Can a new soundbar heal Sonos’ self-inflicted wounds?

Sonos is preparing a new soundbar code-named Lasso, The Verge reports. If leaked photos from an apparent beta tester are any indication, it’s going to be a refined version of the existing Sonos Arc, including integrated Bluetooth and a new driver generation, courtesy of Netherlands-based startup Mehut, which Sonos purchased. 2022. The drivers, which are said to be more environmentally friendly than traditional designs, are also expensive to manufacture. This has resulted in speculation that Lasso could be worth as much as $1,200. (The popular Sonos Arc sells for $899.)

Typically, news of a then-current Sonos product generates a bundle of definite buzz for the company as fans eagerly contemplate their upcoming upgrades. On the other hand, everything else corporate is progressive in terms of life, climate and environment. Earlier this week, Sonos intended to make a major revamp of its app – according to company spokespersons – to increase the flexibility of access to users’ favorite music and strengthen the search capability.

Sadly, the new design has proven to be a significant deviation from the previous model in terms of usability. Several key activities – such as finding a modern playable speaker from a list of speakers – were rearranged and required a learning curve. Worse, when the new app was introduced, users discovered that previously available features were no longer available, such as alarms, timers, access rights to private libraries, and track queue control. At the peak of those objective views, many Sonos consumers noticed that their programs became unreliable or, in some circumstances, completely unusable.

Since the initial formulation of the new design on May 7, Sonos has released ongoing updates and most feature defaults have been restored. However, using Sonos gadgets is still much less comfortable than the old one. Stability issues remain and consumers are still finding their way around the app, not convinced that the brand new design is actually an evolution over the previous model.

In the meantime – millions of loyal Sonos buyers may still not be able to fully value their programs as a result of the native app you forced on us.

I was going to buy the Ace – however will buy the Breeze Pod Max now because I will be able to trust Apple to fix the problems.

— Dr. Von Steiner (@DrVonSteiner1) 10 July 2024

I’m confident that Sonos will eventually fix all system bugs and bugs. However, in the two months since the redesign was announced, it appears that Sonos has ruined what was once one of the most reliable customer bases in the consumer tech world. The other day, I saw a Sonos ad on X (previously on Twitter) promoting its brand new Wi-Fi headphones, the Sonos Ace. The Ace has been largely praised despite the issues with Sonos’ Proceedings app, and reactions to the ad were full of rage and sadness.

@Sonos You destroyed your buyer base for them? Your reputation is in tatters and your performance is nothing but downright contempt for trusted customers, so you might just drop something that no one wants! #boycottsonos

— Phil Hicks (@phillipicks20) 11 July 2024

“Fix your app before selling new products,” one person wrote. “You really need to focus on winning back current customers.” This used to be a common sentiment, although others weren’t afraid to be extra blunt, making it clear that they had no real interest in purchasing brand new Sonos equipment: “After the recent poor performance of Sonos, Will not touch with a baseball bat.” ,” every other person wrote. “I was going to buy the Ace – but will buy the Air Pods Max now because I can trust Apple to fix the issues.”

Instead of the usual sounds of outrage at Sonos, the comments reflect a far worse feeling for any symbol’s current hopes: betrayal. This does not happen frequently, but if an organization loses rapport with its buyers due to poorly performing services or products, the consequences can be serious.

Microsoft discovered this in a clear way when, planning to gather an additional collection of loyal avid gamers for its Xbox product orders (Xbox 360 offered 84 million gadgets despite the familiar stories of the dreaded Purple Ring of Dying) , it announced its upcoming console, the Xbox One, will require both an Internet connection and a Microsoft Kinect accessory. The response to the scoop was quick and brutal, ultimately forcing Microsoft to change its strategy before the Xbox One crashed. However, the fallout had a lingering impact on the Xbox One, which sold some distance fewer devices (just 58 million) than the 360, and caused Microsoft to lose a bunch of consumers who abandoned Sony and its very mediocre PlayStation 4. Gave. It took several years and the eventual launch of Xbox Sports Go to win over gamers again.

Sonos may not be as worried about its mistake as Microsoft was. Unlike entertainment consoles, which see refresh cycles of about four years, many Sonos consumers have had their wireless speakers for a decade or more. Audio technology doesn’t change as unpredictably as gaming technology does. Additionally, each Sonos product that buyers add to their programs deepens their investment in the company’s ecosystem. Switching to another company’s audio system can involve thousands of bucks and a really wide range of purposes.

However, there will be limits to this funding and soundbars are the only type of speaker where ecosystem sustainability can consistently take a back seat to alternative concerns. These days we have a full Sonos house theater setup in our basement folk room: a Sonos Arc, Sonos Sub, and 2 Sonos Edge 300 audio systems in sight. It feels amazing. I have recommended it to many friends, people and readers like you.

I’ve reviewed several alternative soundbar programs that sound just as good or higher at a related cost. However, since we have Sonos speakers in every other room in the house, it makes sense to go with Sonos for TV tone as well. This could be the Achilles heel of the upcoming soundbar. If Sonos can’t rid its device of elementary bugs once and for all — and soon — then it’ll be much harder to recommend the Lasso, even if it represents a significant step up in Tone feature from the Sonos Arc. .

The soundbar’s number one endeavor is to bring top-notch TV audio and buzz to presentations, movies and sporting activities. It’s a good use to connect it to what’s left of your wireless audio system that’s no longer needed. With Sonos’ tools flowing, no one wants to shop for the company’s upcoming soundbar.