Alternatives to Sonos’ awfulness for simple automated ST music playback?

Devices & Integrations Connected Things
1

I’ve been using a Sonos Play:1 speaker to auto-play a specific Amazon music playlist via the SmartThings-Sonos integration. Other than this one speaker, I have no other commitment/investment into the Sonos ecosystem.

Unfortunately XP so far has been that unless Sonos is on your local network and you’re able to go through manual, hold-button reset process once/month the system randomly disconnects from the WiFi network, nixing any in-place automation with SmartThings.

After searching the forums for a more reliable, integrated solution to Sonos for an automated, volume + playlist compatible music playback option is it safe to say that Alexa Speaks one of the few (only?) options out there?

I’m already using Amazon for playlist integration and really just need a way to play, pause, select, and change volume levels on music playlists.

2

I’ve had Sonos components for several years. Currently have nine devices (Play:1s, Play:3s, Playbar, Connect: amps, sub woofer).

I’ve had one issue in the last two years that required me to touch each device. Maybe one other in a total of at least seven years.

Is your speaker in a spot with decent Wi-Fi signal?

3

I have had a number of Sonos products at two locations for a number of years (Play 5’s, soundbars and subwoofers) and I have never had a device disconnect from the network. That being said, mine are connected via a Sonos Bridge.

The Sonos Bridge used to be a requirement, but as you’re aware it is no longer requirement. It sounds like there may either be a problem with your specific Play1 or congestion on your WiFi network. If the problem is the latter, you can use a Sonos Boost (newer version of the Bridge, sort of) to create a separate Sonos network and get around the congestion.

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4

When I started, the Sonos Bridge was required so I had one. Everything worked great and it separated Sonos from the WiFi network. About a year ago the Bridge died.

I have two Sonos Connect:Amps in the wiring closet where the Bridge was. They drive ceiling speakers. I used the Ethernet port on one of them to connect to the main Ethernet switch. I might have had to go around and reconnect all the other devices, can’t remember.

The whole Sonos net has been solid

5

Speaker is directly above the WiFi AP and its the the only Sonos device on the network. It’s happened twice where the speaker goes offline in SmartThings and now I’m seeing it has actually vanished out of my Sonos device list as well. I actually bought a brand new Synology router with VPN so I could (allegedly) be on the same network and add the speaker back in as if I was on the local network, only to find now that the speaker has completely vanished out of the Sonos app device list forcing a full device reset/rejoin.

I do have automatic updates for the speaker configured.

Regardless, it makes zero sense to me how that could happen in any product. Like a iPhone that completely loses its connection to iCloud without warning.

I’m resigned to just buy a powerline Ethernet adapter and use that to get a physical connection to the AP, but that only tells me the speaker has a problem with its WiFi radio since every other WiFi device on the network, including devices with far less power work fine.

At this pint I may just pickup a an Echo+ or Studio and hope it’s somewhere near the sound quality of the Play:1.

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