End of Software Support - Clarifications

End of Software Support - Clarifications
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B
Userlevel 3
Badge +2

What I find extraordinary and shakes my confidence in Sonos is announcing products will be relegated to legacy status in around 16 weeks that are still currently for sale. I cannot think of another example where a company has inflicted such reputational  damage on itself so brilliantly. It will probably be used in case studies as examples of how not to do things and alienate your customers present and future.

 

I do think Sonos are in a bind trying to keep up with audio streams from Netflix and Amazon. I accepted albeit reluctantly that Sonos were making DTS my problem to fix with blu ray displaying an arrogance that companies like Apple are famous for. Saying you’re an audio solution for streaming services is fine so long as you then actually offer the necessary decoding. Their lazy excuses, attitude to HDMI audio and lack of investment in these technologies in general have now come home to roost. To stay relevant they have to use more powerful tech than that built into some of their products, the problem for me is these are decisions that should have been made long ago, weren’t for whatever reason leading to this clumsy almost panicky fiasco. 
 

I’d imagine there are plans for Atmos, DD+ etc that will require a new generation of sound bases and bars that older kit designs can’t connect with probably due to bandwidth limitations. I certainly hope so because without a clear road map in May I will be looking at alternatives for future purchases.

S
Userlevel 2

What an absolutely shoddy way to treat your long standing customers.  Haven’t taken up your offer of 30% off a newer product because, well, we both know that all of this is going to happen again in a few years don’t we.  Thanks though.  I am typing this whilst listening to my new Naim Muso qb….Goodness...The clarity of the sound is remarkable.  Bye Sonos.

Guy_19
Userlevel 5
Badge +4

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?

 

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.
N
Userlevel 6
Badge +5

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.

G
Userlevel 1

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.

G

I’m afraid I’m another customer who’s confidence in Sonos has been shattered. 

 

I starting building my system over 10 years ago and now have 2 x Connects Amps, 2 x Connect, 2 x CR200, a Sonos 5 and Sonos 1. After May only the Sonos One will be supported so at a stroke my whole system will be obsolete. I’ve already got shot of 2 x CR100 which were great waterproof wall mountable controllers.

I will, against my better judgement probably replace the 2 Connects with Amps as to be honest, no one else makes kit like this. However, even with the 30% discount, I’ll being be paying not much less than I paid for my Connect amps, for additional functionality that I neither want or need.

The rest of the system however will get replaced with other solutions as some of the many issues identified by fellow former fans become too frustrating.

D
Badge

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

SirDigitalKnight
Userlevel 2
Badge +4

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”

N
Userlevel 6
Badge +5

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 .....

V

 I'm so disappointed with the announcement about decommissioning legacy products and forcing upgrades. I've invested a lot of money in my Sonos system which covers the whole of a four bedroom house and outside areas - I've even convinced my friends to spend more money than for competition systems and invest in Sonos - you can imagine what they are saying to me now - I live with all the issues of speakers falling off the network, controllers not connecting, etc because I love my Sonos - but the 30 per cent discount is not enough - can the CEO give an assurance that he will work with partners such as Spotify to stop the damage?  Otherwise this is the biggest PR disaster in the history if Hifi and could see Sonos go down - who in their right minds stops their loyal customers from accessing the very service they have sold to them?

M
Userlevel 3
Badge +6

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!

Guy_19
Userlevel 5
Badge +4

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).

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
Userlevel 4
Badge +2

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). 

C

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.

C
Userlevel 5
Badge +3

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.

 

S
Userlevel 3
Badge

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

S
Userlevel 4
Badge +1

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

 

 

J
Userlevel 4
Badge +3

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

Anyone who knows more about this?

“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)
S
Userlevel 4
Badge +2

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. ;)

M
Userlevel 4
Badge +1

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

M
Userlevel 1

I do find it interesting that Sonos are not saying anything. No sign of contrition or apology. They really dont seem to give a s**t.

P

Seems like Sonos have lost a lot of customers. I have 4 speakers currently and will be looking to replace them with another brand going forward. The 30% discount is a joke, especially as I need to fork out another £50 on a mounting bracket on top of the new speaker.

Play 3 was not far behind the original Play 5 release, so do we expect that to face the same fate soon?

M
Userlevel 4
Badge +1

I do find it interesting that Sonos are not saying anything. No sign of contrition or apology. They really dont seem to give a s**t.

The CEO tried to fake it. He acknowledged they got everything wrong, then reiterated what everyone was upset about.

M
Userlevel 4
Badge +1

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. ;)

Joking aside, sonos before this CEO and IPO would have done it. They gave me a 45% off coupon after a few support calls.

B
Userlevel 5
Badge +5

other than breaking the deafening silence of the first ~48 hrs, and an acknowledgement that “we hear you” this is the only valuable part of CEO’s message to me:

“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.”

Until there are details on this, I don’t think the community will let up pressure and no one will be buying anything or “trading up”.  The two-separate-systems initially vaguely suggested won’t be seen as any solution, there must be some SW integration that at least makes these usable in a single system.

 

So how will this split system work with my paired play 5’s (legacy) + Sub (not legacy)….. it wont!

 

Sonos from leader to loser in 2020.
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