Retired Sonos Staff

End of Software Updates for Legacy Products

Related content:Software

1377 replies
91176 views
Translate All

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 The information contained in this thread is outdated and may no longer be accurate.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

Show previous replies

stevepow

Prominent Collaborator I

I have £1500 to spend (after the 30% discount) if I want to stay modern. Not particularly happy, especially after the way Sonos tried to pretend ‘Traded Up’ equipment would be ‘recycled’ just a couple of months ago.

I would be fine just to stay where I am with what I have, but there are few things that make me wary:

The title of the email I just received is “Your system requires attention” - that doesn’t exactly suggest things are fine
The first paragraph of that email ends with “This will affect your listening experience” - again that explicitly suggests things are not fine unless I do something (spend money) right now
The fact that no one can say when streaming services will stop being compatible with the non-upgraded equipment. I know this is somewhat out of Sonos’ hands as its down to when those services update their APIs. However, as others have suggested I don’t see why Sonos can’t keep two branches of the firmware going to avoid this concern
Not knowing when the Trade Up offer will end - if I leave things as they are will it still be there when, down the line, things stop working and I’m forced to upgrade

Exactly this!

Translate

User933635

Prominent Collaborator I

Hi SONOS.

Like very many out there I received an email today alerting me to the impending future of my legacy items (2x Gen1 P5 and Connect). As I don’t use voice services and limited subscription services I’m not too bothered about receiving updates etc in the future with these items; my system isn’t designed to do this and the more I learn the happier I am (see links at the bottom if you’re interested however, I wonder if the inclusion of additional services (such as snips) lies at the heart of this).

Anyway my concerns and specific questions (which I’d like answered, please) are around maintaining my legacy system into the future as I’ve not seen these posed or addressed on this (currently) 21 page blog post.

Specifically:

1 - After May, what will happen when I try to add a new controller, particularly phone or tablet to my legacy system? Will I be able to do this or not?

I still am using an Android 6.x device and have held back upgrading from 10.4.1 while the latest version 10.6 (and 10.5) ‘require’ Android 7.0, though I also have a controller running 7.x

2 - After May, can I add another new or legacy device to my current setup? Will this be possible?

3 - After May, if I want to sign up to a subscription service (or have to disable then enable a current one) will this be possible?

Hopefully the answer to all will be yes. Otherwise I would anticipate that people’s feelings will be increasingly bitter.

Please answer!

See https://www.home-assistant.io/blog/2019/12/03/sonos-shutting-down-local-voice-option-snips/ and https://jpmens.net/2018/09/11/upset-at-sonos/ for side news.

Translate

RickT55

Lyricist I

Add me to the list of pissed-off loyal long-time Sonos users who have perfectly functioning equipment that is going to become non-functioning at some unknown point in the near future. In my case it is 3 pieces of equipment that I purchased at a (premium) cost of over $1500.

Sonos, I believe you are making a serious mistake. If and when any of my equipment stops working that is the same day I will officially become an ex-Sonos customer.

However, looking on the bright side… I guess I appreciate the heads-up so I can immediately begin to stop advocating Sonos products to my friends and family as well as to begin looking for competitive home audio systems when I am forced to make the changeover.

Translate

dpeaslee

Lyricist I

I will add my voice here. In 2013 (an entire 7 years ago!) I went all in with SONOS after hearing it at a friend’s home. The Bridge, 4 of the Play5 gen1 speakers, a SUB. I ripped over 1000 CDs to my computer and ditched my CD player and the discs. In the meantime I retired, moving to a liveable but fixed income. I have endured the endless system updates. And I have very much enjoyed my music system. Now, you are telling me it will soon become useless ( I have no faith that the components will be able to be used more than a year or two after being declared “legacy”.). This borders on criminal. Nothing less than a big ***** to all your customers who have built systems with your products. My father had a pair of high end Klipsch speakers he used for FORTY YEARS!!! And you have the temerity to suggest that products being sold 5 short years ago should, as a matter of course in this modern era, become obsolete, and the 30% discount on all new stuff is a good deal. I am in no position to go out and drop that kind of money on a new music system, especially when the one I have IS IN PERFECT WORKING ORDER! Never again will I purchase a SONOS product. You people are terrible

@dpeaslee If you’re mostly just using your CDs off of a network attached drive or a computer, you can leave your system as a legacy system and won’t notice any difference. The eventual software changes that might come in the future are unlikely to affect your use of the system. The line-in connections on your Play:5s will also work without any issues.

Ryan, first I gotta ask, how’s your day going? Not sure if your bosses anticipated the storm they were going to unleash, but I hope you are getting something extra for manning this thread. I also hope you report to your superiors that people are in no uncertain terms very unhappy with today’s announcement. I am glad to know that my CD’s will work, but even old geezers like me have discovered Pandora and Spotify. I use them, I like them, and I don’t know why you folks couldn’t come up with a solution better than what you have so far. Hopefully all this discontent will spur you to rethink things before May.

Translate

BRW

Lyricist I

This will be a Harvard business school case study someday about what not to do.

Translate

melvimbe

This is really sad news for all Sonos customers.

Most of us will now think twice before buying anything again, as we have learned that at any time, sooner or later, all our investments into Sonos system will vanish.

That implies that this was done arbitrary for no reason, and that would not be able to use the legacy devices at all past May. That’s not true.

Why couldn't you offer a kind of better, cost-effective solution to your customers than throwing away 70% of money spent on their systems?

Without knowing the cost to produce the products, it’s hard to say whether Sonos really could have or should have offered a better discount. Also, the percentage is based on what you buy, not what you’re trading in. The total savings could actually be greater than the original cost of what you’re trading in for some scenarios. Also, just my opinion, but being that you got years of use out of your speakers, it’s hard to say that money spent on your system was entirely thrown away.

Too bad!

I doubt I will be suggesting Sonos to my friends any more!

Not being able to support two branches of firmware and compatibility between them is not an excuse!

Translate

Danny

par00simony

Lyricist I

Wow. I got rid of 20-year old speakers that sounded great (and that I could’ve continued to use, and even controlled with with my phone with a much cheaper solution than the $500 Play 5 that I bought only 5 years ago).

In retrospect, I guess I could’ve gone through the thought process of, “they’re selling me a speaker plus software and they might one day (in 5 years???) decide to not support the software anymore,” but I didn’t. And you certainly made no effort to alert potential buyers of that risk. My mindset was that I was buying a speaker that would last many years, just like every other set of speakers I’ve ever owned, something I imagine I’m not alone in. I did not see myself as “renting” a speaker for $100 a year. In the future, I suggest that your sales materials include a prominent and explicit warning that your products depend on software and that some day you’ll stop updating it, which will result in loss of functionality.

Having worked in software, I understand why you decided that you have to do this, but I will never forgive what feels like a betrayal and I will never buy a Sonos product again.

Translate

User105721

Contributor I

Having spent over £3,000 on Sonos products over the years and been a strong advocate, I will order Bose speakers from now and never buy Sonos again. An incredibly poor way to treat long term customers

Translate

Taco5layer

Lyricist III

I am adding my name to the rapidly growing list of severely disappointed long-time SONOS supporters.

While I currently only have a Play 5 Gen 1 going extinct, I have now been given reason to believe that ALL of my equipment, including a Playbar, Sub, and numerous Play 1’s, will eventually be treated the same way. That, dear SONOS, is unacceptable.

The callous approach to this maneuver also does not bode well for the future of your ecosystem.

For starters, I will not be purchasing any more of your speakers. Why would I spend my hard earned money on something when you might just happen to be feeling cute and brick it at any given time? I don’t know. I wouldn't. and I won't.

I am actually glad you revealed yourself before I purchased the Move, Beam, and additional 1s I was currently considering. Was that worth trying to get me to upgrade a single speaker at a 30% discount? Make sure you tell your investors what you’ve caused.

Today, you have betrayed your most loyal customers.

I encourage you to take a good hard look at your customers’ response to this DECISION (not NECESSITY), and take any steps necessary to ensure you recover the fumble. Otherwise, old friend, we are through.

Sincerely disappointed,

Steve K.

Translate

Bmerc

Contributor I

Stopping updates for legacy products is one thing. Bricking them or stopping updates to your entire system is another. This is incredibly discouraging I have invested thousands into Sonos and am being told some of my most expensive equipment (2 play 5s) were $500 each when I purchased them are going to essentially stop my while system from updates. You need to figure out a way to allow both legacy and current to coexist without fully disabling software updates. This is the very least you can do for people that have dumped so much money into a company that is ashtray setting stock prices sink. The last thing you want is to alienate your loyal fanbase.

TLDR: find a way to implement legacy and current gen on the same ecosystem without disabling updates to the current gen.

Translate

Show more replies

Sign up

Login to the community