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Will there be a Sonos Five soon? 2020?

  • 9 February 2020
  • 35 replies
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hongkien66
Userlevel 1
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I’m currently planning to buy a pair of Sonos Play 5 2nd gen to replace my current Play 5s gen 1. But I’m concerned that there will be a new Sonos Play 5 3rd gen or Sonos Five. My guess is that the Sonos Five would be release next year because Sonos release the 1st gen in 2009 and 2nd gen in 2015, that would be 6 years apart. So from 6 years form 2015 would be around 2021. I’m just worried that the Play 5 2nd gen would only support for 5 years.

Any thoughts would be appreciated 

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Best answer by Airgetlam 10 February 2020, 02:04

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35 replies

Airgetlam

I guess I don’t understand the worry here. For 15 years, give or take, Sonos has been able to keep the OS running inside 32 MB in all speakers, including the earliest players they released. Hard to think that the OS will blow up so quickly from 32 MB to over 256 MB so quickly. Sonos still sells the PLAY:5 gen 2 on their web site, and have pledged to continue supporting it for a minimum of five years after they stop selling it. 

Bruce
B
Userlevel 3
Badge +4

Ha! No I don’t work for Sonos! I do work in Technology and I don’t deal with many technical companies that support their products as long as Sonos do. 

My wifes car is 2015, no s/w updates, no carplay or any such luxury. iPhones get you around 5 years, android phones less. Tablets etc… long list of stuff. 

But off we go and buy another iPhone etc. And we understand that for features we need this. What if you just want a couple of video apps and text messaging - you still need to buy a new phone even if you old one works. To stay secure and have apps that still work you need a phone that’s less than 5 years old. Please note - that is secure and works. A 7 year old iPhone might work but it’s not been secured for two years. 

Sonos is a tech company. If we want new features, Atmos etc then what do we do? 5 years from now if Sonos don’t offer new features they will start to be come less relevant to consumers. 

At the end of the day S1 devices still work, still sounds great and are still supported with patches and security updates. These devices are 10-15 years old. They will continue to work and continue to be secure. And if I want a new one I get a 30% discount and I can keep my old one (The ‘brick’ option only concerned me from an environment perspective not a business one).

I don’t work for Sonos but I just don’t have any complaints about them regarding this. I want good quality whole home audio that is modern and relevant. I want new technology to be available to me. To get this I understand that there is tech element and that will age out much faster than an Amp and Speaker combo. 

I am mystified by other perspectives - I understand them on an emotional level but intellectually I just can’t see a big problem. 

Beam. 2x Play:1 - 2x Play One (gen 2) - Sub - 2x Play 5 - Move
Airgetlam

Yes, I will indeed purchase new devices. I have not yet determined what I will do with my ‘legacy’ devices, trade them in, or maintain a separate system, but there’s not enough information yet to make a determination. They’ve certainly lasted much longer than any of the several iPhones and iPads Apple has forced me in to purchasing to run the latest iOS version. 

Bruce
melvimbe

Danny by leaving everything on the S1 system the S2 compliant units do not get updates, so you are forced to run a split system to ensure that the legacy unit(s) is not blocking updates to your S2 units. So it's either a split system or replace an expensive unit(s) to be able to run S2 fully as one system .

 

If you stay on an S1 system, all your units, legacy or modern, will receive security updates and bug fixes.  What you won’t get is feature updates or be able to add products released for S2 only.  If you are not interested in new features and products, there is nothing wrong with keeping all your products on S1.  

 

Danny
J

@hongkien66 - you seem to me to have absolutely the right, common sense attitude to this.  Even if a the gen 2 P:5 were withdrawn from sale within the next couple of years, say, with the amount of RAM it has I would expect it to get full update support for much longer than 5 years.

As others have said, there is little point in doing anything until May, but I would buy any of Sonos’ current products without the slightest concerns about its longevity, with the single exception of the Playbar.

 

bockersjv
Userlevel 7
Badge +21

We’ll find out later today!

 

Sjoop1985

Britishwonderings i guess Sonos has to decide if its a tech company or a speaker company, if its a tech company then i understand that new things have to be introduced to stay relevant, but if your a speaker company then a certain amount of longevity is expected as well. 

 

@lonestay There is no decision. Sonos is a tech company.

The mere fact that the speakers can stream audio from the Internet on their own, makes them more than a speaker.

Normal speakers are extremely simple from an engineering perspective. A cone driven by a coil and magnet - these things rarely fail unless they fall apart. Most speakers don't contain electronics that fail more quickly, like capacitors, resistors or transistors.

So both on hardware as well as software side - which most amps/speaker combos don't even have, it is unfair to compare Sonos lifespan to that of regular speakers. I bet that if you would take only Sonos' actual speaker hardware and drive it with the right amp, they would last just as long, because you've removed the complex and vulnerable part. But in terms of functionality, that would leave you with, indeed, a dumb speaker, which is not what Sonos is about.

 

As to the original topic, I look forward to what Sonos will announce later today.

Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans (John Lennon) --- Living room: Arc, Sub, 2x One - Kitchen: One - Bedroom: Play 3 - Office: Beam - Bathroom: Play 1
B
Userlevel 3
Badge +4

I just picked up a play 5 Gen 2. I had one already which I won a couple of months ago. I picked up a refurbished play 5 from Best Buy. It was Essentially new. And now I have stereo. 

I  think you would get more than 5 years of support. The Playbar has 128MB of ram and if they can squeeze 5 years of support out of that we should get more out the the play 5.

Also, I get the feeling that if Sonos can support a speaker they will for as long as possible. I don’t think they use this to force and upgrade. 

And they are still technically supporting older devices with bug and security updates. 

All in all, for a ‘tech’ company they are doing a great job of keeping equipment useable as long as possible. 

Beam. 2x Play:1 - 2x Play One (gen 2) - Sub - 2x Play 5 - Move
melvimbe

Britishwonderings i guess Sonos has to decide if its a tech company or a speaker company, if its a tech company then i understand that new things have to be introduced to stay relevant, but if your a speaker company then a certain amount of longevity is expected as well.

 

 

I don’t think they have to neatly fit into either of these categories.  There certainly is a tech element to their products, which is going to puts some limits on longevity.  At the same time, they can strive to last a bit longer than pure tech products like phones, since the investment is often larger.

 

It would be interesting to see how many people use the new “tech” ? I for one was quite looking forward to Alexa and Google voice control ,never use it ! I think a lot of people like the idea of cutting edge “tech” but in reality day to day how many really use the full range of features ?

 

 

From what I’ve seen, people are very different regarding what features they want and use.  Most tend to think the product is worthless without their feature of choice.  Few use the full range of features, but rarely does a feature go unused. 

 

I am going to have to upgrade my play 5 1st gen, so i hope Sonos if the rumour of a new P5 is true, have built a decent amount of longevity into it , Put decent memory into the unit dont put just enough to run the unit as it is, memory is cheap you can go big without much cost .

 

 

You say that as if your play:5 1st gen was built without any future proofing at all, and never had any additional features added.

 

 

Sonos has annoyed a lot of people this year they can probably pull the stunt one time only and get away with it , I will upgrade my P5 so i am on one system instead of a split system, but i will only do it once . 

 

Just to be clear, you do have the option to keep everything on an S1 (legacy system), in addition to upgrading to S2 or going with a split system.

Danny
melvimbe

Danny I do understand that I can leave everything on the S1 legacy system but why would I ? If we except the fact that Sonos is a tech company, then I want the rest of my Sonos S2 compliant kit to be running the latest updates and security patches,  after all we have established that there are only so many updates a unit will get before Sonos decide it's fate and calls it legacy .

 

First, I mentioned this option for clarity, since others may read your post and think S2 capable products must upgrade to S2.   As far as the question of  why you would choice this option, you will still receive bug fixes and security updates on S1.  So the real motivation for upgrading to S2 right now is for new products and features.  As you pointed out earlier, not everyone is going to be interested, or find use for new products and features.  If you, or someone else, fits in this category, then the logical choice is to remain on on S1 until it makes sense to upgrade to S2.

 

 

Danny
jgatie

Danny by leaving everything on the S1 system the S2 compliant units do not get updates, so you are forced to run a split system to ensure that the legacy unit(s) is not blocking updates to your S2 units. So it's either a split system or replace an expensive unit(s) to be able to run S2 fully as one system .

 

That’s for you and your situation.  However, when the shifting to legacy products was first announced, there were plenty of people asking to forego new features in order to keep their systems running just as they are now.  Sonos accommodated them.  All melvimbe is doing is making sure anyone reading this thread knows it is possible.  

O
Userlevel 2
Badge +1

I’m currently planning to buy a pair of Sonos Play 5 2nd gen to replace my current Play 5s gen 1. But I’m concerned that there will be a new Sonos Play 5 3rd gen or Sonos Five. My guess is that the Sonos Five would be release next year because Sonos release the 1st gen in 2009 and 2nd gen in 2015, that would be 6 years apart. So from 6 years form 2015 would be around 2021. I’m just worried that the Play 5 2nd gen would only support for 5 years.

Any thoughts would be appreciated 

If it's me I'm holding off until the new one. If they bring a new one out soon after you buy you might only get 5 years of updates which would suck. 

 

hongkien66
Userlevel 1
Badge +5

I’m currently planning to buy a pair of Sonos Play 5 2nd gen to replace my current Play 5s gen 1. But I’m concerned that there will be a new Sonos Play 5 3rd gen or Sonos Five. My guess is that the Sonos Five would be release next year because Sonos release the 1st gen in 2009 and 2nd gen in 2015, that would be 6 years apart. So from 6 years form 2015 would be around 2021. I’m just worried that the Play 5 2nd gen would only support for 5 years.

Any thoughts would be appreciated 

If it's me I'm holding off until the new one. If they bring a new one out soon after you buy you might only get 5 years of updates which would suck. 

 

I’m not sure thought because a lot of people say that the only upgrade that the Sonos Five would get is maybe voice assistant and improve the sound quality a little bit. IDK...

Airgetlam

Sonos doesn’t lay out a roadmap in advance of when they’re going to release speakers. Usually, it’s within 30 days of the release, so that they can get the necessary marketing coverage from the press. There have been many guesses in the past, and certainly all of mine have not been correct. 

Bruce
O
Userlevel 2
Badge +1

I’m currently planning to buy a pair of Sonos Play 5 2nd gen to replace my current Play 5s gen 1. But I’m concerned that there will be a new Sonos Play 5 3rd gen or Sonos Five. My guess is that the Sonos Five would be release next year because Sonos release the 1st gen in 2009 and 2nd gen in 2015, that would be 6 years apart. So from 6 years form 2015 would be around 2021. I’m just worried that the Play 5 2nd gen would only support for 5 years.

Any thoughts would be appreciated 

If it's me I'm holding off until the new one. If they bring a new one out soon after you buy you might only get 5 years of updates which would suck. 

 

I’m not sure thought because a lot of people say that the only upgrade that the Sonos Five would get is maybe voice assistant and improve the sound quality a little bit. IDK...

The new Sonos devices like the One, beam, amp etc are completely different devices with very capable computers inside. The current 5 is not at the same level, but the next gen will be no doubt.

hongkien66
Userlevel 1
Badge +5

I’m currently planning to buy a pair of Sonos Play 5 2nd gen to replace my current Play 5s gen 1. But I’m concerned that there will be a new Sonos Play 5 3rd gen or Sonos Five. My guess is that the Sonos Five would be release next year because Sonos release the 1st gen in 2009 and 2nd gen in 2015, that would be 6 years apart. So from 6 years form 2015 would be around 2021. I’m just worried that the Play 5 2nd gen would only support for 5 years.

Any thoughts would be appreciated 

If it's me I'm holding off until the new one. If they bring a new one out soon after you buy you might only get 5 years of updates which would suck. 

 

I’m not sure thought because a lot of people say that the only upgrade that the Sonos Five would get is maybe voice assistant and improve the sound quality a little bit. IDK...

The new Sonos devices like the One, beam, amp etc are completely different devices with very capable computers inside. The current 5 is not at the same level, but the next gen will be no doubt.

Actually the Sonos Play 5 2nd gen is the 2nd generation of Sonos line up which includes One, Beam, all products that support airplay 2. However, what I'm worried the most is the ram of the play 5 which is 256mb, which is 1/4 of what the beam one have

hongkien66
Userlevel 1
Badge +5

I guess I don’t understand the worry here. For 15 years, give or take, Sonos has been able to keep the OS running inside 32 MB in all speakers, including the earliest players they released. Hard to think that the OS will blow up so quickly from 32 MB to over 256 MB so quickly. Sonos still sells the PLAY:5 gen 2 on their web site, and have pledged to continue supporting it for a minimum of five years after they stop selling it. 

Yea true they support their devices for quite a long time, especially compared to bose and other smart speakers. IIRC, bose change their system from soundtouch to smart speaker around 2017 which completely destroy the whole ecosystem and they don’t even work with each other. I know that sonos speakers are very expensive but TBH for an internet connected device, 10 years of support is really good, IDK why people keep complaining about it.

Just curious, would you still buy future products from Sonos even after the EoL announcement?

hongkien66
Userlevel 1
Badge +5

Yes, I will indeed purchase new devices. I have not yet determined what I will do with my ‘legacy’ devices, trade them in, or maintain a separate system, but there’s not enough information yet to make a determination. They’ve certainly lasted much longer than any of the several iPhones and iPads Apple has forced me in to purchasing to run the latest iOS version. 

Thank you for your opinion! I think I would also buy future devices from Sonos as well. We should wait until after May 2020 see if there is any solution for this. IMO, the worst case scenario is that they have to be on different networks. I’m mainly waiting for the Playbar 2 to replace my current samsung 5.1 home theater. I’m also very curious for the Core Sub, I think it would sell for 400$ which is perfect for Beam user, and IMO the Sub is overkill for a small to medium bedroom.

arcadelt
Userlevel 3
Badge +7

 

If it's me I'm holding off until the new one.

That’s what I’m doing.

 

O
Userlevel 2
Badge +1

 

. I know that sonos speakers are very expensive but TBH for an internet connected device, 10 years of support is really good, IDK why people keep complaining about it.

 

People are complaining for a lot of different reasons, one of them being that they only got 5 years of updates. A situation you could could be in 5 years if you buy now.  

hongkien66
Userlevel 1
Badge +5

 

. I know that sonos speakers are very expensive but TBH for an internet connected device, 10 years of support is really good, IDK why people keep complaining about it.

 

People are complaining for a lot of different reasons, one of them being that they only got 5 years of updates. A situation you could could be in 5 years if you buy now.  

Yea I do know that, but the devices are still going to work. Just not as good as it should be

hongkien66
Userlevel 1
Badge +5

@hongkien66 - you seem to me to have absolutely the right, common sense attitude to this.  Even if a the gen 2 P:5 were withdrawn from sale within the next couple of years, say, with the amount of RAM it has I would expect it to get full update support for much longer than 5 years.

As others have said, there is little point in doing anything until May, but I would buy any of Sonos’ current products without the slightest concerns about its longevity, with the single exception of the Playbar.

 

Ok thank you for your feedback, cause I'm also planning to buy the Play 5 2nd gen, Ones 2nd gen, Port and Amp. And the Play 5 is the oldest so the most concerned for me

L
Userlevel 3
Badge +1

Britishwonderings i guess Sonos has to decide if its a tech company or a speaker company, if its a tech company then i understand that new things have to be introduced to stay relevant, but if your a speaker company then a certain amount of longevity is expected as well. It would be interesting to see how many people use the new “tech” ? I for one was quite looking forward to Alexa and Google voice control ,never use it ! I think a lot of people like the idea of cutting edge “tech” but in reality day to day how many really use the full range of features ? I am going to have to upgrade my play 5 1st gen, so i hope Sonos if the rumour of a new P5 is true, have built a decent amount of longevity into it , Put decent memory into the unit dont put just enough to run the unit as it is, memory is cheap you can go big without much cost . Sonos has annoyed a lot of people this year they can probably pull the stunt one time only and get away with it , I will upgrade my P5 so i am on one system instead of a split system, but i will only do it once . 

L

I’d hold off.  I’ve got a similar situation.  Have a play 5 gen 1 and a connect in my current set up.  Both going EoL in June.  Lots of rumors about a Play 5 : Gen 3 being released in June so i’ve stuck my play 5 in for 30% rebate.  Brings the current play to £345.  Going to hold off buying anything till post announcement then make a choice.  The play 5 won’t stop working but may need to split off for short period.  Plan to do same with connect but not sure if the codes are separate and would like option to buy couple of pla5 5’s over a few months.  Probably just going to live with the old connect as its in office and don’t really use it unless working on desktop so no big loss to have a separate app running it.

L
Userlevel 3
Badge +1

well i guess i will be pre ordering today then !!!!

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