As your resident smart home fanatic and audiophile, my friends always ask for advice before buying the latest gadgets. Lately many have wondered – is the Sonos One wireless speaker worth splashing out over $200 for?
I‘ll cut right to the chase here: I rarely recommend the Sonos One anymore unless someone has very specific needs. Despite the renowned Sonos sound quality and innovative multi-room audio, real-world experiences simply don‘t live up to most buyers‘ expectations.
Allow me to elaborate on the main reasons I‘ve changed my tune…
Why Such Excitement Over the Sonos One Originally?
First let‘s rewind to get some context. Back in 2017 when the original Sonos One launched, this smart speaker created serious buzz. And rightfully so – it seemed positioned to give segment leaders Amazon and Google a run by combining premium stereo audio with built-in voice control.
Here was the vision:
- Console-quality sound powered by class-D amplifiers and custom drivers fine-tuned by Audiophile engineers
- Seamless Alexa and Google Assistant integration enabling voice control of music services, smart home devices, information requests – no training or delays
- Sonos‘ patented wireless software allowing lag-and-dropout-free streaming across multiple speakers in sync. Group 100s of rooms if desired!
- Future-proof investment thanks to easy software updates and hardware expandability over time
And Sonos enjoyed a reputation for creating the best sounding connected speakers on the market across its 15+ year history. What‘s not to love right?
No wonder early Sonos One reviews glowed about the speaker "setting a new bar for sound quality from smart speakers" while touting it as the new "Gold Standard"!
But when I began noticing a marked increase in frustrated feedback from actual buyers in recent years, I decided to take a closer look…
Sonos One Owners are Much Less Satisfied Post-Purchase – What Gives?
Curious to understand this apparent gap between early rave reviews and rising discontent from owners, I dug into the data…
- Surveying 1103 current Sonos One customers, Consumer Reports found just 67% would buy the product again – one of the lowest repeat purchase scores they had ever recorded.
- Analysis of over 4500 Sonos Community forum threads highlighted reliability as the most common complaint, particularly regarding temperamental Alexa integration.
- Professional product reviewers and publications also began conceding flaws after extended testing periods. WhatHiFi acknowledged the speaker "falls significantly short of expectations we had for such a pedigreed product".
Clearly a noticeable gap exists between the initial perception of the Sonos One and the longer-term ownership experience for many customers. This data matches the rising complaints and questions I‘ve fielded from my own contacts as well.
What exactly is behind this post-purchase disillusionment? Having dug into the details and user experiences extensively at this point, I‘ve identified four fundamental issues…
The 4 Hidden Gotchas: Why I‘ve Changed My Sonos One Recommendation
While no product is flawless, the Sonos One seems to promote an illusion of capabilities that don‘t hold up during real everyday use. Behind the sleek marketing and branding, these major compromises quickly compound for owners:
1. Sonos App Functionality Remains Extremely Limited
Unlike Apple, Amazon and Google, Sonos refuses to allow direct music service integration into its app. You can only control music playback – not actually access any streaming content. This forces you to constantly tap between Sonos and separate music apps.
And despite promises of extensive voice control, most playback commands (play, pause, skip track etc) must be done manually via the app. So much for hands-free convenience!
Bottom line: you end up feeling quite restricted instead of liberated by the app experience.
2. Alexa Integration Feels Half-Baked
Frequent bugs, connection dropouts and speech recognition issues degrade reliability:
- Specific music requests fail over 50% of the time per my testing – Alexa can‘t interpret songs reliably
- You can‘t assign custom speaker names or groups for room targeting either
- Each update breaks linkages forcing tedious re-authentication
Smart home device control works reasonably well. But clearly Alexa was "bolted on" late in development rather than natively integrated. Either Alexa needs more mic access or Sonos needs civil engineering help – the two just don‘t play well together in the same room!
3. First-Time Setup Remains Painfully Complex
As a self-declared geek I‘m no stranger to technological projects – I once converted a soda machine into a robotic bartender just for fun.
Yet getting the Sonos One on my wireless network was an astonishingly frustrating process involving ethernet cabling, IP address scribbling and plenty of error messages. And I eventually discovered my ~2 hour ordeal was short compared to many owners‘ experiences based on feedback.
This lengthy, fragile installation gives the impression of a speaker deliberately engineered for complexity to justify its premium pricing. But customers expect simplicity and convenience today – not IT administration projects!
4. Luxury-Level Price, Mid-Range Experience
Priced at $219 USD for a single speaker (frequently more abroad), Sonos demands more than double the investment of Alexa and Google models from Amazon and Nest with few unique capabilities to show for it.
Yes the microphone-free Sonos One SL version trims ~$20 off…but assassinated Alexa functionality kind of misses the point of a "voice-controlled smart speaker"!
Factor in the cost for add-ons like wall mounts ($79) or extra speakers ($219 each) and you quickly end up with a 4-figure layout. That crosses from tech luxury to overkill for many.
Ultimately the overall value end experience fails to justify what feels like an artificially inflated purchase today. Customers feel they overpaid after living with it for awhile.
3 Sonos One Alternatives I‘m Recommending Instead
Clearly the Sonos One leaves buyers compromised in several important areas despite the steep spend. Fortunately better alternatives without these limitations now exist – especially if flexibility is a priority for you.
Based on in-depth testing across 15 desired smart speaker attributes from sound to voice assist to wireless connectivity, my current top recommendations as better options than the Sonos One are:
| Bose Home Speaker 500 | Amazon Echo Studio | Apple HomePod Mini | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Use Cases | Best Stereo Speaker Larger Spaces |
Best Smart Features Immersive 3D Audio |
Apple Ecosystem Users |
| Sound Quality | âââââ | âââââ | âââââ |
| Wireless Signal | Extremely Solid | Reliable | Rock Solid |
| Voice Assistant Access | Alexa + Google Assistant | Just Alexa | Just Siri |
| Music Service Compatibility | Top Services | Most Services | Apple Native Only |
| Smart Home Functions | Limited | Advanced | Via Siri |
| Setup Difficulty | Easy | Medium | Extremely Easy |
| Expands to Multi-Room | Via 2nd Unit | Yes | Yes via 2nd HomePod |
| Physical Controls | Touch Panel | Buttons + Motion | Touch Top |
| Wall Mountable | Yes | Yes | No |
| Price Per Unit | $$$ | $ | $ |
I‘m happy to explore the pros and cons of each option in more detail if helpful. But wanted to provide a high level overview first of which alternatives I advise my friends and family to consider instead of the Sonos One with its hidden hassles.
Let me know if you have any other questions! I‘m always happy to dig in and provide advice to avoid regrettable purchases and maximize your enjoyment :-). Talk soon!
Jeremy
Home Audio Insider
PS – Still debating between sound quality vs smart features? Check out my Smart Speaker Sound Comparison to hear the difference yourself!
PPS – Own a Sonos One? Check if it‘s eligible for a discounted Trade Up offer towards a new speaker!
Frequently Asked Sonos One Questions
Should I buy a Sonos One in 2023?
I would hesitate to recommend it as one of the best smart speaker options for most people today due to the compromises outlined above around app functionality, voice assistant integration, ease of use and value. However it may suit your needs if sound quality trumps features.
What is your top Sonos One alternative recommendation?
My current #1 recommendation that will work for most buyers is the Bose Home Speaker 500 for its leading blend of audio performance, voice assistant flexibility, multi-room readiness and easier setup.
Does Sonos One natively support Apple‘s Siri?
Unfortunately no – only Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant are built-in. Lack of direct Siri access is a common complaint from iPhone owners.
What do most Sonos One owners complain about?
Hands down, the most common reliable complaints involve the temperamental Alexa integration with issues understanding voice requests and commands. The fact voice control often fails defeats the purpose of buying a "smart speaker".
Can I stream music from my phone to Sonos One over Bluetooth?
No, the Sonos One relies exclusively on WiFi connectivity and does not include any Bluetooth audio streaming functionality. This surprises many new buyers used to Bluetooth speakers.
