Will products moving forward have upgrade capabilities? Other speaker companies offer to upgrade and repair older speakers for a fee. Instead of a 30% trade in have a 70% upgrade fee. Pay 70% of the new device and have your old one updated. 

We have too much waste in electronics and bricking or recycling is not as friendly to the environment as reusing. Also, I'd rather know I could always update with new internals than be SOL. 

I just started getting Sonos gear and might not get any in the future unless there is something in place for future products. Also, your marketing has been awful. You're giving us the options/stick before the carrot. There's no update that's worth upgrading for yet.

I hope this means everything supported in June will support newer formats. There's plenty of time (though really only till May now) especially for those of us who are bought in enough to be on this forum. But without reassurance of futureproof-ness most here will probably sadly move on as your competitors begin to catch up at similar price points. 

At the very least say there's something coming down the line. Give us a hint of carrot. Saying nothing by the end of May will not go well I know that. 

Oh great, my two play 5 and all my Zp80 devices which I have used around a larger Victorian House for years connected to existing hiding are effectively junked.

Even with a hefty discount given the price of Sonos kit it’ll cost a fortune to upgrade and for that to be given legacy status in a few years as well?

Boo, hiss Sonos

Sonos. You only have to look at the number of posts on this swelling thread and that they are from your oldest and previously most loyal customers to see that what you have done is wrong. 
 

 A polite suggestion. Book a meeting room and or Skype time tomorrow. Get your product managers, techs and marketing people together and put this thread up as evidence that the rebellion has started. Then devise a workable solution that doesn’t hamstring the rest of our system if others go legacy. And consider revising the ridiculous 30% trade in figure. 
 

I’d be happy to chair the meeting if it helps!  
 

WOW...Disappointed to say the least.   Like everyone else, I have been loyal to Sonos for years and sold on the ability to add over time.   How long is it before my play 1’s are also expensive paperweights….

I understand Legacy items may no longer have the newer features, but there has to be a way to allow the modern units to still be upgraded without removing the legacy products.

Looks like it is time to pursue other options in the marketplace.    

Adding my voice here. Also a loyal, long term customer and advocate of Sonos, as well as a stock holder. My siblings and parents and in-laws bought sonos systems on my recommendation and fawning love.

I have two play5’s that are only 6 years old that are now deemed obsolete and may stop working at an unknown time.

I refuse to give Sonos anymore cash and will be actively looking for a replacement system. I will be selling my playbar and play1’s before they too are deemed non functioning pieces of kit!

I will also be releasing my stock.

Such a shame, such a wonderful product...greed. pure greed.

I still can’t get over the fact that SONOS had the gall to actually raise prices in the US on Jan 9th ~12 days prior to this “end of support” announcement.   On January 9, 2020, US pricing for Amp and Port increased $50 to $649 and $449 respectively.   First they lured us into recycling credits, then they raised prices, and now they’ve obsoleted our old equipment.  Point-Set-Match. 

I’m saddened and frustrated by Sonos lack of support of legacy customers. My email and user name switched two years ago, so you can no longer tell that I’ve been all-in since Sonos inception. I’m a long-timer that has persuaded many to take the Sonos plunge.

It would cost me many thousands of dollars to pay to upgrade my legacy devices to the currently-supported devices. 30% is a slap in the face to an early adopter. Even Emotiva gave full original purchase price for upgraders, knowing they were keeping their client base.

I have the funds to make the upgrade, which makes me luckier than many. That said, this is what I see as writing on the wall and the reasons I will likely take a different path:

• January 9th, Sonos raises prices of products I need to purchase before sending legacy purchase details.
• January 21st, Sonos sends me an email that I must replace 100% of my legacy gear.
• I am offered an insulting 30% discount on upgrades (that I do not want).

I would expect a 30% special ‘loyalty’ discount on new purchases above and beyond what I currently own, and a 60-75% discount on replacement of legacy items. 

I am and have always been a Sonos fanboy. I’ve even beta’d for them. But I know they’ve lost their market share since networking as become simple and other big-gun companies now have their own solutions. While I don’t expect to use their products for free, I also don’t see how they expect me to absorb 70% new acquisition costs to keep my Sonos viable. I can spend much less on other new networked music tech that mirrors (and in some ways trumps) Sonos. 

And to think I was almost ready to pull the trigger on changing my home theater to a simpler system using Sonos HT products. Nope Nopely Noppers.

I will give Sonos until April to come up with a better legacy program. If nothing changes, I will do whatever is necessary to replace my entire suite with Google/Amazon/Chromecast/Klipsch/Bose/Libratone/Apple/Denon/Cambridge Audio/McIntosh/Roon/Plex/etc..