Onkyo, Pioneer, and Integra AVRs Receive “Works with Sonos” Firmware Update

Onkyo, Pioneer, and Integra AVRs Receive “Works with Sonos” Firmware Update​

(June 7, 2018) Onkyo USA has been touting “Works with Sonos” functionality over the last month, stating that a forthcoming firmware update would unlock the feature on a range of Onkyo, Pioneer, and Integra receivers. As of today, that firmware is available and ready for download.

Works with Sonos allows owners to seamlessly stream music from their Sonos app to their receiver. To activate, simply download the new firmware update and connect the receiver to Sonos Connect. The receiver can then be grouped to other Sonos devices, or can be used independently.

Here’s a list of eligible models:

ONKYO

• TX-NR585
• TX-NR686
• TX-RZ630
• TX-RZ730
• TX-NR787
• TX-RZ830
• TX-RZ920
• TX-8270
• TX-RZ1100
• TX-RZ3100
• PR-RZ5100
• TX-8260

PIONEER

• ELITE SC-LX901
• ELITE SC-LX801
• ELITE SC-LX701
• ELITE VSX-LX503
• ELITE VSX-LX303
• ELITE VSX-LX103
• Pioneer VSX-933

INTEGRA

• DRX-3.2
• DRX-4.2
• DRX-5.2
• DRX-7.1
• DRX-R1.1
• DRC-R1.1
• DTM-7
• DTM-6
• DRX-7
• DRX-R1
• DRC-R1

 

[Matthew J Poes]

Todd, can you tell me what this feature adds? You have to connect it to the Sonos Connect to make it work, and you can connect any receiver to a Connect. They don't need special firmware. What does this firmware add to the receiver? Does it then allow the receiver to control the connect directly somehow?

When Sonos first sent out an email for this, I couldn't wrap my head around what it was. I still can't figure out what this feature actually is.

 

[Todd Anderson]

It allows you to directly integrate the receiver into a Sonos Home Sound System and opens up controls through the Sonos App... I believe that includes automatic wake up, input selection, volume control, etc.

 

[Matthew J Poes]

It allows you to directly integrate the receiver into a Sonos Home Sound System and opens up controls through the Sonos App... I believe that includes automatic wake up, input selection, volume control, etc.

Ah....I see now. Ok, so if it includes these latter points, I completely see the value. It is too bad they couldn't simply build in the software as a firmware upgrade to the products without Sonos Connect. If it was simply a matter of licensing fees, I'm sure they could charge for the upgrade. My experience with competing versions of this has been that Sonos and Bluesound are the best of the best and everything else is really pretty bad. I happen to like Bluesound better because it handles high res files including Tidal Masters, but could happily live with either. After reviewing the NAD C368 I am more convinced than ever that building this streaming capacity into an amplifier is absolutely the future. The ease of use and naturalness of playing music this way was undeniable.

 

[Todd Anderson]

It's all about total integration. The days of standalone receivers are all but dead, excluding the extreme high-end gear. Manufacturers across gear and speaker segments know it. The old days are dying before our very eyes.

 

[Matthew J Poes]

It's all about total integration. The days of standalone receivers are all but dead, excluding the extreme high-end gear. Manufacturers across gear and speaker segments know it. The old days are dying before our very eyes.

In this case integration is a good thing. I'm happy to see this day and realistically these high-end products should be more integrated, not less. I'm starting to find that I am in fact wanting and expecting products to have app control, streaming, a human-centered interface design, and intuitive setup and use.

 

[Todd Anderson]

Agree 1000%... the integration needs to be universal, tho. Over the last few years we’ve seen several wireless options that are limited to their own ecosystem. Can’t have that. Onkyo et al. is giving consumers multiple options: Play-Fi, Sonos, FireConnect, etc. That’s exactly why we need.

 

[Allan T.]

Networked audio is here. It is really very, very good. I'm using Roon/Yamaha Musiccast/Oppo Udp-205 and the quality/flexibility really changes how I listen to music. If you are a company producing an AV receiver you need to have networking capabilities now. It looks like Pioneer/Integra/Onkyo are moving in the right direction.

 

[Todd Anderson]

Yup, Allan, you’re right. It’s amazing what’s possible.

 

[Clownfish]

Does anyone know how these receivers handle the Sonos integration when the music ends or is turned off? Will the receiver go to stand by and go back to the previous input?

 

[Todd Anderson]

Not sure on your question and I don’t think my Onkyo contact would have that specific info... I can try to ask, tho.

I’d assume that the receiver would stay on, awaiting music to be started again or have inputs switched. But that’s just a guess. It does have auto wake up.

 

[Clownfish]

Thanks for following up Todd. If you can check with ONKYO on this, that would be great.

Here is my scenario that I would like to do.

- I mostly use my receiver for watching TV so I am thinking of getting ONKYO TX-NR686 and a SONOS Connect
- I would keep the receiver on the TV input once configured to use the SONOS Connect
- The receiver would detect the music playing from the SONOS and wake up, switch input to SONOS as described on their site.
- What is not clear is what happens after you are done playing the SONOS music.
- What would be cool is if the receiver would switch back to my previous input (TV in my case) and go back to sleep. Maybe after 10 min of inactivity?