As the owner of a low voltage A/V installation company in Orlando, I've witnessed firsthand the rise and fall of what was once the gold standard in whole-home audio. For well over a decade, I confidently installed and recommended Sonos systems to countless clients, trusting in their reliability and seamless performance. Today, I find myself in the uncomfortable position of having to seek alternatives for my customers—and myself.
The breaking point came just last week at a client's home, where I spent an excruciating hour and a half on tech support because their Sonos system refused to connect to either hardwired or WiFi networks.
After submitting four diagnostic reports and being led through circular troubleshooting steps that tech support likely knew would lead nowhere, we made the decision to rip out the entire Sonos system. We replaced it with a far simpler soundbar that doesn't require an app to function. This wasn't an isolated incident, but rather the culmination of months of mounting frustration.
The trouble began in earnest in May 2024, when Sonos released their completely rebuilt mobile app for Android and iOS. What was marketed as an improvement in performance and customization instead delivered a nightmare of bugs and missing features. Customers immediately voiced their dissatisfaction as their once-reliable systems became unpredictable and frustrating.
Users reported a litany of issues:
My personal experience mirrored these complaints. A few months ago, I was pushed into an app update I hadn't requested, which removed features I relied on daily. The frustration became so overwhelming that I sold my entire Sonos system—a product I had once evangelized to anyone who would listen.
The app controversy devastated Sonos' reputation among its most loyal customers. Despite efforts to address the issues and restore missing features in the months that followed, the damage was done. By January 2025, CEO Patrick Spence stepped down, unable to navigate the company through the crisis he had overseen.
What's most troubling is the deterioration in other areas: declining technical support quality coupled with increasingly expensive products. The value proposition that once made Sonos a no-brainer recommendation has evaporated.
As professionals who stake our reputations on the products we install, A/V integrators find ourselves in a precarious position. Each service call to troubleshoot yet another Sonos issue chips away at client trust and our bottom line. The hours spent on technical support calls represent lost revenue and opportunities.
I speak for integrators everywhere when I say we've had enough. The endless service calls and wasted hours on technical support have become untenable. Sonos, once a reliable solution that made our jobs easier and our clients happier, has failed us.
The industry now faces a critical need for a reliable whole-home audio solution that doesn't subject users to the whims of capricious software updates and vanishing features. We need systems that prioritize stability over flashy new interfaces, and functionality over form.
For those of us who built part of our businesses around Sonos products, this transition is painful but necessary. Our clients deserve better, and so do we. The company that once defined the category may have lost its way, but the demand for quality whole-home audio remains stronger than ever.
The downfall of Sonos serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of prioritizing software revamps over core reliability. In the connected home, dependability isn't just a feature—it's the foundation. And foundations, once cracked, are exceedingly difficult to repair.
What makes the Sonos situation particularly tragic is that it was entirely preventable. The company built its reputation on rock-solid reliability and intuitive user experience—precisely the areas where they've now faltered. Their decision to force a massive overhaul on a satisfied user base rather than implementing incremental improvements speaks to a fundamental disconnect between the company and its customers.
For integrators and homeowners alike, this serves as a reminder that in the world of smart home technology, simpler is often better. The smartest system isn't necessarily the one with the most features, but the one that continues to work flawlessly day after day, year after year. As I rebuild the audio solutions side of my business with alternative products, I'm prioritizing long-term stability over cutting-edge novelty.
The void left by Sonos's fall from grace creates an opportunity for competitors who understand what truly matters to professionals and consumers: consistency, reliability, and respect for the user experience.
Until Sonos demonstrates a fundamental recommitment to these principles—not just in marketing speak but in their products and support—they'll continue to lose the loyal customer base that propelled them to success in the first place.
How long will Sonos last? I am not sure, but in the words of my client, “Sonos won’t last another year like this.”
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