I'm new to the Sonos world - having waited for Google Play integration (thanks!) - and am generally very impressed, as it's a joy to use such well designed products. However, I've been surprised that Groups functionality is so weak compared to what I'd expected...
I have a large living room that has an LR Pair of Play:1s in it and a single Play:5. When playing music in that room, all three are *always* used together, but this has exposed design shortcomings of the current Groups functionality.
I'd anticipated being able to configure all the speakers in my living room (ie. all those speakers that are *always* used simultaneously) to form a "permanent" grouping, not too dissimilar to how you can "permanently" create LR pairs. Currently, Groups are what I'd term "soft", and this leads to the following shortcomings:
- THE PHYSICAL VOLUME BUTTONS HAVE BEEN RENDERED USELESS, SINCE THEY DO NOT CONTROL GROUP VOLUME. For example, despite my three speakers always being used together in a single Group, the volume control on the Play:1s only changes the volume on the Play:1 LR pair, and the volume control on the Play:5 only adjusts its own volume. This means that the carefully balanced volume levels I've achieved between the speakers in the Group are immediately messed up if I use the physical volume buttons, since the buttons change individual (or LR pair) volumes, not Group volume. Therefore, I cannot use the physical buttons, which is a real shame, and have to always resort to the App to change volume levels. I am really surprised at this shortcoming!
- GROUP CONFIGURATIONS (INC. RELATIVE VOLUMES) ARE LOST ACROSS POWER CYCLES SO NEED REGULARLY RECREATING. I try to operate as green a home as possible, so if I'm going to be away from home for a few days I power down pretty much everything in the house. That includes router and will include my new Sonos gear. It seems that LR Pairing and EQ data is retained across power cycles, but all Group data is lost. From my perspective, the three-speaker Group I have in my Living Room is a permanent group - I expected to configure this once (akin to how I configured the Play:1 LR Pair), and then have the system remember that - forever (across power cycles) - until I unconfigured that grouping. As it is, I'll keep having to establish that Group again, and keep having to set the relative volume levels in the Group, which will become pretty tedious after the Nth time!
I appreciate that the current "soft" Groups functionality will work well for speakers in a home that are only ever informally grouped together, such as for a party, or other occasion when you want different rooms playing the same music. But, there is currently no support that I can see for my use case: that of having a "permanent" Group of speakers that are always used simultaneously. Is my use case so unusual? I'm suprised if so.
Thanks for listening!
"Permanently" Grouping Speakers that are Always Used Together (Beyond LR Pairs...)
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+1
My wifi is a little bit sketchy and when players reconnect they are never (re)grouped automatically.
That would be nice.
My wifi is a little bit sketchy and when players reconnect they are never (re)grouped automatically.
That would be nice.
+1... I have a 20-zone install. Playbars, Connect:amps, and Connects throughout. I need to suplement an external area with a couple of play:1s which I already have, and another area with a pair of play:5s... however its a pain as I cant have them be "part" of the connect:amp zone automatically... i need to add them everytime.... pleaseeee listen to your users.... I love sonos, but I'm sure so many of the features added recently are more marketing that useful... please add some that will make our lives and our music more enjoable!!! (And mostly, make the system easier to use for friends and family!) Right now ppl just grab a bluetooth speaker and listen to something different when they are far from the area...
Userlevel 7
+22
If the speaker was in a permanent group wouldn't your alarm then still play to all speakers (as can be set now - to not ungroup)
I have a similar need. All of my speakers are grouped, but one has a daily alarm to wake me up. When it goes off and wake up and silence it, it doesn't return to it's group. While it isn't a lot of work to add it back to the main group, I'm so busy trying to get ready for work that I usually forgoe doing that. Dear Sonos, please give us a default group of group affinity setting for each speaker!!
+100 to this topic.
Would be great. I also turn off so now when not using to save electricity. And I would like to wake up with my alarm playing music as I step in rooms around the house.... Without having to setup groups manually. I have scheduled the power outlets to automatically switch on before the alarm goes off.
Userlevel 6
+16
I have to agree, but not just to the volume but to the grouping - I would also like to "Permanently" group.
I have a PlayBar and two play ones as bonded surround sound but I also wish to have two more play ones as a stereo pair that sit behind me.
I have a PlayBar and two play ones as bonded surround sound but I also wish to have two more play ones as a stereo pair that sit behind me.
I would have to disagree about the physical volume button unless it was a configurable option. I tend to play my speakers in large groups and I don't want somebody turning the music down in one room to impact folks listening in other rooms.
I do however agree that the ability to set up permanent groups that persist across power failures and restarts is a good idea.
I do however agree that the ability to set up permanent groups that persist across power failures and restarts is a good idea.
Same ! Would love to be able to manage the group volume from any speaker of this group.
Another good thing would be to be able to make group of groups !
Another good thing would be to be able to make group of groups !
I'd really like the physical volume button to control grouped speakers as well.
+1
I think this is a great idea, and very well written. I've also been frustrating by the independent volume buttons even when grouped.
I think this is a great idea, and very well written. I've also been frustrating by the independent volume buttons even when grouped.
Userlevel 7
+22
This has been a common request and we have been holding out hope that with the new, more easily developed I assume, controller that features like this are not far down the road.
Make a post in this thread to request ... https://ask.sonos.com/sonos/topics/super_groups
I can't find a larger thread - they seem to be scattered.
Make a post in this thread to request ... https://ask.sonos.com/sonos/topics/super_groups
I can't find a larger thread - they seem to be scattered.
A follow-up on this...
It seems the functionality I'm looking for already exists - what Sonos call "Bonding" as a way of semi-permanently linking players - but unfortunately Bonding is restricted to groups containing a Sub & players or Playbar & players (surround sound setup). In these bonded groups, they perform some frequency/channel filtering.
So, to implement what I'm looking for would, on the face of it, require minimal effort. The Bonding functionality just needs to be exposed via the App's UI to allow additional (simpler!) types of bonded groups to be created. These simple stereo groups, consisting solely of conventional players (ie. not Subs or Playbars), wouldn't need any frequency or fancy surround sound channel filtering, just the semi-permanent link between players (or players and player LR pairs) that ensures they always play together as a unit.
How about it Sonos? :)
Ref: Grouping, Pairing, and Bonding Players:
https://sonos.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/1966/~/grouping,-pairing,-and-bonding-players
It seems the functionality I'm looking for already exists - what Sonos call "Bonding" as a way of semi-permanently linking players - but unfortunately Bonding is restricted to groups containing a Sub & players or Playbar & players (surround sound setup). In these bonded groups, they perform some frequency/channel filtering.
So, to implement what I'm looking for would, on the face of it, require minimal effort. The Bonding functionality just needs to be exposed via the App's UI to allow additional (simpler!) types of bonded groups to be created. These simple stereo groups, consisting solely of conventional players (ie. not Subs or Playbars), wouldn't need any frequency or fancy surround sound channel filtering, just the semi-permanent link between players (or players and player LR pairs) that ensures they always play together as a unit.
How about it Sonos? :)
Ref: Grouping, Pairing, and Bonding Players:
https://sonos.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/1966/~/grouping,-pairing,-and-bonding-players
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