Yelling at Alexa

There are some instructions about placement in the app when you set up the Sonos One, I recall, and I'm sure there is some advice on this on the website here. The main thing is to have it clear of any obstructions in front and at the sides, but check the instructions. However, you probably noticed that there are several posts about people having similar problems with the Sonos One and not having these problems with the Echo or Dot so it may be that what you're experiencing is as good as it gets at the moment.

So that your experience of Alexa - as opposed to Sonos - is not ruined for the long term, I suggest turning off the mic on the One,and buying or using a Dot to control the One as if it was not a smart speaker, and getting on with voice control. Once Sonos fixes this, the Dot will find other uses for itself in the home.

Sonos is having trouble getting this aspect right. It will be eventually fixed, but perhaps at a price in customer disenchantment with Alexa; if I was Amazon, I would be concerned.

For more on this see:https://en.community.sonos.com/amazon-alexa-and-sonos-229102/microphone-sensitivity-for-the-alexa-wake-word-is-low-6792706

Kumar wrote:

; if I was Amazon, I would be concerned.

I'm not sure Amazon will care, especially if people follow your advice and buy a dot from them! And to be honest, most Sonos One users do seem to have echo/dot experience, so their disenchantment is more likely to be with Sonos' inability to get it right, rather than Amazon (as is the case with me)

Same problem here! Deaf Sonos One! I purchased the Sonos One to replace (upgrade) an Echo Dot, and positioned the Sonos one in the exact same spot, with no luck at all. The Sonos One just activate Alexa on average 4 of 10 tries. Terrible. The Echo Dot was not perfect, but I can say it works on 9 of 10 tries. I amazed with the Sonos One sound quality and even the design, but it’s very sad this is failing on the main reason to buy for me. Returned. I hope Sonos fix the problem and activate the Airplay, then I will give another chance. Alexa is a must for me.

Has this issue been resolved? I expected to have to raise my voice to control it when it’s playing, but literally standing over it and yelling the wake word several times is not exactly what I envisioned.

I've experienced this issue with Sonos where Alexa on the Sonos doesn't hear my requests or ask me to repeat my request or errors out. When I put my Amazon Echo in the same spot as where my Sonos One was it hears me fine every time. I determined it is a weak mic issue on the Sonos One.

Regardless, I gave away my Sonos. I was tired of yelling at Alexa (which when talking really loud the Sonos One mic would pick up and understand what I was requesting).

I did try out the Apple HomePod and it was even more of a mess than the Sonos One (bad sounding and bad voice).

For now I'm just bought two Echo Plus's to replace my smart speaker system.

Why post here? I love love love the sound of the Sonos speakers and hope like heck they read this response and fix the microphone in future updated version of the Sonos One. I'll buy into Sonos again if they can fix the Alexa functionality so that the Sonos is just a really better sounding version of the Alexa devices that Amazon sells. But (between you and I) I could also see Amazon holding out the best Alexa experience for those that purchase their devices. Maybe sonos can partner with Amazon and create a Sonos One that just works with Alexa that uses the Amazon mic technology and just add in the Sonos technology for the music playback. Something. Right now it's so bad I gave my sonos speakers away to a friend that doesn't care about functionality but needed a speaker system.

Why not just get Play:1's and use your Echos to control them?

I use the smart system for alarms to wake-up. I don't like the "stringing along" speakers. If I liked that I would definitely get the Play:1. But I need the speakers and the smart system to be integrated. I don't like the idea of trying to figure that out.

If I put effort into it I could have just kept my sonos setup and did as you describe. Too much work for me. 😞