New Product showing on FCC - S15

What do you mean by Alexa control with no Alexa hardware? Do you mean Amazon hardware?

It would be interesting to see if Sonos comes out with their own microphone. It may be a necessity in order to create the proper functionality and ease of use. Reading the article, it sounds like Sonos believes it's important that the voice commands not be complex like "Alexa, tell Sonos to pause", but instead simple like "Alexa, pause". If Amazon won't allowed that configuration, that Sonos has to have their own hardware. It sound minor, but it's actually a hug difference.

There is also the statement that Sonos wants to be voice service diagnostic. If they have their own mic, then that may be a lot easier. You just tell the mic what voice service to use, and away you go.

The downside to this is that you likely won't be able to get the latest voice assistant, like the Echo Show. As well, you might not be able to have your Sonos/echo in the same space as your Amazon Echo. The Amazon may hear your Sonos command not be able to act on it.

And yes, cost would be a factor. I won't be happy if I have to spend a $100 to the replace the echo dot I already have just to get it to work with Sonos correctly. I'll be even more unhappy if I have to buy a full size $200 speaker I don't need to get the integration.

In my perfect world, this is Sonos speaker with echo built in, but I can integrate my existing echos with existing Sonos speakers so I don't have to spend a penny, if I so chose. For one thing, the separation is a must for outdoor applications, I have an echo dot with attached battery that I like to take to the backyard, while the connect:amp is safe inside a closet. Being able to control the music on the dot, no where near the amp is the only way it would work.

Sonos has stated the Alexa integration will work with all current and previously sold Sonos and Alexa enabled devices. So if you go by that statement, your old Sonos devices will be able to be controlled by your old Alexa device. Nothing new to buy to get the integration if you currently own both Sonos and an Alexa device (Echo, Dot, Tap, Fire tablet, Fire TV).

What do you mean by Alexa control with no Alexa hardware? Do you mean Amazon hardware?Yes I mean Amazon hardware. As jgatie says, if you already have Alexa hardware you will be good to go when it is finally rolled out.
Sonos could be looking at this as a way of adding Alexa functionality to existing Sonos but non-Alexa households - and could be a Sonos/Amazon collaborative effort. As I say though it's not easy because I think it has to be at most the price of a Dot - otherwise why get one?

If it were a microphone bearing device (ignoring the Amazon issue for the moment), it would be a potential "fix" to the problem of Trueplay not being available on Android, no?

Yes, I said so above. People have asked for a microphone before and such a device could kill two birds with one stone..

Indeed you did. I missed that, sorry.

I doubt it's a microphone setup. That's just competing on the wrong playing field, playing the wrong sport.

Rock solid integration with Alexa/Echo (and the other players) is the way to go, while continuing to deliver a superior audio experience.

I think this could be the best of both worlds....Sonos adding Mics to all new speakers released after a certain Date so that you don't need to have a amazon echo or dot in them rooms for it to work and for our older Sonos speakers all we need to do is just place a echo or Dot in them rooms for it to work...and it could work like said before for the true play side of things with the release of new speakers as well.

Airplay 2 adapter 😃

So.. it's the Sonos microphone but no idea what service it works with, just have to wait a little bit.