SONOS - end of software updates for legacy products

Wtf!

Has anyone done the trade up process - how long did it take for the credit to be available?

I wasn't planning on buying any more Sonos stuff so hopeully the credit will last for a good while.  I bought a Beam in the summer which is a bit annoying.

 

93% of all Sonos kit ever sold is still being used. That's a shockingly good stat for consumers but must really scare investors. 

 

The fall out from this has sliced 3% off their shares, but if 20% of customers upgrade their systems this is will be massive for them. 

Yes, I am mighty pleased I don't have a gen 1 Play 5!  I do have a Play 3 which they no longer produce so I was expecting that to be unsupported after May, but it's ok.

The only thing I have that will be affected is a 2012 Connect but I can set the system up so that it is not needed (by using the Boost instead).  As said in the OP, I hope the 30% credit lasts a long time.

Didn't Marx write something about the diminishing returns on capital? He had a point but didn't reckon on how modern corporations would simply and shamelessly find ways to  deliberately wreck/obsolete their products.

It's fooking annoying but its just the way of the world really.

I'm sure there must be a business model somewhere just delivering products which wont break or be deliberately made obsolete on the pretext of being able to queue your music in a very slightly different way or whatever. Just a 30 year product that does what it needs to and doesn't break. Not quite sure how you create the 30 yr trust in the product. Maybe some kind of combination of audit/guarantee/regulation. There must be a way to do it and someone could clean up (relatively).

I can't be the only person thoroughly sick of this endless BS.

Ill just run mine as long as possible and then buy a different brand. I never need to play them all at the same time anyway. TBH Alexa with a decent Echo does the job just as well in most rooms and saves me having to type in what I want to play. And costs a whole lot less too.

Horribly managed decision

they should do what google does and just not communicate 

I am still fvcked off about all the next functionality I lost when google home acquired them and merged it into their app 

I think Sonos won't do anything to deliberately render older network kit obsolete but the streaming services might by adding some pointless bolt-on.  In that case, the first to so (likely Apple) will just lose subscribers to Spotify or Deezer, who will work to ensure backwards compatibility. 

and what's to say the khunts won't do this again in a couple of years' time and render other products as "legacy" and refuse to update the software? 

I really like having the same radio programme or music playing in different rooms in the house at the same time - it's one of the reasons I went down the sonos route in the first place.

Muso is brilliant but doesn't have the ability to have a linked cheap player in a guest/kids room and higher quality stuff in living areas. 

 

Bluos is the natural competitor for Sonos, and it does hi-res streaming above 16/44.1, which Sonos doesn't. 

I have been toying with the idea of buying a Sonos setup.  

I’m just not up for having them obsolete my stuff whenever they like so Sonos is now off the list.  Not gonna buy them ever.  

Anyone else already having trouble?  There used to be option to play the music that was on my iPad but now you need to connect to a music library and I can’t get it to connect to the music folder on my iPad.  End up with it using the library on my MacBook which means that needs to be on to listen to my music.  Feels like they want me to just it for streaming services rather than downloaded music.

Gland I went for wired speakers in my house so can easily change the system that drives the amp and speakers.

I feel like Spotify Connect and Airplay have eaten Sonos's lunch in terms of the software side anyway. I haven't launched the actual Sonos app on my phone in at least a year. Their competitive advantage has largely gone and they're just a company that makes wireless speakers like any other now. 

Jelly I use the HEOS app but it’s connected into an amp that then runs speakers right through the house.  Think it’s only the TV sound bar that’s a Denon.  The only thing it lacks that Sonos has is an alarm function.

To be fair to Sonos tho. Their customer service is impeccable. My stuff was bought second hand on eBay, was about 10 years old, but had an issue last year and Sonos support spent hours troubleshooting and checking various diagnostic reports after each step.  They resolved it too. Cannot imagine any other company being that keen to help with stuff that's so far from warranty. 

Update from Sonos:

 

A message from Sonos CEO

“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.

“While we have a lot of great products and features in the pipeline, we want our customers to upgrade to our latest and greatest products when they’re excited by what the new products offer, not because they feel forced to do so. That’s the intent of the trade up program we launched for our loyal customers.

“Thank you for being a Sonos customer. Thank you for taking the time to give us your feedback. I hope that you’ll forgive our misstep, and let us earn back your trust. Without you, Sonos wouldn’t exist and we’ll work harder than ever to earn your loyalty every single day.”

Patrick Spence
CEO, Sonos