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 The information contained in this thread is outdated and may no longer be accurate.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

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NeedSleep

Renowned Enthusiast I

Adding more features and not being able to use them is one thing.

However, let’s hope no current features are removed, especially streaming services.

Don’t want to hear come May “We are changing the way we integrate Tidal/Soundcloud/Qobuz and you will only be able to use this with the latest software version. This means if you have legacy products you will have to upgrade to new kit.”

If Tidal/Soundcloud/Qobuz changes their interface codec/security/etc. and your Sonos firmware is frozen at the old version, it means Tidal/Soundcloud/Qobuz will cease working. Nothing can be done about that.

I know.

Not great for those who bought a load of Connects last year though is it?

If they are a recent hardware revision you should be ok though right?

pwt

Virtuoso

I also have no plans for expansion ...

So this does not bother me all that much, once I am satisfied that accidental bricking of legacy products can be avoided.

Good for you. However, there are lots of people who have evolving Sonos systems in which they’re adding devices.

4 x P:5 | Sub | 4 x P:1 | 3 x Connect | 2 x Boost | Connect:Amp | 2 x One | Amp | Move | Port | Era 300

S

Snikom

Lyricist III

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.

A

Amadeus1756

Avid Contributor II

Does this mean that the older devices, while not receiving updates or features, will be ‘frozen’ but will continue to work fine and do their core job of playing music?

So, a year or so from now they could be on software 10.7 but the rest of the components are on 12 for example? (a departure from the current way of working)

My understanding from the email is that if you have a single “legacy” item, no other items will be updated.

I don’t know what’s happened to Sonos but there seems to have been a recent shift to try and wring customers for all they’re worth. I’m not impressed at all. I’ve got a significant investment in Sonos products, I’ve put many others on to them and now I feel I’m being kicked in the balls, again and again.

X

xcdn

Lyricist I

SONOS, YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING!!

The highest quality audio equipment in my house continues to be my 35 year old Denon/Infinity based system in the largest room in our house. Are you telling me that I’ll no longer be able to couple that with SONOS seamlessly both as audio playback and an audio source (via vinyl).

With this announcement and the failure of a Play 5 last month (flashing white light of death), I have completely lost faith in SONOS and will never buy another piece of SONOS equipment again (despite my wife and I just discussing buying four new pieces of SONOS equipment last week). You MUST figure out how to maintain my investment for the long term (like my 35 year old legacy audio), or you will be relegated to the scrap heap of failed technology.

A very angry user.

P

philipgreenma

Lyricist I

Hi,

I purchased my first set of Sonos speakers in 2015. I now have 11 speakers in total and just got notification that one of the speakers is a Sonos 5 that was issued prior to 2011??

Is anyone else bullshit with Sonos for requiring us to purchase an upgrade after only five years?

Will the speakers continue to work without software updates and if so, what are the risks?

All insights appreciated --

Thank you.

User811083

Trending Lyricist I

So I have over £3,000.00 invested in a system that will no longer be supported after May? This is a ridiculous way to treat customers!

When I bought your products there was no mention of them becoming redundant at any point and I feel this is a breach of contract on your part. As a professional musician I have been recommending Sonos products to other musicians for several years but I shall be posting a warning to all potential Sonos customers about this on social media. I shall also pop in and see Giles Martin (George Martin’s son and Sonos rep) at Abbey Road to get his perspective.

30% trade in is ludicrous, it should be at least 75% trade in. As customers we should not be penalised for a decision that has been foisted upon us.

Chris Blackwell.

Chris Blackwell

N

Neilda

Enthusiast II

For many, it is not simply having ‘a’ legacy product, it’s that we own multiple products - many thousands of pounds/dollars invested in Sonos networks. My system sounds great and works great - I don’t feel minded to buy a whole new system that simply replicates what I have already - however, I do feel anxious that my Sonos network may cease to function in the drive for incremental revenue. Can’t say I’m too impressed. Apple got their fingers burnt by creating built in obsolescence and Sonos were criticised recently by offering to ‘brick’ perfectly functioning products as part of their upgrade marketing.

J

Jeremy Hobbs

Trending Lyricist I

I have to agree that while logically it seems inevitable that products of this nature are going to go obsolete, sonos doesn't have a better approach to allowing legacy products to continue to work. Coupled with this, the "trade up" program to me is insulting. I just bought a new Beam in December for 20% off and now to replace an otherwise functional play 5 because of forced obsolescence, I only get 30% off? On top of that we are supposed to buy into this for ostensibly the promise of "new features" which Sonos characteristically refuses to provide. Most of all however, I think that this is just not the company I thought it was from a values perspective. It was only because I thought Sonos was different that I could get behind Patrick Spence's testimony to Congress. Now I say let google, amazon and Apple run roughshod over Sonos. They deserve it.

S

stusharps

Lyricist II

When they started phasing out the old controllers I knew it was a slippery slope and they would come for my S5. The Trade Ups (a.k.a. creating unnecessary landfill) were obviously the carrot and now comes the stick. This is £100’s of WORKING hardware that Sonos is throwing in the bin.

In my opinion Sonos started to go down hill when they floated on the market. Since then they have been cutting costs, pushing big discounts and caring less - only interested in shifting more boxes. Sad to see really.

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