[yccs27]

The problem here is the wildly different expectations. It's an audio system, and normally audio systems are expected to work for >30 years. But it's a "smart" system controlled through an app, and apps need to be maintained to keep working on new hardware.

[vineyardmike]

Yea I agree. I personally still come to the conclusion that it’s probably worth it assuming the business continues to operate as they have been. But eWaste does suck to generate knowingly.

I have a record player (and DAC) and an amp and passive speakers. I have the full HiFi setup - the record player is setup to avoid vibrations and the speakers are properly distanced from the wall etc. I can tell you without any hesitation that the price-per-minute-listened of my Sonos system is a small fraction of the HiFi (which will last 30 years). If I upgrade the Sonos every decade I’m sure it’ll still “make sense”. That’s excluding the cost of media for which records cost a lot more than streaming. Personally, I think the Sonos sound “more than good enough” to enjoy without missing anything from the record player.

That said, I don’t love the generation of eWaste, and I hope the Sonos lasts for more than a decade. And every day that Amazon/google keep their smart speakers alive is a good day for eWaste. I can only dream they’ll allow you to update the firmware when they finally EOL them. (I know they won’t though).