End of Software Support - Clarifications

End of Software Support - Clarifications
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4256 replies

K

You missed out a vital point, does this mean the legacy and modern will be interoperable? Or completely seperate? I am fine with my legacy speakers not getting updates, but I want my modern speakers to get updates and new features. I then EXEPCT to be still able to group music between legacy and modern.

LOL no, that would have in big bold capital letters if they were gonna let you do that. You will be able to have 2 separate Sonos setups that won’t group together

I agree; that WOULD have been in bold, so I don't see it happening. In fact, I would prefer to forego all upgrades, and let my mixed system continue to remain interoperable; that is more valuable than what almost always have been fatuous updates for my use case since 2011.

J
Userlevel 6
Badge +1

For Sale: Complete Sonos Syestem, Works great! ….. for now.

Ill give you four quid.

C
Userlevel 7
Badge +1

Anyone who is unhappy with this news has the option to email the CEO at patrick.spence@sonos.com , I have already done so

 

J
Userlevel 6
Badge +1

After 24 hours and 55 pages of comments (before it was closed) none of which are complimentary, here is my 2p worth.

As a past product marketing manager, here are a few key points to take into consideration when announcing a products end of support.

1. Give lots of notice and take into account how recently customers have purchased the product.

> 4 months is no notice at all really, I would expect 12 months to be reasonable, or 6 as an absolute minimum. I bought my first components in Jan 2015 and now my Connect Amp and Play 5 are declared end of support after this relatively short time.

2. Offer a painless route to upgrade the system.

> Offering 30% discount is far from painless, it is a significant additional investment just to retain current functionality. The idea also of scrapping the old hardware to recycling or worse landfill is outrageous. At least leave the units to be used for as long as they can, as by your own admission, that may not be long.

Consider a swap out at cost plus support expenses to make the exchange palatable. The current discount must still bring a good profit unless your margins are poor.

3. Be VERY clear about why you are doing this, the future benefits and the implications of retaining the current hardware.

I expect cost is the real driver here, memory and processing power is just a limitation as branching code and distributing two versions is  not rocket science, but at least he honest. I understand that sonos cannot predict what may happen with future changes to streaming services, but the total lack of clarity and certainty beggars belief. How long till the rest of my system is obsoleted as I now know I will be lucky to get 4 months notice. What great new ground breaking features are coming in May that is forcing this end of support for older speakers? The dual system possibly seems to something that may or may not work, but little information is being offered about it, we are promised more info in May. Will there still be an upgrade offer when the system breaks eventually, or is this just a short term offer? 

 

So in all you have made a real error of judgement here and have an uphill climb to resolve it, if that is even possible now. The sonos name is now badly tarnished and only a retraction and complete rethink of this proposal has any chance to recover the mess created. I really do hope some people from sonos are taking action based on this thread. Having closed the old tgread, posted a few minor clarifications and started a new one, I fear sonos simply aren't listening and underestimate the impact this will ultimately have on the company. 

Sonos is no longer a hifi equipment manufacturer but a NASDAQ share value trading scam which makes hifi as a hobby. Their profits will come from share buybacks and their customers and products can go to hell. 

R
Userlevel 6
Badge +2

Who at Sonos made the decision to announce this without answers to the inevitable flood of questions that would ensue? The price to upgrade a working device is what got me mad.  Now I realize it is decidedly un-”green”.  Shame on Sonos.  The wrong people are now at the helm and the ship is taking on water.  

M
Userlevel 2

I too have spent a lot of money on systems for three homes along with systems for my children.   I certainly hope the legal people at Sonos where consulted when this decision was made.  There are alot of hungry lawyers out there who would love a class action suit like this.  “Planned Obsolescence” of a product that costs this much is not acceptable-neither is insulting owners with a cheesy 30% trade up offer.  Well it was a good product while it lasted.  Too bad but this opens the doors for the other competitors.  I bet Bose is licking their chops!!

 

Good Luck   

S
Userlevel 6
Badge +1

Remember, SONOS is now a public company (SONO).  It’s got shareholders to answer to which makes it a very different company than the one I bought my legacy products from.

A
Userlevel 3

Given I have QUAD equipment from the 1950’s (22 and IIs) and that they still support it by way of repair at a reasonable cost, I don’t expect all my SONOS kit to become redundant after 10 years or less. In addition QUAD has been owned by a Chinese company for a number of years but still support legacy kit.

 

Quick question: even with a 30% discount, who in their right mind would replace redundant SONOS kit with new SONOS kit????

baardog
Userlevel 3
Badge +3

My product has not reached the end of it’s useful life.
Do you even care about the environment? This stinks...

A
Userlevel 6
Badge +11

Have to say a new thread with direction and answers is appreciated and what was requested.

Shutting off a strong message  by simply closing a thread is pouring petrol over a firework box! Why on earth would you?

My input to date has been measured. At this point I’m about to join the **** You tribe.

Really? Is this the way to do business? This is mutually assured destruction on a commercial scale I’ve never seen.

On every level possible totally mis-managed. 

K
Userlevel 5
Badge +5

 

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.

 

You missed out a vital point, does this mean the legacy and modern will be interoperable? Or completely seperate? I am fine with my legacy speakers not getting updates, but I want my modern speakers to get updates and new features. I then EXEPCT to be still able to group music between legacy and modern.

LOL no, that would have in big bold capital letters if they were gonna let you do that. You will be able to have 2 separate Sonos setups that won’t group together

J
Userlevel 6
Badge +1

Have Sonos closed the other thread to stop the negative feedback? They clearly do not know who to deal with customers. I am yet to come across a customer who thinks this is a good idea.

Sonos has some of the loyalist consumers you will find I imagine as we buy products to extend our current system without giving much of a thought to other manufacturers. For me that will change and almost ten years of loyalty to Sonos has ended and I will look to replace my “legacy” Play:5 device with something non sonos and leave the rest of my “Modern” Sonos system intact.

Hey, Johnny, 

Who's gonna buy your play5 for 100quid when you can get a brick to do the same job for less than one pound? 

I've got two of the effin paperweights. 

Shame on sonos. Shame on Patrick Spence, CEO of sonos. 

S
Userlevel 2
Badge +1

Answers to these questions would be appreciated:

I understand if I have a mixed system of legacy and modern, after the May update it will no longer receive updates and future features will not be supported. After the May update can I still add new products to my legacy/mixed system, like a Move? Would the Move software roll back to my May software?

 If I have a legacy system after the May update can I add more legacy devices without issue?

 If I have a mixed system after the May update can I split it into two separate systems, legacy and modern, or do I need to do that before the May update?

 If I have a mixed system after the May update, can I remove a modern device and add it to a modern system without issue.

If I have separate modern and legacy systems in my home I assume they will use separate versions of the app. Will there be any conflict running two different app versions on the same mobile device?

 

S
Userlevel 2

Sonos customer for seven years.  I have spent a lot on a Gen1 Play 5, a Connect, a Connect Amp - all of which are being abandoned by Sonos - but only one of which I can trade up.  I also recently bought a Beam and a couple of surround speakers.  They are going to be dropped too if I don’t spend hundreds more updating the Play 5 and unplugging the Connects.  This is a very shoddy way to treat your customers, and you should be ashamed of yourselves Sonos.  I am not stupid though.  This is going to keep happening isn’t it?  Just ordered a Naim Muso qb Gen2 (thought I would stretch to the Gen 2, but I could have ordered the Gen1 as Naim … get this… still support their legacy products).  Will keep the Beam, because it’s providing the sound for my tv.  It will be the last Sonos product I ever own though.  It’s goodbye from me.

G
Userlevel 3

To the FOOLS @Sonos who thought that abandoning a dedicated existing customer base w/forced obsolescence was a good business decision, #FAIL Like others, I have $1000’s of dollars invested in a system that you now tell me is obsolete & might as well be bricked. I have “evangelized” Sonos for MANY years, have systems all over my house, & its likely the most used of any technology, except our phones, in our house.

I will NOT “trade-up” NOR purchase another Sonos product & will now proceed to ditch every last one of these bricks while I can get some $$ on eBay or other site. Perhaps some other SPEAKER company will take my $$$ w/o killing the hardware I already own.

Goodbye, Sonos.

B
Userlevel 5
Badge +5

For Sale: Complete Sonos Syestem, Works great! ….. for now.

Sonos from leader to loser in 2020.
U
Userlevel 3
Badge +1

“We don’t expect any immediate impact to your experience, but access to services and overall functionality will eventually be disrupted, ...”

Sonos, please commit to maintaining integration of legacy equipment to platforms like Spotify.

If Sonos is unwilling to take that little step, can Sonos at least commit to open-sourcing the software that supports the legacy system so that the community can provide legacy support?

How can a company decide to treat its early adopters and greatest advocates so poorly? Sonos is turning its greatest advocates into its harshest critics.

Methinks this may be the end of Sonos as a viable company.

What well-informed person would buy Sonos equipment now?

D
Userlevel 2

Agree with others was really bad to close that thread!!  Will this one be closed too when it hits 50+ pages?

I will reiterate:

Long time Sonos user, eight zones, many legacy.

Very disappointed.

Sonos needs to revisit this decision and find a way to enable older devices to keep working in the network with updated newer devices.  Clearly the older devices won’t have the latest features, but they should be able to interoperate with similar functionality to today.

Sonos is an expensive product.  As an example, we just bought two Sonos Ones for children’s bedrooms.  The alternative was two echo dots.  Clearly inferior product, but would have been ¼ of the price and would have kept the kids just as happy.  The draw of staying with the Sonos ecosystem was the interoperability with all the existing zones, including the now legacy products.

Was planning to scale up number of zones.  Seriously reconsidering now.

Sonos - please try to come up with another solution here.

S
Userlevel 4
Badge +1

After 24 hours and 55 pages of comments (before it was closed) none of which are complimentary, here is my 2p worth.

As a past product marketing manager, here are a few key points to take into consideration when announcing a products end of support.

1. Give lots of notice and take into account how recently customers have purchased the product.

> 4 months is no notice at all really, I would expect 12 months to be reasonable, or 6 as an absolute minimum. I bought my first components in Jan 2015 and now my Connect Amp and Play 5 are declared end of support after this relatively short time.

2. Offer a painless route to upgrade the system.

> Offering 30% discount is far from painless, it is a significant additional investment just to retain current functionality. The idea also of scrapping the old hardware to recycling or worse landfill is outrageous. At least leave the units to be used for as long as they can, as by your own admission, that may not be long.

Consider a swap out at cost plus support expenses to make the exchange palatable. The current discount must still bring a good profit unless your margins are poor.

3. Be VERY clear about why you are doing this, the future benefits and the implications of retaining the current hardware.

I expect cost is the real driver here, memory and processing power is just a limitation as branching code and distributing two versions is  not rocket science, but at least he honest. I understand that sonos cannot predict what may happen with future changes to streaming services, but the total lack of clarity and certainty beggars belief. How long till the rest of my system is obsoleted as I now know I will be lucky to get 4 months notice. What great new ground breaking features are coming in May that is forcing this end of support for older speakers? The dual system possibly seems to something that may or may not work, but little information is being offered about it, we are promised more info in May. Will there still be an upgrade offer when the system breaks eventually, or is this just a short term offer? 

 

So in all you have made a real error of judgement here and have an uphill climb to resolve it, if that is even possible now. The sonos name is now badly tarnished and only a retraction and complete rethink of this proposal has any chance to recover the mess created. I really do hope some people from sonos are taking action based on this thread. Having closed the old tgread, posted a few minor clarifications and started a new one, I fear sonos simply aren't listening and underestimate the impact this will ultimately have on the company. 

J
Userlevel 6
Badge +8

I’m not going to repost all my annoyances from the other thread but I would like to state again on here that Sonos has now become a company that I have very little trust and confidence in.

 

H
Userlevel 6
Badge +3

You seriously locked the feedback thread on the disgraceful announcement after 56 pages?

 

what complete nonsense!

 

i sent an email letter to your CEO yesterday.  Any idea when I will get a response?

 

Reminder, I have 26 SONOS devices and feel betrayed.


richard 


 

 

It wouldn’t surprise me if the 56 page thread disappeared altogether.

That’s how I now feel about Sonos, all trust has gone.

 

A
Userlevel 3

As long time loyal customer and shareholder with now 5/13 devices being threatened to be disconnected from the network I’m very upset. 
 

sonos was a brand which grew off of a loyal following of customers / advocates who touted Sonia’s merits to friends and family. Who bought Sonos as gifts for friends and family. 37% of your sales are to existing customers. 
 

This is one of the key points that supported you valuation and IPO. In one action you’ve destroyed so much good will. Your recycling scheme was an own goal promoting customers to destroy good hardware and this step goes further and promotes it. 
 

Please listen to your customers!

J
Userlevel 6
Badge +1

None.

Dont buy sonos.

Your overpriced equipment will be 'bricked' by the company on a whim.

Check out Bluesound…

A disgruntled ex-sonos fan now stuck with year-old play5s ehich woll be landfill in June. 

Shame on sonos.

D
Userlevel 2

Sonos looks like it underestimated the furor the announcement would cause.  I think the legacy products will remain functional longer now based on the feedback. 

D
Userlevel 2
Badge +1

We’ll have more information on how to do this in May when you can take that action.

Any reason you need until May to tell us the finer details of Legacy product operation due to your decision? 

I suspect this thread will continue to grow with complaints and more questions.

Why not tell us now? Hopefully you have figured out the details and aren’t making things up as you go.

In May 2020 the following products in your system will be classified as legacy and no longer receive software updates and new features. This will affect your listening experience: Connect:Amp x 3, Connect x 1, Connect (ZP90) x 2
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