Is it normal that a Play 5 gen1 speaker reach end of life in 5 years 2 months?
Answered
Play5 Gen 1 end of life
Best answer by AjTrek1
Hi
There are three (3) concepts to be considered regarding this topic which IMO most have difficulty delineating (separating) their meanings. There is also a somewhat ambiguous fourth (4th) concept that I’ll mention at the end of my post.
Manufactured products have the following in common that consumers must understand. All of which have a timeline:
- Warranty which is typically 1 year but can be as long as 5 years on some products. There’s also the limited Life Time Warranty.
- End of Life (EOL) which is the manufacturing cycle before a new product is introduced...typically 5 Years
- Product Support which is typically for 5 years after the last manufacture date
Sonos Warranty is clearly published here and may vary by country based on consumer law. It’s also important to understand that an offered warranty by any manufacturer only covers manufacturing defects; not accidental damage or abuse. The manufacturer reserves the right to determine if a product defect (or non-performance) is covered by said warranty and how the manufacturer will make the consumer whole. In all circumstances the resolution may be governed by consumer law of the country in which the product was sold.
End of Life (EOL) is a bit more abstract. Sonos’ pattern has typically been 5 years from product introduction to a complete product redesign. Sometimes EOL can come sooner when internal firmware changes are made that don’t alter the overall performance. Those changes can sometimes be a general rebranding with no change to the product appearance (or very subtle at best). For example Play 5 Gen2 vs Sonos Five or Sonos One Gen1 vs Sonos One Gen2. Other instances may be a compete product re-design such as Play 5 Gen1 to Play 5 Gen2. It’s important to understand that although EOL has a “dooms day” sound it is more about manufacturers keeping their product line relevant to remain competitive. You may continue to use (enjoy) your product for years after manufacture of said product has ceased. Think Sonos Play 3.
Sonos Product Support duration is clearly mentioned here.
I made mention of a more ambiguous 4th concept at the beginning of this post. That 4th concept is Planned Obsolescence (PO). There are some who adhere to the belief that components are designed to malfuntion after a certain period of time to force repairs or purchase of new product. However, a more plausible belief of PO can be linked to Product Support. At some point it becomes unprofitable to maintain support for a product due to the cost of parts and other components. Other factors such as internal memory and processor may prevent the product from moving forward. Here again if you adhere to the belief of PO it does not mean the product is dead; but may only have limited functionality versus the replacement product. In this case for Sonos think S1 vs S2.
In conclusion IMHO if one understands the concepts outlined herein the need for the initial post is moot. It goes without saying that knowing where to look on Sonos website or in-community is helpful as well.
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It hasn't been sold since 2015, so your math is off.
It depends on how much you used it during those 5 years and 2 months.
You should consider taking advantage of the Sonos Upgrade Program and get a new Sonos speaker to replace it. The Sonos Five is a fantastic speaker.
"Receive with simplicity everything that happens to you." - Rashi
Is it normal that a Play 5 gen1 speaker reach end of life in 5 years 2 months?
Is there a normal period for any electronic device? - I had a TV last 2 weeks and it was replaced by the same model that has lasted 9+ months over the 2 year guarantee period (so far) and I guess that’s why some folk may opt to take out small appliance break-down cover.
Lots of variables involved, but I’m usually happy if my larger electronic purchases last 5 years, as by that time they have usually been replaced with a later model, which provides incentive in my case to handover the device to my children (if they want it) and upgrade anyway.
Admittedly I do like the Sonos upgrade programme too, It would be nice to see other manufacturers have that kind of offer:
I have invested quite a bit of money into my Sonos system which I would not have done if I had known 5 years is the norm. Sonos upgrade product is great if you can afford to replace it frequently. Unfortunately I don't consider 5 years a satisfactory life span for a supposed premium product - I will replace system with another brand that supports its products better. Sonos retailers need to tell buyers about Sonos not supplying parts prior to sale.
I bought this product new from Australian retailer in November 2016 with sales docket to prove it. Maybe it depends on which country you live in.
I bought this product new from Australian retailer in November 2016 with sales docket to prove it. Maybe it depends on which country you live in.
Well hopefully you purchased the speaker discounted, as it was no longer being manufactured back then in 2016 as jgatie mentions and had already been replaced with the Play:5 (gen2), which incidentally has also since been replaced in 2020 with the new Sonos Five… so the Play:5 (gen1) is quite an old product by all accounts. You might find a local electrical engineer who will repair these things, but personally speaking, I would take advantage of the trade-up offer and get the Sonos Five anyway.
Small appliance insurance cover is perhaps also worthy of consideration, but note some companies online may offer longer-term warranties - some as long as 6 years in some countries, but you will obviously not get the trade-up discount, which is exclusive to purchasing direct from Sonos.
I bought this product new from Australian retailer in November 2016 with sales docket to prove it. Maybe it depends on which country you live in.
You were sold old stock. The Play:5 Gen 1 was discontinued worldwide in November 2015. As to longevity, I had 2 from 2009 and they were still working fine when I donated them to charity in 2021.
+18I think we can all agree that getting five years of use out of an expensive speaker like the Sonos Play:5 (however long it’s be in lying on a shelf in a store) is quite short and not in line with the experience of others here. Five years is definitely not the norm for Sonos. I sure hope my Beam (first Sonos purchase in november 2018) will last longer…….
But since you are out of warranty the upgrade program, a local repair man or trying to fix it yourself (https://ifixit.com/Device/Sonos_Play_5) are your only options.
It isn't normal and none of my kit bought in 2011-2014 has given me any trouble. You may just have been unlucky. Or your power supply may have had issues like a spike or may not be “clean”. This can affect any electronic kit meant for domestic use.
It hasn't been sold since 2015, so your math is off.
Not really true… I bought one brand new in September 2019…
And we walked past the same shop a couple of months ago, and they still had some for sale...
It hasn't been sold since 2015, so your math is off.
Not really true… I bought one brand new in September 2019…
And we walked past the same shop a couple of months ago, and they still had some for sale...
It hasn't been manufactured or sold by Sonos since 2015. Anecdotal stores still selling half a decade old stock doesn't change that fact.
It hasn't been sold since 2015, so your math is off.
Not really true… I bought one brand new in September 2019…
And we walked past the same shop a couple of months ago, and they still had some for sale...
It hasn't been manufactured or sold by Sonos since 2015. Anecdotal stores still selling half a decade old stock doesn't change that fact.
You said “It hasn't been sold since 2015” - that is plain wrong.
According to online sources The Play:5 (gen1) was manufactured by Sonos between November 2009 and the 20th November 2015. Presumably stock would have been run-down to meet that EOL date in November and it was then replaced with the Play: (gen2). I doubt by 2016 (OP purchase date) that the product was being sold as new by Sonos during that following year.
The OP was sold a product version of a speaker that had been replaced with the next generation model, so you would ‘perhaps’ hope/expect they were able to purchase it at a reduced price anyway in 2016.
That said not many electrical products come with a manufacturers 5 years guarantee - it’s often 1 or 2 years at most and this is why small appliance insurance/extended warranties exist to cover devices outside of their guarantee period.
Presumably stock would have been run-down to meet that EOL date in November and it was then replaced with the Play: (gen2). I doubt by 2016 (OP purchase date) that the product was being sold as new by Sonos during that following year.
But I doubt that all Sonos distribution channels would have achieved the rundown quoted above in that time frame.
Where the OP is concerned, if he was sold the product as new in 2016 by a authorised Sonos channel, he is entitled to believe he bought a new piece, legitimately, a little over five years ago. How one knows that one is buying from such a channel and not from one not authorised is a question I haven’t the answer to.
Of course, this does not really matter because in any case, the warranty has expired. But the OP is also unlucky in seeing a hardware failure earlier than what is the norm for Sonos kit, based on the experience of many here.
In my own case, I do look for retail outlets that offer their own extended warranties, they often come with the full RRP of the product, but in some cases I ‘might’ purchase an item at a discount and perhaps look to extend the warranty period with small appliance insurance.
However even in this case of the OP I would have certainly been caught out too, as I don’t cover any electrical items beyond 5 years anyway, but such is life, I guess.
edit: I will just add that the two Play 5 (gen1’s) I handed to my Son & his family some years ago are still going strong - so it shows that it’s perhaps just ‘luck of the draw’, but this applies to every electrical product, doesn’t it? - in my own case it’s usually a TV that fails… and yes I’ve certainly got that covered for 5 years.
You said “It hasn't been sold since 2015” - that is plain wrong.
And now I've clarified it for the pedantic.
Hi
There are three (3) concepts to be considered regarding this topic which IMO most have difficulty delineating (separating) their meanings. There is also a somewhat ambiguous fourth (4th) concept that I’ll mention at the end of my post.
Manufactured products have the following in common that consumers must understand. All of which have a timeline:
- Warranty which is typically 1 year but can be as long as 5 years on some products. There’s also the limited Life Time Warranty.
- End of Life (EOL) which is the manufacturing cycle before a new product is introduced...typically 5 Years
- Product Support which is typically for 5 years after the last manufacture date
Sonos Warranty is clearly published here and may vary by country based on consumer law. It’s also important to understand that an offered warranty by any manufacturer only covers manufacturing defects; not accidental damage or abuse. The manufacturer reserves the right to determine if a product defect (or non-performance) is covered by said warranty and how the manufacturer will make the consumer whole. In all circumstances the resolution may be governed by consumer law of the country in which the product was sold.
End of Life (EOL) is a bit more abstract. Sonos’ pattern has typically been 5 years from product introduction to a complete product redesign. Sometimes EOL can come sooner when internal firmware changes are made that don’t alter the overall performance. Those changes can sometimes be a general rebranding with no change to the product appearance (or very subtle at best). For example Play 5 Gen2 vs Sonos Five or Sonos One Gen1 vs Sonos One Gen2. Other instances may be a compete product re-design such as Play 5 Gen1 to Play 5 Gen2. It’s important to understand that although EOL has a “dooms day” sound it is more about manufacturers keeping their product line relevant to remain competitive. You may continue to use (enjoy) your product for years after manufacture of said product has ceased. Think Sonos Play 3.
Sonos Product Support duration is clearly mentioned here.
I made mention of a more ambiguous 4th concept at the beginning of this post. That 4th concept is Planned Obsolescence (PO). There are some who adhere to the belief that components are designed to malfuntion after a certain period of time to force repairs or purchase of new product. However, a more plausible belief of PO can be linked to Product Support. At some point it becomes unprofitable to maintain support for a product due to the cost of parts and other components. Other factors such as internal memory and processor may prevent the product from moving forward. Here again if you adhere to the belief of PO it does not mean the product is dead; but may only have limited functionality versus the replacement product. In this case for Sonos think S1 vs S2.
In conclusion IMHO if one understands the concepts outlined herein the need for the initial post is moot. It goes without saying that knowing where to look on Sonos website or in-community is helpful as well.
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