School me on SONOS and other home streaming systems

The Marantz M-CR611 is the one I crave. It does everything you want, I think. as soon as I have the money...

Another not-inconsiderable concern is how long developers will continue to support the hardware, so I'd rather not drop a bomb on it unless it's relatively future-proof.

I like Sonos pretty well, sounds good, was relatively cheap, mostly works fine. But I don't like my internet connection so much. Mostly it all works fine but occasionally bad internet connection makes me wonder wtf was wrong with a stereo and physical product.

I went with Sonos (after also using Airport/Airplay for years) and am totally in love with it. The only downside to it for my purposes is the expense — the unit you would need for your existing setup is the Sonos Connect, which at $350 seems overpriced to me to attach your amp to the network. But the ease of use and rock solid reliability makes the cost worth it for me.

It ticks every one of your requirements except being able to plug in an external hard drive. If you don’t want to leave your computer on you’ll either need a NAS or do what I did — upload your library to the Google Play Music cloud (the first 50,000 songs are free, which has been plenty for me so far — and now I can also access my library from work or anywhere else, which is pretty neat). I believe it limits your local library to around 65,000 songs.

One thing I really like about it is that everything goes through the Sonos app, so playing music from multiple services is pretty seamless and you have a unified interface. Some people don’t like that aspect of it because certain features might not be ported over from a service’s native app and if the service isn’t supported within the Sonos app you can’t stream it — e.g. no YouTube which bugs a lot of people. But you’d want to be sure that any specific features you like about your current apps are supported.

I believe it's been around the longest and as far as I can tell is the current market leader, so it’s probably the safest bet as far as future-proof.

A much cheaper though much less slick option is the Google Chromecast Audio. You’d still need to upload your library to the cloud, and you’d need to use different apps to play your music — Google Play for your library, Spotify, whatever radio app you use, etc. It’s sort of a low budget cross between Sonos and Airplay.

Lots of info on Sonos and comparisons with competition both here and on the horizon: http://thewirecutter.com/reviews/sonos-player/

I have a multi-zone Sonos setup at home. Have used it for the last two years and I love it. My only issue is the iTunes library limit is something weird like 80K tracks.

The limit is 65,000 tracks. There's ways to get around that - installing a Subsonic server is one of them. You can also connect to Sonos speakers via DLNA - I use BubbleUPNP on my Android phone for just such a purpose, connected to my JRMC Media server. Setting up all this stuff isn't all that hard, actually.

I've got one Sonos Play:1 speaker (a gift) and I quite like it, though it's technically mono. The newer, more expensive stereo Play:5 has a line-in port which opens up other possibilities. The primary appeal of Sonos is IT JUST WORKS. You don't have to buy anything other than a speaker or two and use them via their app or another that supports DLNA. And the word on the street is their customer service is second to none.

I've also got a Chromecast Audio and find it a terrific value ($35) and an easy way to connect to regular speakers that have a line-out. You could add one to a Sonos Play:5 for the best of both worlds.

My setup is so hodge-podge that I never bother with playing something in multiple rooms. That's now how my life and house is configured anyway.

Having said all that, there are new Sonos competitors on the market. Samsung has multi-room speakers as does Denon. You can set up multiple Chomecast Audio's and sync them together.

If were starting from scratch I very well might just go with Sonos, in part because I like how they sound, it's dead simple to set up, and their app is quite clever in the way it can easily combine tracks from various sources.

This may well be a dumb question but can you plug Audiocast into the back of an amp, or does it need to go straight into the speakers?

Here are the various ways you can connect Chromecast Audio to an amp, speakers, or whatever:
https://support.google.com/chromecast/answer/6280276

Sonos looks good but is a little pricey for my budget. If I were setting up a new multi-room system on the cheap, using existing stereo systems, I'd probably go with Chromecast Audio. But those would not support Matt DC's requirement of being able to plug in an external hard drive rather than running a server.

Currently I use antique Squeezeboxes and the free Logitech Media Server software, which streams the contents of my iTunes library and (via a plug-in) Spotify. I love being able to synch audio throughout the house. Based on what I've read, I think I could get my server talking to Chromecast Audio devices without too much craziness ... I hope I won't have to test that for a while!

chromecast audio is frustrating in what you can use with it. on a pc, you can only stream browser tabs, not from stuff like itunes or spotify. you can basically only stream from paid mobile apps, etc. it's useful sometimes, but you can only do exactly what google wants you to do with their platform.

But on an Android phone you can stream all output, regardless of source, to a Chromecast Audio.

xp There are some ways to work around that, both in and outside the browser, but yes, it is frustrating.

In the browser, you could use the Spotify web player and stream that tab. There are some Chrome extensions that can play media files from your computer, and I guess those tabs could be streamed too, as a way to send things from your iTunes library to the Chromecast ... I doubt this would work with DRMed stuff.

So many devices now support streaming that it's hard to keep up with what they can do. The other day I replaced the Blu-Ray player on our home theater system and without my doing anything the new player discovered and connected to my local music server. It has a Spotify app too, so that is an option for streaming music that appeared in my living room more or less by accident.

okay, i knew you could stream from the regular android music player but didn't realize you could just do anything. lol obv i have an iphone.

Chromecast audio using the optical into a DAC is really great. CCA is the greatest value audio product in history

thanks for this thread, had been meaning to sort this shit out for ages and it made me think about properly - in a similar situation to Matt DC, but a little less worried about quality. On top of that, also need something the family can use - like I love thinking about clever cheap solutions, fiddling with connections, weird off-brand black boxes from tottenham court court road, but everyone else in the house will want something that just works, ie as-if-by-magic players that they can control, rather than me saying "it's quite simple. First, open terminal…"

Always dismissed Sonos before - expensive, a bit too single-company dependent, and multi-room was never a need… but shit it does look easy and clever, so… a Sonos 1 to start, get another down the line if it works & have stereo or second room, and maybe build from there. Get my library into Google Play, and down the line run a sonos connect into my old amp and speakers if it all seems to be working. In the meantime, a chromecast audio for them because it's cheap and interesting and why not.

Yeah both my wife and I have Android phones and will I think continue to for the foreseeable future, so the Chromecast Audio looks a pretty easy solution. Although getting my entire library into the cloud, while probably sensible in the long term, still feels like a massive ballache.

Are there really no options that involve just whacking a hard drive into the back of them? TV streaming boxes have been offering that functionality for years, with the ability to zip files round the network vi wifi.

Quality is an issue for me (this is a really good Linn system that we were amazingly lucky to get second-hand) so any option has to sound good on that kind of setup. Then again streaming any source to the Apple Express sounds good in that setup, and I doubt the Chromecast will be a big step down from that.

NAS + Sonos Connect might be the way to go, happy to pay a bit more for something robust in the longer-term. But that Marantz box in the first response does look tasty.

Really useful thread, thanks! I figured I was unlikely to be the only person wondering about this stuff.

I'm running a Chromecast Audio through optical to Musical Fidelity VDAC II into s Cambridge Audio amp and nice speakers. Even using Spotify it gets pretty close to vinyl and CD, there's still some harshness which I think midrange speakers that aren't so revealing might be better... But all said I spent $35 for the CCA and $150 off eBay for the DAC and it's great

One thing to point out, Chromecast Audio doesn't "stream" from your phone. It has its own broadband WiFi connection. Your phone just "points" the CCA towards what you want to play. That means it's not compressed like Bluetooth streaming and even better you can go to another app like YouTube or take a phone call and it won't affect the music. Even if you turn your phone off it will continue to play until the end of the current album or play list.

I'm sure Chromecast works best with Android devices, but I've had good luck using my iPhone and a regular, video-oriented Chromecast -- no problems using the iPhone to control Spotify or YouTube on the Chromecast.

also need something the family can use . . . everyone else in the house will want something that just works

This might actually be my favorite things about Sonos. My wife had just about given up on listening to music between her frustration with Airplay and the impracticality of CDs/vinyl on our main stereo with two kids under the age of 5 running about pressing any button within reach. Now she has music playing all day long and is rediscovering her love for forgotten bands, the kids are being exposed to so much more music, everyone is asking for more speakers throughout the house . . .

I got my parents into Sonos w/ Spotify. My mom is the kind of person who types GOOGLE.COM in the search bar on Google.com. She can work the Sonos from her phone.

Anyone here with experience replacing a Squeezebox 2/3/Touch with a Sonos Connect? I guess since it doesn't have a screen you need an iPad or something to control it?

I was also thinking about this recently. My hifi is very old and i haven't listened to any of my cds or vinyl in years. It's also difficult to find a space for it in my current living room.

How are the actually sonos speakers? I don't care sooo much about sound quality but I certainly don't want anything that sounds like a portable bluetooth speaker.

Or is it a better option to investigate a new standalone hifi and then get a sonos connect or similar?

Sonos app makes it unusable to me. True heads can't even listen to Youtube & my 64 gb itunes library never fully syncs. Currently use apple airplay thru vintage gear but it buffers so I'm interested in other options as well.

Thanks for the tips in this thread, I've been looking for a streaming device too. I have only one audio set in one room I would need to stream to, so I ended up ordering Chromecast Audio... However, upon looking at Google own streaming app, Google Play, it noticed that it transcodes all the FLAC into MP3s. And I know Plex does the same... Most of the music files on my computer are FLACs, and Chromecast itself supports that format, so are there any good music streaming apps that would stream FLACs to Chromecast without transcoding them?

I agree with ums that chromecast audio is THE best bargain on the market. But for multiroom purposes I think Sonos, HEOS or Bluesound are better (though more expensive) choices, in part because of the dedicated control app.

Sonos Connect is a great way to get started with streaming on your current stereo system, it's probably the most stable and developed system on the market. Heos Link and Bluesound Node 2 are good alternatives, they offer more connectivity (usb, optical input, bluetooth-adapter, subwoofer pre-out, triggers) and improved sound (24 bit support, better built-in DACs, better optical outputs).

If you're looking to replace you current amplifier, you'll need active speakers or streamer-amps. The stand alone speakers (like the Sonos Play 1) are impressive but can be a bit tiresome to listen to for very long - unless you're allergic to passive speakers I'd recommend the Sonos Connect Amp, Heos Amp or Bluesound Powernode 2 with a set of budget passive speakers for your main listening room. Price will be similar to a Play:5 or a stereo pair of Play:3s, sound is going to be a lot better.

No matter what system you choose, I think you'll experience improved functionality with a NAS - so if streaming your own collection of music files is important, I think that's a solid investment.

As a final note, I'll add that your streaming system is never going to function any better than your router - so if you're using the one supplied by your ISP, getting a proper router (~80$) can make all the difference.

No matter what system you choose, I think you'll experience improved functionality with a NAS - so if streaming your own collection of music files is important, I think that's a solid investment.

Sorry if I sound stupid, but what's a NAS and how do you acquire it?

and can i eat it?

NAS, Network Attached Server. dedicated file server running something like FreeNas or MediaVault.

NAS : network storage.
basically a big hard disc that you access via your home network.
they are not too pricey these days :

http://www.pcworld.co.uk/gbuk/computing-accessories/data-storage/data-storage/wd-my-cloud-personal-cloud-storage-4-tb-21817659-pdt.html

i use the NAS/Sonos Connect setup, and its brilliant.
not fussed re speakers round the house, just needed to get my digital archive into my stereo, and figured this was the best option for my needs.
and yeah, the desktop app is very easy to use, and i love the way you can flip from digital radio, various streaming services (i got 12 months free deezer when i bought the sonos connect), and your local digital library without any trouble whatsoever.

Rather than full-blown NAS enclosure… can i kill 2 birds/1 stone: buy a new, stronger router with a USB port, plug a terabyte hard drive into that, then point Sonos and/or CCA towards that?

So basically it's an external hard drive that also works as a cloud? The price is pretty steep, but I guess it'd eventually pay itself back since you don't have to pay a monthly/yearly like with net-based cloud services...

One thing that seems a bit worrying, in order for it work you have to keep it and your modem on all the time, right? That seems like a bit of fire hazard, or am I overtly cautious?

(xpost)

yes, to keep your network up and running, then you do need to leave the router on.
i dont think this is a fire hazard !
re router+ USB : no idea, i would suspect it is possible, just depends on how the router maps the USB drive.
if you can access the USB drive as a standard external network drive, then i see no reason why you cant point Sonos to that location and pick up the digital files.

One thing that seems a bit worrying, in order for it work you have to keep it and your modem on all the time, right? That seems like a bit of fire hazard, or am I overtly cautious?

people turn off their modem/router???

One thing that seems a bit worrying, in order for it work you have to keep it and your modem on all the time, right? That seems like a bit of fire hazard, or am I overtly cautious?

You're being overly cautious. The equipment is designed to be on 24/7 and to just burst into flames would represent a major design flaw. Virtually every office building in the developed world has a server on constantly, if your concerns were realistic they'd be burning down all the time.

I don't think I've turned a router off except to reboot it in about 15 years.

Rather than full-blown NAS enclosure… can i kill 2 birds/1 stone: buy a new, stronger router with a USB port, plug a terabyte hard drive into that, then point Sonos and/or CCA towards that?

I think my BT Homehub might do this but I've never worked out how to actually set it up properly.

if you think about it there is also electricity CONSTANTLY running into the house. you can prove this by flipping a light switch on, there is no latency, i.e. the electricity is storing up behind the walls in an active state.

haha that is not how electricity works

Like even if any of that post made sense, "you can prove this by flipping a light switch on, there is no latency" is cartoon funny - the idea you could see the delay between your fingers flipping a switch and a light turning on if it wasn't "storing up behind the walls".

You're being overly cautious. The equipment is designed to be on 24/7 and to just burst into flames would represent a major design flaw. Virtually every office building in the developed world has a server on constantly, if your concerns were realistic they'd be burning down all the time.

Yeah, I get this, but those servers have inbuilt cooling, unlike my modem, which gets fairly hot if I keep it on for two days in a row. I assume this NAS has its own cooling system, though?

i acquired a sonos player last year and the sound is really good but

It ticks every one of your requirements except being able to plug in an external hard drive.

this was just a bit of a deal-breaker - i play all my music off an external HD and the speaker seemed to be requiring that i never switch my laptop off? i don't really see how that's remotely desirable.

Yeah I think this is why people are talking about servers/moving everything to the cloud. Always-on laptop is the scenario I want to avoid.

what about an always-on raspberry pi?

it really confused me when i got it because it was like...how on earth did sonos not take that into account when designing their weird system?

xp

I have the older version of the Marantz mentioned near the top of the thread.

I went for this because, after selling all my high-end gear in 2012 and going with a basic separates system (10yo Sony DVD player into 30yo Cyrus amp), and then giving those up too, I wanted to start from scratch with something good but simple. The sound quality is great (basically just the Marantz into Q-Acoustics monitors and Sennheiser headphones), but there are a few niggles with it dropping off my network with some regularity - so it can't find Spotify, or my iPhone / tablet app can't find the Marantz. CD playback was essential for me (again, it would be nice here if, seeing as it's a networked device, it could do a Gracenote-style lookup and not just say "11 tracks 55:12" like a dumb CD player), but there is a cheaper model without.

It also has a useless Last.fm mode (support for that was withdrawn before I bought mine), good FM/DAB and NAS/USB/Bluetooth/AirPlay connections (the last of which I use a lot when I can't be bothered navigating Spotify via the clunky Marantz app).

As an amp, it's perfectly fine - I route the TV and MD deck in via S/PDIF, and the turntable pre-amp via analogue. I think that's about all the connections taken up, mind.

it's tempting to think there's a NAS out there that you can dump your music onto, and feed your Spotify Premium details, and it would provide a unified search/playlist interface to? with RCA out?

I'm looking to reconfigure my home audio system, hopefully in a way that also integrates with my TV. My main music source is Spotify and my main TV platform is Roku. The essential apps for me on Roku are Netflix, Amazon, YouTube, Twitch, and Spotify. Unfortunately, the Roku Spotify app is pretty bad. It doesn't allow you to play from folders, only from individual playlists, and it doesn't support local files, only songs in Spotify's library. I've tried doing screen mirroring from my Android phone to Roku for Spotify, but Roku's screen mirroring is junk, it crashes a lot and pretty much disrupts my wi-fi.

I don't think SONOS is the answer to this, but I'm curious about Chromecast. My main reservations are the lack of Amazon and the concern that casting from my phone to my TV/stereo will cause similar wi-fi issues as the Roku.

I wonder if there are any players that would do the same as what the Marantz does, but also work as an bluray/net video player with an HDMI out and surround sound? I have 5.1 speaker set and I watch movies and play music through the same Yamaha A/V receiver... It feels pretty pointless to have separate systems for music and videos, but most audiophile players/receivers seem to be for audio only.

(xpost)

I have been looking at that Marantz thing for a while actually. If it had phono input I would have bought it already. But I've been in a state of indecision for a while now about whether to get that plus separate phono preamp OR vintage integrated amp plus bluetooth adapter (plus separate CD player I guess).

Oppo players might they are supposed to be great dacs

yeah it would be cool if Roku or Plex could just Handle It All, preferably through a unified search interface.

I seem to remember the workaround for this involving setting something up in the built-in iOS Home app but I’m not 100% sure of that, it was a while ago when I did it. I do find it a miracle that I eventually managed to build a working system that involved Sonos, Spotify, Alexa and Home all working in conjunction without falling over.

"Show Lock Screen Controls" is in preferences on android

Hmm, thx - looks like it is in iOS, too… it’s toggled on by default, but doesn’t seem to be working. Maybe I’ll restart or something

I've had the Sonos Roam for 6-8 months and have been super happy with the sound. Was a bit of a pain at the start as far as charging the battery and figuring out when and how often to do that; otherwise good.

Haven't used its exclusive programming much, but did enjoy David Byrne's monthly playlists (each on a different theme) and the Thom Yorke-curated channel of ambient things.

Amazon Ultra HD streamed thru this Sonos Five is pretty sick… even at low volume, it sounds like Billie Eilish is doing her whisper-drawl thing right here in the room. I’m really glad I got this thing!

having trouble with my volume (or possibly my hearing lol)

it all just seems much lower than it ordinarily has been -- all my remotes are currently set close to max and it doesn't seem especially loud. you used to be able to turn it way loud!

anyway is there a way to adjust or reset the scale so that "not especially loud" sits in the middle rather than at the outer extremity?

Have you turned the Volume Limit off?

is that "hardware volume control"? do i leave it off or adjust tv setting while it's off and turn it on again?

In my app, when I click into Settings -> System and then select my "Living Room" speaker under Products (I only have that one, but it looks like others would be displayed there if I had them), Volume Limit is an option under the Sound settings. I initially tried setting the volume limit at different levels; then ended up turning it off altogether.

ah ok

FWIW, the lockscreen controls have actually been working on my iPhone the past few days (not sure why, after not working for so long)... though occasionally I need to reset (unplug/replug) the speaker, because it loses connection with my phone somehow, refuses to play certain songs, or does other funky stuff.

i wondered abt just reinstalling the whole thing at factory setting -- if i can find the manual (physical or online) i will do just to see what happened

i have to turn the boom on and off again and restart the wifi every few weeks also

i'm also trying to get some out of the build-up out of my ears, it definitely isn't helping: is everyone allowed their own ear wax thread?

Apparently it's pronounced səʊnəʊs (as in 'so') not sɒnɒs (as in 'sot') according to the robot who answered when i rang up to complain that my new speaker had been delivered to bangalore not birmingham. I will never pronounce it that way.

the “inbox” feature in the ipad app is an incredibly annoying marketing gimmick
i don’t need fake notifications about you trying to sell me more stuff through the stuff i already bought

is there really no cheaper way to link a legacy vinyl hifi into a sonos ecosystem besides sonos port or amp ? nothing third party ?

You can use a Roam https://www.gearpatrol.com/tech/audio/a36877979/how-to-connect-bluetooth-turntable-sonos-roam/

nothing third party. it's a hardware company.

ok there's partnerships
https://www.pocket-lint.com/speakers/news/sonos/148285-what-is-works-with-sonos-and-which-devices-are-compatible?

Nothing third-party, no, unless you include a Raspberry Pi hack that turns the turntable output into a radio stream that you can tune into with Sonos. And Victrola just announced a turntable with built-in Sonos compatibility — for $800.

The best way to do it in my opinion is with a secondhand Sonos Connect (making sure it’s a 2015 or later model so it’ll run the current software). They’re readily available for around $180 but if you’re patient they come up on Facebook Marketplace for under $100 now and then.

I have two pre-2015 Sonos 1s and a vinyl hifi -> Sonos Connect. It has had hiccups now and then but has been recently very stable. I use the S1 app, works just fine

yeah, i am still Connect/S1 user.
had a weird hiccup the other day when my hi-fi amp and sonos connect both went 'POP' at the same time (i literally heard a click sound).
recycled my amp via its master switch,
waited for the connect to get reconnected to my network only to discover it had a cleared out library,
so had to do the re-index process.
have been concerned that it's a sign the connect is beginning to show its age,
but not had any other problems since that happened.
when it does die, then i am totally straight down to richer sounds to get a port.
dont think i could cope with all the various alternatives that are out there.
have done research, and for windoze users the sonos desktop app is still the only real option for a simple NAS drive collection like i have.

The app is rubbish. When it's working well it takes ages to connect to the system. Today it wasn't working well, it wouldn't connect and everything was greyed out. At first it claimed it was still connected to two of my three speakers but it couldn't find the third, eventually it admitted it couldn't find any of them. I had to turn them all off and on, then turn my router off and on as well. Finally after it was all working - a twenty minute process - it wanted to update one of the speakers and to do so it had to stop all the music playing.

Google voice control is also sub par to say the least. You can't use it to play in shuffle mode. I have to say "(play whatever) ON SONOS" even when I'm speaking to a sonos speaker, if I ask it to stop playing it says "you have to tell me which device" even though it's only playing on one device. It often thinks we're talking to it when we say my daughter's name or other random words.

The voice controlled house-wide celestial jukebox is a great idea in theory and pretty neat in practice when it works but when it doesn't I find myself longing for an old fashioned system.

I hate the app and never use it. I just have a Sonos Move, which is a somewhat big and heavy "portable" speaker that sounds reasonably good. I stream spotify direct from my iphone to the speaker, and do not use the app to do it.

Yeah I should do the same - except this time spotify couldn't see the speakers as it was borked at a more fundamental level. And we sometimes play the radio and, surprise, voice control stopped working for bbc 6 music after some update at the bbc end last year.

I use Alexa not Google, but don't get the problems you outline, Ledge. But have had the odd bit of jankiness that has led me to set the whole thing up from scratch once or twice (moving homes was involved, to be fair). The app is a bit rubbish for song choosing so I use Spotify for that. I like the fine volume control the Sonos app gives you though – "Alexa, volume up" often jumps far too much.

As for BBC, I found I can't reliably say "Alexa, stop" to stop it any more, but "Alexa, quit BBC" works. As does asking it to mute, but that's slightly different, I guess.

My app used to glitch out a lot, I'd have to reset the speaker/router etc., but it hasn't happened lately (cross fingers). I only have one speaker, though.

Did you see they just replaced the One with a new model: https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2023/03/sonos-replaces-the-sonos-one-with-new-era-300-and-100-speakers/

I really like what I've read in the early takes of the Era 300 (both the sound and the line-in/Bluetooth capabilities).

I've come around on the app and prefer it to using spotify directly these days.

Press and hold on tracks to bring up menu is good

The app lost my speakers again. I went to the support chat bot and after some initial questions it wanted me to go through the same steps that the app recommends of turning off and on all the speakers and the router. 'fuck this' I typed'. 'Ok, redirecting!' said the bot and a live person appeared. They came up with some router settings to try, which I haven't done yet but it's a start!

What do you all think of the New Search function in the app?

Just had a look - as I only ever use it for searching spotify it's probably an improvement, switching tabs to search for songs/artists/albums was a pain.

Meh, it's fine but I like seeing a list of results aggregated by service.

You can still do that; there are now little buttons at the top to limit results by each service. I just wish it were faster!

Got me an open-box discount on one of the new Era 100s, which we're using to replace our OG Alexa. Sounds great!

Spotify generally seems better at finding the speakers than the app itself. Here's the advice they gave me, tailored for BT routers. Haven't actually tried any of the advanced stuff as it seemed to involve downgrading to older slower protocols.

Wireless Mode 2 (b/g/n) is recommended for station mode. BT's guide on this here.

- If is not possible to fix the wireless channel or to separate the 2.4Ghz and 5ghz Bands on the Smart Hub 2, you can perform a "rescan" against each of the 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz bands, within "advanced" - >"wireless"

-Opt out of BT Web protect help service:BT Web Protect You can turn off BT Web Protect by logging in to My BT and scrolling down to ‘Manage my extras’ and then selecting Turn Off in the ‘BT Web Protect’ panel within the 'Your included extras' page. It will take up to two hours for your service to be removed.

- If you have association issues, it may be worth toggling UPnP off then on and rebooting the router ( Advanced → Firewall → Configuration tab → Upnp On/Off

- Worth Turning off "Smart Setup" - > from the router home page → this can cause devices to have to "login" before getting an internet connection - Not necessary

My biggest gripe now is, once I used to be able to say 'Hey google play autechre'. Then that changed and I had to say 'Hey google play autechre on sonos'. Now I have to say 'Hey google play autechre on spotify on sonos in the living room'!

can you not define macros for these things?

My biggest Sonos gripe is that rewind and fast forward doesn't work on the BBC Sounds Alexa skill - even though it announces that it's doing it, it just goes back to the start of the bloody show. It works fine on Echo devices. No idea if it's the BBC's fault or Sonos's.

Is this voice control of Sounds via Alexa on a Sonos speaker?

And what are you saying to it?

Yes, that's it, Tracer. Using Alexa integration on the Sonos.

I'm listening to the most recent edition of a show on demand then say "Alexa, ask BBC to fast forward 10 minutes" and it replies "Going forward 10 minutes" and then the show restarts from the beginning.

Same happens with resume function. I go back to a show and it says "Would you like to resume the episode of Cerys Matthews from Sunday 9th July" or whatever and I say yes and it just starts the show from the start.

Not the only one with this issue

https://en.community.sonos.com/amazon-alexa-and-sonos-229102/bbc-alexa-skill-6851039

That's v helpful, thanks :)

:)

I'm told it's either Amazon or Sonos at fault but Amazon are now aware...

Thank you!

To be honest I'm amazed that this elaborate fusion of iOS, Sonos, Amazon and fourth (fifth?) parties like the BBC or Spotify works at all. So many layers!

FWIW there is a Sonos "controller app" for BBC Sounds though you're probably aware of that..

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/help/questions/listening-on-a-smart-speaker/sonos

Thanks Tracer. I do have BBC Sounds added to the Sonos app but don't use it much as I find it easier just to use the BBC's own app and then Airplay it. But experimenting with it again, I've found that if I've started listening via Alexa, it does remember where I was if I resume via the Sonos app, and once I've resumed via that route, Alexa voice commands to rewind and FF magically do start working. Something about passing through the app seems to set the whole thing right. Not ideal but good to know until it's properly fixed.