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StuTaylor
Contributor I
March 10, 2021
Answered

Is Roam S1 Compatible?

Hi

I have a couple of speakers that mean I have to use S1 controller app, can the new Roam be used with this or is it only S2 compatible 

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    GuitarSuperstarAnswer
    Lead Maestro
    March 10, 2021

    The Roam is only compatible with the S2 app.

    "Receive with simplicity everything that happens to you." - Rashi
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    74 replies

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    Sonosjunkie
    Sonosjunkie
    Prodigy III
    March 23, 2021

    Does anyone know if Warner Bros. is going to release Tenet on Betamax? I have a perfectly good Betamax player and want to watch the latest movies on it.


    Hopefully with DTS soundtrack!

     

    oh wait! Doh. 

    Lounge: 5.1 Arc HT (2x Subs and 2xP5 rears) with LGOLED77CX. Kitchen: 2xOneW, 2xP3w with SubW. Bedroom: 2xP1s. Office/Studio: 2xP5w. Snug 2xP1s. Garage: 2xOneW. Also 3x Moves.
      Keithmac
      Virtuoso
      March 29, 2021

      Thanks, I thought the Move was announced subsequent to the launch of S2.

      Look, I get it. If I’m being honest, I simply have heartburn about the cost associated with enabling the move to the S2 controller. However at the same time, I’ve yet to see a very compelling reason to make that $1,200 investment at this time and I know I’m not alone. Would replacing my original Play 5’s with Five’s be an upgrade, sure, but for me personally, I’ve yet to see any real value prop outside of obsolesce that makes me excited to give them my money. S2 isn’t going to make my existing speakers sound any better and I don’t own an ARC, so again I’m left scratching my head. For me personally, it’s just money better spent elsewhere at this time. 

       

      If I was in your situation, I would stay on S1 as well.  I’m not sure I follow where the heartburn is coming from, since you’re happy with where you are.  Is it more of a feeling that you want to be on the latest and greatest, or having some of the current products (to a lesser extent), but can’t justify the added cost of upgrading your whole system?  I get that.

      For most of it’s life Sonos has been a system that you can just add on as you wish without replacing anything.  Now there’s a gap where you have to do more to get a little more.  It’s almost like buying a new car.  Nothing wrong with the car you have now, but you do like all the little improvement a new car has….it’s not enough to justify buying the new car.

       

      Yeah, I’d say you’re pretty spot on. It’s the financial piece of it coupled with the inability to add/upgrade when and where I want without having to operate two separate systems until I meet S2 requirements throughout the house. It’s also the current feature set and perceived value of S2 in my environment.

      I’d love to upgrade my kitchen and bathroom Play 5’s. If I could do that a piece at a time as budget permits, it would be more palatable. But, I can’t and I’m coming to terms with it. It just seems like there could have been a better way.

      I’m sure I’ll eventually upgrade, as staying on S1 ultimately leads to obsolescence, but for now I just have to get over it and realize I’m not missing much. In the meantime, Sonos is going to have to do a better job selling me the value of S2. The Roam isn’t enough or going to do it. 

      Thanks for listening and for the feedback. Really not trying to troll or stir the pot, simply expressing my perspective. 

       

      Yep it would have to be something pretty special to get me to move onto S2, not the Roam or the ARC unfortunately.

       

       

        Ralpfocus
        Prodigy III
        March 29, 2021

         

        Thanks, I thought the Move was announced subsequent to the launch of S2.

        Look, I get it. If I’m being honest, I simply have heartburn about the cost associated with enabling the move to the S2 controller. However at the same time, I’ve yet to see a very compelling reason to make that $1,200 investment at this time and I know I’m not alone. Would replacing my original Play 5’s with Five’s be an upgrade, sure, but for me personally, I’ve yet to see any real value prop outside of obsolesce that makes me excited to give them my money. S2 isn’t going to make my existing speakers sound any better and I don’t own an ARC, so again I’m left scratching my head. For me personally, it’s just money better spent elsewhere at this time. 

         

        If I was in your situation, I would stay on S1 as well.  I’m not sure I follow where the heartburn is coming from, since you’re happy with where you are.  Is it more of a feeling that you want to be on the latest and greatest, or having some of the current products (to a lesser extent), but can’t justify the added cost of upgrading your whole system?  I get that.

        For most of it’s life Sonos has been a system that you can just add on as you wish without replacing anything.  Now there’s a gap where you have to do more to get a little more.  It’s almost like buying a new car.  Nothing wrong with the car you have now, but you do like all the little improvement a new car has….it’s not enough to justify buying the new car.

         

        Yeah, I’d say you’re pretty spot on. It’s the financial piece of it coupled with the inability to add/upgrade when and where I want without having to operate two separate systems until I meet S2 requirements throughout the house. It’s also the current feature set and perceived value of S2 in my environment.

        I’d love to upgrade my kitchen and bathroom Play 5’s. If I could do that a piece at a time as budget permits, it would be more palatable. But, I can’t and I’m coming to terms with it. It just seems like there could have been a better way.

        I’m sure I’ll eventually upgrade, as staying on S1 ultimately leads to obsolescence, but for now I just have to get over it and realize I’m not missing much. In the meantime, Sonos is going to have to do a better job selling me the value of S2. The Roam isn’t enough or going to do it. 

        Thanks for listening and for the feedback. Really not trying to troll or stir the pot, simply expressing my perspective. 

         

        Yep it would have to be something pretty special to get me to move onto S2, not the Roam or the ARC unfortunately.

         

         

         

        Agreed Roam not special enough for an S2 upgrade but headphones might just be, need to start the softening up process on the better half :grinning:

          Keithmac
          Virtuoso
          March 29, 2021

          I've got a ZP90, was going to buy a set of headphones to twin with that.

          Sonos headphones would indeed be excellent (I asked for some years ago), but I don't know if I could go back to the incessant updates again, it's quite peaceful now on S1!.

            Chad_3
            Contributor I
            April 8, 2021

            The Roam is only possible because Sonos development is no longer restricted by its oldest devices.

            No way. It’s totally just marketing. Some ‘features’ can’t run on the older devices. Airplay2 being a good example. But the system could carry on without them easily (for those opting to use S1 equipment). The S1/S2 divide is pure sales and marketing from the same mindset that brought us the ‘brick your speaker to upgrade’ debacle. 
            What they should have done is put the electronics on a plug-and-play removable module and then just sold a £50 ‘upgrade module’ for each speaker when they went S3. New processor, new wifi chip upgrade etc

            People would buy into that I think. 

              John B
              April 8, 2021

              The Roam is only possible because Sonos development is no longer restricted by its oldest devices.

              No way. It’s totally just marketing. Some ‘features’ can’t run on the older devices. Airplay2 being a good example. But the system could carry on without them easily (for those opting to use S1 equipment). The S1/S2 divide is pure sales and marketing from the same mindset that brought us the ‘brick your speaker to upgrade’ debacle. 
              What they should have done is put the electronics on a plug-and-play removable module and then just sold a £50 ‘upgrade module’ for each speaker when they went S3. New processor, new wifi chip upgrade etc

              People would buy into that I think. 

              No point trying to persuade you.  It doesn’t really matter what either of us thinks is the reason.  The Roam is not, and will never be, S1 compatible.

                Airgetlam
                Airgetlam
                April 8, 2021

                Interesting thought.
                 

                Since the speaker’s initial design was not intended to be opened, based on their ‘when you open them, you lose any warranty’ position the company has always had, how would that work? Who would be an ‘authorized’ upgrade company, for people unwilling to do that work themselves? What countries would that service be available in? How much of the internals would need upgrading? Is it just the RAM and CPU, or is the power supply require updating as well? Are those pieces pluggable, or are the soldered on to a board? What happens when DIYers electrocute themselves when attempting to do their own upgrades? How many Android or iPhones, which are somewhat similar network devices, can be opened and upgraded?

                Lots of things I suspect the company considered when forced in to their position. And likely more that I haven’t, as I suspect they had more minds and more time thinking about it trying to avoid it, since I suspect they were well aware of the backlash that would ensue once the information got out. 

                 

                Bruce
                  User718567
                  Trending Lyricist I
                  April 15, 2021

                  I am a electrical engineer and design microchips and networking systems for a living. This whole S1/S2 thing could have easily been addressed with a bridge module that proxied the features and music for all the S1 components from the S2 network. The S1 components would all be served by that bridge. This would have taken some engineering but very doable. I even suggested this to several of my friends that work at Sonos. Fell on deaf ears in upper management.  Sonos chose not to go that route because they could sell more gear with this approach of obsoleting the older devices. Deal with it, they are a corporation that has to show continued growth in sales and profits….

                  Nicoli
                    SeanTS9
                    Lyricist III
                    April 20, 2021

                    The Roam is only possible because Sonos development is no longer restricted by its oldest devices.

                    What does the roam do that my Sonos move can’t do? Other than fit in my pocket and produce half of the sound output?

                      SeanTS9
                      Lyricist III
                      April 20, 2021

                      The s1 s2 gap stops me buying any more sonos...  I have ten sonos components. Three only work with s1. 

                       

                      I cancelled my roam order as s2 only. Sonos driver to a non customer....as  To replace 2 connects and 1 p5 would could me around £1200 for a £140 roam.  So in short as a big time sonos customer I can not longer add new products to my system and spend money with sonos.    so essentially now am no longer a sonos customer because sonos make it impossible with spending 1000s to get as is function I already have.   Suggest you review....

                      As I said before, If Sonos hadn’t made the S1 / S2 split they would not have been able to develop new products and features anyway.  So they still wouldn’t have been able to sell you anything more.  Sonos can’t change the S1 / S2 split, and they won’t.  The Roam cannot work on S1.

                      So now you don’t have a portable speaker, what are your plans?  Do without a portable speaker, which you apparently thought you needed a few days ago?  Or buy another brand of portable speaker?  One that won’t work with Sonos S1 or S2.  

                       No you simply buy a Sonos move... 

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