‘A total disgrace’: Sonos customers slam audio firm’s ‘irresponsible’ decision to axe support for older speakers
- The US-based audio firm has announced the updates will cease in May this year
- Affected devices will include the Zone Player, the Connect and the Connect:Amp
- Existing Sonos customers took to Twitter to vent their frustration at the move
- The decision has been branded both wasteful and bad for the brand’s reputation
Sonos customers are slamming the US-based audio firm’s ‘irresponsible’ decision to axe support for their older speakers — calling it a ‘total disgrace.’
The audio manufacturer had announced that it would stop sending software updates to a number of its products from May, which has angered some customers.
Its original Zone Player, Connect and Connect:Amp — all of which were launched in 2006 and include versions sold up until 2015 — will be affected by the move.
The first-generation Play:5 and CR200 — both released in 2009 — as well as 2007’s Bridge will also no longer receive software updates or new features.
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Sonos customers are slamming the US-based audio firm’s ‘irresponsible’ decision to axe support for their older speakers — calling it a ‘total disgrace’
In a statement, Sonos said that it made the decision because older devices had been ‘stretched to their technical limits in terms of memory and processing power.’
‘Ideally all our products would last forever, but for now we’re limited by the existing technology,’ they added.
The reaction from the US-based company’s customers, however, has included a lot of disappointment.
‘I feel let down by a company I have invested a lot of money in,’ Birmingham-based Paul Beebe — who bought a Play:5 speaker for £400 less than three years ago — told the PA news agency.
‘It will certainly make me think twice before extending my system, especially as now many other manufacturers have caught up in terms of grouping audio amongst a group of speakers, which was something quite unique to Sonos.’
Mr Beebe, who has several other speakers of mixed ages, that said he had been thinking about adding a speaker to his bathroom — but would now ‘reconsider’ following Sonos’ announcement.
‘I am pretty annoyed, people keep audio equipment for years and years, typically.’
The audio manufacturer had announced that it would stop sending software updates to a number of its products from May, which has angered some customers
In a statement, Sonos said that it made the decision because older devices had been ‘stretched to their technical limits in terms of memory and processing power’
Andy Powell — another UK customer — told PA that he was ‘hugely disappointed.’
‘I was a fan, an early adopter and even an advocate promoting them to others,’ he said.
‘But with this and the whole “recycling” issue a few weeks back, the trust is gone and I’ll definitely be looking elsewhere.’
Sonos said that customers will be able to continue using their ‘legacy’ products after they stop receiving software updates, but warned that ‘some functionality will be impacted over time.’
People with multiple Sonos speakers that include one of the affected products will also see their system impacted.
Sonos said that customers will be able to continue using their ‘legacy’ products after they stop receiving software updates, but warned that ‘some functionality will be impacted over time’
People with multiple Sonos speakers that include one of the affected products will also see their system impacted
‘As changes are made to technology in the future, particularly by music service and voice partners, access to certain services or features may be disrupted,’ Sonos said.
‘An example would be a music service partner issuing a new update that isn’t backwards compatible with legacy software.’
The firm is offering their existing customers the option to trade up to a new Sonos product in return for a 30 per cent discount.
To take advantage of this offer, the old device must first be put into its so-called ‘recycle mode’ — meaning that it will be deactivated and no longer functional.
Last year, Sonos offered owners of dated products a similar ‘recycling’ programme, but this was criticised for being less environmentally friendly than allowing the speakers to instead be reused.
For those unable to take devices to an e-waste facility, Sonos have said that they will pay delivery charges to have affected items shipped to the company for recycling.
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