Alternatives now Sonos have discarded DLNA compatibility

[bventure]

I have used Asset UPnP for years with my Sonos speakers, but they have now forced a Sonos app update which has destroyed most of the functionality it had, and made it virtually unusable. It now says 'not available' for my Asset connection, and they will not allow reversion to an earlier working version. So goodbye forever Sonos! Can someone suggest sone good alternatives to my Sonos speakers to play my music (which is stored on external USB drives), bearing in mind I am no expert in this field? Thanks.

[simbun]

I've just tried Asset in Sonos (with latest firmware but 16.1 app) and it's not possible to enqueue an album, only tracks. Was it possible before the firmware update?

I've had a couple of Play 1 speakers for years now and use them as UPnP renderers in a UPnP setup as I've always found the Sonos app lacking. The only thing I need the Sonos app for is to group or stereo pair the speakers. If you're on Android there's a very good app called BubbleUPnP; if you're on iOS you can try mconnect but it's much more limited. If you have stereo pairs/groups you need to make sure that you play to the master speaker.

Whilst it's disgraceful what they've done to their customers with this app "upgrade" the speakers are actually quite open, unlike BluOS.

[bventure]

I've just tried Asset in Sonos (with latest firmware but 16.1 app) and it's not possible to enqueue an album, only tracks. Was it possible before the firmware update?

I've had a couple of Play 1 speakers for years now and use them as UPnP renderers in a UPnP setup as I've always found the Sonos app lacking. The only thing I need the Sonos app for is to group or stereo pair the speakers. If you're on Android there's a very good app called BubbleUPnP; if you're on iOS you can try mconnect but it's much more limited. If you have stereo pairs/groups you need to make sure that you play to the master speaker.

Whilst it's disgraceful what they've done to their customers with this app "upgrade" the speakers are actually quite open, unlike BluOS.

My phone is iOS but I usually use my Windows laptop to play on Sonos, precisely because on this you can select all the tracks in an album (CTRL +A) and play the whole album rather than the tedious business of adding track by track on the iOS app. I only ever used the phone if I couldn't be bothered to start up the laptop. The Windows App was always much better than the iOS app, probably because they couldn't be bothered to update it and left it alone, so all the stuff still works. No problem with the speakers, it's just the apps have always been terrible and the latest is the worst ever. I'll have a look at mconnect, thanks for the suggestion.

[Vim_Fuego]

I have used Asset UPnP for years with my Sonos speakers, but they have now forced a Sonos app update which has destroyed most of the functionality it had, and made it virtually unusable. It now says 'not available' for my Asset connection, and they will not allow reversion to an earlier working version. So goodbye forever Sonos! Can someone suggest sone good alternatives to my Sonos speakers to play my music (which is stored on external USB drives), bearing in mind I am no expert in this field? Thanks.

Sonos was never really that good, like Apple, they have average products, but throw lots of money at influencers and product placement to get to the front, and then use that to cruise.

I would recommend a HEOS based system.

[niloy pal]

With Sonos abandoning support for DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance), users are left in search of workarounds to stream local files across home networks. DLNA previously enabled seamless integration with media servers such as Plex, Serviio, and Universal Media Server, which enabled users to access their own music libraries without resorting to the cloud. Its elimination restricts local streaming capabilities and nudges users further into proprietary ecosystems.

One of the strongest alternatives is having a standalone network audio player that continues to be DLNA-capable, e.g., Yamaha (MusicCast), Denon (HEOS), or Bluesound (BluOS). These solutions remain compatible with mainstream media servers and play back high-resolution audio formats.
Another option is to migrate to open-source media players such as Volumio or MoOde, which can be installed on a Raspberry Pi and have DLNA, AirPlay, and other capabilities. For those committed to Sonos, employing Plex with Sonos support might provide a partial solution, although it's more dependent on an internet connection.
While Sonos has a great user experience, its divergence from open standards such as DLNA is evidence of an increased trend toward closed systems. Fans of flexibility and local control may find themselves seeking alternative solutions in order to maintain a decentralized, ownership-centric music system.