Sonos ends 'Recycle Mode' for legacy products after consumer backlash

The first generation Sonos Play:5

Sonos' Trade Up program will continue to offer discounts to customers with older wireless speakers from the company, but won't require customers to brick their products to participate.

Sonos is ending support for some of its oldest products in May. In an attempt to keep customers, the company has been attempting to encourage legacy product owners to participate in its Trade Up program.

Initially, the Trade Up program required users to put their devices in "Recycle Mode," a mode that permanently bricked the devices so they could not connect to a home network or other Sonos gear.

Sonos has now changed the requirements for the program. Customers will no longer need to brick their devices and to participate in the Trade Up program, according to Engadget.

The company will continue to honor the 30% off discount for any customer who validates a legacy product's serial number. Afterward, they're free to do whatever they want with the devices, including keeping them for years to come.

Sonos had also announced that while legacy products won't be getting new features, the company would continue to provide bug fixing and security patches for "as long as possible."

The legacy products affected are the original Zone Players, Connect, and Connect:Amp (launched in 2006; includes versions sold until 2015), first-generation Play:5 (launched 2009), CR200 (launched 2009), and Bridge (launched 2007).

Sonos is also working on a solution to split user devices into two groups, "modern" and "legacy," so that both can coexist in the home. Modern products will work together and receive the latest software features, while older products are separated into their own group but remain "in their current state."

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25 Comments

polymnia 1080 comments · 15 Years

About 4 years ago

Nice move. I hope they have learned something about PR from this.

Honestly, offering a discount to replace truly obsolete product is kind of a brilliant idea that incentivizes Sonos to keep their product in the field compatible with the latest software while rewarding loyal customers who still love their Sonos gear after many years of use.

It’s too bad the upgrade program was rolled out so awkwardly. They have squandered what could have been a lot of goodwill.

ITGUYINSD 516 comments · 5 Years

About 4 years ago

polymnia said:

Nice move. I hope they have learned something about PR from this.
Honestly, offering a discount to replace truly obsolete product is kind of a brilliant idea that incentivizes Sonos to keep their product in the field compatible with the latest software while rewarding loyal customers who still love their Sonos gear after many years of use.

It’s too bad the upgrade program was rolled out so awkwardly. They have squandered what could have been a lot of goodwill.

I have 4 "truly obsolete products" -- Zone Players and Connect units, and they work as well today as the day I bought them. They stream music from the internet and play it through an existing, connected stereo system or just a pair of speakers (in the case of a ZonePlayer which is amplified). Not sure why I would need to spend over a thousand dollars to replace them with new hardware that does basically the same thing.

seanismorris 1624 comments · 8 Years

About 4 years ago

polymnia said:

Nice move. I hope they have learned something about PR from this.
Honestly, offering a discount to replace truly obsolete product is kind of a brilliant idea that incentivizes Sonos to keep their product in the field compatible with the latest software while rewarding loyal customers who still love their Sonos gear after many years of use.

It’s too bad the upgrade program was rolled out so awkwardly. They have squandered what could have been a lot of goodwill.

Bricking perfectly good hardware is a good thing? Perhaps car manufacturers should do that. /s

Sonos is a trash company.

polymnia 1080 comments · 15 Years

About 4 years ago

seanismorris said:

polymnia said:

Nice move. I hope they have learned something about PR from this.
Honestly, offering a discount to replace truly obsolete product is kind of a brilliant idea that incentivizes Sonos to keep their product in the field compatible with the latest software while rewarding loyal customers who still love their Sonos gear after many years of use.

It’s too bad the upgrade program was rolled out so awkwardly. They have squandered what could have been a lot of goodwill.

Bricking perfectly good hardware is a good thing? Perhaps car manufacturers should do that. /s

Sonos is a trash company.

If you read the article, they ARE NOT bricking perfectly good hardware anymore.