School me on SONOS and other home streaming systems

need you to help stream my neil young bootleg mp3s through my sonos speakers

my iphone works if I'm streaming spotify, but now I can't play mp3s that are saved on my iphone. apparently i need airplay ... but none of my sonos speakers are compatible with that? seems lame.

― tylerw, Thursday, August 22, 2019 3:04 PM (one hour ago) bookmarkflaglink

^^^ THIS!!!! This is exactly what’s happening with me!! This makes me so mad I really really really dislike everyone involved.

And to think ome of you people were trying to sell me on this ecosystem not so long ago.

For my own files on Sonos I signed up for the the free tier of Google Play Music which allows you to upload up to 50,000 songs. When Google introduced Youtube Music they said that Google Play Music would eventually be eliminated, and I don't know what happens to my cloud library then. If it disappears I supposed I'll stream directly from my computer, or maybe look into a NAS. At the moment Google Play is working beautifully though.

Aside from that I guess the next cheapest option for you would be that $100 Ikea Sonos speaker that supports AirPlay. I know with the standard Sonos speakers, as long as one of them supports AirPlay you can use that one to send audio to your non-AirPlay Sonos speakers; I assume the Ikea one lets you do that too but don't know for sure.

I never stream from my phone so I hadn't noticed that that option was eliminated.

Lol tyler

Use the BubbleUPNP app to stream media from your device to Sonos.

UPDATE! I downloaded the Sonos application on my PC. Then I was able to sync that with my iTunes library. And now the Sonos mobile app on my iPhone syncs with the app on my PC. I can control playing from the Sonos app on my iPhone, but now I need to re-import any new songs or playlists from iTunes to the Sonos Controller app. Which is A LOT more work, but at least I can use my Sonos speakers again.

well, that was an unexpected treat this morning.
the new Sonos update allows you to connect to a Spotify Free account.
limited access to the library, but still, quite chuffed about this.

here's hoping the spotify app starts to consistently "see" the sonos speakers in the device list

Mine always sees it but doesn't always choose it, if you switch tracks it often starts playing on the phone instead, or as well as. Sonos app is fine unless you have lots of playlists organised in folders, since folders don't come through. Or there's google voice support which is like speaking to a halfwit.

Sonos app is fine unless you have lots of playlists organised in folders, since folders don't come through.

i have over 4000 m3u files, and can access them as per their folder structure.

eg \\nas_drive\genre\artist\album, \\nas_drive\record_label\artist\album etc etc

i needed to do this to break down my digital archive into 2 parts to avoid to dreaded 65K limit, the standard library for Sonos to index, and then the M3U library which mirrors a different non-indexed directory according to my own digital filing system.

I use the M3U4U app to generate the M3U library off a non-indexed directory, and configure the Sonos app to index the standard library, and the M3U library.

You then add the M3U library folder to your 'Favourites', and boom, you can drill down the folder structure to get to what you need.
This way I have nearly 50,000 tracks not indexed by Sonos, by accessible via the M3U library.

The M34U app :

http://www.anderware.org/software.php?page=dev/M3U4U.htm

once you get it all configured and working its really easy, you just have to remember your digital filing rules for the non-indexed directort as Sonos does not provide searching on M3U files !

oh i meant spotify playlist folders! for better or worse i do all my listening & playlisting through there now.

ah ha ... fair enough.

xps Same issues here selecting Chromecast Audio via Spotify Connect. Eventually works, usually? Blurrg

Sometimes the Google Home app is helpful for selecting/controlling/rebooting Chromecasts ... if I can't get a Chromecast to connect to Spotify I'll resort to Home.

sonos is a pain in the ass. either it doesn't start at all or the databases of the external sources do not connect or the music (radio and/or streaming service) does not play. right now it is the latter. this has been going on for ages. these days i prefer bluetooth speakers, they work at least!

I've never had this problem but nine times out of ten if something goes wrong it's either a wifi interference issue or the streaming service itself going down.

"Hey Google, shuffle Cool Songs playlist"

"Ok, playing the Cool Songs playlist on Spotify"

*plays the playlist in order*

"Hey Google, shuffle"

"Sorry, that mode isn't available"

rassenfrassenrassen

these assistants have been around for a couple of years now, with the world’s best AI researchers doing them, and they really don’t feel like they’ve improved at all. They’re still incapable of the most basic shit. much less something like responding to a question like “what kind of music is this” or “how do i get to the bus from here”

just asked siri where the closest bus stop was and it got it

part of the problem is word choice, especially if it’s something built into an app and not something it’s cloud searching. like, does “kind of music” mean genre, and does it know that?

you can often get to things on the third or fourth try but it’s not good enough and hasn’t noticeably improved in this respect on any device i use.

“siri, read me my next meeting”

“here’s your next meeting” (displays the meeting on the screen)

Sonos states on their website that "sustainability is non-negotiable," and that they design products to minimize impact, but I work at an e-waste recycler and have demonstrable proof this is false.

Sonos's "recycle mode" intentionally bricks good devices so they can't be reused. pic.twitter.com/VJDNhYOxRy

— ralph waldo cybersyn (@atomicthumbs) December 27, 2019

well, that's crap.

and it gets better :

https://blog.sonos.com/en-gb/end-of-software-updates-for-legacy-products/

they really are pissing off a lot of their customer base with this.

i suspect i will be ok(ish), as i use my Connect mostly to push my NAS based digital archive into my amp, but if i had flipped over 100% to streaming only, then this really would be a poke in the eye.

That End of updates for legacy equipment is aggravating me

I'd be fine with it as long as the application still supports older hardware in a diminished capacity and as long as there aren't security holes they're not patching

the big issue that has yet to be properly addressed is for people with a set up of mixed legacy and modern, and from the vocal fallout, seems to be most people who have subscribed to the sonos ecosystem for last few years.
if you have any legacy kit in your set up, then none of the devices, modern or otherwise, will get software updates.
advised solution : remove legacy devices, upgrade legacy devices, or leave as is and end up with possible reduced functionality at some unknown time in the future (esp. if you use 100% streaming).
it really is quite a shitty choice for many folks.

as for the 30% discount.
i bought my Connect at the beginning of 2015 (the 6 year guarantee from the seller has lasted longer than its supported life) for £280.
a replacement Port with no added functionality, in fact there is less as they have removed one of the output options, costs £399, which with 30% off would be .. £280.

imo the main problem is they view their tech that allows synched streaming to a number of wireless devices as the crown jewels of their product line

the nice thing to do would be to unlock whatever DRM or lockout functionality exists in legacy products with a final update and then open source the firmware

re open source : that has been requested quite a few times, but i think we know the outcome.

fwiw I have the Sonos Amp (driving my classic stereo speakers), two of the small satellite speakers, and one of the Ikea bookshelf ones and I have absolutely no interest in any of the speakers with voice assistant support

anyone else have the Amp or any other product that has line in? I hooked my turntable up after it's been sitting idle and something was seriously off with the audio, but I suspect my stylus might need replacement

Connect has a line in.

I guess my question is whether anyone's running a turntable in, and does it sound fucked up?

I've logged into MySonos and my Connect is shown as 'Modern Product' with a tick next to it, so I assume that means it's still supported?

Buy a used Squeezebox; they still have a very active developer community - Logitech screwed them by buying the tech and then ceasing to manufacture it, but at least the firmware and server/player software were open-sourced.

(xpost - most Squeezebox models don't have a line in, except the Transporter which is going for around $500+ in the used market)

mh : ahh sorry, no, not done that.
just tried it out now, and sounded perfectly fine.

xp : yup, you clearly bought a post 2015 model.

Chromecast Audio was probably the greatest audio device based on value for money ever created. if you live in a small house or apartment and just have one set of speakers, it basically gave you Sonos for $30

tbh I just use Airplay to the speakers half the time and could easily just dump Sonos and either wire my satellite speakers or go back to stereo

Chromecast Audio was probably the greatest audio device based on value for money ever created. if you live in a small house or apartment and just have one set of speakers, it basically gave you Sonos for $30

hence why the fact its discontinued is a very weird situation.

a lot of suggestions for people who use Connect + Streaming services seems to be pointing to the Bluesound Node solution.
which even has a Windows based app as most of the other solutions only have IOS/Android apps.

the older Apple wifi devices still work really well with the older Airplay standard, if you have Apple junk. I have one around that I use for that purpose occasionally. single audio jack on the back, pretty good DAC

xpost Google gives up on so many useful things, really weird company

Used Chromecast Audios are selling on eBay now for twice their original retail price.

mh: If it doesn't have one built in, are you running your turntable through a phono preamp first?

good call re pre-amp.
i have one connected to my turntable and just swapped the turntable output from amp to the Connect, hence all worked ok.

given the chaos this is clearly causing, i have one simple very self preservation question.
in order to use Sonos, you now have to connect your device to an account that Sonos then get data/access from.
i care not for streaming/stats or anything, does anyone know if its possible to use a Sonos device without having to use your Sonos account ?
it never used to require you to login to Sonos in order to connect to your device - this need kicked in a couple of years ago, and at the time i was concerned, as i bought Connect purely to allow me to push my digital archive into my amp.

(xpost - most Squeezebox models don't have a line in, except the Transporter which is going for around $500+ in the used market)

Not true. My Squeezebox "Radio"s have 3.5mm line-in. And I Google'd about the Boom and it does too. Maybe you meant optical? I dunno about any fancier in's on any of the hardware.

I'd been using Logitech Media Server around 10 years with none of the dedicated hardware (using Raspberry Pi's, laptops, phones, whatever--hooked up to any set of speakers or headphones). Just recently got 2 Squeezebox Radio's on eBay for $50 apiece, they're alright. I joke that it's too much shagging around to really recommend... but compared to all of the more recent "smart speaker" nonsense, it's a great system that can't be shut down on you.

Logitech tried to go the service-dependent route with stuff like the "UE Radio"... which can now be turned into a Squeezebox Radio with a software update (so whichever you can find used is fine).

For what it's worth, there's a project going on to make LMS follow Alexa/Echo commands.

All I really want is a WiFi enabled hard drive for MP3s with a decent DAC and audio out. No one seems to make such a thing.

I am most definitely using a preamp

Oh, I don't have much experience with the standalone Squeezebox products with built-in speakers, since I want to use my fancy speakers... all mine are used with an integrated amp. I meant the Squeezebox 2/3/Classic/Touch/Transporter models. I love the interface on the Squeezebox Touch, it's just about perfect (and almost endlessly customizable).

Nate, I think there's things like that. Key terms to search... NAS (network attached storage) and uPNP or DLNA (protocols for basic media playing/discovery on networks)