Retired Sonos Staff

End of Software Support - Clarifications

Dec 8, 2022 11:29 AM UTC
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We announced yesterday that some of our oldest Sonos products will be moving into a legacy mode in May of 2020. Our commitment is to support products with regular software updates for a minimum of five years after we stop selling them, and we have a track record of supporting products far longer.

Here is some public information we’ve shared, gathered into one place to respond to some of your questions in one easy thread, so that people can find the correct information easily.

Beginning in May, software updates and new features from Sonos will only be delivered to systems with only modern products.

After May, systems that include legacy products will continue to work as before - but they will no longer receive software updates or new features.

Sonos will work to maintain the existing experience and conduct bug fixes, but our efforts will ultimately be limited by the lack of memory and processing power of these legacy products.

We don’t expect any immediate impact to your experience, but access to services and overall functionality will eventually be disrupted, particularly as partners evolve their own services and features.

Customers with both legacy and modern products have time to decide what option is best for them. You can continue to use your whole system in legacy mode - in this case, it will stop receiving updates and new features.

You will also be able to separate your legacy products from your modern products, so that the modern products can still receive updates and new features, and legacy products can still be used separately. We’ll have more information on how to do this in May when you can take that action.

Another option available to all customers with legacy products is to take advantage of the Trade Up program, which allows you to upgrade older Sonos products to modern ones with a 30% discount. Trade Up will be open to customers at any time should they decide to upgrade.

We recognize this is new for Sonos owners, just as it is for Sonos. We are committed to help you by making options available to you to support the best decision for your home.

If you have any further questions, please don’t hesitate with asking.

Update 2/22: A message from our CEO

We heard you. We did not get this right from the start. My apologies for that and I wanted to personally assure you of the path forward:

First, rest assured that come May, when we end new software updates for our legacy products, they will continue to work as they do today. We are not bricking them, we are not forcing them into obsolescence, and we are not taking anything away. Many of you have invested heavily in your Sonos systems, and we intend to honor that investment for as long as possible. While legacy Sonos products won’t get new software features, we pledge to keep them updated with bug fixes and security patches for as long as possible. If we run into something core to the experience that can’t be addressed, we’ll work to offer an alternative solution and let you know about any changes you’ll see in your experience.

Secondly, we heard you on the issue of legacy products and modern products not being able to coexist in your home. We are working on a way to split your system so that modern products work together and get the latest features, while legacy products work together and remain in their current state. We’re finalizing details on this plan and will share more in the coming weeks.

While we have a lot of great products and features in the pipeline, we want our customers to upgrade to our latest and greatest products when they’re excited by what the new products offer, not because they feel forced to do so. That’s the intent of the trade up program we launched for our loyal customers.

Thank you for being a Sonos customer. Thank you for taking the time to give us your feedback. I hope that you’ll forgive our misstep, and let us earn back your trust. Without you, Sonos wouldn’t exist and we’ll work harder than ever to earn your loyalty every single day.

If you have any further questions please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Patrick Spence
CEO, Sonos

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Paddymac

Lyricist I

CEOs make a lot more than us “regular people” I am retired. Fell our pain. Seriously. We are the 99%

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stevevg

Lyricist I

So, Sonos is going the way of the smartphone; thinking that it’s o.k. for consumers to spend $1k+ every few years. Not cool and really not even in the same ball park. I agree with all the other comments that audio equipment should last decades, not the oh so generous “5 years” that you claim to go above and beyond….ridiculous. I was an early adopter to this system and still would be paying $100/year for this legacy equipment up to now. For me I will be looking seriously at going back to the hard-wired or “other” solution that only requires one software dependent component to remove the “uprgrade” BS that the industry is racing down for now multiple AND very expensive devices. VERY BAD DECISION SONOS.

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luvlylou

Lyricist III

There’s a new message posted from Patrick today that will help answer many of the questions we’ve seen. You can see it above in the top post, or on our blog here ‘A Letter from our CEO’.

As others have said - this totally misses the point - legacy and new kit needs to work seamlessly and be able to play the same music at the same time… if I wanted to have separate systems in different parts of the house I could have bought those but I wanted to be able to play music everywhere

Now that it seems that Sonos has destroyed this bit of its USP there is no point in buying any more of their products

i am so so sad about this… I am really angry too but mostly I am sad… you had a great platform and we loved it…

good lick surviving now all your loyal customers hate you…

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Richardstares

Lyricist I

I know this has now been said over and over but I'm disgusted by this decision.

The 30% trade up is an absolute Insult on Sonos prices.

My house runs on 7 connect amps that even with the discount would cost me nearly £2500 to replace and for what? So I can have stupid voice control and a host of other things I just don't want or need!

I don't need Sonos to give me updates to make the products better, they are amazing as they are! All I want is for them to continue working as they do now with my music streaming service and for Sonos to keep giving software updates that allow that to happen.

I've had Sonos in my life for 12 years but if this does stop my current system from working within a few years even I shall not be buying into Sonos again!

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Thumbpicker

Enthusiast II

There’s a new message posted from Patrick today that will help answer many of the questions we’ve seen. You can see it above in the top post, or on our blog here ‘A Letter from our CEO’.

Tell the CEO that older speakers need to work with newer speakers. Because, you know, these are speakers. The SONOS board needs to fire that guy

It’s not just older speakers - products like the ZP80 and ZP100 are still perfectly functional and work with your own speakers. Their new incarnations are just wireless N and you can get a wireless N adapter for the old products - so no different at all.

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jmw_sono

Chromatic Producer I

Just got an email from Sonos and CEO Patrick Spence.

Looks like they are taking action on the issue of updates in May.

Whatever the solution, thank you Sonos for acknowledging the issue and working on it!

Best hardware streaming media system as always and happy to hear you are looking into our concerns!

That email stated that: “We are working on a way to split your system so that modern products work together and get the latest features, while legacy products work together and remain in their current state.”

So, it means that nothing has changed. New products wont work with older products. These are speakers and any claim that there is a technology hurdle that prevent the older speakers from playing music with newer speakers is a lie.

Oh I agree and yes the split system isn't what we wont for sure as you mention. But I think they now see the picture and we need to keep reminding them of your point. That grouping/streaming between all speakers is a must!

I was just happy to see the CEO at least let us know he isn't on the golf course and has hear some concerns. As I mentioned “whatever the solution is” I was giving them room to give us a good one, LOL

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Playbar(2) Sub(1) Play:5(2) Play:3(6) Play:1(5) Connect:AMP(3) Sonos:AMP(5) Move(1)

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User24245

Lyricist I

I’m prepared to wait and see, however I’ll put on hold any further purchases of Sonos products. I’

ll be looking at what other brand options there are, fortunately I have hybrid system where my old amp is 30 years old and had a major service done a year ago. Now the Sonos amp will become obsolete after a few years. Don’t give me the recycle BS and crap about software limitations I don’t buy it- clearly your over-run by a bunch of jaffa’s (if you’re not sure what a jaffa is ask your accountant) and business analysts. Count me as a lost customer, I suspect I’m not alone reading these posts!

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Agnar

Lyricist I

Was about to invest in another surround system for my Office TV (Beam / Sub / Play 1’s) but with this announcement I’ll delay and see what May brings in terms of Sonos’ solution to their “Legacy” products. I only have a Gen1 Play 5 and a Bridge that is affected at this time. I can (if forced to protect the rest of my system) unplug and bin or use the line in only.

Once I know the outcome in May I’ll decide if that’s the end of my love of Sonos and if necessary I’ll start pulling out by selling everything else I have before it too is declared effectively End Of Life (and still has some small value hopefully unless Sonos have already nuked the second hand prices of their gear).

Sonos was the king of quality multi room music but the price of a Play 5 can also cover a reasonable amp / bookshelf speakers and a streaming device that I can couple with Roon for the same outcome in terms of enjoying multi room music.

I understand your reason Sonos I do. But there’s got to be a way of allowing me to still listen to music thru my older units without compromising the newer elements in my system. Even if it’s only via NAS / local files rather than streaming services.

I was so happy with my Sonos system until now, I’ve never listened to music as much as I do now with lovely sounds in every room. Really sad that it feels like I may have made a mistake and committed too much money and time into something that is not going to last :(

What’s next to be rendered scrap? Play 1’s? (got loads of those)...the sub, the Playbar…? Can you see why your customers are getting worried and angry Sonos?

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Rob NYC1

Enthusiast II

There’s a new message posted from Patrick today that will help answer many of the questions we’ve seen. You can see it above in the top post, or on our blog here ‘A Letter from our CEO’.

Wow that message from your CEO is just gonna wind people up even more.

Another slap in the face.

Contact the Board of SONOS and lobby for the removal of the CEO: https://investors.sonos.com/corporate-governance/default.aspx

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Rob NYC1

Enthusiast II

There’s a new message posted from Patrick today that will help answer many of the questions we’ve seen. You can see it above in the top post, or on our blog here ‘A Letter from our CEO’.

Tell the CEO that older speakers need to work with newer speakers. Because, you know, these are speakers. The SONOS board needs to fire that guy

It’s not just older speakers - products like the ZP80 and ZP100 are still perfectly functional and work with your own speakers. Their new incarnations are just wireless N and you can get a wireless N adapter for the old products - so no different at all.

you make an excellent point.

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