That's the problem right there, for a hardware manufacturer post shipping there shouldn't be a server.

They run a routing/cross-auth system so you can stream from other IP-based audio services directly to your speakers. They aren’t entirely a hardware company and those integrations are a value-add for a lot of consumers. I think you should be able to run them in some kind of offline mode, though.

Or it could be smart enough to communicate with my computer directly, and have my credentials onboard, the way my NAS or router does.

Devices that used to be smart way before all this "dumb home" stuff appeared.

Logitech Squeeze players also had Squeeze network, which cost nothing, and is still in service today.

You can put a DAC on a RPi, install squeezeplayer, and attach to the squeeze network for free today. I have done that exact thing in the last six months.

Even that does not require a server for the speakers to connect to owned by Sonos.

That’s true, but running and maintaining one is outside the expertise of most people.

They at least need an update server so they can receive security patches. Once you need that, it's a slippery slope to depending on lots of things in the cloud.

Synology gets that right.

Why are these devices so complex as to need security updates?

Because they're connected to the internet. Because IoT.

To expand on that: security. Without security updates, your devices could be hacked.

Horrible stuff.

Not true, Sonos works in a mesh, so all Sonos devices need to talk to each other, and to the controller app on phone or PC.

Absolutely doable over local network only.

Local only doesn't allow Sonos to record everything you do and disable your device when they decide it's time for you to buy a new one.

Would be great if you could use your own server, and that the server code was open.

That's why I stick with the squeezebox ecosystem.

Open source server which runs locally. The hardware is long since discontinued (but plentiful and easily available on craigslist etc) and it can never be obsoleted as everything runs locally.

Plus Squeeze Network (still free, still working) for Pandora, Spotify, or other network services.

Have you tried squeezeplayer on a RPi with a DAC? It works great. I have one alongside my original Squuezebox. They sync perfectly for multiroom audio.

With a DAC, it runs fine on a Zero. Cheap.

It would be great if they gave the hardware away for free too. But alas, the evil company wanted to make money. Those pirates.

And that's how it should have been.

Let’s make an open source Sonos clone and call it Fauxnos. It can be powered by a raspberry pi integrated into a speaker running mpd.

Who wants to join my git repo?

I've been running that system for a few years (with control via MALP or ncmpc mostly). Works pretty well.

do you have a keybase.io ID? I’m going to kick this off as my first 2020 project

I’ve been doing it with ROAP, RTSP & MPD on a rPI for the past ≈5 years, I call it Cantus.