Sonos is already an established player in the premium wireless speaker market, distinguished for its lineup of smart speakers and soundbars. However, if there’s one area where the company doesn’t have any market share, it’s one other than the headphones space. That could change very soon.
According to Bloomber’s Mark Gurman, the company’s working on its own premium pair of headphones to rival Apple’s AirPods Max. People familiar with the matter in Gurman’s report indicate that it could be upwards of $400, and slated for release as soon as April. Rumors about Sonos working on headphones have been rampant for a while now, including a patent filing back in 2021, but nothing has ever come to fruition.
Furthermore, Sonos could be planning to broaden its portfolio in a more substantial way in the near future because it’s reported that the company is also working on its own set-top streaming box — all while continuing to push forward with refreshes on existing speakers and introducing higher-end audio products.
This all comes at a time when the company saw sales decline over the past year, so this is part of a new strategy by Sonos CEO Patrick Spence that could help reignite growth. Given the hyper focus attention that Sonos has placed on smart speakers, this new strategy could lead the company to new revenue opportunities.
Here’s everything we could see.
Sonos Duke: a $400 AirPods Max rival
If there’s one thing that Apple taught everyone, it’s that consumers are willing to pony up top dollar for a premium pair of headphones. We could finally get an AirPods Max rival from Sonos that could be introduced in March and subsequently released the following month in April.
Code named “Duke,” this would be an over-ear-style pair of headphones that’s aimed directly to compete against the AirPods Max — complete with two color options, voice control to navigate through songs, and the ability to synchronize with other Sonos audio products. The latter’s a feature that Sonos speakers are known for, so it’s a feature you’d expect to find here.
Beyond that, we could also see a Sonos version of the standard AirPods true wireless earbuds. There would be a lot of attention paid to its sound signature and the ability to customize it.
Sonos Pinewood: streaming TV set-top box
One category you wouldn’t think Sonos would be tackling is TV set-top boxes and video. The company is said to be working on a streaming box code-named “Pinewood” that could stream all of your favorite streaming services. Given the robust ecosystem that Sonos has fostered, this set-top box could leverage existing Sonos home speakers for even more immersive sound, thanks to support for Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision.
Gurman’s report reveals that “Pinewood” will be powered by an operating system that’s based on Android, but it will still have the ability to run different apps. This one’s still in the earlier stages, given that it’s hinted to be introduced in late 2024 or early 2025.
Sonos Lotus: a refreshed subwoofer
Sonos is reportedly looking to make refreshes on many of its existing audio products, including its subwoofer line with a new subwoofer code-named “Lotus.” This new subwoofer appears to have all the upgrades, including support for faster connectivity courtesy of Wi-Fi 6, which could mean improved latency to match other connected Sonos speakers. There’s no timeline on when it’ll be announced in the report, nor is there any indication about its price.
More Sonos smart speakers
The Sonos Roam is one of the company’s most popular audio products, so it’s not surprising that a follow up is in the works. Slated for mid-2024, the code-named “Sidecar” is a second-generation Roam speaker. One of the bigger redesigns it’s expected to get us a touch-controlled slider for volume control, which is very similar to the one featured in its newer speakers like the Sonos Move 2.
Sonos’ Era 100 is a recent addition to its lineup, but the company is looking to have a pricier version that’s aimed for commercial purposes than home use. Code-named “Raven,” this pricer version of the Era 100 would swap wireless networking connectivity in favor of an Ethernet port.
Sonos Lasso: a $1,200 soundbar
Good audio comes at a price. That’s exactly what’s anticipated with the Sonos “Lasso,” which is a $1,200 sound bar that could deliver ever better audio performance over the company’s existing Arc sound bar. The technology behind the sound bar is reportedly based on Sono’s 2022 acquisition of Mayht Holding BV, a Netherlands-based company that developed speaker components, which would ultimately deliver better bass and sound quality.
Sonos Premier: premium amplifiers
And finally, Sonos is rumored to be working on a new high-end amplifier that would cost between $3,000 and $4,000 each — and would probably require professional installation. Beyond the price range, nothing else was disclosed apart from the report that it will arrive in the second half of 2024, only to be preceded by new 8-inch in-ceiling speakers.
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