Ex-Sonos engineer’s explosive rant exposes company’s decline

A former Sonos engineer recently took to Reddit to vent their frustrations about the company, criticizing what they see as a decline in quality and leadership failures. In a blunt and emotional post, the ex-employee described how Sonos has lost its way, with the latest app rollout serving as a glaring example of everything wrong. They detailed their own recent experience, where their Sonos speakers failed during a party due to app glitches, connectivity issues, and failed updates. The post, now confirmed by The Verge’s Chris Welch as coming from a verified former Sonos employee, painted a picture of a company that has strayed far from its once-proud roots, now plagued by buggy software and rushed product launches.

The ex-engineer didn’t hold back, blaming top management for ignoring internal warnings and prioritizing deadlines over quality. They singled out the original Sonos Roam as a turning point — a product rushed to market despite clear signs it wasn’t ready, all to meet aggressive release dates. They lamented the erosion of core values at Sonos, contrasting the company’s past willingness to kill projects that didn’t meet their standards with today’s focus on profit and speed. “Incompetence has infected top management,” they wrote, expressing heartbreak over what they called a betrayal of the company’s mission.

The Reddit post also criticized the impact of recent layoffs and restructuring on employee morale. The ex-employee recalled how Sonos CEO Patrick Spence repeatedly delivered news of layoffs in what they described as an unsettlingly polite manner, noting that Spence’s changes had left teams feeling overworked and fearful. They described a growing disconnect between leadership and staff, accusing management of not listening to its employees and letting greed and poor decisions guide the company’s future.

The post sparked a wave of responses from disillusioned Sonos fans who have also experienced frustrations with the app and hardware issues. Many shared similar stories of disappointment, echoing the former engineer’s concerns about the direction of the company.

Adding to the discontent, one European customer shared their story of securing a refund for their Sonos Move 2 after encountering numerous problems with the app. They invoked the legal guarantee of conformity, a right in Europe that allows consumers to claim a refund for faulty products. The user explained how they took their speaker to a retailer in France, armed with articles from major publications like Forbes and Bloomberg highlighting the app’s failures. “Instead of complaining here, use the laws of your country to claim your Sonos products refund!” they advised, expressing their decision to step away from the brand.

The backlash from both former employees and customers highlights a critical moment for Sonos. With its reputation at risk, the company faces increasing pressure to address the issues that have alienated its user base and to reconnect with the values that once set it apart in the audio industry. We’ll simply have to wait and see how things play out over the following weeks and months.