Retired Sonos Staff

End of Software Support - Clarifications

December 8, 2022 at 11:29 AM
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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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Jesper Buch

Lyricist I

I have spend 20.000 dollars on SONOS products divided into 2 houses…. I was supporting you in the early days almost 10 years ago . - the products are working fine - they play music !!! I expect it to keep on working fine …. top managment really fucked up but in order for you to prevent a huge shitstorm and disaster you need to rethink this…. FAST….

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Chris Gee

Lyricist I

I am utterly disappointed with this.

I have spend thousands of pounds on Sonos products and at no point was there any indication that the products I bought will go out of date and be unusable.

I cant believe that this is legal for Sonos to make this move?

You have totaly alienated me from your company with this decision and I was a big fan

I do hope that you re-consider this and find a way for existing loyal customers to retain their old kit

Your offer to replace the old kit and give a discount to buy new kit is quite frankly an insult and I see it as a money making exercise :rage:

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phil4

Contributor I

While Sonos talk of gradual degradation of service from old devices, it’ll only be that if you consider it across all their devices, or if you use all the services.

Let’s say you only use your device to listen to spotify. Spotify change their API. Your Sonos then doesn’t work. That wasn’t very gradual was it?

Yes, there are workarounds (line-in?), but they’re extra cost, and extra complexity that remove the Sonos’s key usability points.

I’m actively looking at other manufacturers right now, and hope between now and when it stops working I find something half decent. Even if I was sticking with Sonos, what is with the Play5 to Move trade -in suggestion? Talk about bonkers… looks like no discounts for me, hence looking elsewhere.

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castalla

Local Superstar

These aren't cheap products - people have invested thousands, that's why it feels so wrong.

Just because you spent 1000s shouldn’t give any priority over somebody who spent only 150.

Buy into a closed system and you’re quite likely to be left high and dry at some point.

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It's the courageous bee's knees - all 6 🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝. - - - - - Make Sonos Great Again - - - - -

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RobShamrock1

Contributor I

I've taken a couple days to catch up with all the info and post here and general opinion.

I feel terrible about the way SONOS have gone about this decision. I understand tech can become obsolete but something just sits wrong with me about this whole situation. My brother in law in the UK

had a SONOS system that I fell in love with when I visited. My wife knew I was hooked and the first of

our SONOS products got bought not long after 2x Play5s and 1x Play3, so a large initial outlay,

a boost is added and some more Play1s, so we’re all in, I nearly pulled trigger on a Beam for living room

on Black Friday, I also considered the 30% trade in but glad now I did my reading.

Terrible decision and short sighted allround, I’m considering my options to move away to another brand now, and like others had been proud to show of and promote how good my SONOS was as a system

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jwinther

Lyricist III

It is interesting to study the comments in this thread, as they all seem to be based on certain assumptions:

“I am a good customer” - well, you may have bought things during time, but to Sonos it may well be so that a good customer is one who will buy something now and in the near future. Old customers are not contributing to the bottom line.

Sonos’ own financial statements say the opposite. 38% of their sales (if I recall - others have posted the information multiple times in this thread) come from existing customers growing their system.

Yes, I have seen this - and it appears to me that it may be referring to their hitherto business, used as part of an analysis of going into a different direction. Maybe things are changing in any case, maybe the old customers have now fille their houses with devices and are not likely to buy a lot more - or maybe the new Strategy for Sonos is simply to after for a different customer segment; bigger and with a more immediate focus?

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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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e3nkw

Lyricist I

Like many others here I am so furious about this I will not buy Sonos again unless they back track. A Sonos convert for nearly 10 years I have embraced the whole home concept and invested in 3x connect amp, 3x playbar, 6x play1, 3x sub, 3x play3 and 1x bridge (which I no longer use as I use wifi now). I have recommended Sonos to very many people too, no more. I just gave my son my old Bose system bought 20 years ago. It still works, sounds great and makes me regret the path I have taken. I was about to add to my inventory to replace the Bose, now I will not.

Also agree with others here. 30% is a joke, 20% is a regular discount and then the reseller makes something too I guess 30% makes Sonos more money direct than selling through resellers. This is a profit and loss decision, your profit, our loss.

Bye Sonos. RIP.

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lee Tronix

Lyricist I

So a signal passed through wifi via the Bridge or direct LAN etc cannot be supported?

A speaker is a speaker it receives audio, the software is the source of arranging the signal...such contempt you have for customers as a company. Like many others who have spent 1000s for products that you deliberately have fudged.

Ohhhkay…

Well either way I am going to get rid of all my Sonos gear and never purchase or recommend you again. Also the CR100/200 controller which did not need to be fudged...yes I was fuming when you dd that and again it still would work absolutely fine indefinitely.

SO LONG SONOS - you will never be taking my money EVER again - GOOD RIDDANCE

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Good Riddance & Never Again Sonos

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Cisume

Enthusiast II

It is interesting to study the comments in this thread, as they all seem to be based on certain assumptions:

“I am a good customer” - well, you may have bought things during time, but to Sonos it may well be so that a good customer is one who will buy something now and in the near future. Old customers are not contributing to the bottom line.
“I have been loyal to you, you should be loyal to me” - Sonos is not your friend! Sonos is selling electronics, of which you have bought some. They produce, you consume, end of story.
“My system of Sonos products is valuabe because I paid a lot for it” - My bet is that Sonos sees each product as a piece of plastic with some cheap electronics inside, and probably see the economical value only for as long as there is still a warranty to honor; as long as the product can still cost Sonos some money. After that, it is just an old piece of plastic.
“We 2,000 people who complain are such a force, they must listen to us” - Haha, Sonos has sold millions of devices and probably calculate in bigger numbers than that. Saying goodbye to 2,000 customers, of which some can probably even be won back, should not matter much.
“The press and internet media is supporting us” - As I read the articles out there, journalists have a hard time seeing the unreasonable in it all; as they all start with the official “Sonos is seeking to retire the oldest of its units, designed from 2005 to 2009”. Not many readers will feel pity for you who had support for such a long time on simple home electronics. And after a few days, these articles will be forgotten.
“Sonos depends on loyal customers” - As said, if you are not buying, you are not a customer. A business depends on selling something to real customers, not of having a fan club of former buyers.

I myself would like to believe in all these assumptions, but realistically speaking, there may be no response from Sonos, no change in the program, no reward for having complained about Sonos’ decisions and behaviour. After the storm fades in a few days, it will be business as usuall - Sonos trying to find paying customers where they can, and you trying to decide what to buy and what not to.

It is obvious that we are consumers trapped in the illusion of being kind of partners - and for this, Sonos rather deserves praise: they managed to spread this idea and maintain it for so long, helping them to build a company. Cleverly done, useful to them when needed. Now it is not needed anymore, as the company is growing and developing different needs, such as a vision for the economical future, and later, some more solid quarterly reports for the shareholders.

It is tempting to cite The Matrix: “Welcome to the real world!”.

They started at a time with not much competition and had a leading product at a time when Planned Obsolescence of competitors was a thing and SONOS was different. I would think they have/had a loyal following with a lot of referrals from existing customer. These days it’s different with quite a few other options to choose from. The current lawsuit vs Google is sure about $$$

If somebody has just one player might be not a big deal. If you have outfitted your whole house with them it’s quite some investment.

Speakers for casual playing, Amazon’s own you and pick up for a bargain from time to time for 50% no discount coupon needed next day free delivery.

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chickentender

It is interesting to study the comments in this thread, as they all seem to be based on certain assumptions:

“I am a good customer” - well, you may have bought things during time, but to Sonos it may well be so that a good customer is one who will buy something now and in the near future. Old customers are not contributing to the bottom line.
“I have been loyal to you, you should be loyal to me” - Sonos is not your friend! Sonos is selling electronics, of which you have bought some. They produce, you consume, end of story.
“My system of Sonos products is valuabe because I paid a lot for it” - My bet is that Sonos sees each product as a piece of plastic with some cheap electronics inside, and probably see the economical value only for as long as there is still a warranty to honor; as long as the product can still cost Sonos some money. After that, it is just an old piece of plastic.
“We 2,000 people who complain are such a force, they must listen to us” - Haha, Sonos has sold millions of devices and probably calculate in bigger numbers than that. Saying goodbye to 2,000 customers, of which some can probably even be won back, should not matter much.
“The press and internet media is supporting us” - As I read the articles out there, journalists have a hard time seeing the unreasonable in it all; as they all start with the official “Sonos is seeking to retire the oldest of its units, designed from 2005 to 2009”. Not many readers will feel pity for you who had support for such a long time on simple home electronics. And after a few days, these articles will be forgotten.
“Sonos depends on loyal customers” - As said, if you are not buying, you are not a customer. A business depends on selling something to real customers, not of having a fan club of former buyers.

I myself would like to believe in all these assumptions, but realistically speaking, there may be no response from Sonos, no change in the program, no reward for having complained about Sonos’ decisions and behaviour. After the storm fades in a few days, it will be business as usuall - Sonos trying to find paying customers where they can, and you trying to decide what to buy and what not to.

It is obvious that we are consumers trapped in the illusion of being kind of partners - and for this, Sonos rather deserves praise: they managed to spread this idea and maintain it for so long, helping them to build a company. Cleverly done, useful to them when needed. Now it is not needed anymore, as the company is growing and developing different needs, such as a vision for the economical future, and later, some more solid quarterly reports for the shareholders.

It is tempting to cite The Matrix: “Welcome to the real world!”.

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. And the level of anger in those posts seems to be one that won’t be soon forgotten by the authors… They will talk, talk to many not present here -- word of mouth -- and that talk will be further damaging.

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