Sonos Voice Control answer volume too loud


Userlevel 1
Badge +1

Hello,

 

I’m using SVC on the Roam. Any answer given by SVC is (subjectively) twice as loud as the actual media volume. This makes it extremely disturbing and unusable for me because it’s basically yelling to the whole neighborhood about my Sonos setup status… making me go to great lengths to actively not use it.

 

What’s the solution here?

 

Thanks in advance.

 

(P.S. this goes somewhat hand in hand with a different topic of mine, discussing the need to not have answers at all.)


11 replies

Userlevel 7

The volume for SVC is tied to the volume for the speaker. Only way for SVC to be quieter is to lower the volume.

Userlevel 1
Badge +1

The volume for SVC is tied to the volume for the speaker. Only way for SVC to be quieter is to lower the volume.

 

That would make sense if both the media and the voice had around the same dB, but at least on my end it’s so far off that to get a reasonable voice volume, I’d practically have to lower the Roam volume to a level close to zero.

 

(Not bashing your answer, just ranting about the status quo.)

Userlevel 7
Badge +15

I agree with this, I’m often reluctant to use SVC because the answer is shouted at me.

A setting for default SVC volume would be great so I can listen to my music louder without any responses being shouted back at me.  I don’t need the rest of the house to know what the battery level is 😀

Userlevel 7
Badge +17

This is probably something deeper in Sonos software. There have been complaints like this about Google Assistant too.

Userlevel 7
Badge +15

I thought there may have been something about this in the past (responses were Sonos can't do anything about it cos it's probably Amazon/Google controlled?) but for SVC, surely Sonos have complete control and can just have a separate setting for the volume of their own Voice Assistant?

When indoors, with the Roam set at a 45% volume-level, that is where I find the corresponding SVC assistant comfortable to listen to, that’s with speaker set about 4-6 feet away from my listening position, whilst asking the assistant for the time etc; either whilst playing, or not playing audio. It does seem to be around the same volume-level for the Alexa assistant on the same speaker too.

I actually do prefer the Roam SVC assistant set to a higher volume-level when outdoors, say around 50-60% volume level, but I tend to use the Roam at higher volume when outside anyway. 

The one thing I dislike more about SVC though, is the earcon ‘ding’ acknowledgment tone - I wish I had the option to switch that off.

Userlevel 1

Really needs a fix.  Hope one comes eventually. Far too intrusive as is.

Same issue here, WAY too loud.

clearly non of the product managers at sonos use their own voice assistant, if you do then fix this terrible customer experience please! give users the option to set the voice assistant volume independent of the music volume so our ears don’t bleed by the sonos voice assistant

Yeah this is a pretty large oversight. The voice volume is infuriatingly loud, making voice control basically unusable. First they drop google assistant and it looks like they are not supporting customers. 

Not a great look Sonos. 

It’s madly loud and off putting.  Sure this is an easy fix?

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