2 Suggestions - Airplay 2 in all devices & Offsite remote control

  • 10 January 2019
  • 3 replies

I know very recent release products, come with Airplay 2 built into them. Question is, why not have ALL prior model devices, that are hitting the manufacturing assembly lines NOW, also come with it. For example, say a Connect made in the factory TODAY, coming with Airplay. Could be just denoted with a slightly different similar model denotation (Connect 2.0 or whatever). So that it is an option for ALL devices, rather than having to do the "Grouping" work around. Side note semi related tangent, I wish Android would get on creating a standard that is the equivalent of Airplay, so that Sonos could feel as though they could adopt it also. Chromecast add-on maybe, so as to be able to audio cast from an Android tablet to a Sonos?

I would love the ability to be able to turn a networked Sonos unit on/off remotely, from any location, via the app. For my own specific personal home setup


3 replies

1) Because of the chips that are all prior device models don't have the horsepower in order to decode an AirPlay 2 signal. As you say, a new version of these models most likely will, much as the Sonos One, which is obviously intended at some point to supplant the PLAY:1 does. And as the Sonos Amp, which appears to be designed to supplant the CONNECT:AMP does. As the PLAY:5 gen 2, which supplanted the PLAY:5 gen 1 does. But it takes time to redesign, get FCC approval, and re-set up the production lines, which I think are all in Asia. But yes, I suspect that any future product released by Sonos as a "new" device will have the capability built in. As for AirPlay, Sonos didn't develop that, so you'd need to talk to Google, who creates the Android OS, to create an equivalent of AirPlay 2 (which I think is actually called Chromecast).

2) This could potentially be a very dangerous thing, depending on how it was handled. To do it properly, with the necessary security features, would require substantial investment by Sonos in cloud technology, and likely raise substantially the cost of current speakers to cover not only their requirements, but all of the systems that were sold before for which Sonos no longer gets any income stream from.
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Regarding #2, Sonos does have a cloud API that allows 3rd party app developers to create apps accessing Sonos through the cloud. The Amazon Alexa also has some limited control of speakers when off network.
As far as I'm aware, currently Sonos doesn't store any of my "personal" settings in a cloud environment. That's the part that would be troubling.