Sonos CEO Apology

  • 24 January 2020
  • 24 replies
  • 1574 views
B
Userlevel 2

I just received an email from the CEO of Sonos claiming that the older Sonos products will not be bricked, but will no longer receive updates.  

While i was originally concerned the first time i heard you will not be providing updates to older models, I am increasingly concerned that the my older and new Sonos products will likely no longer continue to work together.

I don't know if Sonos realizes but its products are priced at the top of the market.  There are many other options out there for wireless speaker systems.  I purchased Sonos products for the streamlined integration of speakers across my home - not to have some work around or a split system.

As someone who has enjoyed your products and continued to invest in them over the years, I am EXTREMELY disappointed to learn that the high end products I have purchased (and which are hardly old enough to be considered legacy technology) will not continue to work with the Sonos system.

I can understand that their performance might not continue in line with current products, but Sonos is essentially making them irrelevant. 

Unless Sonos alters its course you can expect that I will never purchase another Sonos product again, and will warn others whom I have previously recommended Sonos to in the past that Sonos will allow its products to become useless through its own internal updating process.

Sonos clearly is not standing behind its products, and given the required use of the Sonos app, their owned planned obsolescence of products does not warrant the investment in their products. 

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24 replies

A
Badge

Great it true. No one expects lifetime support for free but we at a minimum expect these high end products to perform the basic functions for which they were purchased. 
 

me, I just want my play 5’s to play streaming music over my Wi-fi. You can stick the rest. 

jgatie

I just received an email from the CEO of Sonos claiming that the older Sonos products will not be bricked, but will no longer receive updates.  

While i was originally concerned the first time i heard you will not be providing updates to older models, I am increasingly concerned that the my older and new Sonos products will likely no longer continue to work together.

 

 

Stop being concerned.  You old and new devices will continue to work just as they do now, using the current software.  Your system will continue to receive updates (not upgrades), including bug fixes and security changes.  

 

Stanley_4
Userlevel 7
Badge +22

Check here:

https://blog.sonos.com/en/a-letter-from-our-ceo/

A snip:

 

All Sonos products will continue to work past May

Published Jan 23, 2020

We heard you. We did not get this right from the start. My apologies for that and I wanted to personally assure you of the path forward:

First, rest assured that come May, when we end new software updates for our legacy products, they will continue to work as they do today. We are not bricking them, we are not forcing them into obsolescence, and we are not taking anything away. Many of you have invested heavily in your Sonos systems, and we intend to honor that investment for as long as possible. While legacy Sonos products won’t get new software features, we pledge to keep them updated with bug fixes and security patches for as long as possible. If we run into something core to the experience that can’t be addressed, we’ll work to offer an alternative solution and let you know about any changes you’ll see in your experience.

Secondly, we heard you on the issue of legacy products and modern products not being able to coexist in your home. We are working on a way to split your system so that modern products work together and get the latest features, while legacy products work together and remain in their current state. We’re finalizing details on this plan and will share more in the coming weeks.

B
Userlevel 2

if you read the CEOs statement he is carefully stepping around the issue and not offering assurance that new and old Sonos systems will continue to work together  in fact he even states that their intention is to create a split system such that new products work together and legacy products work together. The result is newer updated systems not working with legacy systems.


“We are working on a way to split your system so that modern products work together and get the latest features, while legacy products work together and remain in their current state.”

melvimbe

The first post in the annoucement thread here...

 

https://en.community.sonos.com/announcements-228985/end-of-software-support-clarifications-6835969

 

...has more details and also includes the letter.   Putting it altogether, I think you will get your answer.

 

You have the option of keeping all of your current  Sonos products in one system together, where there will be no updates but will get fixes to maintain functional if at all possible.  

 

Danny
R

Bought Sonos for ease of use, multi room premium system, that just worked and could “grow” overtime. ie One system, future proofed
 

If I have to now make compromises / create seperate groups depending on Sonos deprecation schedule, it’s no longer meeting my core need. Having invested  a considerable amount in a service proposition that was disingenuous, there is a strong feeling of having been swindled.

K

The first post in the annoucement thread here...

 

https://en.community.sonos.com/announcements-228985/end-of-software-support-clarifications-6835969

 

...has more details and also includes the letter.   Putting it altogether, I think you will get your answer.

 

You have the option of keeping all of your current  Sonos products in one system together, where there will be no updates but will get fixes to maintain functional if at all possible.  

 

The problem in the last bit is that in that case, even modern products will only retain existing functionality. Wasn’t it Spence that had once proclaimed that folks buying Sonos products are buying future functionality upgrades as well, as a justification for the high price points? What happens to that promise in this instance for the modern products?

And keeping two systems in one house is a kludge.

Sonos needs to figure out how to keep all their promises, without doing fancy footwork around them. Modern products need to be able to get all that Sonos took in dollars when they were sold, while being able to exist on the same system with legacy products.

jgatie

The problem in the last bit is that in that case, even modern products will only retain existing functionality. Wasn’t it Spence that had once proclaimed that folks buying Sonos products are buying future functionality upgrades as well, as a justification for the high price points? What happens to that promise in this instance for the modern products?

 

 

That promise is broken if you wish to retain older hardware.  Not what you wanted to hear, but that is the fact. You can’t make 32 MB into 64 MB by wishing and hoping.  It’s just not happening. 

 

And keeping two systems in one house is a kludge.

Sonos needs to figure out how to keep all their promises, without doing fancy footwork around them. Modern products need to be able to get all that Sonos took in dollars when they were sold, while being able to exist on the same system with legacy products.

 

 

 

They aren’t going to keep both promises.  All the lamenting about “they need to do this” or “they need to do that” doesn’t change the cold hard facts.  It’s not happening,and anyone who knows anything about software engineering could see this coming a mile away.  I stated as such way back when the CR100 was retired. We all knew there would come a day when legacy equipment was no longer able to keep up with modern functionality.  That day has come.  You must make your decision on how to deal with it.

Stanley_4
Userlevel 7
Badge +22

This is the latest:

https://blog.sonos.com/en/a-letter-from-our-ceo/

Sounds better and may improve more between now and the May update.

N
Userlevel 6
Badge +5

.  

 

 

And keeping two systems in one house is a kludge.

Sonos needs to figure out how to keep all their promises, without doing fancy footwork around them. Modern products need to be able to get all that Sonos took in dollars when they were sold, while being able to exist on the same system with legacy products.

You hit the nail on the head. Without backwards compatibility you either do the two systems one house (not gonna fly at my house) or hold updates to your new devices hostage until you fork out to replace old devices. 

No thanks.

(and were they doing only putting 32mb of ram in such expensive devices as soon as 5 years ago either negligent or greedy AF)

N
Userlevel 6
Badge +5

This is the latest:

https://blog.sonos.com/en/a-letter-from-our-ceo/

Sounds better and may improve more between now and the May update.

Need to keep hammering them to move things in our favor.

K

 

That promise is broken if you wish to retain older hardware.  Not what you wanted to hear, but that is the fact. You can’t make 32 MB into 64 MB by wishing and hoping.  It’s just not happening. 

 

That promise is broken if you wish to retain older hardware. 

 

 

 

 

They aren’t going to keep both promises.  You must make your decision on how to deal with it.

 

 

I know that these two and at least one more promise has been broken. I also know what I need to do to deal with this behaviour.

But I think I am allowed to say here in the context of this latest CEO promise, that he has a history of breaking promises. 

I have no expertise to argue about what’s happening or not happening or the why’s of either. I will not even attempt that.

S
Userlevel 2

Man am I mad. After reading the earlier announcement about the older “legacy’ equipment that would not work with new equipment after May I went out and spent AU$ 500 ordering a new Play 5. Now Sonos puts out a communique indicating “Oh no that is not what we meant.” Yeah Thanks Sonos. I hope to have a AU$ 500 cheque in the mail from Sonos in the next few days.

NOT HAPPY

D
Userlevel 1
Badge

It was good that the CEO acknowledged that they have handled this issue poorly, and created confusion and concern.

However, beyond making us feel that Sonos at least cares a tiny bit for their customer base, not much has changed. 

As someone with something in the order of 18 or more Sonos devices, mostly ‘legacy’ Connect and Connect:Amps, I don’t want two separate systems that don’t work seamlessly together.  I want to be able to do what I do now - play music on whichever devices I feel like, maybe all of them, at the same time.  If the Sonos ‘split system’ approach means that it is hard or impossible to play the same music on both legacy and ‘modern’ devices at the same time, then the CEO’s platitudes are just that, platitudes.  My house isn’t arbitrarily split into two parts, and nor should my whole house music system, especially by the supplier of my equipment.

Sonos need to work out how to continue to develop their ‘modern’ devices in such a way that I still have a single integrated system.  As long as it is, I don’t mind if the newer parts can do more than the older parts.  Even if the legacy components work in some way, if it isn’t as a seamless integrated system then Sonos have taken away something that is core to the reason why I invested so much in their technology.

Sonos seem to fail to realise that many people have been building their expensive Sonos system over many years, in the expectation that it will continue to work without being sliced and diced by Sonos.  I have other expensive audio equipment which I expect to last many years and not have their functionality gradually taken away by the manufacturer after a few years because it suits them.

Sonos, work out how to ensure your customers continue have what they do now, a seamlessly integrated music system, not two separate ones.   You take away the integration of my system and you have destroyed my investment in Sonos, and I will remain seriously pissed off.

Dave

 

 

 

K

@DaveCrump 

Take a look at this, you are part of the target audience. It won’t take away all the grief, but it may take the edge off it.

https://en.community.sonos.com/controllers-software-228995/the-sonos-brexit-and-a-pragmatic-way-past-it-6836056

D
Userlevel 1
Badge

Thanks Kumar.

Your thread raises some interesting options, but ultimately it will depend on what Sonos do.

Keeping the legacy devices going is something I have been planning for a while, somewhat ironically building a collection of spare Connects and Connect:Amps.  Their value has dropped a great deal in the last couple of days I expect.  

Frustratingly, it is now the recent purchase of a few modern devices that I regret - if I want to retain an integrated system it is those that will have to go given my large investment in legacy devices.   

I’ll wait until we see whether Sonos really can manage to look after their long standing customers with large systems and maintain the integration.  Mind you, the CEO letter gives no indication that they really understand the problem they have created for some of their big customers, or for that matter care about it…..

K

@DaveCrump

Dave, make sure that units that are at attractive prices are not ones marked for recycling.

As far as the modern devices are concerned - if you bought them for existing functionality, they can well continue in an integrated system post May.

The CEO letter is just spin and PR.

U
Userlevel 6
Badge +4

It is eye-opening to me that so many adults have such poor reading comprehension that they believe the CEO statement has improved things. IT SAYS EXACTLY THE SAME AS THE PREVIOUS POLICY ANNOUNCEMENT.

All he’s done is wrap it in some flowery ‘sorry’s and ‘we listened to you’. Nothing has changed.

M
Userlevel 3
Badge

Stop being concerned.  You old and new devices will continue to work just as they do now, using the current software.  Your system will continue to receive updates (not upgrades), including bug fixes and security changes.  

 

Until the controller software stops being compatible with Legacy systems. No guarantees have been given that all future apps or pc based controller software will support both legacy and modern systems.

P
Userlevel 2
Badge +2

The problem in the last bit is that in that case, even modern products will only retain existing functionality. Wasn’t it Spence that had once proclaimed that folks buying Sonos products are buying future functionality upgrades as well, as a justification for the high price points? What happens to that promise in this instance for the modern products?

 

 

That promise is broken if you wish to retain older hardware.  Not what you wanted to hear, but that is the fact. You can’t make 32 MB into 64 MB by wishing and hoping.  It’s just not happening. 

 

And keeping two systems in one house is a kludge.

Sonos needs to figure out how to keep all their promises, without doing fancy footwork around them. Modern products need to be able to get all that Sonos took in dollars when they were sold, while being able to exist on the same system with legacy products.

 

 

 

They aren’t going to keep both promises.  All the lamenting about “they need to do this” or “they need to do that” doesn’t change the cold hard facts.  It’s not happening,and anyone who knows anything about software engineering could see this coming a mile away.  I stated as such way back when the CR100 was retired. We all knew there would come a day when legacy equipment was no longer able to keep up with modern functionality.  That day has come.  You must make your decision on how to deal with it.

It was unavoidable. But the same goes for Bose, Bluesound, Denon. They know now what they’re facing when it’s their turn to make such announcement. And they will. Moving to another smart speaker system isn’t the solution. Maybe multiroom hifi just isn’t for everybody. For me, the pro’s still outweigh the cons. I’m a believer.

I love the pair of play 5's in my living room, but I simply adore the play 1 in my kitchen.
K

It is eye-opening to me that so many adults have such poor reading comprehension that they believe the CEO statement has improved things. IT SAYS EXACTLY THE SAME AS THE PREVIOUS POLICY ANNOUNCEMENT.

All he’s done is wrap it in some flowery ‘sorry’s and ‘we listened to you’. Nothing has changed.

Agreed. I can so easily visualise a meeting in the CEO office with the marketing, PR, and legal folk around him coming to a conclusion - let’s toss them a titbit guys, that will stop them baying till they find something else to bay at.

O
Userlevel 3
Badge

I just received an email from the CEO of Sonos claiming that the older Sonos products will not be bricked, but will no longer receive updates.  

While i was originally concerned the first time i heard you will not be providing updates to older models, I am increasingly concerned that the my older and new Sonos products will likely no longer continue to work together.

I don't know if Sonos realizes but its products are priced at the top of the market.  There are many other options out there for wireless speaker systems.  I purchased Sonos products for the streamlined integration of speakers across my home - not to have some work around or a split system.

As someone who has enjoyed your products and continued to invest in them over the years, I am EXTREMELY disappointed to learn that the high end products I have purchased (and which are hardly old enough to be considered legacy technology) will not continue to work with the Sonos system.

I can understand that their performance might not continue in line with current products, but Sonos is essentially making them irrelevant. 

Unless Sonos alters its course you can expect that I will never purchase another Sonos product again, and will warn others whom I have previously recommended Sonos to in the past that Sonos will allow its products to become useless through its own internal updating process.

Sonos clearly is not standing behind its products, and given the required use of the Sonos app, their owned planned obsolescence of products does not warrant the investment in their products. 

Good to hear that their CEO is addressing some of the concerns here, however their pathetic trade-in offer of 30% off the price of replacement models is quite frankly a joke, angering loyal customers in the process - and as CEO he should focus on this, before the SONOS brand is irreversibly damaged. My personal feeling, and that of many fellow SONOS customers, is that a trade-in offer of 70% against replacements would be much more appropriate. 

D
Userlevel 1
Badge +2

I'd be happy if the trade-up was on the basis of cost price, so that Sonos don't lose money by making speakers just to give them away... it would be cost neutral to them.  But invaluable to them in terms of brand reputation and trust.  Right now, that is in tatters.

L

We have been very long time customers of Sonos products. We own three Play 5 generation 1 speakers. We were extremely disappointed to hear of Sonos announcement of no longer supporting our system. We do understand that technology moves forward; however, we felt that purchasing a high quality system that we would have many years of enjoyment. We feel very betrayed by the announcement; although with the new announcement from the CEO, this still gives us little comfort if we upgrade to a new system, it will be outdated and no longer supported when new and latest technology is available.

 

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