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 The information contained in this thread is outdated and may no longer be accurate.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.
1:38….”37% of Sonos sales comes from existing customers adding on to their systems”.
1:53….”Unlike anybody else in the industry. People don’t replace our products, they actually add onto them year after year after year…..”.
“We know when we are in somebodies home. They are going to come back and buy more”.
At this point, I have a house full of Play 1's, Play 3's as rears to a Playbase, a ZP90 that takes care of my living room/outdoor speakers and a Gen 2 play 5 that all look like they'll be on the chopping block next. The only stuff I think is okay for a bit are the several Ones & the Beam I own.
I can't invest any new money into the system. Not at this ridiculous 30% off upgrade. I just started buying Sonos products in 2017. The percentage should be 30% of the retail cost of the unit if you're upgrading something. I would consider that to future proof, but 30% off of retail is just insulting.
Told my wife last night about the 30% off option and she said, “we’re done with Sonos”.
Sonos doesn't realize they just killed the brand yesterday. 2 days ago I would be telling everyone I know to get this product. I showed it off every time people came to our house. Today? I'm warning them to steer clear of it and looking to sell an entire house worth of speakers. I'd rather recoup what I can while I can than invest in a company that thinks 30% off is some kind of incentive.
And for the record, I bought my ZP90 in 2017 but it was manufactured during the Legacy period. I didn't realize I should be looking at manufacture dates on these products as I bought them. I got 2 years out of it. Shame on you, Sonos.
A few months ago, we lost the ability to play music from our iPhones in the Sonos app. Sonos blamed Apple for this move. To maintain this functionality, I was told to purchase two new Sonos speakers with AirPlay2 capability which would feed the entire system. I thought it was a worthwhile investment to keep my two systems going and to preserve this functionality. I did not mind the upgrade although it cost me some money and irritation (the old way was much simpler). 5 months later, and now I’m being told that a huge chunk of my system needs to be ditched and upgraded. Hmmmmm…….I believed Sonos then when they blamed Apple for the loss of functionality in being unable to play my music directly from the Sonos app. Now…...I’m not so sure. Kind of feel like a sucker….
This is exactly what I did. Since Christmas I have bought two Sonos Ones, two Play 5s and two Beams from Costco. I figured I could keep using my older units now that I’ve spent a couple a grand “upgrading” as Sonos told us we SHOULD do. That seems like an outright lie from Sonos now. Just so you know Sonos, the six new units are going back to Costco. The sad part of all this is my new house came with a new Legrand sound system installed. I unhooked all the Legrand stuff and upgraded my Sonos system. Well, back to Legrand and out with Sonos. You suck you bunch of dirty thieves!
To say I am upset to be told my bridge and two Play 5s will no longer be supported is an understatement. I was unaware this would happen when I purchased these items. I use Sonos every day. I also have three Play3s and a Play1. I have been a good customer, spending hundreds of dollars to have a system I love and to support you. But I must say, one significant downside to the system is I can only play supported services because of a lack of Bluetooth connectivity. Once my Sonos system is rendered inoperative by your changes, I will be shifting to a system that does support Bluetooth. Why should I purchase new equipment, even with a 30% discount, when this will happen again in a few years. Seriously disappointed.
1:38….”37% of Sonos sales comes from existing customers adding on to their systems”.
1:53….”Unlike anybody else in the industry. People don’t replace our products, they actually add onto them year after year after year…..”.
“We know when we are in somebodies home. They are going to come back and buy more”.
Private equity KKR is hungry
This is complete and absolute BS…
I was an early adopter...suffered through enumerable software / usability upgrades...was part of a beta testing team (for free / no compensation)...have sonos in every room of the house...9 zones and was considering more…
Never even bothered looking around previously...just added more products…
Nothing like getting F***** for being a loyal customer and advocate...I just replaced a unit via your service and interestingly enough, you recommended a product that would be “legacy” by May… well played...What a crock of absolute sh!t
I have 5 Sonos play 5s, 4 connects and a playbar. Like many people, I’ve heavily invested in this brand and system, only to be told that I have to bin the 5 play 5s for the system to work. I just can’t get over the wastefulness of this strategy. I wouldn’t be anywhere near as pissed off if Sonos announced they were taking them all in to reuse or upgrade and resell. But to ask thousands of customer to “recycle” these products when we know our planet is burning is just criminal. I am now looking for alternatives to run a hybrid system and then when the connects die move away from Sonos. That they would do this shows there is no point being loyal to a toxic brand.
I have always been your ambassador, convincing 2 friends and my father to go for a Sonos system.
Now i regret this. Shame on you!
Question for tech folks on this thread:
Can you imagine a creative solution where some type of inexpensive dongle could be attached to the older legacy devices with enough processing and memory to enable ongoing updates? Maybe leveraging Raspberry Pi or similar? Not sure how the I/O would work with the Sonos component?
Interesting how a simple press release can change your view about a corporation. I do like my Sonos setup, it fits my needs and I’ve been an enthusiastic promoter / supporter of the brand. This announcement means that 3 of the most expensive of my Sonos components will be on life support and will likely affect the overall stability / performance of my sound system and components (8).
It’s interesting to read that Sonos compares their products to iPhone when I personally see them as speakers. I believe that Sonos has lost touch with their customers. A sad story!
My position, unless Sonos changed, is
Will stop buying Sonos product
Will stop recommending Sonos products
I will stick with my current devices but if my system become unstable / unusable I will likely change brand.
An unhappy customer
Are they really suggesting you move from a Play5 to a Move? that’s what the trade in comparison shows at the moment, connect to plug, connect:amp to amp, and Play5 to Move….
Not that I was going to, really not… but eh?
Did anyone from Sonos tell IKEA about this?
IKEA have 433 stores around the world selling the new Symfonisk speakers made in conjunction with SONOS when will they become legacy?
This could be trouble!
I’m sure that around one billion customers who visited IKEA stores in 2019 won’t be buying them when they find out!
I’m absolutely fuming you no longer supporting the old products to which I have spent thousands of pounds on!!!! Are you now say they wouldn’t work at all after the next updates!!!!!!
Want to add my disappointment at this course of action by Sonos.
Been a play:5 user for the past 6 years, absolutely love Sonos products, and regularly recommend them to friends. Working in the tech industry I fully understand that software support is finite, but to hold the user hostage from using new speakers with legacy ones is madness.
Very disappointed! It also begs the question just how long will the new devices be supported for and this happens all over again!?
Like many many others around here, I’m out thousands of dollars. Sonos is dead to me and I will never recommend their product ever again. In fact, I will do the opposite...
So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish!
“Planned obsolescence, or built-in obsolescence, in industrial design and economics is a policy of planning or designing a product with an artificially limited useful life, so that it becomes obsolete (i.e., unfashionable, or no longer functional) after a certain period of time.”
Please can you explain why you misled people by saying only 10 weeks ago on Twitter that “We have no plans to suddenly make these devices obsolete. We're simply offering our users an eco-friendly way to upgrade their older players.”
Absolutely shocking- and have you seen the filing? They know what customers expect, and know this will damage them, but go ahead anyway. Sonos lost me as a customer, and if I had stock I would be offloading it immediately.
In the last 5 years, I’ve spent nearly $6,000 on Sonos devices. After their last stunt, deprecating most functionality from the Windows app, making it impossible for me to do most functions (although not the usual common ones) unless I buy an Android device and install there… this is a bit ridiculous. I hope some competitor swoops in to grab all these Sonos customers looking for a company that actually cares about their customers. YES, I would glady spend another $6k to get OUT of the Sonos environment, and into one that does exactly what Sonos did 2 years ago, when all the devices worked, were supported, and I could do everything from my computer. They really did it this time.
Calling in artillery on yourself, Sonos? Welcome to someone’s business school case study of dumb management decisions. It takes years to earn customer enthusiasm for a product, and one email to turn that completely into the opposite direction.
Truly amazing.
I have 14 products over 2 homes. My primary home has 5 out of 6 products that are affected. None are affected in the vacation home. I was thinking about buying a Move that I could take between primary and vacation house. What happens when I drop in a product that has updates into a system has legacy equipment.
What happens if I want or need to replace a product in my legacy system? Do products that ship later in the year cause a problem in a system laced with legacy equipment
if I decide to roll the dice and not upgrade my gear, and in a year or two I need to replace a piece of hardware, will the discount still be around? How long will it be offered?
I can’t add anything that has been said already, so count me among those who are extremely upset with this news. Replacing 3 connects, 1 zone amp, and one play 5 is a check I don’t want to write. BluSound please offer a carrot to Sonos users.
Please can you explain why you misled people by saying only 10 weeks ago on Twitter that “We have no plans to suddenly make these devices obsolete. We're simply offering our users an eco-friendly way to upgrade their older players.”
The same type of reply was repeated by Sonos employees and syncophants hundreds of times in these forums when this issue came up repeatedly re recycle program.
Did anyone from Sonos tell IKEA about this?
IKEA have 433 stores around the world selling the new Symfonisk speakers made in conjunction with SONOS when will they become legacy?
This could be trouble!
I’m sure that around one billion customers who visited IKEA stores in 2019 won’t be buying them when they find out!
Why? The IKEA speakers are supported. I’m sure there are some with legacy products and IKEA, but I’m not sure what is unique about that group of customers. Are you implying that potential IKEA customers are going to assume that their IKEA speakers will lose support 5 years from now, with a 30% discount on buying a replacement, and that will drive them away?
I wonder how long this has been in the works? I take it the ‘recycle mode’ was contained in an update. Anyway that’s me finished with Sonos.
someone who can recommend the best system to replace my Sonos. It will definitely not be Sonos again. Arhh maybe we should start a new thread about this?
This makes me much less likely to buy Sonos products. I was considering buying a Sub but won’t do that now and have just spoken to a colleague who was considering buying a full Sonos system for his new house but, following this announcement, probably won’t be doing so.
Who would spend thousands of pounds on high quality audio kit in the knowledge that it may well have a lifespan of only a few years?
I also can’t see the technical justification. It seems like a way for Sonos to try to force people to buy new products.
Question for tech folks on this thread:
Can you imagine a creative solution where some type of inexpensive dongle could be attached to the older legacy devices with enough processing and memory to enable ongoing updates? Maybe leveraging Raspberry Pi or similar? Not sure how the I/O would work with the Sonos component?
All this is pending your taste in quality of music…. If you care more about money instead of quality, then….If replacing a Connect:Amps or a dedicated Sonos speaker like the Play1,3,5, I’d recommend getting a $30 Echo Dot to control and zone them with a 3.5mm output going into a separate $30 amp like this cheap one from Amazon:
The Echo Dot doesn’t have ALL the streaming services and quality that the Sonos has, but it has voice control, and at least it’s a less expensive device if/when it gets left behind like this again. A standalone amp and speakers will last until they die. Obviously, get a better amp if you like better quality, YMMV.
If replacing a Connect, then all you really need is the Echo Dot with the 3.5mm output. Bought on their normal sales, you could buy around 15 Echo Dots for one Sonos:Connect. Let that sink in….
They may go out of date over time as well, but at least you’re only replacing a $30 streaming device. Lesson learned.
