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Sonos's “recycle mode” intentionally bricks devices so they can't be reused

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Re: Sonos's “recycle mode” intentionally bricks devices so they can't be reused

#341

Post by Al-Khwarizmi »

lostlogin wrote: post #268
Al-Khwarizmi wrote: post #76

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They seem to be one of the few brands that give good audio quality and modern convenience at the same time. For example, I was looking for a device that would (1) be placeable on my living room furniture[1], and let me use a couple of trusty Monitor Audio speakers both (2) for playing music (e.g. from my phone, computer or streaming sources like Spotify) and (3) for TV audio, as those speakers sound much better than…

> Why no one else has made a device that can provide good TV audio and good music playback in a shallow form factor still escapes me. I don't think my requirements were so weird, in freaking 2018. Am I right in thinking that Sonos fits your requirements? I've found their speakers to be excellent in a small package. I was after the 5s but someone lent me a One as a test. A pair of them are excellent imho.

Yes, that's what I was saying: that no one else [except Sonos] has made a device that fits my requirements. Sonos did, I bought the Sonos Amp for my speakers.

Re: Sonos's “recycle mode” intentionally bricks devices so they can't be reused

#342

Post by jdnenej »

jiofih wrote: post #282
jhillyerd wrote: post #108

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not true, Sonos works in a mesh, so all Sonos devices need to talk to each other, and to the controller app on phone or PC.

Absolutely doable over local network only.

Local only doesn't allow Sonos to record everything you do and disable your device when they decide it's time for you to buy a new one.

Re: Sonos's “recycle mode” intentionally bricks devices so they can't be reused

#343

Post by askvictor »

noodlesUK wrote: post #10

What’s intensely frustrating about this is that audio equipment is one of the few areas where old high end kit is still absolutely fantastic for current users. I have an NAD 3020 from the 1980s which works perfectly with the same pair of speakers that it was bought with. I can’t say the same about other tech, but audio just doesn’t age at the same speed.

I'm kind of glad I went with Squeezebox (formerly slim devices) 10 or so years ago. The entire server and client system is OSS, written in Perl on Linux (OK, that bit's annoying now, but was nice when I still used perl). The audio hardware is (still) great, and the software is hackable and I can SSH in to my speaker and change things if I need/want to. Most annoying thing is the constant cat-and-mouse game with hacked-on suppport for streaming services.

Re: Sonos's “recycle mode” intentionally bricks devices so they can't be reused

#344

Post by netsharc »

Zarel wrote: post #223
Aaargh20318 wrote: post #214

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> The credit helps encourage people to recycle them at all instead of just throwing them in the trash, right? As others have commented, the most environmentally friendly way to ‘recycle’ is to reuse. The purpose of this recycle mode is not to encourage recycling, but to kill the second hand market.

The recycle credit is 30% off a new Sonos product, which, as far as I can tell, is worth around $100. The linked tweet says the recycled Sonos would have been worth $250 on the secondhand market if not recycled. It's extremely doubtful that the recycle credit is intended to prevent a second-hand market, and far more likely accidental. It does seem like a trade-in credit would work better, but nothing prevents third p…

After your analysis, I actually think it is to prevent the 2nd hand market... There's no undo (despite it being a flag on their cloud), so no backsies in case the user gets a clue that this mode is actually stupid (they'd call the recycler to ask if they take Sonoses, get a reply of "is it bricked (did you activate recycle mode)? If no, you can get $200 (we'll resell for $250), if yes it's worth 0.").

And it's not even a setting they put in to care about the environment, because they don't give a shit if you actually give the device to a recycler or not. So, my conclusion, it's some fucking douchebag manager's idea.

If they actually cared about the environment they'd take the old devices and use the parts for warranty repairs, and even have a refurb store (but noo, we sell fancy rich people toys, we can't tarnish our store with selling environmentally friendly but other people's discarded gadgets).

I wish Greta Thunberg would tweet about this, their sales would nosedive.

Re: Sonos's “recycle mode” intentionally bricks devices so they can't be reused

#345

Post by wiml »

o-__-o wrote: post #290
jacquesm wrote: post #222

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And that's how it should have been.

Let’s make an open source Sonos clone and call it Fauxnos. It can be powered by a raspberry pi integrated into a speaker running mpd. Who wants to join my git repo?

I've been running that system for a few years (with control via MALP or ncmpc mostly). Works pretty well.

Re: Sonos's “recycle mode” intentionally bricks devices so they can't be reused

#346

Post by jdnenej »

sm4rk0 wrote: post #334
taneq wrote: post #299

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Of course Sonos wants to remove speakers from the second hand market. That doesn't make it remotely good for anyone else or for the environment.

You are not forced to take the incentive. You can always sell the device on a second hand market and get more money than that incentive.

There is literally no reason you can justify this being good for the environment. It may make business sense but it's still a crime against the planet.

Re: Sonos's “recycle mode” intentionally bricks devices so they can't be reused

#347

Post by jdnenej »

jellicle wrote: post #134
userbinator wrote: post #107

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I can’t say the same about other tech, but audio just doesn’t age at the same speed. People's ears have not changed, and the ability to reproduce sound has been nearly perfected. If you're not too picky/audiophillic, like most people, the requirements are even lower.

Literally the only "improvements" that are ever going to happen to audio in your lifetime will be a) internetifying it and b) adding more restrictions to how you use it. We've hit peak audio (best reproduction, no restrictions on usage) and it's only downhill from here. I look forward to my 2025 speakers that only work for an hour a day unless I pay for extra time credits. "Do you wish to play a) music b) music and l…

The improvements are all in headphones. Wireless and noise canceling are legitimate needs and they are getting better.

Re: Sonos's “recycle mode” intentionally bricks devices so they can't be reused

#348

Post by tinodotim »

echelon wrote: post #157
nullc wrote: post #155

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> This could go very bad for Sonos. How could it? It's all server side. If such a virus existed, they'd just undo all the 'recycling' after the day it started circulating.

There's both a hardware and software bricking component. Edit: I reread the thread and now I'm not so sure. It might be entirely software blacklisting. But if that's the case, can't you ip blackhole Sonos' servers and still have it all work?

And spoof what ever they're sending from the speaker? Because the whole "recycle" mode is about getting that rebate.

Re: Sonos's “recycle mode” intentionally bricks devices so they can't be reused

#350

Post by chaboud »

This seems like it's for a trade-up/upgrade program, which would traditionally be:

1) Customer boxes up device.

2) Customer mails device to manufacturer.

3) Manufacturer hits it with a hammer, ensuring that they don't have to compete with their own used device after the customer has been given a credit for it.

So, instead, we have:

A) Customer starts bricking process.

B) Customer recycles device locally.

C) Local electronics recycler hits device with a hammer because it has self bricked, ensuring that the manufacturer doesn't have to compete with their own used device after the customer has been given a credit for it.

So we've removed disposable packaging and fuel for shipping. It seems like a net win for the environment.

They're going to do their trade in program. They can either do it the traditional way or do it this way, having a slightly lower adverse environmental impact. Leaving the device functional is not on the menu, and acting like it is is intentionally obtuse.

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