The first Sonos headphones could arrive soon with new product confirmed for March
Or perhaps a new version of the Sonos Move?
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Sonosis set to launch a new product in March, according to a conference call between CEO Patrick Spence and investors.
In the call, which was transcribed bySeeking Alpha, Spence said that the company remains committed to launching “at least two new products per year”, and that “we are excited to introduce our newest product next month”.
What that new product will be remains to be seen, but with rumors of the first pair ofSonos headphonesand a cheaper, smaller version of theSonos Movebeing bandied about, we can’t wait to find out.
We’ve reached out to Sonos to see if we can find any more information on the new products – but in the meantime, let’s take a deep dive into the rumored headphones and wireless speaker.
Multi-room headphones
Rumors about a pair of Sonos headphones have been circling for a while now, first emerging inearly 2019.
According to a report fromBloomberg, the headphones will likely have multiple virtual assistants that would function similarly to the company’sSonos ArcandSonos Onespeakers, and would focus on competing withSony,Apple, Bose and Sennheiser by offering high-end audio performance.
Bloomberg’s sources also suggested that Sonos could target a price point of around $300 (£200 / AU$400) – cheaper than theSony WH-1000XM4, but not by much – and would launch in 2020.
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Of course they never materialized, so a March 2021 release is feasible, especially if Sonos wants to compete with the recently launchedApple AirPods Maxover-ear headphones.
Compounding these rumors is the fact that Sonos was awarded a patent fairly recently for a pair ofover-ear headphones, giving us an intriguing glimpse at the long-rumored cans.
As well as showing off two possible designs, the patent describes features like active noise cancellation, wireless connectivity, and built-in microphones for voice-controlled music playback.
Most interestingly, the patent also describes how the first Sonos headphones would interact with other Sonos products, allowing them to seamlessly integrate with existing multi-room audio setups – something that the likes of Sony, Sennheiser, and Bose can’t offer.
Another possibility is that Sonos will launch a newwireless speaker, with rumors that the company is due to launch a companion to its portableSonos Movesmart speaker.
The Sonos Move is currently the only product in the company’s lineup that sports a Bluetooth connection and built-in battery, giving you the cleverness of a built-in voice assistant with the convenience of aportable speaker.
AnFCC filingspotted byThe Vergedescribes a device that uses a wireless charging base but requires less power than the company’s Move speaker, suggesting a similar portablesmart speakerthat’s even more compact.
The Sonos Move currently costs $399 / £399 /AU$649 – a price that puts it firmly at the top end of theBluetooth speakermarket – but it earns this price tag with its array of Sonos smarts and its powerful audio.
As such, there’s certainly room in the market for a more compact version of this speaker that still offers the same smarts but packs them into a smaller, more affordable, and more lightweight package (the Move weighs about 3kg).
Once again, this would put Sonos in direct competition with Apple, which released theHomePod miniin 2020, though this smaller, cheaper version of theApple HomePodsmart speaker isn’t portable.
Its release, as well as the refreshedEcho DotandGoogle Nest Audio, does suggest that there’s a demand for more compact wireless speakers in the home – and Sonos could meet that demand in a matter of weeks. Watch this space.
Olivia was previously TechRadar’s Senior Editor - Home Entertainment, covering everything from headphones to TVs. Based in London, she’s a popular music graduate who worked in the music industry before finding her calling in journalism. She’s previously been interviewed on BBC Radio 5 Live on the subject of multi-room audio, chaired panel discussions on diversity in music festival lineups, and her bylines include T3, Stereoboard, What to Watch, Top Ten Reviews, Creative Bloq, and Croco Magazine. Olivia now has a career in PR.
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