Hi!
I have a 5.1-setup in my living room (Playbar + Sub + 2 x One) and a Sonos One that I move around the house as needed. When the update hit earlier this month my "solo"-One popped up as a speaker option on my iOS-devices, but the surround-setup in the living room did not.
I have read the Airplay 2-guide which was released with the patch, and the guides says that you can use compatible Sonos-speakers (my Ones) in conjunction with speakers (my Playbar and Sub) that are not compatible with Airplay to make the combined unit airplay-compatible. This does not seem to work for me though. I have tried setting up the surround-unit again, but still no luck.
Any tips?
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For a 5.1 setup, the playbar/playbase/beam does all the work (receiving and processing audio) for the room. Because your playbar isn't compatible with airplay, the room isn't. Sonos One can receive airplay 2 when it's playing that role for the room, as is the case for solo Sonos One.
What you probably read was that the playbar can be grouped with a Sonos One that is receiving airplay 2 audio.
What you probably read was that the playbar can be grouped with a Sonos One that is receiving airplay 2 audio.
Thanks for the reply. What I read was this:
«Gruppér en hvilken som helst Sonos-høyttaler med en kompatibel høyttaler for å gjøre AirPlay tilgjengelig for hele systemet.»
In English this would be «group any sonos-speaker with a compatible speaker to make airplay available for the entire system»
To me that says that my 5.1-system should now be compatible, since the playbar is linked to two compatible speakers.
I don’t have any statistics, but I would think that there are quite a few 5.1-systems with a playbar or playbase out there. Hope Sonos figure out how to make »airplay-tethering» work for surround users too
«Gruppér en hvilken som helst Sonos-høyttaler med en kompatibel høyttaler for å gjøre AirPlay tilgjengelig for hele systemet.»
In English this would be «group any sonos-speaker with a compatible speaker to make airplay available for the entire system»
To me that says that my 5.1-system should now be compatible, since the playbar is linked to two compatible speakers.
I don’t have any statistics, but I would think that there are quite a few 5.1-systems with a playbar or playbase out there. Hope Sonos figure out how to make »airplay-tethering» work for surround users too
Sonos is very specific with the semantics of their terms. "Grouping" is not "pairing" or "bonding". The link between the Playbar and surrounds is not a "group" it is a "bond". Grouping is when you combine separate rooms together. Pairing and bonding is when you combine different speakers into a semi-permanent room, i.e. a stereo pair or a 5.1 setup.
What jgatie stated is true. I can easily see how people who don't own Sonos, or only have a 5.1 setup can misunderstand the terminology.
As far as Sonos figuring it out, Sonos is aware that it's not an ideal situation for the customer. From my understanding they couldn't make it work technically. Although it's easier for me to say because I'm not personally effected by this, I am somewhat glad that they didn't get it to work. Making this work would be somewhat of a 'hack' and be against the generally design principals of how Sonos was setup to operate. Making changes like this tend to cause problems further down the road, making the system less stable overall, preventing other features from being added, or even having to remove the hack, which is even worse in the eyes of customers usually. That's been my experience anyway.
As far as Sonos figuring it out, Sonos is aware that it's not an ideal situation for the customer. From my understanding they couldn't make it work technically. Although it's easier for me to say because I'm not personally effected by this, I am somewhat glad that they didn't get it to work. Making this work would be somewhat of a 'hack' and be against the generally design principals of how Sonos was setup to operate. Making changes like this tend to cause problems further down the road, making the system less stable overall, preventing other features from being added, or even having to remove the hack, which is even worse in the eyes of customers usually. That's been my experience anyway.
@jgatie: semantics, really? Thats kind of ironic, isn’t it, when you consider how these products are marketed. :?
Hedging on semantics with something like this seems kind of silly. It should just work like they said it would. Rigth now it really doesn’t. At least for me.
@melvimbe: wow - that comment reeks of patronizing conjecture with a smidgeon of envy. Even when I really tried to read it understandingly. You don’t want Sonos to develop helpful functions for people who own their expensive 5.1-systems? Holy cow, thats just extremely unhelpful. Really, really hope the development guys and gals at Sonos have a more ... constructive and positive attitude towards this.
@Sonos: Please make this work like you said (or I guess; implied) it would. Siri is coming, and I want to command her to make my living room play Pearl Jam!
Hedging on semantics with something like this seems kind of silly. It should just work like they said it would. Rigth now it really doesn’t. At least for me.
@melvimbe: wow - that comment reeks of patronizing conjecture with a smidgeon of envy. Even when I really tried to read it understandingly. You don’t want Sonos to develop helpful functions for people who own their expensive 5.1-systems? Holy cow, thats just extremely unhelpful. Really, really hope the development guys and gals at Sonos have a more ... constructive and positive attitude towards this.
@Sonos: Please make this work like you said (or I guess; implied) it would. Siri is coming, and I want to command her to make my living room play Pearl Jam!
@Yerry, Read this.
It does work the way they said it would. Under the very specific definition of the word "group" in regards to Sonos, you can group a room with another Airplay compatible speaker and both grouped rooms will play Airplay content. What it cannot do is play Airplay content on bonded speakers.
@smilja: Thanks! Gotta say I agree with Laura M completely. Except for one thing: I do blame the company. I also feel like I bought two ones instead of 1s on false pretences. I think they will figure this out eventually though. And I actually have an extra One I can use for the ridiculous task of being a Siri/AirPlay 2-relay in the meantime. Then I’ll just buy the playbar II in four years whee it comes out. Sound is awesome regardless. Still feel like they lied, or at least omitted, on this one though.
@jgatie: Again with the bonding. Great for you that you are happy with the status quo. I’m not.
Guess my question has been answered. It doesn’t work. Yet. Good thing these speakers sound awesome, because this really smells of misleading marketing. At least the stuff they wrote up here in Norway. I’m gonna see if some of the publications that propogated this want to get their facts straight at least.
@jgatie: Again with the bonding. Great for you that you are happy with the status quo. I’m not.
Guess my question has been answered. It doesn’t work. Yet. Good thing these speakers sound awesome, because this really smells of misleading marketing. At least the stuff they wrote up here in Norway. I’m gonna see if some of the publications that propogated this want to get their facts straight at least.
@melvimbe: wow - that comment reeks of patronizing conjecture with a smidgeon of envy.
Envy? I have a 5.1 setup (playbar/sub/play:3), and if I want to use airplay I can do so through other speakers in the house. The situation doesn't apply to me because I don't have Sonos Ones setup as rears anywhere.
Patronizing? I suppose you could read it that way.
Even when I really tried to read it understandingly. You don’t want Sonos to develop helpful functions for people who own their expensive 5.1-systems?
Not what I said at all. My comment was specific to this feature that I know couldn't be implemented in a stable way and may eventually have to removed, causing customers a lot more frustration and disappointment than never having the feature at all.
I was thrilled, when Sonos implemented Alexa integration to existing systems, and glad you can you Alexa through your Sonos Ones as surround. I'm looking forward to the Google integration even though I have no intention of using it myself.
Holy cow, thats just extremely unhelpful. Really, really hope the development guys and gals at Sonos have a more ... constructive and positive attitude towards this.
@Sonos: Please make this work like you said (or I guess; implied) it would. Siri is coming, and I want to command her to make my living room play Pearl Jam!
The implication wasn't their intention. It does suck that you feel mislead on this and I sympathize with this. Sonos statement is correct, but easily misunderstood. I wish they had found a better way to communicate what would and would not work with airplay.
Anyhow, I would not hold my breath.
Where did I say I was "happy with the status quo"? I gave no opinion at all about the status quo. I simply clarified the meaning of the word "group" with regards to Sonos' statement. :?
I don’t think Sonos lied, nor intentionally misled their users... their publications were clear to me. I think some people just misunderstood some of the widely used common terms that they use.
Collectively I read the company’s overall message like this...
There are currently four Sonos AirPlay controllers, now that the Beam has come to market:
Sonos One (Not a Play:1) ... AirPlay compatible when it is either standalone, paired or grouped, but not when it’s part of a 'bonded' surround-sound system, as a 'Slave device'.
Sonos Play: 5 (Gen2) (Not a Play 5 (Gen1) ... AirPlay compatible when it is either standalone, paired or grouped, but not when it’s part of a 'bonded' surround-sound system, as a 'Slave device'.
Sonos Beam ... AirPlay compatible when it is either standalone, or grouped, or used as part of a 'bonded' surround-sound system, as a 'Master device'.
Sonos PlayBase ... AirPlay compatible when it is either standalone, or grouped, or used as part of a 'bonded' surround-sound system, as a 'Master device'.
The following devices are not AirPlay controller capable:
Play:3
Play:5 (Gen 1)
Connect
Connect:Amp
PlayBar
But all players in this list can be 'grouped' in the 'Rooms Tab', within the Sonos App, with one of the four main Sonos AirPlay controller devices and they will also then play the AirPlay stream being sent to that controlling device.
It may seem a little complicated, but for many long-term Sonos owners, this means they can still use their 'older' Sonos devices to play an Apple AirPlay stream from the numerous iOS Apps on their Apple devices simply by having one (or more) of the four newer Sonos (controller) devices, setup in the ways I have described above.
I think that it’s great that Sonos have chosen to bring as many 'loyal' customers as possible with them on this AirPlay 'development trail' and have not just abandoned them, or their older devices.
Some other 'companies' would not have been so 'generous', I suspect.
Collectively I read the company’s overall message like this...
There are currently four Sonos AirPlay controllers, now that the Beam has come to market:
Sonos One (Not a Play:1) ... AirPlay compatible when it is either standalone, paired or grouped, but not when it’s part of a 'bonded' surround-sound system, as a 'Slave device'.
Sonos Play: 5 (Gen2) (Not a Play 5 (Gen1) ... AirPlay compatible when it is either standalone, paired or grouped, but not when it’s part of a 'bonded' surround-sound system, as a 'Slave device'.
Sonos Beam ... AirPlay compatible when it is either standalone, or grouped, or used as part of a 'bonded' surround-sound system, as a 'Master device'.
Sonos PlayBase ... AirPlay compatible when it is either standalone, or grouped, or used as part of a 'bonded' surround-sound system, as a 'Master device'.
The following devices are not AirPlay controller capable:
Play:3
Play:5 (Gen 1)
Connect
Connect:Amp
PlayBar
But all players in this list can be 'grouped' in the 'Rooms Tab', within the Sonos App, with one of the four main Sonos AirPlay controller devices and they will also then play the AirPlay stream being sent to that controlling device.
It may seem a little complicated, but for many long-term Sonos owners, this means they can still use their 'older' Sonos devices to play an Apple AirPlay stream from the numerous iOS Apps on their Apple devices simply by having one (or more) of the four newer Sonos (controller) devices, setup in the ways I have described above.
I think that it’s great that Sonos have chosen to bring as many 'loyal' customers as possible with them on this AirPlay 'development trail' and have not just abandoned them, or their older devices.
Some other 'companies' would not have been so 'generous', I suspect.
Same exact thing happening to me!
Collectively I read the company’s overall message like this...
I agree many of us misunderstood and there probably wasn’t a deliberate attempt to mislead customers. But I also imagine a fair few of us with bonded surround systems had never given much thought to how the heavy lifting was done because there wasn’t any need to. There’s a degree of user culpability in that, but sonos also markets itself as a system that just works, so not requiring to give it a lot of thought is part of their appeal. An explanation like you provided would have been very helpful as soon as the limitations were known. I do blame them a bit for failing to do that because, IMO, this kind of confusion was foreseeable.
Not that me chipping in again changes anything, but apparently I am still a bit irritated...
I imagine Sonos did not do this on purpose but as Yerry wrote I highly doubt that a large majority of their customers will understand the difference. Considering their entire philosophy customers should not have to search community boards or technical papers for grouping. I am pretty tech-focused and I did not think about the technical differences between pairing, grouping, etc., at a level where it would affect AirPlay or not. Not user-friendly.
Laura M,
Yes I do sympathise with you and it sometimes comes down to what we, the customer, know at the point of purchase. I don’t deny I have, in the past, purchased a rather expensive and overpriced Bang & Olufsen TV, to discover a few weeks later that the same TV is almost half the price that I paid for mine and that it had been replaced with a newer and much better model.
I initially blamed the store salesman for misleading me (a little), but in truth, I still blame myself for not researching things in depth. So having been bitten once, I tend to do a lot more 'digging' these days, but it’s true that often the information we need is not always available in the public domain, or easily understood, sometimes.
In your case you do still have a great audio surround system and you could resolve some things by buying a Sonos One to 'group' with your PlayBar room, or even swap out the two Sonos Ones for Play-1's and either use both Sonos Ones elsewhere around the home, or even go onto sell one of them.
My B&O TV was a right 'lemon' or 'lame duck' and 4 years, or so, later, I found myself having to replace it.
Yes I do sympathise with you and it sometimes comes down to what we, the customer, know at the point of purchase. I don’t deny I have, in the past, purchased a rather expensive and overpriced Bang & Olufsen TV, to discover a few weeks later that the same TV is almost half the price that I paid for mine and that it had been replaced with a newer and much better model.
I initially blamed the store salesman for misleading me (a little), but in truth, I still blame myself for not researching things in depth. So having been bitten once, I tend to do a lot more 'digging' these days, but it’s true that often the information we need is not always available in the public domain, or easily understood, sometimes.
In your case you do still have a great audio surround system and you could resolve some things by buying a Sonos One to 'group' with your PlayBar room, or even swap out the two Sonos Ones for Play-1's and either use both Sonos Ones elsewhere around the home, or even go onto sell one of them.
My B&O TV was a right 'lemon' or 'lame duck' and 4 years, or so, later, I found myself having to replace it.
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