End of Software Support - Clarifications

End of Software Support - Clarifications
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W
Userlevel 4
Badge +3

Some pointers if the directors and managers at Sonos feel that this will go away

Feel free to insert into your agenda on Monday

1 The majority of the Sonos community will now not go anywhere near any Play 1, Play 3, Soundbar or Subs.

2 Bricked Play 5 units will now go on sale in the second hand market. Outcome will be a tarnished reputation for Sonos when people fall for these devious buys.

3 Legacy users will no longer sell their equipment onto the secondhand market and new users will no longer be introduced to Sonos via this route 

4 The Sonos name will now become a company associated with a reputation for ending lifespan of hardware prematurely. Unfair yes but there for the taking now open to being crtitised.

Solution easy…

1 let modern units continue to be updated along side legacy units

2 Scrap this 21 day brick scheme and let people keep their old units. These can be recycled by passing them on and introducing others to Sonos 

M
Userlevel 1

I bought my SONOS equipment from Richer Sounds UK a great shop I wasn't told that SONOS equipment had a limited life they may not have known. I suppose we won't get anywhere untill the tech stores stop stocking there products then they will really start to listen

A

I bought my Connect:Amp in November 2017, so I expect you will update the software for 5 years from then.

L
Userlevel 3
Badge

The problem now is no one trusts Sonos, or its PR spin on its own announcement, or the lame ‘apology’ about ditching support for their original and best customers. 

J

I bought my Connect:Amp in November 2017, so I expect you will update the software for 5 years from then.

Wrong.  The "modern' Connect:Amp that you have is guaranteed to be supported for AT LEAST 5 years from when sales were discontinued, which was only last year.  So at least 7 years from when you bought it.

N
Userlevel 2

Very disappointed with Sonos.

I understand that the hardware can't be supported forever and phone manufactures obsolete their hardware regularly, but the main issues I have with Sonos are

- the notice they have given - 4 months. That's no time at all. So, if I want one fully integrated system, I have to trade up my 1st gen Play 5. That's going to cost me £350 even with the 30% off. I can't come up with that in 4 months.

- Uncertainty over the obsolete/current network split. Sounds like they don't have a solution yet, so how can I make a decision? I've just bought a Sonos beam. So will I be able to play the same song simultaneously on that and my 1st gen Play 5 after May? If not, then I will have lost expected functionality 6 months after buying a Sonos product.

- Trade up. Even with 30% off, I'll have to fork out a lot of money to get what I've already got.

Poor show Sonos. Looks like I won't be in investing in any more Sonos products, as who knows how long they'll work for.

C
Userlevel 1

I was not an early adopter of Sonos, nor do I own any legacy product. Thus, I did not receive the email re: end of software support. I happened to learn of the announcement and ensuing uproar on a BBC News website a few days ago. I hope Sonos understands that the outrage will continue to grow as customers like me - who are not immediately affected (and didn’t get the email) learn of this dilemma. 

I’m a VERY low tech guy. Don’t need a smart toaster or smart toilet (“Alexa, flush the toilet”.)  5 months ago, after exhaustive research, I felt quite comfortable in buying a pair of Sonos One SL speakers. I was amazed at how easy set up was and how great they sounded and worked. Over the next few weeks, I continued to expand to 9 speakers (7 Sonos One SL, 2 Ikea Symfonisk bookshelf), thrilled at having whole house sound. I’ve been raving about Sonos to everyone.

Last Wednesday morning, I convinced my wife that we should buy the Sonos Move-to allow an easy option for music on porch/patio, as well as a Bluetooth speaker for trips. However, on Wed afternoon, I read the BBC News story about the Sonos debacle. I am holding off purchase of Move at least until I see some kind of satisfactory resolution to the software update issue. Even if I do get the Move, chances of buying more Sonos products in the future are zero. I can’t risk that any of my currently ‘modern’ product is deemed ‘legacy’, leaving me with the nightmare that longtime Sonos customers are faced with.

I will also cease singing the praise of Sonos  and warn anyone looking for wireless speakers to explore cheaper options, in light of the fact that if your system ever becomes non-functional, you want to minimize your losses. My $1300 Sonos investment pales in comparison to the small fortunes many loyal Sonos patrons have forked out. 

As a consumer, I feel I’ve learned a valuable lesson about this high tech world most people are welcoming with open arms. The Sonos nightmare is just a microcosm of the internet-of- everything utopian mirage.... “Alexa, make me an  old fashioned!”

 

 

 

 

 

F
Userlevel 4
Badge +2

The problem now is no one trusts Sonos, or its PR spin on its own announcement, or the lame ‘apology’ about ditching support for their original and best customers. 

F

Finn1000

 just now

Agreed, trust is a huge problem now for Sonos customers new & old.
whether you’re running a linked system with legacy/new or running speakers separately... the issue of trust & continued support( updating) is a huge issue for customers.
Its up to Sonos how they square it.
I dread to think what will happen if Sonos ignore & plough on!

Speakers are not mobile phones or TV’s .

People expect £250- £500 speakers should have a 15-25 year life span or last until the speaker fails.

Never  heard such nonsense of high end speakers being disposable.. its obscene 

 

 

G
Userlevel 6
Badge +4

The problem now is no one trusts Sonos, or its PR spin on its own announcement, or the lame ‘apology’ about ditching support for their original and best customers. 

F

Finn1000

 just now

Agreed, trust is a huge problem now for Sonos customers new & old.
whether you’re running a linked system with legacy/new or running speakers separately... the issue of trust & continued support( updating) is a huge issue for customers.
Its up to Sonos how they square it.
I dread to think what will happen if Sonos ignore & plough on!

Speakers are not mobile phones or TV’s .

People expect £250- £500 speakers should have a 15-25 year life span or last until the speaker fails.

Never  heard such nonsense of high end speakers being disposable.. its obscene 

 

 

Obscene is the word!

W
Userlevel 4
Badge +3

Nothing will happen 

I doubt they will even read this thread 

I hope so because they've got 19 days to cancel my play 5 brick deadline.

If nothing I'll be moving over to a trusted product and replace my collection of Sonos with something that I can use and add to, not throw away after 3 years 

A
Userlevel 5
Badge +5

Very disappointed with Sonos.

I understand that the hardware can't be supported forever and phone manufactures obsolete their hardware regularly.

 

 

No this is incorrect, a phone is a phone it still does its basic function. When I upgraded to a iPhone 11, I gave my iPhone 6 to the other half.it still does what it was designed to do even when it does not have the latest software. Where the issue comes is the 3 rd party apps that want the latest operating system but at the end of the day, it still phones,texts sends emails does she need bells and whistles no. That's all we ask sonos to do.

J

Sonos speakers are not just speakers. They are essentially computers, and computers that need to constantly communicate with each other. Asking for  a 25 year lifetime for a bit of traditional hifi equipment is reasonable.  Asking for it from a multiroom wirelese audio system is stupidity and ignorance of the highest degree. And therefore consistent with much of the outrage on the ridiculous thread.

D
Userlevel 3
Badge

I bought my Connect:Amp in November 2017, so I expect you will update the software for 5 years from then.

Bought My Play:5 gen 1 in Jan 2018 - not updated (or whatever) after May 2020...

A
Userlevel 5
Badge +5

Sonos speakers are not just speakers. They are essentially computers, and computers that need to constantly communicate with each other. Asking for  a 25 year lifetime for a bit of traditional hifi equipment is reasonable.  Asking for it from a multiroom wirelese audio system is stupidity and ignorance of the highest degree. And therefore consistent with much of the outrage on the ridiculous thread.

One bites ones tonge

J

I bought my Connect:Amp in November 2017, so I expect you will update the software for 5 years from then.

Bought My Play:5 gen 1 in Jan 2018 - not updated (or whatever) after May 2020...

You should complain to John Lewis, where I recall you bought it, given that Sonos stopped selllng the gen 1 3 years before that

 

U
Userlevel 6
Badge +4

Very disappointed with Sonos.

I understand that the hardware can't be supported forever and phone manufactures obsolete their hardware regularly, but the main issues I have with Sonos are

I feel this is a rather unhelpful comparison that you (and various others) have been drawing with phones. Mobile phones are probably THE iconic example of expensive hardware that consumers are expected to replace regularly - virtually nothing else we buy of that price bracket gets that treatment, and its worth noting that this is starting to slow down in the phone market too, with consumers moving to 3 year cycles instead of 2 these days.

By arguing why Sonos shouldn’t treat these speakers like mobile phones you’re entertaining the idea that that is a sensible comparison in the first place. How about Sonos persuade us why their product deserves to be replaced more often than hifi audio gear, or TV/home theatre kit to start with and we’ll work up from there. 

D
Userlevel 3
Badge

This is something I quoted in an email to Patrick Spence -

“Futureproof
Designed with tomorrow in mind, the speaker combines sleek looks with agile internal sensors and ongoing software updates. This ensures that you always have the most future-proofed audio solution, even as you grow your system over time.”

Above is on John Lewis’ product description for a Gen 2 Play:5 - I’m sure it would’ve been the same 2 years ago for a Gen 1 version...

D
Userlevel 3
Badge

I bought my Connect:Amp in November 2017, so I expect you will update the software for 5 years from then.

Bought My Play:5 gen 1 in Jan 2018 - not updated (or whatever) after May 2020...

You should complain to John Lewis, where I recall you bought it  given that Sonos stopped selllng the gen 1 3 years before that

 

Think I might….

U
Userlevel 6
Badge +4

Sonos speakers are not just speakers. They are essentially computers, and computers that need to constantly communicate with each other.

That’s a thing that computers all do, John. For reference please see the Internet. 
 

 

 

Asking for  a 25 year lifetime for a bit of traditional hifi equipment is reasonable.  Asking for it from a multiroom wirelese audio system is stupidity and ignorance of the highest degree.

Ok, explain why. Produce one logical argument why a play 5 is going to lose the ability to be grouped with a play 1, especially given that Sonos control the protocol in use. 

W
Userlevel 4
Badge +3

Of course they can keep them functioning 

It's just a money grab, no doubt about it.

I
Userlevel 4
Badge +4

Sonos speakers are not just speakers. They are essentially computers, and computers that need to constantly communicate with each other. Asking for  a 25 year lifetime for a bit of traditional hifi equipment is reasonable.  Asking for it from a multiroom wirelese audio system is stupidity and ignorance of the highest degree. And therefore consistent with much of the outrage on the ridiculous thread.

One bites ones tonge

Can’t bite mine!  Many like me have huge investment (22 players across four houses, a mix of legacy snd modern).  The Sonos sales pitch was the experience would only grow and get better over time with software updates.  No one on here expects old units to handle some of the new features (eg as was the case with Airplay2; voice control) which may be coming (DTS? high-res? etc) but we DO expect continued functionality, including whole home grouping, at the levels previously enjoyed.

W
Userlevel 4
Badge +3

Yep spot on

Makes you wonder what people are thinking when defending this mess.

J

Sonos speakers are not just speakers. They are essentially computers, and computers that need to constantly communicate with each other.

That’s a thing that computers all do, John. For reference please see the Internet. 
 

 

 

Asking for  a 25 year lifetime for a bit of traditional hifi equipment is reasonable.  Asking for it from a multiroom wirelese audio system is stupidity and ignorance of the highest degree.

Ok, explain why. Produce one logical argument why a play 5 is going to lose the ability to be grouped with a play 1, especially given that Sonos control the protocol in use. 

Well, they will be able to if they stay on tbe same software. And we don't know for sure what the final outcome will be on legacy vs modern. But let's assume it won't be possible.

Sonos is an integrated system that has always relied on common software. Geouped speakers need to be able to perform identical tasks. Either speaker has to be able to act as 'group co-ordinator', running the show for the group.

Now, I find it entirely plausible that the more the system has to do, the more likely it is that a player with a paltry 32MB of memory cannot keep up. That seems far more likely than the cynical view on here that Sonos are making all this up and are just profiteering. You are free to believe otherwise.

 

F
Userlevel 4
Badge +1

You can fool some of the people some of the time 

But you can't fool all of the people all of the time 

Sonos management take note …..

P
Userlevel 5
Badge +1

Sonos speakers are not just speakers. They are essentially computers, and computers that need to constantly communicate with each other.

That’s a thing that computers all do, John. For reference please see the Internet. 
 

 

 

Asking for  a 25 year lifetime for a bit of traditional hifi equipment is reasonable.  Asking for it from a multiroom wirelese audio system is stupidity and ignorance of the highest degree.

Ok, explain why. Produce one logical argument why a play 5 is going to lose the ability to be grouped with a play 1, especially given that Sonos control the protocol in use. 

Well, they will be able to if they stay on tbe same software. And we don't know for sure what the final outcome will be on legacy vs modern. But let's assume it won't be possible.

Sonos is an integrated system that has always relied on common software. Geouped speakers need to be able to perform identical tasks. Either speaker has to be able to act as 'group co-ordinator', running the show for the group.

Now, I find it entirely plausible that the more the system has to do, the more likely it is that a player with a paltry 32MB of memory cannot keep up. That seems far more likely than the cynical view on here that Sonos are making all this up and are just profiteering. You are free to believe otherwise.

 

Why should the system have to do more? I think 99% of the contributors to this discussion just want it to carry on doing the same. And grouped speakers don’t need to be able to perform identical tasks. Why shouldn’t I be able to group a speaker which takes voice commands (not that I actually care about having that facility, but that’s another matter) with one that doesn’t?

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