End of Software Support - Clarifications

End of Software Support - Clarifications
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A
Userlevel 6
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And still no word or communications back from Sonos of any sort?

 

 

T
Userlevel 4
Badge +2

It’s amazing that a device that has always been able to stream an MP3 or an audio stream suddenly can’t do that when the bitrate required hasn’t changed. I need a new device to stream a crappy audio file? What a crock of …..

K

 

 the level to which folks are flocking to this board is absolutely unprecedented, and dwarfs anything I’ve ever seen and by an enormous margin. 
Damage is being done and it isn’t just limited to this forum or Reddit comments.

We/Sonos may be at an inflection point here; the thing about them is they are close to impossible to recognise as they take place. Time will tell.

M
Userlevel 4
Badge +1

Very unimpressed by this decision by sonos. 
They should be looking at possible ways and costs to be upgrade the older speakers with better processor etc. 
this would be more environmental and speaker’s would not be thrown away in half hearted attempt at recycling. Sonos would be part of the proper recycling of their speakers. In other words they would reduce electronic waste. 
if a speaker has broken other components then the decision to scrap it would be the owners. 
 

with the current legacy idea in May I gather that  my older equipment will stop future updates to my whole system. In that case I will be happy to stay with sonos update I have. I can use the system as it is. I guess I can add to the system by buying older speakers which will now be plummeting in price as they won’t update. 

this is devaluing sonos’s reputation  too!!
 

overall sonos should find better solutions 

You know what… I never considered this brilliant option! I could care less about voice control and other features. My Sonos system does what I want already. This could be an incredible 2nd-hand upgrade path for expanding a legacy system.

The danger with that approach is that a third-party content provider changes their streaming interface and then it can’t stream the content that you want. Although - I’m sure some clever people would create a subscription based service that translates x into y. At the end of the day, it’s just an audio stream to a speaker.

S
Userlevel 4
Badge +1

 

this is a good discussion - the presenter has 9 'legacy' products and has said be will not upgrade them because they will just do it again in 5 plus years - 

"you just killed me as a customer, dead, Sonos" 

"ill never buy another sonos product again"

 

 

 

lee Tronix
Userlevel 2
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I believe Sonos as a business started to lose its market share a few years ago and when it was sold off the company marked up its prices and it has not been faring well as a result.  Its plain and simple its just greed over quality and they want quantity sales over quality and quality service and products.  

The lies they come out with are absurd in terms of not supporting the original speakers just like they killed off the CR controllers units which cost a fortune and provided excellent functionality.  

So I am not surprised at all they are going to be massacred as a business now and I have no love for the company anymore. Im done with them. 

Good Riddance & Never Again Sonos
D
Userlevel 3

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. 

This is a “Ratner” moment.  If you don’t know what that is, look up “Gerald Ratner”

chickentender

Very unimpressed by this decision by sonos. 
They should be looking at possible ways and costs to be upgrade the older speakers with better processor etc. 
this would be more environmental and speaker’s would not be thrown away in half hearted attempt at recycling. Sonos would be part of the proper recycling of their speakers. In other words they would reduce electronic waste. 
if a speaker has broken other components then the decision to scrap it would be the owners. 
 

with the current legacy idea in May I gather that  my older equipment will stop future updates to my whole system. In that case I will be happy to stay with sonos update I have. I can use the system as it is. I guess I can add to the system by buying older speakers which will now be plummeting in price as they won’t update. 

this is devaluing sonos’s reputation  too!!
 

overall sonos should find better solutions 

You know what… I never considered this brilliant option! I could care less about voice control and other features. My Sonos system does what I want already. This could be an incredible 2nd-hand upgrade path for expanding a legacy system.

The danger with that approach is that a third-party content provider changes their streaming interface and then it can’t stream the content that you want. Although - I’m sure some clever people would create a subscription based service that translates x into y. At the end of the day, it’s just an audio stream to a speaker.

Oh it’s FAR from ideal, I agree, and the risks are still present. That’s part of the uproar. For my part, I do an enormous amount of local streaming of my personal music collection and that is the *least* likely portion of the interface to affected going forward. And for streaming, I’ve already been thinking that I can use most any streaming box, from whomever for whatever price I choose, and wire it to my existing Connect to stream out to my Sonos speakers. I’d have to use the Sonos app for grouping changes and tweaks here and there which would be a bit kludgy having two apps involved much of the time, but at least it would be a workable solution for the long-term.

edit: and anyone wanting to do the same who doesn’t have a Connect…. there’s about to be a host of them available for cheap.

lee Tronix
Userlevel 2
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Hahaha yes I remember that all too well...:grinning:

 

I think they read his playbook! 

Good Riddance & Never Again Sonos
T

Like many other users I’m appalled by the decision by Sonos to end software updates for some of their products. I purchased a Play 5 in May 2015 for £399. The current price on the Sonos website is £499. With the 30% discount I would still have to find £349. I don’t think this is acceptable, fair or equitable.

I’ve always been an advocate of Sonos and its products. On the few occasions in the past when I have contacted Sonos Customer Support the experience has always been positive.

Now I am completely disillusioned. I certainly don’t intend to expand my system with any additional Sonos products for fear that they will go the same way in a few years.

I suspect that this will become a future case study on how a successful company can get something so wrong. It’s certainly a good example of how not to treat loyal customers. I suspect that the well paid managers involved in this decision will have no appreciation or understanding of the financial implications to their customers. I’m retired now so whilst the decision makers may well feel that a 30% discount is generous I can tell them that it isn’t when you are on a pension. Finding £350 is not easy.

 

 

J
Userlevel 4
Badge +3

Quite the nihilist view there. One important missed factor: Sonos built its reputation over the last decade and a half on favorable reviews, favorable tech press, and word of mouth. It has all been generally rosy but for a couple of hiccups along the way; overall sentiment has been positive. I’ve been here for a number of years now off and on since 2014, and though there’ve been some instances of discontent, the level to which folks are flocking to this board is absolutely unprecedented, and dwarfs anything I’ve ever seen and by an enormous margin. 
Damage is being done and it isn’t just limited to this forum or Reddit comments. Onboarding new customers amid a backlash of this scale is going to be quite a task in my opinion. Again, I’ve never seen this many people (yourself included by the looks of it, welcome 🙂 ) here on the board. Ever. And no one showed up to ask how to create a playlist or connect a turntable. It’s of a singular reason for these thousands of posts.

Nihilist as seem from within the fan club, yes. Also, if you read my other replys, you will find that this is just another angle - basically I am as sad about this whole things as everybody else here. But it may be useful to try seing the situation with the eyes of the opponent - who may not even be aware that there is “a situation”.

I agree that Sonos’ reputation is built on a certain business model that includes loyal customers. When the first products appeared, the looks of them was clearly inspired by Apple’s products (like other products appearing in the market at that time). and to me at least it was clear that they were trying to build a similar “fanboy” metality among their customers that could justify higher prices - the design would help making this model seem just to the customers.

However, they may not see the world this way anymore - that is what I am testing with that input.

And thanks for the welcome! As I am now dismantling the broken dream and leaving the Sonos universe in favor of another, my time in this forum will most likely be short. But still, nice to meet you :)

“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)
chickentender

Quite the nihilist view there. One important missed factor: Sonos built its reputation over the last decade and a half on favorable reviews, favorable tech press, and word of mouth. It has all been generally rosy but for a couple of hiccups along the way; overall sentiment has been positive. I’ve been here for a number of years now off and on since 2014, and though there’ve been some instances of discontent, the level to which folks are flocking to this board is absolutely unprecedented, and dwarfs anything I’ve ever seen and by an enormous margin. 
Damage is being done and it isn’t just limited to this forum or Reddit comments. Onboarding new customers amid a backlash of this scale is going to be quite a task in my opinion. Again, I’ve never seen this many people (yourself included by the looks of it, welcome 🙂 ) here on the board. Ever. And no one showed up to ask how to create a playlist or connect a turntable. It’s of a singular reason for these thousands of posts.

Nihilist as seem from within the fan club, yes. Also, if you read my other replys, you will find that this is just another angle - basically I am as sad about this whole things as everybody else here. But it may be useful to try seing the situation with the eyes of the opponent - who may not even be aware that there is “a situation”.

I agree that Sonos’ reputation is built on a certain business model that includes loyal customers. When the first products appeared, the looks of them was clearly inspired by Apple’s products (like other products appearing in the market at that time). and to me at least it was clear that they were trying to build a similar “fanboy” metality among their customers that could justify higher prices - the design would help making this model seem just to the customers.

However, they may not see the world this way anymore - that is what I am testing with that input.

And thanks for the welcome! As I am now dismantling the broken dream and leaving the Sonos universe in favor of another, my time in this forum will most likely be short. But still, nice to meet you :)

Cheers mate. May your listening be ever more enjoyable. :)

lee Tronix
Userlevel 2
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It is a crock.  The process is irrelevant as audio is receiving signal the speaker outputs the sound.  In this case the audio is received through the internet which is passed to the speaker.  So the only support is from the software which has absolutely nothing to do with the Sonos speakers.  

 

They are struggling and want to upgrade 100s of 1000s of original customers - so yeah its a crock...

Good Riddance & Never Again Sonos
B
Userlevel 3
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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.

Why would you make an announcement that you're ceasing support for legacy systems before you have a plan tested and in place, and tell everyone an option is to upgrade at 30% discount?

Seems to me that IS the plan.  Spark a panic and attempt to get your customers to upgrade due to fear of the unknown.

Trying to make a sale using FUD (Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt) is always a bad move.

 

C
Userlevel 4
Badge +2

 

this is a good discussion - the presenter has 9 'legacy' products and has said be will not upgrade them because they will just do it again in 5 plus years - 

"you just killed me as a customer, dead, Sonos" 

"ill never buy another sonos product again"

 

 

 

Leo is a charlatan. To compare the players to a computer is plain silly.

We talking network connected streaming devices which don’t have any need to be smart.

 

A
Userlevel 6
Badge +10

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.

Why would you make an announcement that you're ceasing support for legacy systems before you have a plan tested and in place, and tell everyone an option is to upgrade at 30% discount?

Seems to me that IS the plan.  Spark a panic and attempt to get your customers to upgrade due to fear of the unknown.

Trying to make a sale using FUD (Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt) is always a bad move.

 

Ouch that is a dark and yet compelling explanation. 

F
Userlevel 1

If you’d chosen Sonos for durability and quality you will be surprised by the companies definition of legacy which renders your £1000+ investment for life a rather expensive scrapheap. Wait for the Player and the Sub hit the dust and things will get really rough on Sonos forums. Maximise profits is at the core rather that quality products. The 30 percent discount is an insult and you should think twice having a 70 percent depreciation over five years. My desto computer is older than this. As a software engineer I know that Sonos can make this work. There is no need to support voice assistants on devices without micro and I did not ever think that built in “innovation” should be the focus of a solid music system rather than excellent sound. Give a 70 percent discount on legacy buybacks and you may get out of this hole you dug yourself. Otherwise, I am off. Goodbye Sonos. You were once a good choice and I was a proud Sonos owner and encouraged others to be part of that. Well, stupid that.

G
Userlevel 1

In all Sonos marketing the strap line is that ‘The Sonos system will grow with you’, a very powerful statement until you realise that your ‘children’ will only make 5 years old!

I have invested in the system over the years and expanded to a whole house music system which I now have to spend thousands to replace/upgrade and I cannot buy or add to the system any further after the big Sonos shutdown?

Personally, I think that this is a terrible move by what I always believed to be a trustworthy company.

T
Userlevel 4
Badge +2

It’s not even exactly a true 30% discount. It’s 30% off RRP.

S
Userlevel 1

Shameful decision by Sonos.  And I truly thought you were better than this.  Not only did I buy Sonos for myself, but also for my family.  You’ve betrayed us all.

What will happen to my Play 5 after you stop updates?  How long will it continue to work properly?  How can I maintain an integrated system if one of the devices has to be isolated from the others?  How long before you do the same thing to other Sonos products?

Most of all, now that you’ve destroyed the confidence of your existing loyal customers, why would any of us want to buy another Sonos product in the future?

S

I am Disgusted with this, my play 5 is only 5 years old so you are totally screwing me over to buy a new one AFTER 5 BLOODY YEARS, well done sonos well done, my faith in your products has been lost completely.

E

Not only will I not buy another sonos product but my advice to all those friends who bought many $K of equipment since 2011 will be the same.

By all means stop updating the legacy equipment and even better, deploy a stable legacy app that doesn't update every time I use it. But instead you inbred to block what I have. OK, fine, we owners of legacy kit will do what we can to block you sonos. 

What a great bunch you were when we meet in Amsterdam in 2012 at the launch of play 1. Has greed krept into your culture? 

N
Userlevel 1

Just a matter of hours now before Sonos does the inevitable and declares this forum thread “Legacy” and shuts it down 🙁

I

I have three Play5’s (Gen1), a zone player and a bridge built over many years on the basis of the Sonos reputation, quality, and reliability.

Today that trust has been destroyed. In a world where we talk about sustainability and concern for the environment Sonos has condemned my flawlessly working system to the scrap heap.  Their concern is only for their profit margins.

I will never be buying or recommending Sonos ever again.

P
Userlevel 1

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.

I bought my sonos kit 5yrs ago.  Since then I have recommended sonos to very many friends/relaitives.  Not now.  Last week my brother wanted to push ahead and buy some sonos however I had to advise him to not do so.  I cited the built-in obsolescence as a likely major problem for the future.  Sonos seems to be moving away from ‘Hi-Fi’ and more towards cheapo-disposable products but at a premium price.  What a shame

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