Recycling program - discontinued products - why?

  • 21 January 2020
  • 36 replies
  • 864 views
D
Userlevel 2
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Hello. i have just received a notification email indicating that my Play 5 and my Bridge will not be supported anymore. this is disappointing because it has only been 6 or so years that we have had these products. They work great and i see no reason to change. for arguments sake, say i do upgrade with the 30% discount what’s  to say Sonos won’t do the same thing again in the same time frame? i would rotating sound equipment faster than it actually breaks just solely based on software obsolescence alone. this is highly disappointing. please comment as i would like to understand the rationale better. thanks 

 

please note, i really do appreciate the Sonos environment. Very well thought-out and works seamlessly with our streaming services. So i am not disappointed with the products. Just the managment of the downstream customer experience 

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36 replies

U

Well, at least there is an upside to this - at least for me. I liked to have a Sonos system, a nice brand, and and the sound quality was great. I was prepared to go on and invest in more speakers etc - even if the price tag was high. But now the spell is broken. I realise that it is just silly to go on with Sonos. I actually look forward to see how much more I can get from other systems for less money.

I suspect that this was actually a good wake-up call for me. And for my wallet! :-)

R
Userlevel 1

I agree 100%.  30% is a joke and would cost me over $1k to continue to use the system as I do today. It kills me to have to lose the $4K I’ve spent over 8 years building my system but that’s exactly what I am going to do.  We now know how Sonos values it’s customers so who’s to say this won’t happen to Play 1’s, Subs, sound bars again in the next several years.  I cannot and will not spend that kind of money just to keep my system status quo.    Selling my stock TODAY!!

Moderator note: Username edited to protect member’s privacy: e-mail address removed. 

U

Hello ….and goodbye most likely...

I have been using Sonos for about fifteen years. It is a good system. Not extremely good (still suddenly the system disconnects while playing songs - for no apparent reason). In any case, I am still happy with it. And now Sonos sends me a letter saying that I have to upgrade equipment which I once bought from and that cost me more than USD 1.000!? And the replacement/upgrade, including rebates, will be even more costly! Well, this certainly convinced me to switch to another system. What I cannot understand is what the Sonos executives were thinking when they decided this - in an age when there is such strong competition from other brands? 

 

N
Userlevel 6
Badge +5

 

Answers? You need to wait until May. One shouldn't presume to tell other members how to post, fair? Back to the rants

LOL, sure not a problem! 

Lol that reply wasn't to you 😂

T
Badge +2

Here’s a question that bothers me.

I will continue to use the 3x Play5’s that I have on the last available update.  Not a problem for me.

BUT if next year I need to reinstall the Controller App either on iOS or Mac, will the version I get from the App Store allow them to work OK.  I don’t want to get a Controller version that is unable to work with them.

Has this been resolved ?

Thanks

 

It’s a little murky, but it has been stated that the controllers apps will continue to work as they do today.  Whether that means future apps will be backwards compatible, or they will issue a legacy app, is part of the murk. 

Thanks.  I’ll wait to see.  Can’t afford yet to upgrade the units (even if the Trade-In programme had a decent way forward for these), but when one fails I'll probably buy two new units.

D
Userlevel 2
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Answers? You need to wait until May. One shouldn't presume to tell other members how to post, fair? Back to the rants

LOL, sure not a problem! 

N
Userlevel 6
Badge +5

We are still in the rant stage of grief, the time for help and explanations will be in May.

 

Maybe for you.  But the person I replied to was quite obviously looking for answers.  One shouldn’t let their own stages of grief impede on others seeking answers.  Is that not fair?

Answers? You need to wait until May. One shouldn't presume to tell other members how to post, fair? Back to the rants

jgatie

We are still in the rant stage of grief, the time for help and explanations will be in May.

 

Maybe for you.  But the person I replied to was quite obviously looking for answers.  One shouldn’t let their own stages of grief impede on others seeking answers.  Is that not fair?

D
Userlevel 2
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We are still in the rant stage of grief, the time for help and explanations will be in May.

ok got it. that said, I’m guessing their mind is made up so there is no going back!!?? Still doesn’t help us deal with our current pain and frustration…

cheers

 

jgatie

Here’s a question that bothers me.

I will continue to use the 3x Play5’s that I have on the last available update.  Not a problem for me.

BUT if next year I need to reinstall the Controller App either on iOS or Mac, will the version I get from the App Store allow them to work OK.  I don’t want to get a Controller version that is unable to work with them.

Has this been resolved ?

Thanks

 

It’s a little murky, but it has been stated that the controllers apps will continue to work as they do today.  Whether that means future apps will be backwards compatible, or they will issue a legacy app, is part of the murk. 

T
Badge +2

Here’s a question that bothers me.

I will continue to use the 3x Play5’s that I have on the last available update.  Not a problem for me.

BUT if next year I need to reinstall the Controller App either on iOS or Mac, will the version I get from the App Store allow them to work OK.  I don’t want to get a Controller version that is unable to work with them.

Has this been resolved ?

Thanks

N
Userlevel 6
Badge +5

 

I don`t know, even if they do clear it up for us and provide limited functionality for legacy systems, the fact still remains that they have effectively abandoned their existing client base. It makes no sense to me and i certainly hope someone at Sonos is following this thread!!! 

rather than leaving us hanging and offering some ridiculous “recycle” discount, they should be honoring existing commitments and eventually encouraging existing owners to a “new and improved” platform.

 

I’m just trying to help people that have questions.  I have no idea why you chose my factual answers to those questions in your rant, but please understand - Some people are here for help and explanations, not complaints.  

We are still in the rant stage of grief, the time for help and explanations will be in May.

jgatie

 

I don`t know, even if they do clear it up for us and provide limited functionality for legacy systems, the fact still remains that they have effectively abandoned their existing client base. It makes no sense to me and i certainly hope someone at Sonos is following this thread!!! 

rather than leaving us hanging and offering some ridiculous “recycle” discount, they should be honoring existing commitments and eventually encouraging existing owners to a “new and improved” platform.

 

I’m just trying to help people that have questions.  I have no idea why you chose my factual answers to those questions in your rant, but please understand - Some people are here for help and explanations, not complaints.  

D
Userlevel 2
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Apps are a little murky right now.  It is not clear if the new controller apps will be compatible with legacy units, or you will get the old legacy app.  But it is going to work one way or the other.  Sonos has said there will be more details in May.  

As an aside, Sonos has also stated that you will be able to add new hardware, and reset old hardware and re-add it to a legacy system.

I don`t know, even if they do clear it up for us and provide limited functionality for legacy systems, the fact still remains that they have effectively abandoned their existing client base. It makes no sense to me and i certainly hope someone at Sonos is following this thread!!! 

rather than leaving us hanging and offering some ridiculous “recycle” discount, they should be honoring existing commitments and eventually encouraging existing owners to a “new and improved” platform.

jgatie

Ahh thanks jgatie,

ok so ALL my products will still work then? Will we still get access to download older ver of the software? We would need to have the option to download the older software in the event that we change/repair our computers or phones.

 

Apps are a little murky right now.  It is not clear if the new controller apps will be compatible with legacy units, or you will get the old legacy app.  But it is going to work one way or the other.  Sonos has said there will be more details in May.  

As an aside, Sonos has also stated that you will be able to add new hardware, and reset old hardware and re-add it to a legacy system.

C
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Ahh thanks jgatie,

ok so ALL my products will still work then? Will we still get access to download older ver of the software? We would need to have the option to download the older software in the event that we change/repair our computers or phones.

jgatie

why not remove the auto update to the app so that we can stay on the old setup we have  and keep using our expensive system? I would rather have the choice than be forced ;-)

 

That exactly what they are doing.  Systems with legacy devices will not get updates and will stay as they are. 

C
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why not remove the auto update to the app so that we can stay on the old setup we have  and keep using our expensive system? I would rather have the choice than be forced ;-)

Stanley_4
Userlevel 7
Badge +22

Hardly worth it? I got more in rebates than I paid for some of the gear I traded!

Possibly the same stunt five years after they quit selling a device, that makes the Play 3 and 1 the next products at risk. But and a big BUT both have far more memory and more modern radios compared to the gear declared legacy so the reason that forced the current change of status probably won’t apply any time soon.

I’d love to see a new Play 3 and 5 with SL versions (like the Ones) for folks not needing voice, doing stereo pairs or surrounds. That would start the 5 year guaranteed support clock ticking on th eGen 2 Play 5, but that is a minimum.

If they do It I hope they bring back the headphone jack on the new 5.

 

C

I have a Gen 1 Sonos 5 (purchased in 2015), a bridge purchased at the same time and bought two One’s last year when they were on sale.

I am going to upgrade our home theatre etc this year and was planning to spend A$2,000 with Sonos, but it looks like I’ll be selling what I have and moving to another system. It’s a shame as I loved the concept and they definitely had something that the established brands couldn’t offer. It now seems that they are losing market share to the more established brands so they are going top try to force existing customer to spend more money with them. I don’t know where they are getting their advice, but it seems that they have just p’d off their whole community. I do hope that they rethink this or they will go the way of Betamax.

D
Userlevel 2
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Honestly the trade up deal is hardly worth it, especially for those who have a great deal of equipment invested.
 

A big concern is that say we all upgrade to the latest greatest, there’s a good chance they’ll pull the same stunt in another five or six years…

 

Stanley_4
Userlevel 7
Badge +22

How do I know that part-way through replacing all this stuff, the trade-in programme won’t be withdrawn with little or no notice?

You don’t they have said the Trade-up deal may be withdrawn at any time

One hopes for a bit of warning but that is a hope, not a Sonos promise.

C

Agree with every point made here!!! Just bought an overpriced amp to support AirPlay now I have to replace 3 more units or no updates. 30% discount not good enough!!! Sonos takes advantage of fact you are invested in system 👎. 

D
Userlevel 2
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I am glad to see these comments. Well said everyone. Your respective stories are really a problem. It’s great to see that I am not the only one who thinks that a legacy of at least 10 years is considered minimum. 

Apart from raising our concerns in this forum does anyone have another way that will escalate this for Sonos to at least get a reaction/finding a more reasonable solution?

A

Got the same email for a pair of Connect:Amp units that are less than 5 years old and installed by a reseller/integrator. If they were 15 years old I’d have some sympathy for Sonos. 10 years from last sale date seems like a minimum support time for consumer products.

At 5 years I expect to get at least 80% credit toward new units. 

Hope they reconsider their approach.

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