Using Older / Legacy Sonos Speakers in 2025 - Still Worth It?
Published 2026-01-18
Legacy Sonos speakers are still everywhere. Some are excellent value in 2025. Others are quietly compromised. This guide is about trade-offs, not nostalgia.
First: what “legacy” actually means
Legacy does not mean broken. It means older hardware with less processing power, older Wi-Fi radios, and fewer modern features like AirPlay 2, Bluetooth, line-in, or Atmos. Sound quality rarely degrades. Capability does.
What still works perfectly in 2025
Legacy Sonos still handles the basics extremely well: reliable music streaming, stereo pairing, surround duties, and background audio. It can also group with modern speakers, with a few feature limitations to keep in mind.
Legacy speakers that still make sense
Play:1
Excellent sound for its size and ideal for surrounds, bedrooms, or offices. It lacks AirPlay 2 and Bluetooth, but the core performance still holds up.
Play:3
Underrated with fuller sound than Play:1. It is bulkier and lacks modern connectivity, but it remains a strong value in medium rooms if price reflects its age.
Play:5 (Gen 2)
Still superb for line-in and big-room music. It is large and can be overkill in small rooms, so placement and room size matter.
Older Subs (Gen 1/Gen 2)
Bass does not age. Older Subs still deliver huge gains for home theatre if compatible with your system.
Legacy speakers to avoid (or approach carefully)
ZonePlayers / ZP series
Limited app support and inconsistent service compatibility make these a poor fit for modern systems.
Older Connect / Connect:Amp
Useful only in specific legacy hi-fi setups. Older processors and limited features make them less future-proof.
App support realities
Legacy speakers may receive fewer updates, slow the system UI, and limit newer features. They usually do not fail dramatically, they age quietly.
Mixing legacy with modern Sonos systems
Legacy should support the system, not define it.
| Safe roles | Risky roles |
|---|---|
| Surrounds, secondary rooms, bedrooms, offices | Primary soundbar, Atmos front stage, system hub |
Placement matters more with older hardware
Legacy speakers are less forgiving. Corner placement, bad height, and reflective rooms hurt more. Good placement can make a Play:1 sound excellent. Bad placement makes it feel dated.
If you are using legacy gear, placement is not optional. See the placement guide.
Planner tie-in (this matters more with legacy)
Use the Planner to assign roles, then decide if legacy fits that role. This prevents one old speaker from capping the whole system.
Use the Sonos Planner to map core vs secondary rooms first.
Final verdict
Legacy Sonos in 2025 is not dead, not equal, and not future-proof. Some models are excellent. Some are living on borrowed time. Plan the system, protect the core, and deploy legacy where it makes sense.
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