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 The information contained in this thread is outdated and may no longer be accurate.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

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.

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Francis888

Lyricist I

One important aspect of Sonos speakers is they do not work without a controller with an internet connection. So when the controller stops working, which it inevitably will without regular software updates, your expensive Sonos speakers will become useless bricks.

If you happen to have a line-in, you may be able to continue using them like it’s 1999. But many Sonos speakers do not have a line in: https://support.sonos.com/s/article/1080?language=en_US

What that means is when (not if) Sonos stops updating your Play:1, Play:3 and gen 3 Play:5 speakers, they will simply stop working soon thereafter and you will have to throw them away.

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

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

Ryan SAuthor

Retired Sonos Staff

Anybody any idea how long the trade up offer is going to last?

@John Coates The Trade Up offer is an ongoing program with no set end.

I’m still processing the notion that basically my entire 7 zone system is obsolete.

I’ve had SONOS since it was born, I’ve been a promoter of it to anyone who would listen… but I’m actively reconsidering that position/outlook.

My questions:

The way the announcement was worded, I’m expecting that at some point in time my system loses CURRENT working functionality - which means it’s useless to me. Is that true?
I’m fine just freezing my system at whatever SW version will continue to work on my hardware. How do I do that right now? I can do without whatever SONOS is developing going forward.

@dennis1,

We don’t expect any immediate impact from ending software updates. However, as changes are made to technology in the future, particularly by music service and voice partners, access to certain services or features may be disrupted.
There are some steps to do this involving during off automatic updates, changing your app settings in their respective stores, and on the community some suggestions to disable updates. However, you’ll be better off waiting until May where this will happen easier and without this sort of effort on your end.

Mark good posts by pressing the like button, and select the best answer on questions you've asked to help others find solutions.

L

lawhhh

Lyricist III

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… ?

G

Gnev0s

Lyricist I

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.

S

sjmleicester

Lyricist III

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

S

Stuart_17

Enthusiast II

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!

S

she

Lyricist I

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.

J

JXLW

Contributor I

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.

G

googull

Enthusiast I

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.

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numbdiver2

Lyricist I

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..

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