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Comment by bambax | Hacker News Reader

Slightly OT, but Sonos is a nightmare. The software keeps getting worse and worse and has mandatory updates constantly (every 2 weeks or so?) When the system wants to update you can't do anything, not play music, not anything.

"Updates" deprecate hardware that used to work fine, and... adds advertising for new hardware!!

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We've had a Sonos a few years, and we was initially extremely happy. And when it works, it works great.

But the software is horrible. More often than not we have trouble connecting to the speaker, and sometimes give up in frustration.

Audio equipment that can display advertising? I think I'll pass.

The audio components don't have a display, but the apps (mobile and desktop) show modal adds for new machines from Sonos.

I think they meant an ad in the Sonos app. After an update of the app, it displayed an ad and discount code for a new Sonos product. I have had Sonos since 2017 and have had this ad only once. Sonos does not introduce ads in playback of music. Music services like Spotify or Soundcloud may play ads if you have a free account with them, just like your average radio station.

I bought a ZP100 in 2007. Gave it to my parents about 4 years ago.

I was last in their home about two months ago and it was working well.

What hardware have they depreciated?

I’m kind of astounded at how long they have supported the original product line.

The only hardware that I know of that they've EOL'd are their original (pretty clunky) remotes. I have a ZP100 from 2005 still happily playing music in my home office alongside more modern units elsewhere in my home.

I am annoyed by the occasional aggressive updates for the system/android app and the relatively recent requirement to have a "sonos account", but overall the system continues to work well and they keep adding new services (which I mostly don't use -- streaming music from the NAS is my primary use case).

Yes, I'm talking about the original controller (CR100), which were great for guests and kids. It's unpleasant and weird to give your phone to your guests so they can choose what music to play (and I will not let my kids use my phone for any reason whatsoever). Why kill it??

Without the controller a Sonos install is much inferior to a normal HiFi setup that anyone can walk to and use.

The entire model of Sonos was to release one set of base products and improve them through software. I have had 2x Play 3's, PlayBar and a Sub for years as a home theatre and it works solidly.

For me the software has got so much better.

Really? It's been my experience so far that updating has been anything but mandatory, it's very easy just to say no, or to not even use the sonos and app drive it from spotify instead.

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