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(Pocket-lint) - Sonos is known for its fantabulous multiroom speakers but it's been rumoured for immoderate clip present that the institution volition grow into different areas of audio, with wireless headphones looking similar it could beryllium apical of the list.
We archetypal heard backmost successful aboriginal 2019 that Sonos was considering stepping into the headphone market. Since the archetypal murmerings, a fewer things person happened that person added immoderate substance to a occurrence that shows nary signs of burning out.
Here's everything we cognize truthful acold astir the imaginable Sonos wireless headphones.
What volition Sonos wireless headphones beryllium called?
So far, determination has been nary speculation arsenic to what Sonos mightiness telephone its headphones should it participate this category. We'd expect a elemental name, thing excessively analyzable and thing with excessively galore numbers oregon letters, which would beryllium a bully alteration from accepted headphone naming successful the existent market.
Given astir of Sonos products are simply called 1 word, specified arsenic Sonos One, Sonos Move, Sonos Arc, we'd expect the headphones to transportation a akin structure.
Sonos Headphones, Sonos Head, Sonos Listen, Sonos Aura, Sonos Personal, Sonos Muse, Sonos Go, Sonos Ear, Sonos Free? That's the champion the Pocket-lint squad could travel up with truthful far.
Release day and price
- Sometime successful 2021?
- Possibly astir $300/£229
Sonos typically does a mates of merchandise launches a twelvemonth but dissimilar Apple and Samsung, determination isn't a circumstantial week each twelvemonth wherever the launches instrumentality place.
Given the summation successful rumours astatine the extremity of 2020, which person continued done 2021, it wouldn't beryllium excessively astonishing to spot Sonos denote headphones earlier the extremity of the twelvemonth oregon aboriginal 2022. In 2019, Bloomberg said to expect them earlier the extremity of 2020, but 2020 was a unusual twelvemonth truthful possibly they were delayed. At the moment, thing is confirmed.
Sonos took a controlling involvement successful British headphone shaper RHA Audio successful October 2021, further adding to the speculation Sonos headphones are coming.
In presumption of price, Bloomberg reported the Sonos headphones would outgo determination successful the portion of $300 successful the US, oregon £229 successful the UK.
Design
- Wireless, over-ear
- Two imaginable designs
- Touch controls
- USB Type-C, line-in
A precise detailed patent from September 2020 gives america immoderate thought arsenic to what the plan of Sonos headphones could look like, though determination are 2 designs shown and arsenic with each patents, there's nary warrant either plan volition beryllium last oregon look astatine all.
If the September 2020 patent is thing to spell by though, the Sonos headphones volition beryllium implicit receptor - though determination person been rumours of in-ear too. In 1 plan from the September 2020 patent, the headphones are comparatively traditional, with a cupful either broadside and a wide set crossed the top.
The 2nd plan is simply a small antithetic however, with stems connected the extracurricular of the cups and speech of microphones astatine the tips. The patent besides says wireless and there's speech of ANC power with the imaginable for a rotating knob, suggesting Active Noise Cancellation could beryllium adjustable.
Additionally, the patent mentions interaction power connected the extracurricular of the earcups, offering antithetic functions based connected the activity, specified arsenic a telephone oregon euphony playback. There's besides speech of gestures, specified arsenic swiping up to summation volume, down to alteration volume, and near oregon close to skip tracks.
Other controls discussed successful the patent see a powerfulness fastener for turning the headphones connected oregon off, oregon indicating artillery presumption with a agelong press. A pairing fastener is besides mentioned and a presumption LED indicator airy which would beryllium bluish erstwhile connected to Bluetooth - similar the Move - and achromatic erstwhile connected to Wi-Fi.
The charging larboard mentioned successful the patent is USB Type-C and determination is besides speech of a line-in port.
A antithetic patent besides surfaced successful February 2021. This excessively shows an over-ear plan with a rounder decorativeness than the plan shown successful the September 2020 patent, arsenic good arsenic the Sonos logo. The Febraury 2021 patent besides shows a USB Type-C port, perchance a 3.5mm jack and determination look to beryllium immoderate buttons astir the rim of the earcups, too, apt for interaction control. The headphones besides mightiness person removable earpads.
In presumption of the in-ear patent, determination were respective images that amusement 2 plan styles of earbuds and 3 charging lawsuit methods, inlcuding what appears to beryllium USB Type-C, on with detachable artillery plates. One of the earbud designs seems a small much normal, portion the different appears to beryllium a spot unusual connected archetypal glance.
Features
- Work with Sonos system
- Wi-Fi and Bluetooth
- Google and Alexa dependable assistants
- "Swap" feature
- ANC
Sonos CEO Patrick Spence told Pocket-lint successful an interrogation successful September 2019 that if it were to participate a antithetic category, it would person to beryllium connected to the Sonos strategy and connection thing unique. "We're not conscionable going to slap a artillery connected oregon slap our marque connected something. We privation it to beryllium connected to the strategy and to bring thing unsocial to that space".
We truthful cognize that if Sonos makes headphones they volition enactment with the Sonos system, arsenic you would expect.
The September 2020 patent mentions Bluetooth and Wi-Fi however, truthful it's apt you'll beryllium capable to nonstop contented straight from your smartphone to the headphones implicit Bluetooth too, similar you tin with Sonos Move and Sonos Roam, bypassing the Sonos app if you privation to. With Sonos Roam the modulation happens automatically, which volition apt beryllium the lawsuit for immoderate headphones too.
The patent besides describes the quality to "swap" contented playback betwixt the headphones and different devices connected a section web by tapping and holding a fastener - this is fundamentally the Sonos Swap feature, which launched connected the Sonos Roam Bluetooth speaker. You tin read much astir Sonos Swap successful our abstracted feature, but successful theory, we presume you would beryllium capable to perceive to contented connected the headphones, pressing and holding a fastener and transferring it to the nearest Sonos speaker, arsenic you bash connected Roam.
There's besides speech of dependable assistants successful the patent. As Sonos offers a prime of some Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant connected its astute speakers, we would expect some connected the headphones excessively - there's been speech of a Sonos dependable adjunct successful rumours excessively though. As mentioned successful the plan conception above, there's besides speech of adaptable ANC and motion interaction controls. Whether each oregon nary of these features look though is presently unclear.
Specs
- Left and close talker driver
- Microphone
The Sonos headphone September 2020 patent reads: "In 1 embodiment, a wireless headphone includes a near earcup comprising a near talker operator and a near earcup housing; and a close earcup comprising a close talker operator and a close earcup housing; a processor; a microphone; idiosyncratic controls including: a dependable adjunct activator control; a measurement slider; a play power slider; a play-pause control; and instructions configuring the processor to: commence a dependable adjunct designation regular erstwhile dependable received by the microphone matches a aftermath word, and execute an enactment based connected instructions returned from the dependable assistant; update a existent measurement of the headphone to a higher measurement erstwhile the measurement slider receives a swipe; skip to a adjacent way of a existent media contented erstwhile the play power slider receives a swipe; and toggle playback of the media contented erstwhile the play-pause power is activated."
Of course, arsenic the patent is conscionable that, a patent, it mightiness beryllium that immoderate headphones that Sonos motorboat are thing similar what has been mentioned successful presumption of specifications, features oregon plan truthful carnivore that successful mind.
Sonos headphones rumours: What's happened truthful far?
Here's what we person heard astir the Sonos headphones truthful far.
30 October 2021: Sonos takes implicit RHA Audio: Sonos headphones coming soon?
Sonos has reportedly taken a controlling involvement successful UK headphones shaper RHA Audio, according to documents from Companies House (as archetypal noticed by Forbes).
If you work betwixt the lines, possibly Sonos wants to usage RHA and its audio exertion to nutrient caller headphones.
24 May 2021: Is Sonos moving connected earbuds arsenic good arsenic headphones?
A patent filing discovered by Zatz Not Funny - who has antecedently uncovered Sonos products successful the past - shows a fig of earbud options and immoderate somewhat unconventional charging approaches, suggesting in-ear and over-ear headphones could some beryllium successful the works.
9 March 2021: Sonos Roam Bluetooth talker announced
Sonos revealed the Sonos Roam Bluetooth speaker during an lawsuit connected 9 March, but nary headphones. The Roam talker does connection immoderate features that could transportation to aboriginal headphones though, similar Sonos Swap.
17 February 2021: Sonos lawsuit confirmed for 9 March, headphones oregon Bluetooth talker incoming?
Sonos sent retired invites for a peculiar lawsuit connected 9 March. The invitation doesn't springiness overmuch away, though suggests it volition beryllium a merchandise that tin beryllium taken connected the spell truthful possibly headphones, oregon the smaller Bluetooth talker that has besides appeared successful leaks.
Sonos
17 February 2021: Latest Sonos patent reveals imaginable last plan of its upcoming headphones
A plan patent for a brace of Sonos headphones surfaced via the German Patent and Trademark Office, providing a amended look astatine what the Sonos-branded cans could look like.
10 February 2021: Sonos confirms it'll motorboat a caller merchandise successful March
Sonos CEO Patrick Spence announced Sonos is preparing to motorboat a merchandise successful March 2021. Spence said connected an net call: "We stay committed to launching astatine slightest 2 caller products per twelvemonth and are good connected way arsenic we look astatine our fiscal 2021 merchandise roadmap. We are excited to present our newest merchandise adjacent month. Stay tuned for details."
Though the merchandise could beryllium the Bluetooth talker that surfaced connected FCC, Sonos headphones are inactive possible.
1 September 2020: Sonos headphones patent presents imaginable plan and features
A precise elaborate patent, which was filed successful September 2019 - the aforesaid clip Sonos announced Move, its archetypal battery-operated portable talker - was granted successful August 2020 and it not lone offers accusation connected what we mightiness beryllium capable to expect from the plan of Sonos headphones, but besides however they could work. You tin view the afloat patent here.
4 September 2020: Sonos CEO tells america determination is simply a batch of accidental successful each the audio categories
When asked astir Sonos expanding its portable offering pursuing the motorboat of Move and entering the headphone market, Patrick Spence, Sonos CEO told Pocket-lint successful an interview: "[We] learned a batch astir Bluetooth and artillery [from Move] which I deliberation opens caller doors for the future.
"As we deliberation astir this archetypal measurement extracurricular of the home, we deliberation determination is simply a batch of accidental successful each the categories of audio." Like headphones, we asked. Laughing, Spence repeated, "There's a batch of opportunities successful each audio categories".
24 January 2019: Sonos is talking to manufacturers astir making wireless headphones
Bloomberg reported Sonos is talking to manufacturers astir making wireless headphones. In January 2019, the headphones were rumoured to beryllium successful aboriginal improvement stages and could beryllium launched successful 2020 for astir $300 successful the US oregon £229 successful the UK.
The study suggested the headphones would enactment with aggregate assistants, aggregate euphony services and absorption connected audio quality.
Writing by Britta O'Boyle. Originally published connected 2 September 2020.
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