Sonos is currently experimenting with headphones. To call it an experiment would be an understatement, given that the company plans to compete directly with Apple and Bose in the headphone market. Rumours of a Sonos headset began last year after the company acquired T2 Software, a Bluetooth audio startup.
Sonos’ ambitious plan consists of several audio peripherals, but the two most hyped products are the aforementioned $400-plus headphones and the $150-$200 set-top box (STB). According to a Bloomberg report, the set-top box will compete with Apple and Roku and hit the market around the end of 2024, while the headphones will most likely be released in April.
The company also plans to release new amplifiers and ceiling speakers, a high-end TV soundbar, new subwoofers, an update to the Roam portable speaker and a business version of its Era 100 speaker. It also plans to update the voice control system and video service.
This isn’t the first time Sonos has tried its hand at headphones. It has been trying to break into the headphone market since 2019 and has created several product iterations along the way. However, none of them ever saw the light of day, which makes this release a big deal.
We don’t know much about the first-ever Sonos headphones. We know they’ll have an overlay design, complete with the AirPods Max, cost between $400 and $500, be available in black and white, sync with Sonos hardware, and offer voice control to navigate between songs.
The company will also release an app that will allow users to control the headphones from their smartphones. The voice commands that will be available on the headphones will be the same as on the speakers, but in the second half of 2024, a more advanced version called Voice 2.0 will appear. We’ll have to wait to find out exactly what that means.
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