For twenty years, Sonos has been making exceptional wireless speakers and audio systems. In the 17 years since it shipped its first wireless speaker, it has embraced soundbars and network transmitters, network extenders and portable speakers, multi-room audio, and even car audio for Audi. But there is a big gap in the product line. Sonos does not make headphones.
It's an interesting omission, because the people who buy Sonos gear tend to be people who really love music. And while there's no substitute for enjoying good music from equally good speakers, there are times when that's not an option: when the kids are in bed, early in the morning when you live in an apartment building, or when you're out of town. House. So if you're really into music, you're probably also happy to buy a good pair of headphones so you can listen to your favorite music or enjoy movie soundtracks at those times as well.
The prospect of Sonos-exclusive wireless headphones is a very compelling concept and we're sure any pair will be high on many Sonos users' wish lists. But so far, headphones and earphones remain a rumor: we thought we'd see Sonos wireless headphones or earphones launch in 2021, but it came and went, and 2022 is pretty quiet on that front too. And that's a shame, because it looks like Sonos headphones can raise the bar for wireless listening by using Wi-Fi to deliver audio quality that Bluetooth simply can't match.
Reports that Sonos is creating its own wireless headphones have been circulating since 2019, when Bloomberg first reported on the project based on a newly discovered patent.
Since then, two other patents have provided more details: one, discovered in Germany, describes over-the-ear headphones that resemble Apple's AirPods Max or Sony's WH-1000XM4; the other, unveiled in the US, showcases an innovative take on wireless earbuds with a design that features nearly triangular earbuds that fit on opposite sides of their charging case. The earphones and earphone charging case appear to have USB-C inputs and the earphones also appear to have a 3,5mm headphone jack. But what about the wireless technology they use to connect?
Like Apple, Sonos is expected to provide automatic handoff between its headphones and other products, which in Sonos's case means its multi-room audio devices. Sonos Roam already does this through its Sound Swap feature; while the Roam is a Bluetooth speaker, the feature only works over Wi-Fi.
So it's not unreasonable to think that if Sonos headphones supported Sound Swap, they'd also need Wi-Fi. You can see the appeal: your Sonos cans would be part of your Sonos system package, so you could get started. listening on one device, then switch to your headphones for even closer listening.
The German patent for Sonos' over-ear headphones seems to confirm the presence of Wi-Fi in its headphones, describing not one but two built-in Wi-Fi antennas, one in each earcup. This would require a thicker-than-normal patch cable that "can be over 4mm in diameter... almost twice the diameter of a typical headband cable on a Bluetooth-only headset." Why two antennas instead of one? Your head is a pretty effective Wi-Fi signal blocker.
But Sound Swap isn't the only reason Sonos makes Wi-Fi wireless headphones — the big draw here is bandwidth.
Why Wi-Fi could mean better sound
Although Bluetooth with the aptX Adaptive HD codec is capable of streaming 24-bit music at up to 576 kbps and Sony's LDAC codec can go up to 990 kbps, some manufacturers, notably Apple, have expressed frustration with Bluetooth's limitations. for high quality sound. . Speaking to What Hi-Fi, Apple's vice president of acoustics Gary Geaves discussed Apple's work with Bluetooth, saying, "It's fair to say we'd like more bandwidth and... I'll stop there. We'd like to more bandwidth.
While 576 to 990 kbps is very, very good and almost doubles or triples the bitrate of the highest quality MP3, it is not without loss: uncompressed CD audio is 1411 kbps and high resolution is 9216 kbps. There is an aptX standard for lossless audio, aptX Lossless, but it is still subject to the bandwidth limitations of Bluetooth. Wi-Fi is not, and its range is also greater.
However, there are two big downsides to Wi-Fi: the first is power consumption. While newer Wi-Fi standards are more efficient than their predecessors, Bluetooth is typically 30% more power efficient than Wi-Fi, which is important if you're on the go and want long battery life. And the second is that Wi-Fi needs a network to connect to. That's fine at home, but when you're on the go it means Wi-Fi uses twice as much battery as your phone has to function as a hotspot.
The solution? Wi-Fi for your home and Bluetooth for your phone, which seems to be exactly what Sonos is planning. The only reference to Wi-Fi in their patents is to over-the-ear headphones, so they're probably intended for listening at home while the headphones are intended for roaming.
When will Sonos wireless headphones be released?
Don't hold your breath. Last month, Sonos CEO Patrick Spence said the company wouldn't be launching new product lines any time soon; "In fiscal 2022, we are focused on launching new products in our existing product categories." Fiscal year 2022 refers to Sonos' fiscal year, which ends on September 30.
Some industry observers, such as Channel News AU, suspect the headphone story was deliberately leaked to reassure investors: Sonos' share price has been trending lower in recent months. The most likely explanation is that the supply chain issues that continue to plague the consumer electronics industry have caused Sonos to revise its product plans.
For now though, that means we're in 'tea leaf reading' territory: everything someone does on Sonos is skipped in the hope that it's a clue. Most recently, Sonos' VP of Global Marketing and Communications Pete Pedersen posted on LinkedIn that Sonos "seeks to partner with a thoughtful, creative and innovative integrated marketing company for one of the most ambitious in our history... aimed at a new audience/consumer segment.
listeners? Could be. But then again, it may be the Home Theater OS project Sonos is also working on, which aims to "deliver a next-generation content streaming experience" on mobile devices, TVs, tablets, and other hardware.