Sonos will release its firstwireless headphonesin 2024, according toa report from Bloombergthat cites sources familiar with the matter. The headphones are projected to cost between $400 and $500, which would place them in direct competition with Apple’sAirPods Maxand Sony’sWH-1000XM5, two of the leadingnoise-canceling headphoneson the market. The report suggests the new wireless cans, code-named “Duke,” could appear as early as April, and will come in Sonos’ two main colors, black and white.
Earlier in November, Sonos CEO, Patrick Spencetold investors that in 2024, the company will enter into a “new multibillion-dollar category in the second half of the year that will complement our current offering, delight customers, and drive immediate revenue.” Given the timing cited by Bloomberg, it seems likely Spence was referencing the as-yet unannounced Sonos headphones.
The headphones will be designed to work with the rest of the Sonos ecosystem and will include voice support throughSonos Voice Control, though there was no mention ofwhether the cans will use Wi-Fi, something that has been widely speculated will be needed to give a set of Sonos headphones full compatibility with the Sonos software.
The report also says that Sonos is considering following the headphones with a set of wireless earbuds. More surprising, however, is Bloomberg’s claim that the company is also working on a Roku-likestreaming devicefor late 2024 or early 2025. The device, reportedly code-named “Pinewood,” will be based on the Android operating system and feature streaming apps from Netflix and others. As with most flagship streaming devices, it’s expected to support bothDolby Visionand Dolby Atmos, and presumably, 4K resolution, but the report did not specify its resolution capabilities.
Sonos is also considering following in Apple’s and Roku’s footsteps by offering its own video streaming service that would run on the Pinewood device. If it does, it wouldn’t be the first service of its kind for Sonos — the company already maintainsSonos Radioand the subscription-based, ad-free version Sonos Radio HD, both of which can only be accessed from Sonos devices.
The report goes into even more detail regarding Sonos’ future plans, saying that it’s going to release a new soundbar code-named “Lasso” that will offer better performance than its existing Sonos Arc (with a price that may be considerably higher too) and be based on speaker technology developed by Dutch audio company Mayht,which Sonos acquired in 2022. A new wireless sub designed specifically for Lasso and Pinewood is also planned, as is a revamp of theSonos Roam, which would see Sonos’ smallest speaker get the same touch controls as theMove 2.
Also in the works: a new amplifier and architectural speakers aimed at the professional installer market and a version of theSonos Era 100for businesses that will have a built-in Ethernet port instead of requiring that you use an add-on USB-C dongle. Sonos recently announced itsSonos Pro servicedesigned for businesses that want centralized control over their multi-location Sonos installations.
