No way around; unfortunate naming choice by Sonos for the latter model. What you can do though is play them as one group of two speakers in perfect sync, if that serves. But one playing left and other playing right isn't possible.

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There is an iOS app called sonosequencer that supposedly will pair them. I don’t know how good a pair they make but it will supposedly do it.

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I downloaded SonoSequencer ($1.99) and it did the trick! Perfect solution for my needs. Thank you, Chris, for the recommendation.

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Interesting. I knew it could pair a Sonos One and a PLAY:1, but wasn't aware it could do the same with the PLAY:5 gen 1 and gen 2.

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Interesting. I knew it could pair a Sonos One and a PLAY:1, but wasn't aware it could do the same with the PLAY:5 gen 1 and gen 2.

From a previous thread on this subject, I deduced that the check for stereo compatibility is done in the controllers, not by the speakers. SonoSequencr does not implement the check, so I guess you could stereo pair any two speakers.



The gen 1 and gen 2 Play:5 speakers sound quite different, so I do question the value of stereo pairing them — but each to their own tastes, I guess.

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New learning for me as well; presumably this is only for iOS users? But once paired, the iOS device isn't needed till they are to be separated again, I suppose, because pairing survives power cycling?



This should address those that need the 1/One pairing as well...plenty of those at this time.

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Perhaps I'm too much of a purist. I bought a used PLAY:5 gen 1 to pair with my older version, rather than spending the what, $4 on sonosequencr? Could have had a nifty looking PLAY:5 gen 2!



🙂

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Well you did save you the cost also in getting a gen 2!



But I have to say the gen 2 is pretty darn good. Gen 1 isn't to shabby either though! I wouldn't want to pair my two of them though.

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I feel like I should clarify my motives about pairing a gen 1 and gen 2. I totally agree that the gen 2 is a better speaker, but I bought it solely to pair with my existing PLAY:5 (which turned out to be gen 1) for a special event (my son's wedding in the loft of our barn). The space is big enough that when I tried pairing two of my PLAY:3's, it sounded inadequate.



Call me an ignorant consumer, but I didn't know anything about gen 2's and just assumed that buying another PLAY:5 was all I needed to create a PLAY:5 stereo pair. I always figured I'd could use another PLAY:5 somewhere in the house, but I bought it specifically for this event and a short-term pairing. Imagine my surprise when it wouldn't pair. I agree with an earlier comment that SONOS should have named the gen 2 PLAY:6 or something other than PLAY:5.



The pairing the gen 1 with the gen 2 via SonoSequence, while perhaps not delivering the quality of sound that two gen 2 speakers would deliver, is MUCH better than simply grouping them together. The SonoSequence solution is perfect for my single event in an unlikely venue.



Thanks for all the interesting comments,

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No need to explain. Whatever fits your need.

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The pairing the gen 1 with the gen 2 via SonoSequence, while perhaps not delivering the quality of sound that two gen 2 speakers would deliver, is MUCH better than simply grouping them together.



If you say so, it is certainly so for you and this may be true for others as well; few have really seen how much the sound differences, once sound level differences are eliminated as they ought to be in stereo pairing, affect stereo imaging. A lot may be just down to not being able to accept the different looks and the psychological impact of that on perceived sound quality.

The sound equalising thought leads to another - I am not sure how this gets done in stereo pairing other than by having the volume sliders get to be in perfect sync, but this does not necessarily mean that sound levels are identical across Sonos models. If they are not, this may be the biggest reason for having identical models for stereo pairing.

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