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Sonos Voice versus Google Assistant Era 100

  • 25 September 2023
  • 14 replies
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D
  • DD87
  • Contributor I
  • 3 replies

It's one thing that Google Assistant is missing, but the fact is Sonos Voice is rubbish. I asked Sonos "Hey Sonos, play [Song] by [Artist] everywhere" and it said it doesn't understand. Yet in the app, you can choose to play a song 'everywhere'. It also doesn't understand "Hey Sonos, play LBC radio". Also no Spotify control with Sonos Voice.
 

Come on Sonos, I know you’re in dispute with Google, but their assistant is so much better. You’ve got to implement this ASAP for the Era range, the current voice assistant is unusable! 

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Best answer by Kirk33 26 September 2023, 20:19

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14 replies

Airgetlam

Google set the rules that keep Google Assistant from being used on Era, and other third party speakers. Perhaps you may want to send your concerns to Google?
 

Sonos isn’t a big enough company to fight Google, they just don’t have the money or clout, in my opinion. 

Bruce
K
Userlevel 5
Badge +5

You could try Alexa, but unfortunately you won’t be able to create speaker groups, cause unfortunately  that feature doesn’t work on the Eras yet

D

My understanding is that Google have changed the way Assistant has to be implemented on the Eras, which requires different coding, and Sonos are saying they want Google to go back to their old coding method. It’s rather bizarre that I have a Beam (Gen 2) that has Google Assistant and the two Eras which are designed to work with it have Sonos Voice. Trust me when I say it really is that bad, and it is within Sonos’ gift to code a better voice assistant or go to Google. They’d save a lot of time if they did the latter.

Additionally, Spotify does not support Sonos Voice. Spotify have no plans to work with Sonos Voice as they see it as niche. It’s crazy - all would be resolved by coding Google Assistant. FYI I think Google are an awful company, but their voice assistant, unfortunately, is the best on the market in my view. I’ve just got rid of my HomePods because Siri was so unreliable.

Ken_Griffiths

You could try Alexa, but unfortunately you won’t be able to create speaker groups, cause unfortunately  that feature doesn’t work on the Eras yet

Yes it does, the only aspect missing (at the moment) for Era’s, is the ‘enabling’/‘controlling’ of an Alexa Group. It does not stop Alexa grouping/ungrouping Era speakers with other Sonos Rooms. Just set any other Alexa product as the group ‘enabling’ device and set the Era’s/other rooms in the 3rd speaker section of the Alexa group and set the ‘playback option’ to ‘Always’.

melvimbe

My understanding is that Google have changed the way Assistant has to be implemented on the Eras, which requires different coding, and Sonos are saying they want Google to go back to their old coding method. It’s rather bizarre that I have a Beam (Gen 2) that has Google Assistant and the two Eras which are designed to work with it have Sonos Voice. Trust me when I say it really is that bad, and it is within Sonos’ gift to code a better voice assistant or go to Google. They’d save a lot of time if they did the latter.

 

 

 I believe there’s more to it that this.  My understanding that Google changed the API that makes it more difficult to use, more resource intensive and taking more developer time to maintain.  The reason existing GA interfaces still work is probably because Google allows the old interface on existing products, but not on any new products.  It’s a way to allow for transitioning to the new API that causes less pain.  I would not be surprised if Google turns off the old API at some point in the future.

I have Sonos Voice, and I don’t find it to be bad.  To be fair though, I rarely make requests to play specific artists or tracks.  That’s partially because I found it not to be too reliable on Alexa and developed the habit.  The other reason is that I just don’t really think of artist/tracks off the top of my head like that, and browsing through a screen helps me ‘zero in’ on what I want to hear.  I mostly use voice control to initiate station playback or to control grouping.

 

Additionally, Spotify does not support Sonos Voice. Spotify have no plans to work with Sonos Voice as they see it as niche. It’s crazy - all would be resolved by coding Google Assistant. FYI I think Google are an awful company, but their voice assistant, unfortunately, is the best on the market in my view. I’ve just got rid of my HomePods because Siri was so unreliable.

 

Where are you coming up with this information about Spotify?  Have you seen any articles saying that Spotify doesn’t like SVC, or you just making an assumption?  

Danny
D

Sonos Voice I’m afraid isn’t good. It cannot play ambient sounds at night, it cannot take requests where I’d like to play music on all speakers, it cannot request music stations that GA can - it’s not doing what the competitors are doing.

I appreciate the API is different, and might need to be maintained more, but as a consumer is that my issue or Sonos’?

 

The thread about Spotify currently not supporting Sonos Voice is here: https://community.spotify.com/t5/Live-Ideas/Sonos-Partnership-Spotify-and-Sonos-Voice-Control-native/idi-p/5520363

 

You cannot use Sonos Voice at this time to request a song in Spotify, and considering the Beam Gen 2 can with GA, it’s not on is it? Why defend it? I’ve spent a lot of money on the Beam and Eras!

K
Userlevel 5
Badge +5

You could try Alexa, but unfortunately you won’t be able to create speaker groups, cause unfortunately  that feature doesn’t work on the Eras yet

Yes it does, the only aspect missing (at the moment) for Era’s, is the ‘enabling’/‘controlling’ of an Alexa Group. It does not stop Alexa grouping/ungrouping Era speakers with other Sonos Rooms. Just set any other Alexa product as the group ‘enabling’ device and set the Era’s/other rooms in the 3rd speaker section of the Alexa group and set the ‘playback option’ to ‘Always’.

Sure, but if you want to actually control your group by voice, or even just change the volume, you have to walk to another room where you have an older speaker. Sort of defeats the point of voice control.

Sonos should start including a free One with every Era speaker. You can put them side by side. The One receives voice commands, passes the command to the Era, and the Era plays the music. It’s a shame the Era can’t do the job by itself, but I guess you get used to that kind of problem when you’re invested in the Sonos ecosystem. 

melvimbe

Sonos Voice I’m afraid isn’t good. It cannot play ambient sounds at night, it cannot take requests where I’d like to play music on all speakers, it cannot request music stations that GA can - it’s not doing what the competitors are doing.

 

 

“Ambient sounds” is that a radio station or some sort of GA skill.  SVC can play music on all your Sonos speakers.  It can also change groups on the fly without restarting a stream.  There are something GA can do better for sure, but SVC is also locally processed only and designed just for the Sonos system.

 

I appreciate the API is different, and might need to be maintained more, but as a consumer is that my issue or Sonos’?

 

 

Odd way of looking at it.  Sonos made the decision not to support and you have the choose to buy Sonos or buy a different product that does support GA, if that’s important to you.  It’s not anyone’s ‘issue’ per se.

 

 

 

The thread about Spotify currently not supporting Sonos Voice is here: https://community.spotify.com/t5/Live-Ideas/Sonos-Partnership-Spotify-and-Sonos-Voice-Control-native/idi-p/5520363

 

You cannot use Sonos Voice at this time to request a song in Spotify, and considering the Beam Gen 2 can with GA, it’s not on is it? Why defend it? I’ve spent a lot of money on the Beam and Eras!

 

I’m aware that Spotify isn’t supported currently, but you additionally made the claim that Spotify chooses not to support the integration and sees it as niche.  I’m asking you to back up the claim.  Asking for you to support claims is not defending Sonos.  I genuinely want to know if it’s reall info or your just blowing smoke. Pretty sure it’s the latter, but trying to give you the benefit of the doubt.

As far as why Beam Gen 2 has GA and the Era speakers do not, that’s already been answered.  Take it or leave it.

Danny
D

I have no idea why you feel so passionate about defending a substandard product, but each to their own. Ultimately I’m writing feedback to improve the product, your stance is take it or leave it. Don’t change it. Really odd position, you don’t have to love a product unconditionally, you can constructively criticise it. Have I said anything unfair or untrue about Sonos Voice? How do you expect a product to improve if you don’t give feedback?

I’m not sure what your point is about Spotify - I have read online their support agents write there isn’t enough users to invest money on supporting it = niche. It’s hardly a controversial statement, just the truth. The fact is Spotify have not wrote coding for the Sonos Voice API 6 months after release.

As I had a Beam 2 I had no idea GA wasn’t supported on Eras. I can assure you after looking online I wasn’t the only one who found this out. The review sites criticise this too and mark it down on this basis.

jgatie

I have no idea why you feel so passionate about defending a substandard product, but each to their own. Ultimately I’m writing feedback to improve the product, your stance is take it or leave it. Don’t change it. Really odd position, you don’t have to love a product unconditionally, you can constructively criticise it. Have I said anything unfair or untrue about Sonos Voice? How do you expect a product to improve if you don’t give feedback?

I’m not sure what your point is about Spotify - I have read online their support agents write there isn’t enough users to invest money on supporting it = niche. It’s hardly a controversial statement, just the truth. The fact is Spotify have not wrote coding for the Sonos Voice API 6 months after release.

As I had a Beam 2 I had no idea GA wasn’t supported on Eras. I can assure you after looking online I wasn’t the only one who found this out. The review sites criticise this too and mark it down on this basis.

 

If I were as unhappy as you, the last thing I would be doing is posting on a support forum wishing they change.  I’d sell them on the Bay or donate them and be done with it.  Life is too short to wait for the makers of “substandard products” to bring them up to my standards, and certainly too short to launch a silly support forum campaign.  

melvimbe

I have no idea why you feel so passionate about defending a substandard product, but each to their own. Ultimately I’m writing feedback to improve the product, your stance is take it or leave it. Don’t change it. Really odd position, you don’t have to love a product unconditionally, you can constructively criticise it. Have I said anything unfair or untrue about Sonos Voice? How do you expect a product to improve if you don’t give feedback?

 

 

Yes, you have stated several things that were unfair or untrue, which have been pointed out to you already.  My ‘take it or leave it’ statement was not to say that you can’t make requests, but that you have chosen to ignore reasons given for why Beam Gen 2 has GA and Era speakers do not.

I have no problem with people making feature requests of Sonos.  I don’t see the point of making baseless accusations about it all, or assuming that your opinion on the matter must be fact.

 

I’m not sure what your point is about Spotify - I have read online their support agents write there isn’t enough users to invest money on supporting it = niche. It’s hardly a controversial statement, just the truth. The fact is Spotify have not wrote coding for the Sonos Voice API 6 months after release.

 

 

The link you provided does back up your claim that Spotify thinks Sonos is too niche for support.   If your arguing that thread isn't getting enough activity and likes to warrant Spotify’s attention (as if it’s the only way Spotify gauge’s user interest) why do you think Sonos should listen to your rant?

 

As I had a Beam 2 I had no idea GA wasn’t supported on Eras. I can assure you after looking online I wasn’t the only one who found this out. The review sites criticise this too and mark it down on this basis.

 

Correct.  It’s not a secret, and people want it.  Like I said, I have no problem with people making requests.  What I have stated is that you’re incorrect about many of the reasons why you think GA isn’t on Era (and is on Beam and others). You stated that your opinions on SVC are as good as fact, but others have a different view on SVC.  You stated that Spotify is never going to integrate with SVC, yet you have nothing to back up the claim.

Call it defending Sonos if you want, but people read rants like this and assume they are true.  At the very least they should hear what’s actually happening and some different opinions.

Danny
Bumper
Userlevel 6
Badge +13

@DD87 you can use a google mini to control your eras. Small extra cost but it actually works compared to svc and flexible placement for where you listen so still works when music is loud. 

Ken_Griffiths

You could try Alexa, but unfortunately you won’t be able to create speaker groups, cause unfortunately  that feature doesn’t work on the Eras yet

Yes it does, the only aspect missing (at the moment) for Era’s, is the ‘enabling’/‘controlling’ of an Alexa Group. It does not stop Alexa grouping/ungrouping Era speakers with other Sonos Rooms. Just set any other Alexa product as the group ‘enabling’ device and set the Era’s/other rooms in the 3rd speaker section of the Alexa group and set the ‘playback option’ to ‘Always’.

Sure, but if you want to actually control your group by voice, or even just change the volume, you have to walk to another room where you have an older speaker. Sort of defeats the point of voice control.

Sonos should start including a free One with every Era speaker. You can put them side by side. The One receives voice commands, passes the command to the Era, and the Era plays the music. It’s a shame the Era can’t do the job by itself, but I guess you get used to that kind of problem when you’re invested in the Sonos ecosystem. 

Easily resolved by having another echo device in the same room - but my thoughts are Sonos and Amazon will sort this eventually anyway, as it works for other Sonos products - it’s probably waiting for Amazon to certify these new products.

I have it working here with an echo dot that was otherwise sat around doing very little.

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K
Userlevel 5
Badge +5

You could try Alexa, but unfortunately you won’t be able to create speaker groups, cause unfortunately  that feature doesn’t work on the Eras yet

Yes it does, the only aspect missing (at the moment) for Era’s, is the ‘enabling’/‘controlling’ of an Alexa Group. It does not stop Alexa grouping/ungrouping Era speakers with other Sonos Rooms. Just set any other Alexa product as the group ‘enabling’ device and set the Era’s/other rooms in the 3rd speaker section of the Alexa group and set the ‘playback option’ to ‘Always’.

Sure, but if you want to actually control your group by voice, or even just change the volume, you have to walk to another room where you have an older speaker. Sort of defeats the point of voice control.

Sonos should start including a free One with every Era speaker. You can put them side by side. The One receives voice commands, passes the command to the Era, and the Era plays the music. It’s a shame the Era can’t do the job by itself, but I guess you get used to that kind of problem when you’re invested in the Sonos ecosystem. 

Easily resolved by having another echo device in the same room - but my thoughts are Sonos and Amazon will sort this eventually anyway, as it works for other Sonos products - it’s probably waiting for Amazon to certify these new products.

I have it working here with an echo dot that was otherwise sat around doing very little.

But I have 8 rooms. Yes, you’re absolutely right, I could go buy a whole pile of hardware from other companies, and I could put one of them right next to each of my Sonos speakers to fix the things that don’t work on the Sonos speakers. I completely agree, that is a solution! I’m just not sure why anyone would think it’s a good solution

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