Do you have an old Sonos speaker kicking around at home? It may become obsolete soon, as the audio brand announced that it will no longer provide software updates and ongoing support for a number of its legacy products, including the original Sonos Play: 5.
On top of the 2010 Play:5, Sonos will cease updates in May for the Connect and Connect Amp, the original Zone Players, the CR200, and Bridge.
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It's important to note that this doesn't mean your old Sonos speaker will stop working – it just won't receive any new features from May onwards.
Sonos has also confirmed that it will "monitor and deal with bugs in the future, should they arise", according to What Hi-Fi?.
What am I missing out on?
If you have one of the affected Sonos speakers, you won't be able to take advantage if the brand introduces any new features or services to the rest of its lineup. For example, if a cool new music service to rival Spotify comes along, your older Sonos speaker won't be able to support it.
While that's probably not a huge concern to owners of the original Sonos Play:5 and other affected devices, it could prove a problem for anyone who uses one of these speakers as part of a multi-room setup.
This could stop your newer Sonos speaker from receiving the updates it needs; the solution of course, is to disconnect the offending speaker (but then your multi-room setup will be missing one component, which isn't ideal if it consists of only two speakers to begin with).
There's also the possibility that changes from service developers like Spotify or Tidal, that require an update from Sonos to work, could render your old Sonos speaker unable to use your favorite streaming platform.
Why is Sonos doing this? Engadget says that the technical capabilities of these older devices has "essentially been maxed out, due to limitations on memory and processing power" – which isn't surprising when you consider that some are more than a decade old.
It's clear that Sonos is trying to encourage its users to move on to its newer products like the Sonos Move portable speaker or the Sonos One smart speaker. In October, the brand announced its Trade Up program, which gives you a 30% discount on new models when you recycle your unwanted old Sonos speakers.
Eligible models include the Sonos Connect, Connect:Amp, ZP80, ZP90, ZP100, and ZP120 – the Sonos Play:1, which has now been discontinued, and replaced by the Sonos One and One SL.
As such, it's probably not worth buying a really old Sonos speaker; instead save your money for a newer model or check out the best wireless speakers of 2020 for non-Sonos alternatives.
Via What Hi-Fi?
