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I used to be be one of the absolute biggest Sonos fans. A raving fan. Just be aware that Sonos doesn't future proof their products very well. I can't even update my software and apps to get new functionality without getting rid of 15 earlier generation speakers. —Thousands of dollars of speakers. And if I buy new speakers, they are limited by the old software and apps.
Sonos is fine for accessory speakers if you go in with your eyes open. But if you are setting up a full home theater, you may end up wishing you had used a Sonos Port with traditional speakers and a receiver.
Just remember that the tech Sonos links to the speakers has a shelf life that Sonos determines and be aware that Sonos has been woefully short-sighted in the past. Sonos wants to sell you an entire new system a decade or so down the road. Which, for speakers, is ridiculous. Otherwise, you may end up being quite frustrated down the road when Sonos screws their customer base again.
People will say, "They still do what they could do when you first bought them." But that's not true. I bought Sonos specifically because their primary advertised feature was that that they could continue to adapt to future technology, services, etc... That is no longer the case with my speakers. Sonos will never get another dime of my money. Fool me once...
And I could care less if you downvote this post. It doesn't exist for you. It exists for the people who are considering entering the Sonos ecosystem or people considering big Sonos home theater purchases. They deserve to be fully informed consumers before making a significant purchase.
Basically, a Sonos speaker is a speaker, a microprocessor, flash memory, and some other components. Sonos did not put enough flash memory in their products along with a few other things that would allow them to continue to be upgraded to new software. For years now, their new Sonos software can't be used with the old speakers. So because Sonos cheaped out by a few dollars you had to make a choice... Either replace all your speakers so you can use the new software, or have all your current speakers AND any NEW GENERATION speakers be stuck with the old software forever. The new software adds features which has always been Sonos' selling point... that they would continue to evolve and your speakers would continue to have added functionality. So old speakers hinder the new speakers if you want to keep your old speakers.
If you're super rich, it doesn't matter
My personal decision has been to use Sonos speakers as ancillary speakers throughout the house in areas where I wouldn't have a stereo...And then use a traditional receiver system for my expensive setup. Because great speakers are great for decades, I chose not to tie my great speakers to software, microprocessors, and flash memory.
So my recommendation is that you have your television and media room running off a traditional receiver and speaker system. Then, to make them smart and work with Sonos, connect a Sonos Port to your receiver. It basically makes your entire stereo system have Sonos connectivity. But instead of having 5.1 or 7.1 speakers that might need to be replaced in the future, you would only have to upgrade the Sonos Port. --The best of both worlds with the lowest risk.
By the way, right now my favorite product is my Sonos Move. I bring it out to my deck, into my garage, to tailgates, etc...
And I firmly believe that history will repeat itself, despite the best efforts of Sonos. For some people, maybe getting a decade or two of functionality will be enough to feel happy. That's a decision everyone needs to make for themselves. I just want new purchasers to make decisions with their eyes open.
I used to be be one of the absolute biggest Sonos fans. A raving fan. Just be aware that Sonos doesn't future proof their products very well. I can't even update my software and apps to get new functionality without getting rid of 15 earlier generation speakers. —Thousands of dollars of speakers. And if I buy new speakers, they are limited by the old software and apps.
Sonos is fine for accessory speakers if you go in with your eyes open. But if you are setting up a full home theater, you may end up wishing you had used a Sonos Port with traditional speakers and a receiver.
Just remember that the tech Sonos links to the speakers has a shelf life that Sonos determines and be aware that Sonos has been woefully short-sighted in the past. Sonos wants to sell you an entire new system a decade or so down the road. Which, for speakers, is ridiculous. Otherwise, you may end up being quite frustrated down the road when Sonos screws their customer base again.
People will say, "They still do what they could do when you first bought them." But that's not true. I bought Sonos specifically because their primary advertised feature was that that they could continue to adapt to future technology, services, etc... That is no longer the case with my speakers. Sonos will never get another dime of my money. Fool me once...
And I could care less if you downvote this post. It doesn't exist for you. It exists for the people who are considering entering the Sonos ecosystem or people considering big Sonos home theater purchases. They deserve to be fully informed consumers before making a significant purchase.
Can you please elaborate? I just got into the Sonos ecosystem last year and was considering using the current sale to lean in a little further (and even replace the wired 7.1 home theatre set up in the next room). Sounds like you would advise against that.
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Quote
from esfurnal1234
:
Can you please elaborate? I just got into the Sonos ecosystem last year and was considering using the current sale to lean in a little further (and even replace the wired 7.1 home theatre set up in the next room). Sounds like you would advise against that.
Basically, a Sonos speaker is a speaker, a microprocessor, flash memory, and some other components. Sonos did not put enough flash memory in their products along with a few other things that would allow them to continue to be upgraded to new software. For years now, their new Sonos software can't be used with the old speakers. So because Sonos cheaped out by a few dollars you had to make a choice... Either replace all your speakers so you can use the new software, or have all your current speakers AND any NEW GENERATION speakers be stuck with the old software forever. The new software adds features which has always been Sonos' selling point... that they would continue to evolve and your speakers would continue to have added functionality. So old speakers hinder the new speakers if you want to keep your old speakers.
If you're super rich, it doesn't matter
My personal decision has been to use Sonos speakers as ancillary speakers throughout the house in areas where I wouldn't have a stereo...And then use a traditional receiver system for my expensive setup. Because great speakers are great for decades, I chose not to tie my great speakers to software, microprocessors, and flash memory.
So my recommendation is that you have your television and media room running off a traditional receiver and speaker system. Then, to make them smart and work with Sonos, connect a Sonos Port to your receiver. It basically makes your entire stereo system have Sonos connectivity. But instead of having 5.1 or 7.1 speakers that might need to be replaced in the future, you would only have to upgrade the Sonos Port. --The best of both worlds with the lowest risk.
By the way, right now my favorite product is my Sonos Move. I bring it out to my deck, into my garage, to tailgates, etc...
And I firmly believe that history will repeat itself, despite the best efforts of Sonos. For some people, maybe getting a decade or two of functionality will be enough to feel happy. That's a decision everyone needs to make for themselves. I just want new purchasers to make decisions with their eyes open.
Hope that helped.
Last edited by hermey November 18, 2023 at 08:49 PM.
Basically, a Sonos speaker is a speaker, a microprocessor, flash memory, and some other components. Sonos did not put enough flash memory in their products along with a few other things that would allow them to continue to be upgraded to new software. For years now, their new Sonos software can't be used with the old speakers. So because Sonos cheaped out by a few dollars you had to make a choice... Either replace all your speakers so you can use the new software, or have all your current speakers AND any NEW GENERATION speakers be stuck with the old software forever. The new software adds features which has always been Sonos' selling point... that they would continue to evolve and your speakers would continue to have added functionality. So old speakers hinder the new speakers if you want to keep your old speakers.
If you're super rich, it doesn't matter
My personal decision has been to use Sonos speakers as ancillary speakers throughout the house in areas where I wouldn't have a stereo...And then use a traditional receiver system for my expensive setup. Because great speakers are great for decades, I chose not to tie my great speakers to software, microprocessors, and flash memory.
So my recommendation is that you have your television and media room running off a traditional receiver and speaker system. Then, to make them smart and work with Sonos, connect a Sonos Port to your receiver. It basically makes your entire stereo system have Sonos connectivity. But instead of having 5.1 or 7.1 speakers that might need to be replaced in the future, you would only have to upgrade the Sonos Port. --The best of both worlds with the lowest risk.
By the way, right now my favorite product is my Sonos Move. I bring it out to my deck, into my garage, to tailgates, etc...
And I firmly believe that history will repeat itself, despite the best efforts of Sonos. For some people, maybe getting a decade or two of functionality will be enough to feel happy. That's a decision everyone needs to make for themselves. I just want new purchasers to make decisions with their eyes open.
Thank you for the write up - very helpful! This is also my first entry into Sonos. I ordered a Beam soundbar and Mini Sub for a bedroom setup with the intention to test it out to see if it's worth going wireless for my existing home theater setup. Seems like I will stick with the receiver setup - I've had my home theater speakers for 10+ years and they still work fine.
Edit - whoops, meant to reply to @hermey
Last edited by castledrake November 19, 2023 at 04:02 PM.
I used to be be one of the absolute biggest Sonos fans. A raving fan. Just be aware that Sonos doesn't future proof their products very well. I can't even update my software and apps to get new functionality without getting rid of 15 earlier generation speakers. —Thousands of dollars of speakers. And if I buy new speakers, they are limited by the old software and apps.
Sonos is fine for accessory speakers if you go in with your eyes open. But if you are setting up a full home theater, you may end up wishing you had used a Sonos Port with traditional speakers and a receiver.
Just remember that the tech Sonos links to the speakers has a shelf life that Sonos determines and be aware that Sonos has been woefully short-sighted in the past. Sonos wants to sell you an entire new system a decade or so down the road. Which, for speakers, is ridiculous. Otherwise, you may end up being quite frustrated down the road when Sonos screws their customer base again.
People will say, "They still do what they could do when you first bought them." But that's not true. I bought Sonos specifically because their primary advertised feature was that that they could continue to adapt to future technology, services, etc... That is no longer the case with my speakers. Sonos will never get another dime of my money. Fool me once...
And I could care less if you downvote this post. It doesn't exist for you. It exists for the people who are considering entering the Sonos ecosystem or people considering big Sonos home theater purchases. They deserve to be fully informed consumers before making a significant purchase.
My original Sonos work great. You can't expect a 10yr old car to have all the features of a car released today?
You must be joking! Get the Q990C and thank me later. I pulled the trigger after months of deliberation and research, Q990C with rear speakers is a beast of a system. If you dont want to indulge in AV systems with bulky speakers Q990C bar is your choice, Alexa and Airplay integretion plus you can drop your fav music by NFC tap. Its worth it!
I used to be be one of the absolute biggest Sonos fans. A raving fan. Just be aware that Sonos doesn't future proof their products very well. I can't even update my software and apps to get new functionality without getting rid of 15 earlier generation speakers. —Thousands of dollars of speakers. And if I buy new speakers, they are limited by the old software and apps
Use the S1 app, it has all the functionality you were promised when you purchased the speakers.
Sonos went well beyond what they needed to.
All products have an end-of-life where they won't be supported anymore. We are talking about very old devices. I still run Play:1s in an S2 environment.
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Sonos is fine for accessory speakers if you go in with your eyes open. But if you are setting up a full home theater, you may end up wishing you had used a Sonos Port with traditional speakers and a receiver.
Just remember that the tech Sonos links to the speakers has a shelf life that Sonos determines and be aware that Sonos has been woefully short-sighted in the past. Sonos wants to sell you an entire new system a decade or so down the road. Which, for speakers, is ridiculous. Otherwise, you may end up being quite frustrated down the road when Sonos screws their customer base again.
People will say, "They still do what they could do when you first bought them." But that's not true. I bought Sonos specifically because their primary advertised feature was that that they could continue to adapt to future technology, services, etc... That is no longer the case with my speakers. Sonos will never get another dime of my money. Fool me once...
And I could care less if you downvote this post. It doesn't exist for you. It exists for the people who are considering entering the Sonos ecosystem or people considering big Sonos home theater purchases. They deserve to be fully informed consumers before making a significant purchase.
Basically, a Sonos speaker is a speaker, a microprocessor, flash memory, and some other components. Sonos did not put enough flash memory in their products along with a few other things that would allow them to continue to be upgraded to new software. For years now, their new Sonos software can't be used with the old speakers. So because Sonos cheaped out by a few dollars you had to make a choice... Either replace all your speakers so you can use the new software, or have all your current speakers AND any NEW GENERATION speakers be stuck with the old software forever. The new software adds features which has always been Sonos' selling point... that they would continue to evolve and your speakers would continue to have added functionality. So old speakers hinder the new speakers if you want to keep your old speakers.
If you're super rich, it doesn't matter
My personal decision has been to use Sonos speakers as ancillary speakers throughout the house in areas where I wouldn't have a stereo...And then use a traditional receiver system for my expensive setup. Because great speakers are great for decades, I chose not to tie my great speakers to software, microprocessors, and flash memory.
So my recommendation is that you have your television and media room running off a traditional receiver and speaker system. Then, to make them smart and work with Sonos, connect a Sonos Port to your receiver. It basically makes your entire stereo system have Sonos connectivity. But instead of having 5.1 or 7.1 speakers that might need to be replaced in the future, you would only have to upgrade the Sonos Port. --The best of both worlds with the lowest risk.
https://www.sonos.com/en-us/shop/port
If you want to power traditional speakers directly, you can use a Sonos Amp. A lot of people use that to power outdoor weatherproof speakers.
https://www.sonos.com/en-us/shop/amp
By the way, right now my favorite product is my Sonos Move. I bring it out to my deck, into my garage, to tailgates, etc...
And I firmly believe that history will repeat itself, despite the best efforts of Sonos. For some people, maybe getting a decade or two of functionality will be enough to feel happy. That's a decision everyone needs to make for themselves. I just want new purchasers to make decisions with their eyes open.
Hope that helped.
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Sonos is fine for accessory speakers if you go in with your eyes open. But if you are setting up a full home theater, you may end up wishing you had used a Sonos Port with traditional speakers and a receiver.
Just remember that the tech Sonos links to the speakers has a shelf life that Sonos determines and be aware that Sonos has been woefully short-sighted in the past. Sonos wants to sell you an entire new system a decade or so down the road. Which, for speakers, is ridiculous. Otherwise, you may end up being quite frustrated down the road when Sonos screws their customer base again.
People will say, "They still do what they could do when you first bought them." But that's not true. I bought Sonos specifically because their primary advertised feature was that that they could continue to adapt to future technology, services, etc... That is no longer the case with my speakers. Sonos will never get another dime of my money. Fool me once...
And I could care less if you downvote this post. It doesn't exist for you. It exists for the people who are considering entering the Sonos ecosystem or people considering big Sonos home theater purchases. They deserve to be fully informed consumers before making a significant purchase.
Our community has rated this post as helpful. If you agree, why not thank
Basically, a Sonos speaker is a speaker, a microprocessor, flash memory, and some other components. Sonos did not put enough flash memory in their products along with a few other things that would allow them to continue to be upgraded to new software. For years now, their new Sonos software can't be used with the old speakers. So because Sonos cheaped out by a few dollars you had to make a choice... Either replace all your speakers so you can use the new software, or have all your current speakers AND any NEW GENERATION speakers be stuck with the old software forever. The new software adds features which has always been Sonos' selling point... that they would continue to evolve and your speakers would continue to have added functionality. So old speakers hinder the new speakers if you want to keep your old speakers.
If you're super rich, it doesn't matter
My personal decision has been to use Sonos speakers as ancillary speakers throughout the house in areas where I wouldn't have a stereo...And then use a traditional receiver system for my expensive setup. Because great speakers are great for decades, I chose not to tie my great speakers to software, microprocessors, and flash memory.
So my recommendation is that you have your television and media room running off a traditional receiver and speaker system. Then, to make them smart and work with Sonos, connect a Sonos Port to your receiver. It basically makes your entire stereo system have Sonos connectivity. But instead of having 5.1 or 7.1 speakers that might need to be replaced in the future, you would only have to upgrade the Sonos Port. --The best of both worlds with the lowest risk.
https://www.sonos.com/en-us/shop/port
If you want to power traditional speakers directly, you can use a Sonos Amp. A lot of people use that to power outdoor weatherproof speakers.
https://www.sonos.com/en-us/shop/amp
By the way, right now my favorite product is my Sonos Move. I bring it out to my deck, into my garage, to tailgates, etc...
And I firmly believe that history will repeat itself, despite the best efforts of Sonos. For some people, maybe getting a decade or two of functionality will be enough to feel happy. That's a decision everyone needs to make for themselves. I just want new purchasers to make decisions with their eyes open.
Hope that helped.
Basically, a Sonos speaker is a speaker, a microprocessor, flash memory, and some other components. Sonos did not put enough flash memory in their products along with a few other things that would allow them to continue to be upgraded to new software. For years now, their new Sonos software can't be used with the old speakers. So because Sonos cheaped out by a few dollars you had to make a choice... Either replace all your speakers so you can use the new software, or have all your current speakers AND any NEW GENERATION speakers be stuck with the old software forever. The new software adds features which has always been Sonos' selling point... that they would continue to evolve and your speakers would continue to have added functionality. So old speakers hinder the new speakers if you want to keep your old speakers.
If you're super rich, it doesn't matter
My personal decision has been to use Sonos speakers as ancillary speakers throughout the house in areas where I wouldn't have a stereo...And then use a traditional receiver system for my expensive setup. Because great speakers are great for decades, I chose not to tie my great speakers to software, microprocessors, and flash memory.
So my recommendation is that you have your television and media room running off a traditional receiver and speaker system. Then, to make them smart and work with Sonos, connect a Sonos Port to your receiver. It basically makes your entire stereo system have Sonos connectivity. But instead of having 5.1 or 7.1 speakers that might need to be replaced in the future, you would only have to upgrade the Sonos Port. --The best of both worlds with the lowest risk.
https://www.sonos.com/en-us/shop/port
If you want to power traditional speakers directly, you can use a Sonos Amp. A lot of people use that to power outdoor weatherproof speakers.
https://www.sonos.com/en-us/shop/amp
By the way, right now my favorite product is my Sonos Move. I bring it out to my deck, into my garage, to tailgates, etc...
And I firmly believe that history will repeat itself, despite the best efforts of Sonos. For some people, maybe getting a decade or two of functionality will be enough to feel happy. That's a decision everyone needs to make for themselves. I just want new purchasers to make decisions with their eyes open.
Hope that helped.
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Edit - whoops, meant to reply to @hermey
Sonos is fine for accessory speakers if you go in with your eyes open. But if you are setting up a full home theater, you may end up wishing you had used a Sonos Port with traditional speakers and a receiver.
Just remember that the tech Sonos links to the speakers has a shelf life that Sonos determines and be aware that Sonos has been woefully short-sighted in the past. Sonos wants to sell you an entire new system a decade or so down the road. Which, for speakers, is ridiculous. Otherwise, you may end up being quite frustrated down the road when Sonos screws their customer base again.
People will say, "They still do what they could do when you first bought them." But that's not true. I bought Sonos specifically because their primary advertised feature was that that they could continue to adapt to future technology, services, etc... That is no longer the case with my speakers. Sonos will never get another dime of my money. Fool me once...
And I could care less if you downvote this post. It doesn't exist for you. It exists for the people who are considering entering the Sonos ecosystem or people considering big Sonos home theater purchases. They deserve to be fully informed consumers before making a significant purchase.
Sonos went well beyond what they needed to.
All products have an end-of-life where they won't be supported anymore. We are talking about very old devices. I still run Play:1s in an S2 environment.
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Share your experience with the Slickdeals community
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