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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M

mebby

Enthusiast I

I’ve been with Sonos from the beginning. This is a disaster.

There was an interview with John Macfarlane years ago (I’ve searched and can’t find it) where he talked about Sonos being like an old school appliance - you buy it and it works forever. That was a huge appeal to many people. Guess times have changed.

It’s baffling to me how they are handling this.

Help us understand Sonos. Tell us specifically what you want to deliver to us in the future that you won’t be able to do with the “legacy” hardware. What will we be missing? What EXACTLY does it mean?

If you want folks to upgrade then there has to be a value proposition. I’m just a stupid bean counter… it doesn’t take much of a marketing genius to figure these things out.

All you’re telling us right now is that we need to upgrade if we want to keep our whole system in tact and receive future upgrades. Nah - probably time for me to bow out. Cut my losses and go elsewhere.

You’ve single handedly ruined a massive loyal following in a period of 2 days. I wasn’t even sure that was possible. You shocked the world when you came on the scene and you’re shocking the world on your way out!

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Guy_19

Enthusiast II

I buy all my Sonos kit from a company called Smart Home Systems which is an authorised Sonos agent in the UK.

Originally I thought you were saying you had a legacy Connect:Amp, but you don’t. You are good till 2023 or early 2024, at least (maybe longer per Sonos), so this doesn’t impact you now.

... I cant see SONOS ever doing this again, so pretty sure they will work to keep in the 256mb memory footprint….well I hope so. :)

Right up until they decide that they need 1024mb… Strange that the Port only got 512mb?

Also strange that the one SL only got 512. Possible that since they don't do voice they don't need it, but the amp got 1gb and it doesn't do voice. Strange.

Strange indeed, but £300 for a guarantee my £2500 investment will keep working properly for the next 5 years is a price I begrudgingly paid.

This is the new Sonos world, better pay attention to the computer specs or you are gonna get screwed sooner or later. I feel bad for anyone buying Play5 gen2 and unaware .....

I got my Play:5 Gen 2 in April 2016. I am more worried about my 3x Play:1…

I keep going back to this picture, it’s really helpful (I found it in this thread and grabbed it, but can’t remember who should get the credit).

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7 rooms: One SL Stereo Pair, One SL x 2, Move, Play:5 Gen2 & Port into Arcam AVR with AE floorstanders, Port into Denon microsystem.

S

SonosManu

Enthusiast II

I buy all my Sonos kit from a company called Smart Home Systems which is an authorised Sonos agent in the UK.

Originally I thought you were saying you had a legacy Connect:Amp, but you don’t. You are good till 2023 or early 2024, at least (maybe longer per Sonos), so this doesn’t impact you now.

... I cant see SONOS ever doing this again, so pretty sure they will work to keep in the 256mb memory footprint….well I hope so. :)

Right up until they decide that they need 1024mb… Strange that the Port only got 512mb?

Also strange that the one SL only got 512. Possible that since they don't do voice they don't need it, but the amp got 1gb and it doesn't do voice. Strange.

The amp probably needs memory to go from analogue to digital (mmm actually they probably all need to do that).

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C

Cambridge101

Lyricist I

How to destroy a brand in one easy go. You had real loyal customers and whoever made this decision just doesn’t seem to care 30% discount what a joke.

Agree - 50% discount shares the “pain” of upgrading a lot more equitably.

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C

Cchris

Enthusiast II

Thanks Danny. No I did not get an email telling me my Connect:Amp is a legacy product. I read the Sonos announcement which included the Connect: Amp in the legacy list. I’m confused - how do I tell?

This changes things. If you have a play/pause button on the front it’s a post-2015 connect:amp with 256mb of memory (8x the pre-2015 Connect:amp). You are still modern/will get software updates. They were selling these through 2018 or early 2019, so under their policy, you’ll be supported until at least 2023.

Not true. My connect Amps have a play pause button, but are all listed as legacy.

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S

Saucerman

Enthusiast I

I have a Connect together with Bang & Olufsen speakers - which device will replace the Connect…? Not the “AMP”-version but the one without amplifier.

You would need to replace the “Connect” with a “Port”

then in 6 months to a year you’ll need to replace the port with their new Router-BS100, which will last exactly a year from introduction, you can either add that to your 4th split system or replace it with the new BS200

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S

sm75382

Enthusiast II

So I did a little calculation….

Looks like Yamaha wins hands down.

might be even cheaper from march-april when yamaha might annouce new av - the v485 is 2018 model, no 2019 'v' models.

i think 485 is £250 and 585 (7.2 with dolby atmos ) £280

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J

jwinther

Lyricist III

I fell over a new streaming product: https://www.primare.net/products/np5-prisma/

Anyone who knows more about this?

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“This is a chance now to come up with a system that doesn’t cause massive planetary damage in exchange for disposable stuff,” Proctor said. (https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/3a8dpn/sonos-makes-it-clear-you-no-longer-own-the-things-you-buy)

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SonosManu

Enthusiast II

How to destroy a brand in one easy go. You had real loyal customers and whoever made this decision just doesn’t seem to care 30% discount what a joke.

Agree - 50% discount shares the “pain” of upgrading a lot more equitably.

I think they meant to say we have to pay 30%. It is an easy mistake to make. They will come around to it, 70% discount for trade in. ;)

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M

macallan18

Enthusiast I

The CEO letter changed nothing. How can a music company be led by someone so utterly tone deaf?

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