Sonos Kicks Off Rare Sale With Up to 25% Off Popular Audio Accessories

[HobeSoundDarryl]

Google "Sonos issues". This search just pulled back 6,550,000 results. You're welcome.

Couldn't find the number on Google so tried it on Bing:

• "Sonos Issues": 2.6 million results.
• "Apple Issues": 35.5 million results.

Cupertino, we have a problem???

I know the game here is <other company> thread/story: bash, bash, bash. But tip: be sure when we pile on, that trying the same applied to "God" doesn't yield a worse implication.

 

[AlumaMac]

That doesn't actually refute my point

They can be both very overpriced and still be the best option

I concur with this, I have a Sonos Arc soundbar that I consider overpriced for its performanc yet it’s still better than most consumer grade soundbars I’ve encountered.

 

[LuminousFX]

What are some of the good alternatives for Sonos?

 

[iMac The Knife]

Couldn't find the number on Google so tried it on Bing:

• "Sonos Issues": 2.6 million results.
• "Apple Issues": 35.5 million results.

Cupertino, we have a problem???

I know the game here is <other company> thread/story: bash, bash, bash. But tip: be sure when we pile on, that trying the same applied to "God" doesn't yield a worse implication.

To be fair, far less people use Bing and far less people own Sonos devices. But, I do get your point.

 

[LogicalApex]

It might be somewhat subjective, but I have found that the majority of people who say BMW, Mercedes, Apple, Burberry, Thom Browne, Rolex, etc. are overpriced cannot afford products from these "overpriced" companies. I can buy Sonos all day long, but I wouldn't even put their gear in an ice fishing shanty if I happened to have one.

I get it, but I am hoping the discussion could be more tangible. What makes it overpriced in your view.

I have a decent amount of Sonos gear and I am happy with it. The Five stereo pair in my office rocks, for instance.

I agree Sonos gear is expensive though.

 

[iMac The Knife]

What are some of the good alternatives for Sonos?

I would never buy wireless speakers for my home Hi-Fi needs, as wireless speaker and Hi-Fi shouldn't be in the same sentence in my opinion, so I can't really speak to this. I'm interested to hear about competitive products though, just for the knowledge.

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

I'm mostly an Apple guy for 20+ years, but fading lately due to "another record quarter..." shareholder priorities vs. consumers. Nevertheless, all posts I post are as "consumer first" and as objective as I can be... meaning if someone looks at a broad mix of my posts, you'll find both praise & panning of Apple stuff. I'm definitely NOT a fan and not a troll... but in the middle area where I just call things as I see them.

Here's my take on Sonos...
Sonos is basically the Apple- and more so the old Apple vs. 2018-2024 Apple- of smart speakers. They build great stuff and price it at an Apple-like premium. In turn, like "old Apple" it all "just works" for the most part.

Unlike Apple, they are not overly focused on lock-in/lock-down/our ecosystem & "our way-or-bust", so they readily work with about everything instead of only some things... including working just fine with Home, Airplay, Apple Music and Siri (via Home/Airplay). I can command Siri on any Apple tech like my Mac to play a playlist on that Mac to Sonos speakers in any room or all room and it plays. Given the choice of HP vs. something like Sonos 300s/Move/etc, if me, I'd take the latter every time. Why? More open, more broadly compatible, etc. Unfortunate choices by Apple like no AUX input is generally remedied by Sonos. Sonos people aren't waiting for all those sources of audio to cut deals, they just enjoy them now and have for years. Sonos people aren't waiting on soundbars and rear speakers from Apple. They already have plenty of such choices. Where's that subwoofer? Sonos has a couple of them. They are singularly FOCUSED on speakers instead of it being a sub-category/sideline/ancillary add-on to "our main offerings."

I have a few Sonos things standing in in HP-like ways, meaning music-only players. Otherwise, I'm a traditional purist for something like home theater where I use Receiver plus high-quality WIRED speakers. However, I've helped other people set up home theaters and often someting like the Sonos Arc + 300s with or without the Sub makes a fantastic setup for anyone interested in a soundbar-based theater... including Apple people who want the bulk of the HP benefits AND true Surround setups too.

HPs are fine too, but probably forever limited to stereo only, while Sonos already has and has long since worked out full, true surround. Almost the entire walled garden benefits work with Sonos too.

So while this thread will pile up with negativity about the <non-Apple> entity of the day (as they all do), my opinion is that Sonos is quite a good option for Apple people. If someone will take a budget for an iPhone or two, they can buy a loaded "smart" home theater setup that will serve them well for the next 10-15 years (in which they will otherwise buy through about 4 or 5 iPhones).

Tomorrow or the next day will be another thread with some other Apple competitor (Netflix, Google, Samsung, Spotify, Roku, Microsoft, Qualcomm, Intel, etc) and it too will pile up with disgust/contempt because apparently only Apple can make great things.

Yet still, there are plenty of very happy people using those other things... as there are plenty of happy people like me with my Sonos stuff... and plenty of mostly Apple people like me, happy with our Sonos stuff (used heavily with Apple stuff).

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

To be fair, far less people use Bing and far less people own Sonos devices. But, I do get your point.

Yes, I just couldn't see that number on Google, but suspect it would be similarly dramatic.

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

I would never buy wireless speakers for my home Hi-Fi needs, as wireless speaker and Hi-Fi shouldn't be in the same sentence in my opinion, so I can't really speak to this. I'm interested to hear about competitive products though, just for the knowledge.

I'm with YOU on this. Anyone who wants great speakers shouldn't be considering "toys." Apply great Apple-product-like budgets to the A/V budget and wire up as much as possible. Too many of us will not blink at spending $1000 or more for a phone every couple of years that we will only keep for a few years but then thoroughly cheap out on something like speakers that- if good ones- can last 20 or 30 years or more. There are people in this forum with great speakers they purchased back in the 1970s.

Unlike "smarts" (parts), "dumb" speakers don't really have anything to vintage and thus obsolete. So you'd think we would budget accordingly and perhaps put even more towards something we'll use for decades vs. something we might get to use for 3 or 4 years before it's "long in tooth." That's what I chose to do for my main home theater setup: spent a bit more than an Apple-like budget to buy quality that will likely be mostly used for the rest of my life. Airplay type options are in the only "smarts" component- a good Receiver- which can be replaced every approx. 8-10 years for about the price of a discounted, base MBair or so.

So- IMO- receiver + wired (all good quality) is THE very best way to go. However, short of that and when one wants "smart" speakers, for me anyway, I'd put Sonos above Apple's walled garden and barely any real offerings, Amazon, Google, etc... especially if I wanted to go soundbar vs. the traditional left + center + right setup. For the disgust that we Apple people shoot at EVERYTHING non-Apple, there are far more than us quite happy with those offerings.

 

[jljue]

What are some of the good alternatives for Sonos?

Not many unfortunately, although I just started testing WiiM Amps to see how the app works and how they work with other AirPlay 2 speakers, since they do multiroom with AirPlay 2 and Chromecast devices. So far I’m liking what I hear and experience, so I may continue to replace more Sonos stuff as they physically break (not just software bugs) and use WiiM to multiroom stream.

 

[211]

I'm looking for home theatre speakers and considered Sonos. However, there doesn't seem to be much love here for them. I was thinking maybe Bose. I don't mind wireless speakers. Are there any other companies I should look at? I don't want massive speakers that would belong at a stadium concert

 

[beanbaguk]

These simply are not good prices. If you shop around, you'll find much better prices. Only last week, I bought two Era 100's for 170,98eur from a shop we have here in Spain called "El Corte Inglés", when purchased on a "IVA free day."

They already had them priced at 219eur, so I just have to wait until I get more offers, and I can pick them up for well under 200eur a pop.

Plus, why buy something direct from Sonos online when you can buy it from a shop where it's so much easier to solve issues if something goes wrong?

 

[beanbaguk]

Google "Sonos issues". This search just pulled back 6,550,000 results. You're welcome.

While I'm furious at Sonos for releasing their garbage software update, as already mentioned, this is a very recent issue.

It will get resolved.

Now, if you are talking of quality for the cost of the speaker, Sonos are right on point here. Moreover, their Sonos room sync is far superior to AirPlay 2 (IMHO). AirPlay jitters often, takes ages to sync, and drops out frequently. (I know, as I own two HP OG's, and a couple of HP Mini's). They are simply not reliable.

Sonos, just works. And they work well. (But their new app is a bit rubbish).

Just look at the reviews. They score a solid 4-5 out of 5 in literally all of them.

However, having said this, they are no HiFi device. But seeing as most decent HiFi starts at triple the price, won't have wireless connectivity, and will not connect with other rooms, and won't have voice control, it's the perfect choice for a home consumer.

 

[oldwatery]

Cue the Sonos haters🤪 half of whom have probably never owned any! For the rest…. Nice sale for sure.👍

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

I'm looking for home theatre speakers and considered Sonos. However, there doesn't seem to be much love here for them.

There's not much love for ANYTHING HERE from anyone viewed as an Apple competitor. It's a very biased crowd. If you need this crowds approval, you can only consider HomePods and then your theater is capped at only stereo sound... or pods/buds which then caps your theater audio at something only ONE person can hear. Step outside the walled garden and read reviews by people not so married to Apple or bust. There's plenty of great stuff in the world that is NOT branded Apple. We just can't acknowledge it here if Apple makes some kind of variant of it... or MIGHT do so.

I was thinking maybe Bose. I don't mind wireless speakers.

BOSE will take the same beatdown here. See occasional BOSE threads.

Are there any other companies I should look at? I don't want massive speakers that would belong at a stadium concert

Basically, tiny speakers yield less-than-great sound. Size basically demands audio quality compromises. Physics doesn't allow a way around that. Else, as we retire our iDevices, we could put them around the room and they could be our surround sound speakers.

However, that doesn't mean you have to buy gigantic speakers for great sound. You can get quite good sound out of Home Pod-size speakers... but those are limited to stereo audio at best. However, using those as a general baseline measure, maybe consider speakers at HP size and up towards about 2X-3X that size. That will be a very wide net of choices. If space is really tight, maybe you can put a sizable speaker in wall or in ceiling, where it takes up nearly no space in the room but has the physical space- albeit hidden- it needs to play quality sound. Where's there a will, there's a way. If you want it, find your way.

• If size dominates your thinking, you are going to sacrifice sound quality.
• If sound quality dominates your thinking, step up into bigger-than-Bose-cubes but not necessarily music concert amp sizes.

There are TONS of great choices by companies entirely focused on audio only. Hit sites focused on audio reviewing to get a sense of good ones vs. bad. Try to build a list of 3-5 favorites from many reviews and then- and this is most KEY- pile up a bunch of music you like and go find places that can demo them with your own audio. For the speakers I ultimately chose for my theater, I drove about 90 miles to a speciality shop where I could demo them. Let your own ears be the ultimate judge... not the opinions of strangers on a website.

Many websites will have biases (such as the very strong Apple bias on an Apple-focused website), so stranger opinions are worth only some consideration. Objective reviews and then using your own ears is the ultimate way to choose.

And allocate a good-sized budget like you are buying maybe 1 or 2 iPhones or more instead of seeking to spend tiny money on something you can enjoy for the next 20 or 30 years. My own home theater audio setup probably cost about $6K. I'm typing this message on a Mac that cost me about $6K. This Mac will probably be vintaged in about 4 years or so. I suspect the home theater will sound as good 25 years from now as it does today.

Others could chime in saying they spent north of $10K on the audio side of their Home Theaters. Still others can get to multiple tens of thousands. But people considering Sonos vs. Bose vs. HPs and similar are generally not people ready to spend tens of thousands. However, they ARE people that will drop a few thousand for a computer or phone that they'll then retire not too many years later. So budget accordingly. A good buy in home audio can last a few DECADES.

 

[turbineseaplane]

Cue the Sonos haters🤪 half of whom have probably never owned any! For the rest…. Nice sale for sure.👍

It's a mistake to assume folks being critical have no experience with the products they are critical of

At the minimum, there's no need to take a shot at folks who have a different view than you do on this

 

[sandman42]

I have at least $3k of Sonos products in 7 rooms in my house, and I used to recommend them without reservation. I now would not recommend anyone invest in Sonos products at any price until they demonstrate that they are committed to preserving the user experience in place when people buy their products.

The home theater functions still work ok for me at the moment, but all my other use cases are currently broken or hampered. My main music library (my primary use) fell off the system and there’s no way to add it back in, and streaming services are unreliable. And the controls are aggravatingly laggy compared to how they used to work.

My gripe isn’t what doesn’t work now — I suspect they’ll fix most of it eventually — but this demonstrates that they’re not committed to keeping my products working in the way that enticed me to spend so much money on them. To date they have dropped support for older products (S1 app), and have diminished features occasionally. We knew a new app was coming, but who would expect that updating an app would break your otherwise up-to-date system?

I get that technology evolves and products become obsolete eventually, but there’s no reason something as basic as a music player shouldn’t work as advertised for longer than this. I can’t imagine what they were thinking when they launched this abomination of a half-baked app. I suppose it was rushed out to support the release of their headphones, and they didn’t want to slide that product launch. But in the end it’s the decision making behind the update that makes me reluctant to recommend or invest in more products.

 

[oldwatery]

I used to work for a Sonos authorized reseller. I've alway thought there gear was overpriced garbage for what you get. 25% off isn't even a good start. If you'd like to know why their gear is subpar for the price, Google is your friend. 😁

Sorry but your comment is garbage. I have yet to see any components in this category that are built better or sound better than Sonos.
I am a complete audiofile nut job and I take sound really seriously as well as build quality and I have yet to see anything that matches Sonos in these regards
I don’t see people complaining about paying extra for the quality of Apple products but when it comes to Sonos, there seems to be a cult here that absolutely hates them

 

[turbineseaplane]

I don’t see people complaining about paying extra for the quality of Apple products

You don't?
It's all over the forum

Folks routinely complain about how much Apple overcharges

 

[iMac The Knife]

Sorry but your comment is garbage. I have yet to see any components in this category that are built better or sound better than Sonos.
I am a complete audiofile nut job and I take sound really seriously as well as build quality and I have yet to see anything that matches Sonos in these regards
I don’t see people complaining about paying extra for the quality of Apple products but when it comes to Sonos, there seems to be a cult here that absolutely hates them

I'm sure you have all sorts of really high end gear! Also, I believe you meant Audiophile. Sorry, but I stopped reading at that point. Anyway, if you love Sonos, by all means buy it. I wouldn't touch it and again I used to sell it.

 

[cBraunDesign]

... and I used to recommend them without reservation. I now would not recommend anyone invest in Sonos products at any price...

This is precisely how I feel at the moment. I have Sonos speakers in 4 different rooms of my house, several of those are dual-speakers setup in stereo. I've invested (to me) quite a bit of money into their system. I have LOVED it for many years. I was even a borderline Sonos evangelist, convincing many friends to purchase multiple products over a period of several years.

This new app has broken my system, broken my trust, and broken my willingness to recommend them. This sale seems like a pretty obvious cash grab knowing that Sonos is currently reeling.

 

[hagjohn]

I used to work for a Sonos authorized reseller. I've alway thought there gear was overpriced garbage for what you get. 25% off isn't even a good start. If you'd like to know why their gear is subpar for the price, Google is your friend. 😁

What do you recommend then?

 

[Chiromac81]

Seems like they would be better off making thier new app 25% better

 

[iMac The Knife]

What do you recommend then?

I don't recommend any wireless speakers, especially for that price. I'm not in speakers sales. I sold Apple computers at the location where we sold Sonos for a short time. Therefore, I'm not really trying to give people advice as far as what to buy, more what not to buy. Gear I like: I personally love McIntosh amps, vintage and new. Martin Logan for a nice lower priced tower speaker, B&W towers in the $10k plus range are solid for the price. It only gets more expensive from there. I have a pair of minty Acoustat Model 3s that I will never sell as well. Love them.

 

[mw360]

I don't recommend any wireless speakers, especially for that price. I'm not in speakers sales. I sold Apple computers at the location where we sold Sonos for a short time. Therefore, I'm not really trying to give people advice as far as what to buy, more what not to buy.

Why didn't you make that clear up front instead of setting yourself up as an authority on the topic?