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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Wkelkel

Enthusiast II

The lesson for me? Going forward I will use regular dumb high quality HiFi kit by a long established rock solid company like Naim, Rega, Arcam……….. And I will plug a streamer into the input of the dumb HiFi system.

Realy believe this is the best way forward. Good stand alone speakers and a power amp will last. Already do this in 3 zones in our house, with 2 more to come. And if I have to buy a new port/streamer for each room every 8-10 years (period of sales + min 5 years service) to stay updated with the the technology that is manageable. It also makes it much easier to change platforms from Sonos to other streaming options as only the streamer has to be replaced.

it would reduce the Sonos offering to just one product a “port”, but with a (still it seems) superior app and user experience that could still be a platform.

If Sonos wants to keep making stand alone speakers Sonos could make the port like component modular in the speaker so eg a future play 5 speaker is mainly just amp and a good speaker integrated with a line in, and then the “port” streaming component is a module that can easily be user replaced and switched out to the latest technology every 8-10 years (at a sensible cost obviously) or even the line in can be fed with a third party streaming component of the future.

If the speaker was designed with space for the modular component it could still give the look and feel of a simple integrated wireless speaker, just with ability to upgrade the technology component or accept a simple line in for longevity.

Great advise

My Sonos set up runs alongside Google assistant speakers dotted around the house. Obviously the Sonos part being the hi fi system. However the Google cast and Google home app works better than the Sonos app imo and basically the line in input in the back of my play 5 links the two systems together. So in effect I'm using Google software to run my Sonos most of the time.

The point of my tale is that it's only a matter of time now before Google/cast/assistant or even Amazon get to grips with multi room and add to their hardware with a decent soundbar,sub,small speaker and big speaker.

At that point I think Sonos will loose the market. And thus latest stunt hasn't helped one bit!

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Kumar

@Wkelkel : in my case for your Google devices, substitute Echos, and I am very like you.

IMO, the only place where an all integrated Sonos will continue to make sense is for TV sound; I haven't seen Amazon/Google approach Sonos capability there as yet. Although the new Echo Studios with Atmos sound intriguing, but I know little about them at this time.

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wkbglobal

Contributor I

It's a shame because every member on here now unhappy are probably the ones who helped put Sonos on the map as class leaders in multi room.

The deal should have been better to be honest and the response following on basically upsets others now who have jumped in and spent more money. It's insulting both those who want to keep their systems intact and those who have jumped to the tune and spent more money upgrading.

Basically this forum thread will simmer down over the next few days, Sonos will ride it out and then move on. Hard facts but there you go.

Definitely left a bitter taste though!

Good points, I agree it will die down but the damage is done and we are acceptable damage collateral for the Company for them to put out this announcement.

I for one, will not buy more Sonos as they have just proven how exposed we all are when investing cash in such equipment. I have not required all the voice control they put in their speakers, if I wanted that, I can buy a cheap add on box. Until this, I would have continued expanding the system, upgrading and replacing units when products ceased working naturally, all the while being an ambassador for the products to anyone in ear reach of listening. For now the equipment continues to work but for how long?

This is a warning or a “reality check” for most of us. Being software driven they can still hit the kill switch when they choose be it 1 year, 5 years, 10 years. I cannot afford to do that, money is hard enough to earn, I love my gear but I am not willing to spend hard earned cash on something that ultimately is not under my control.

I still have my 30 years old CD player, amp and floor standing speakers in my garage - sound great and never missed a beat. What is better, switch them on, grab a beer and work on the bike or car. As I said above, these would have eventually been replaced by Sonos.

If others feel like me, that does not bode well for the Company unless they have something up their sleeves that the youngsters cannot live without, because those are probably the only customers they have left to sell their software products to!

PS - having feelings for my speakers, probably need to spend money on a shrink!!!

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Kumar

It is time to remind everyone here that is angry - be grateful that all legacy products have line in, and say: All hail, Line In…

Doesn't help those aggrieved by having traded in their line in jacks though.

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Wkelkel

Enthusiast II

wkbglobal

Well said! Likewise with me. I gave up Kenwood, Sony, Matantz seperates to go "full in" with Sonos. Many of these units are still on sale today, fully working and probably sound better 15 years later.

Sonos need to make a gesture here. In my case turn off the 21 day brick schedule and let me keep my old Play 5! I'll recycle it when I've finished with it after buying my next Sonos product. As we stand I won't be buying another Sonos unit whatsoever going forward, but instead adding other Google assistant units that are cheaper and sound just as good.

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Indigo Chorus

Lyricist I

And your “clarification” still hasn’t addressed your bricking of upgraded units.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. In that order.

To deliberately destroy functioning speakers which could be re-used by others is an environmental crime.

Your electronic devices contain all sorts of toxic chemicals. Recycling should be the last resort.

Basically you have moved from a strategy to encourage loyal customers to add to their systems to a strategy of trying to remove units from circulation.

And who can trust you now? An unbelievable brand blunder. This will go into marketing textbooks in the future.

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Keithmac

Virtuoso

Just looking at that memory chart someone posted earlier play 3s and play ones must be next and I own 2 of each of them but even more worryingly the gen2 play 5 cant be far behind and that’s what they’re asking us to trade up to from a gen 1.

I for one need much more clarity on what’s happening and future plans before I even contemplate looking at Sonos again, I think the only way to go in future with any system is as other have posted buying decent conventional systems hard wired and controlling them through something like an amazon input easily and cheaply replaced as needed whilst the meat of your system remains.

We spend most time listening to the Playbar 5.1 setup (with Play1s as surrounds). Only a matter of time before that lot goes tits up.. I can't invest in any more at the moment with all this looming.

The Play3 on the landing can't be far off the chopping block either..

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mrwarped

Lyricist III

It is time to remind everyone here that is angry - be grateful that all legacy products have line in, and say: All hail, Line In…

Doesn't help those aggrieved by having traded in their line in jacks though.

Ah Kumar I think you have missed the point a little. “Legacy” is going to creep along and at some point in the not too distinct future will include Play1’s and Play 3’s where line in ceases to be an option………..

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Kumar

@wkbglobal : head over to the linked if you want to hear from folks here with similar views looking for workable short and long term alternatives:

https://en.community.sonos.com/controllers-software-228995/the-sonos-brexit-and-a-pragmatic-way-past-it-6836056

I no longer visit this thread, it moves so fast that my head hurts. Just drop in once in a while.

By the way, I too have feelings for even my Connect Amp; I refuse to send it to a landfill. And I am a reformed audiophile that has had far more alluring objects to have feelings over.

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Wkelkel

Enthusiast II

It is time to remind everyone here that is angry - be grateful that all legacy products have line in, and say: All hail, Line In…

Doesn't help those aggrieved by having traded in their line in jacks though.

Ah Kumar I think you have missed the point a little. “Legacy” is going to creep along and at some point in the not too distinct future will include Play1’s and Play 3’s where line in ceases to be an option……….

.

Play5 line in gives the option to add Google assistant for me. Once connected Google speakers and displays are added to room grouping. Plus the benefit of a smart display showing album art.

I very nearly went for the Google speaker this time but held back just on the fact that they haven't got a soundbar option quite yet.

Once in place I think it's bad news for Sonos. Plus many disgruntled Sonos supporters within this community remembering this latest episode of money grabbing?

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