- A Firmware Update changed the way Sonos speakers sound like
- Oh no it didn’t
- Oh yeah it did
Two days ago, something very strange happened to Sonos speakers: They started to sound different, but only if you didn’t work for Sonos.
It all began with a post of Clearwinter2840 on R/Sonos Subbreddit after installing the latest firmware update. “This new firmware update today has increased the bass boominess on all my speakers significantly!” They wrote. “Others notice this? In fact, had to adjust all my bass settings a bit down, even as a base lover!”
Other Sonos owners joined. “Beam 2 also more bass after updating, even after Trueplay,” Flamiatos wrote. “It’s better.” RAMPY RS noticed it too. “Bass is definitely up.” Many more posters agreed.
Not so fast, Keith of Sonos said, “Fwiw this last firmware update had literally no changes in the audio profile,” he released. “Glad you enjoy the sound tho! 🤘”
But was he right?
Does Placebo’s songs sound better on Sonos speakers now, or is it the placebo effect?
With R/Sonos Subbreddit was shared between the many users who swore their speakers sounded better, and those who tell them it was the placebo effect – that is, people perceived only their speakers that sound better because they had been encouraged to think There had been an improvement-it looked like Redditors would end up in a reservoir dog-style standoff.
But unlike that movie, this story has a happy ending. Because Keith from Sonos came back! Back! BACK!
“Your ears are not To play tricks on you “Keith posted yesterday. After two days of” fierce “who stood on the ground and told people that there had been no changes in the sound profile of the firmware update, Keith had a confession:”Welp, I was wrong.“
The speakers did sounds better because they had been improved, Keith admitted. It “turns out that there were a few small DSP fixes that seemed to have an impact on how lower frequencies were represented.”
This does not mean that the placebo effect is not real. It’s “something we see regularly,” Posted Keith. It just doesn’t apply here, even though Sonos thought it did.
And it made me think. Is there really A few small DSP improvements? Or have Sonos may have realized the marketing advantage by letting people think there is – especially as the company had to advertise impending price increases and arrived at some point this year? Are Sonos’s speakers placebo-driven now? Maybe we never know. And maybe we’re best about not knowing.
