Sonos Play 5 Mid- Range Speakers Replacement

Introduction

Replacement of the Mid-Range Speakers in the device.

What you need

Step 1 Front Panel Assembly

Sonos Play 5 Mid- Range Speakers Replacement, Front Panel Assembly: step 1, image 1 of 1

Disconnect any power to the speaker and wait a few minutes for the capacitors to fully discharge.
Flip the speaker upside down.
There may be a rubber foot covering the bottom screws (not included in picture). Remove this by pulling up from one of the corners using a spudger.

By the time you actually reached the motherboard the capacitors will already be discharged sufficiently to a safe level, so just go ahead there's no need to wait in this step.

That said, be careful once you have the motherboard out and decide to test it on your table. The two large capacitors are directly behind the full bridge rectifier that's connected to the mains, so without load they carry the peak voltage. In Europe with 230V that means 325V, in 110V countries that means 156V (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alternatin... for more information about RMS and peak voltages).

Erik Mouw - Jan 12, 2023 Reply

Step 2

Remove eight 10mm Phillips #2 screws
Remove the bottom panel by pulling upwards.
Be very gentle with the ends of the three antennas. They are very fragile.

Edit

NB: in the photograph, two antennas of the three soldered on the antenna PCBs are broken: You can see one standing upside down towards the center-right of the photograph

Toni - Mar 20, 2022 Reply

On my model, only 6 of the 8 screws hold the bottom panel. Looking at the picture above, where the screws are circles, the bottom row of 5 screws, the second and fourth screw are threaded for nuts, as opposed to the other six, which are threaded for plastics. These two screws can be removed once the bottom panel has been removed.

Toni - Apr 18, 2022 Reply

Like the previous poster said: in this step it is sufficient to remove the second and fourth screw cause these hold the front panel. Removing the front panel takes a bit of force and it is better to have the fragile WiFi antennas protected by the bottom panel.

The remaining six screws can be removed just before step 13 (which also misses a step, see my comments over there).

Erik Mouw - Jan 12, 2023 Reply

Step 3

Sonos Play 5 Mid- Range Speakers Replacement: step 3, image 3 of 3

Flip the device so that the grille is facing up.
Locate the line on the right side of the speaker where the grill and the plastic meet, and place your plastic opening tool in the gap.
Run the spudger along the gap, loosening the grille from the plastic. Repeat this process on the left side as well.
Gently pull up on the grille, removing it from the front panel.

Edit

might be worth mentioning there are two strips of industrial velcro running along near the top and bottom that simply have to be pulled apart

Adam Tibbalds - Nov 26, 2017 Reply

Run the plastic opening tool under the grille to remove to pull the velcro apart. In that way you avoid bending the grille. Be careful with the speaker cones, though.

Erik Mouw - Jan 12, 2023 Reply

Step 4

Remove the six 8mm Phillips #2 screws.
Remove the two 10mm Phillips #2 screws.

Edit

In my unit the top two screws marked in red had a rubber plug in the hole as well. I had to remove them by sticking a knife in and carefully pulling them out.

Adam Tibbalds - Nov 26, 2017 Reply

I had the same issue but no problem getting them out.

clarkal2000 - Jun 29, 2018 Reply

I pulled them out using the corkscrew method: I drove a screw about 10mm deep into the rubber plug, then pulled up the screw. This method created way less damage than other methods i have tried.

Toni - Mar 20, 2022 Reply

Step 5

Locate the line on the right side where the front panel and back panel meet. Place a plastic opening tool in the gap, and run it along the gap. Repeat this on the left side.
Use the opening tool to lift the front plate. If a plastic tool is not providing enough leverage, use a metal opening tool.
Gently pull up on the face plate to ensure it has been detached from the enclosure.
When pulling on the face plate be cautious because it is still connected by wires on the back of the plate.

Edit

Step 6

Sonos Play 5 Mid- Range Speakers Replacement: step 6, image 3 of 3

Lift up the front panel, forming a 90 degree angle with the back panel. Locate the locate ten pin connector shown. This is the wire that connects the front panel to back panel.
Press down on the small tab located on the connector. With the tab firmly pressed down, pull the connector out from its socket.
The faceplate assembly is now fully detached from the rest of the speaker.

Edit

my unit didn’t have the tab in the middle of the connector. It simply had to be prised apart (I used a plastic spudger to separate the two parts of the connector) and then reconnected carefully (I used the plastic spudger again between the pcb and the case to support the pcb as it was flexing)

Adam Tibbalds - Nov 26, 2017 Reply

My unit has a white gasket between the front and back panel. It was stuck to the front panel when I opened the unit. When rebuilding the unit it was easier to remove the gasket and put it in the small ridge of the back panel.

Erik Mouw - Jan 12, 2023 Reply