Retired Sonos Staff

End of Software Updates for Legacy Products

Related content:Software

1377 replies
91171 views

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 The information contained in this thread is outdated and may no longer be accurate.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

J

Jon_63

Lyricist I

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.

jgatie

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.

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

J

Jason_2

Lyricist I

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.

S

Sonos2000

Lyricist I

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.

jgatie

My system stream music just fine right now. If SONOS updates my system and that feature is removed, I would join thousands of owners in suing SONOS to force them to buy back every piece of their equipment that they have turned onto boat anchors.

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

D

Deankyall

Lyricist I

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.

P

Paul000000

Lyricist III

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

Right...didn’t think so….

D

Daddadoofus

Lyricist II

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.

K

KingPin

Enthusiast II

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.

chickentender

I see my original reply was deleted maybe the language Used was a touch strong, never will Sonos see another penny from me after this debacle.

to give a comparison to another company, I had an original B&W zeppelin with the old dock connector once i realised we no longer had a device that would work on it I emailed to ask if they sold a converter or if I could pay to have a new lightening connector fitted. I received a lovely email back offering me the latest version at a whopping 75% discount and I could keep the original and use it with aux in.

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.)

Show more replies

Sign up

Login to the community