The IT Nerd

The last year or so has been challenging for premium audio gear Sonos. And that’s putting it lightly. You can read my write up about their issues from last year to get a sense of how bad things are. Or you can read this write up from The Verge to get an additional persecutive. Despite their troubles, news has come out via email and their very troubled app that existing owners can get up to 25% discounts on new Sonos gear from February 23 to March 2. You do have to get it via the app or at their website. I should also note that it seems to exclude certain products such as the Arc, Arc Ultra, and select speaker sets.

Now why would Sonos do this? My guess is that their issues have caused not only new sales to fall, but I have read in places like Reddit for example that owners of their gear are abandoning Sonos for the completion. Bluesound and Audio Pro for example. Thus this might be an attempt by Sonos to stop the bleeding. I’ll be watching this with interest to see how it is received by owners of Sonos gear, and if they take advantage of of this.

Since spring of this year, audio gear manufacturer Sonos has been a train wreck next to a dumpster fire. The company put out a new app that was rewritten from the ground up. But it was also a buggy mess with features that users loved removed. That in turn led to customers being very vocal about how bad the app was. The company downplayed all of this but was eventually forced to admit that things were broken and they needed to address these issues.

Fast forward to the present day and the company has put up a blog post along with a YouTube video saying that they are going to focus on seven items to win back the trust of the customers they angered:

• Unwavering Focus on Customer Experience
• Increasing the Stringency of Pre-Launch Testing
• Approaching Change with Humility
• Appointing a Quality Ombudsperson
• Extending Our Home Speaker Warranties
• Relentless App Improvement
• Establishing a Customer Advisory Board

All that sounds nice. But it’s the YouTube video that really shows what Sonos customers think. Here’s the YouTube video below featuring Sonos CEO Patrick Spence:

This video isn’t going over well with Sonos customers based on the comments:

I could go on but you get the point. It’s pretty clear that Sonos customers don’t trust the company or Patrick Spence to get things back on track. Which also means that these people won’t be spending money on their gear and look elsewhere for their audio needs. That’s not surprising because Sonos used to be extremely good audio gear that “just worked.” Now it’s not anything near that. And when people ask me for my recommendation on home audio gear, Sonos isn’t on the list. The reason being that I won’t stake my reputation to a product that is subpar. Which Sonos is absolutely subpar at the moment. And that’s their challenge. They have to fix the reputational damage that they inflicted upon themselves, and I don’t at this point see a clear path to them doing that. And they don’t have a lot of time to do it as their competition such as Bluesound, Audio Pro, and even Apple with the HomePod lineup are going to be sensing an opportunity to take out Sonos. If they haven’t already.

Sucks to be you Sonos.

From the “this is a new low” department comes an apparent privacy policy change by speaker maker Sonos that seems at first glance to give it the right to sell your data. This was spotted by YouTuber Louis Rossman and you can watch the video here:

If you didn’t watch the video, this will act as a TL:DR. Here is the relevant section of the former privacy policy:

Sonos does not and will not sell personal information about our customers. However, certain data practices described throughout this Privacy Statement may constitute a “sale” or “sharing” of data under California and/or other US state laws. See the below CA Addendum for more information applicable to CA residents. We want you to understand that information about our customers is an important part of our business. We only disclose your data as described in this Statement

And now here is the relevant section of the updated policy:

Certain data practices described throughout this Privacy Statement may constitute a “sale” or “sharing” of data under California and/or other US state laws. See the below CA Addendum for more information applicable to CA residents. We want you to understand that information about our customers is an important part of our business. We only disclose your data as described in this Statement

I had a look online and didn’t see anything from Sonos trying to explain this. Instead I saw a lot of people complaining that Sonos has broken their app. So maybe a response from Sonos will be inbound once this makes its way around the Interwebs. And it will be interesting to see what the company says.

Today, Sonos is announcing new speakers that expand its home theater and portable line-ups, offering listeners more ways to easily connect with the content they love. As with all Sonos products, the brand’s newest speakers deliver great sound that helps you play more, hear more and feel more, whether at home or on-the-go. 

• The Sonos Ray is a compact soundbar with impressive sound for its size that brings your entertainment to life. Ray makes it easy to build your first home theater setup or enhance TV sound in more rooms. It will be available globally on June 7 for $279 USD and $349 CAD.

• Sonos also introduced Sonos Voice Control, the first voice experience created purely for listening on Sonos. Sonos Voice Control will be available in the US via a free software update on June 1, with additional regions to follow. After a careful search, Sonos chose award-winning actor Giancarlo Esposito – best known for his roles in Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul and The Mandalorian – to deliver a familiar voice for US customers.

• Finally, Sonos Roam, the ultra-portable Bluetooth speaker, is now available in three fresh new colors – Olive, Wave and Sunset – which are available today, for $179 each.

You can see more at Sonos.com

Heads up for those who are looking for a deal!

The Sonos Roam will be available for $199 CAD from Thursday, December 24 – Monday, December 27th as part of Sonos’ Boxing Week offers in Canada. That’s a $30 savings (or 13% discount) and the only offer on Roam this year.

You can treat yourself to a new Roam (or belated holiday gift) at Sonos.com and retailers nationwide. 

Sonos has a few ideas for pretty much anyone on the list – whether that’s the ultimate holiday host, the movie buff or even the wanderlust. Here are a few products that I’d like to highlight:

• Roam ($179): Launched earlier this year, Roam is the first ultra-portable speaker from Sonos that you can bring on all your listening adventures, whether it’s around the fire, by the pool or an outdoor yoga class. This season’s most stylish sound accessory is also drop proof/water resistant and small enough to fit in a stocking! 
• Beam ($449): Looking to splurge? Look no further than the Sonos Beam (Gen 2), the smart TV sound bar, which was just announced last month. Bring the sounds of the stadium and theater to your home with immersive sound and Dolby Atmos support.

• Move ($399): As one of the most highly rated products on BestBuy.com, the Sonos Move is the ideal indoor and outdoor speaker for the entertainer of the family, with room filling sound that can power any occasion. 
• One ($219) and One SL (starting at $199): The essential Sonos speakers for any person on your list. One and One SL are stylish speakers that elevate any space and are the perfect introduction to the Sonos world. One also makes a great gift for new parents with hands free voice control (Alexa, play sleep sounds!).
• With Sonos Radio and Sonos Radio HD, you’ll also have access to hand picked stations for the holidays and any day. No stress about picking the perfect playlist either! 

More inspiration can be found on the Sonos holiday gift guide here,

Hot on the heels of the North Face partnership, Sonos’ has announced their latest campaign, Wild Tracks. 

According to a recent survey conducted by Sonos, 74% of consumers chose music as their preferred travel companion (even over friends and select family members!). Catering to these preferences, Wild Tracks invites consumers to explore the world’s most beloved National Parks and outdoor destinations by tapping partners with an affinity for the great outdoors to create original playlists inspired by their own experiences in nature. The campaign saw the creation of eleven unique playlists curated by adventure aficionados and inspired by North America’s premier outdoor destinations, including: 

• Glacier National Park, curated by Peloton Senior Instructor Emma Lovewell
• Kings Canyon National Park, curated by founder of The Ocho System and Health + Wellness Consultant, Joe Holder 
• Great Smoky Mountains National Park, curated by Diversity & Inclusion Educator and Sustainability Advocate, Laura Edmondson 
• Chattahoochee River National Park, curated by Meditation Expert and Model, Nikia Phoenix 
• North Cascades National Park, curated by Adventure Enthusiast and Travel Photographer, Renee Hahnel 
• Bugaboo Provincial Park, curated by Mountain Climber, Andrea Ference 
• Banff National Park, curated by Nature Photographer, Eric Rubens 
• Cape Scott Provincial Park, curated by Adventure Enthusiast, Karin Keller 
• Horseshoe Bend, curated by Travel Journalist, Travis Levius 
• Grand Teton National Park, curated by Adventure Photographer Max Seigal
• Watkins Glen State Park, curated by Travel + Adventure Photographer Max Loewenstein

Wild Tracks serves as an inspiration for fans to immerse themselves in their natural surroundings. Encouraging wanderers to get outdoors, the campaign features a :60 hero film exploring the relationship between sound and natural environment – check it out HERE! 

To learn more about the campaign and stream the partner playlists, please visit sonoswildtracks.com.

In celebration of the newly launched Sonos Roam and just in time for summer, Sonos and The North Face are teaming up to offer adventurers and wanderlusters an opportunity to explore the great outdoors in brilliant sound from home!

According to a new survey conducted by Sonos, 60% of North Americans feel they have been missing a great joy in their life because travel has been more limited in the past year. Sonos and The North Face are hoping to bring that joy back through this partnership, which includes: 

• Expedition Soundscapes on Sonos Radio: Never Stop Exploring – Original field recordings from nine of The North Face’s most-far-flung adventures have been mixed, sequenced and combined with an original score to take you on a global journey with the world-class athletes who were part of the expedition. From the comfort of home, you can journey with Hilaree Nelson and Jim Morrison as they become the first ever people to ski down Mt Everest’s neighbor Lhotse for the first time, or trek across Antarctica with Free Solo climber Alex Honnold. The sound experiences will be exclusively available on Sonos Radio new station, Never Stop Exploring, launching today. Previews are available on Mixcloud here and YouTube here.

Whether you’re ready to board a plane tomorrow or you’re still more comfortable on the couch, Sonos is making it easier to explore the world around you – no matter where you are. 

Today, Sonos debuts Sonos Radio HD in Canada, giving millions of Canadian listeners access to the ad-free, high-definition streaming tier with skips, repeats and an expanded catalogue of exclusive programming. The premium service is available on Sonos’ S2 app for $7.99 CAD per month after a free 30-day trial.

Canada subscribers to Sonos Radio HD will now be able to access and enjoy even more incredible content and exclusive programming, including:

• Artist-curated stations that go beyond the playlist to offer commentary and interviews heard nowhere else, including Brian Eno’s The Lighthouse – an exclusive new station available on Sonos Radio HD today, featuring hundreds of tracks spanning over 50 years of Brian Eno’s illustrious career. Listeners are also encouraged to share their feedback on the station: if you hear a track that you’d like to use in a film, you think you may have contributed to, or even one that particularly moves you – please get in touch at thelighthouse@sonos.com. 

Subscribers can also tune in to Dolly Parton’s Songteller Radio, Ghostface Killah’s Blue & Cream, FKA twigs’ Main Squeeze and more. 

• Deeper exploration into genres and music scenes with the help of curators and hosts including Ann Powers with Nashville Now and Americana Ramble and Kenny Gamble’s The Sound of Philadelphia. 
• Soundtracks for life at home that promote mindfulness, productivity and relaxation including The Inner Now, Chill Beats and Mellow Morning, along with six sleep stations for any preference – white noise, pink noise, brown noise, rain, rainforest and piano – all mastered and tuned specifically for Sonos speakers for the most natural, calming sounds for a better night’s sleep.

The JUNOS are turning 50 this year! 

In the lead up to this incredible milestone, Sonos is excited to announce the launch of a brand new radio station in partnership with the JUNOS to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the awards. Highlighting the best of Canadian music, with over 500 tracks and hundreds of artists, All Our Sound premieres exclusively on Sonos Radio today.

Artists featured on the station include a mix of winners and Hall of Fame inductees from the last 50 years, and includes personal anecdotes between tracks from artists like the Arkells, Corey Hart, Dallas Smith, The Glorious Sons, July Talk, Lennon Stella, MacKenzie Porter, The Reklaws, Rufus Wainwright, Sarah McLachlan, and Savannah Ré. 

Any Canadians looking to get their JUNOS fix in the lead up to the awards can access a preview of the station here, featuring almost 1.5 hours of content from All Our Sound.