Sonos reportedly going after Apple, Sony, and Bose with $400+ headphones

If you're in the market to pick up a brand new pair of high-end wireless headphones you might want to hang fire on making a purchase, at least for a little while. That's following the news that Sonos, the company known for making wireless speakers and soundbars, is readying a pair of new $400+ headphones of its own. It's expected that the new headphones will compete with similar products from brands more familiar to headphone buyers including Apple, Bose, and Sony.

While Sonos is yet to officially confirm the new headphones Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports that a release is expected to take place in or around April of 2024. Gurman doesn't say who his source is, but he does say that they are people familiar with the matter - the go-to term for unnamed sources these days.

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Bloomberg contacted Sonos for comment on its plans although the company understandably declined to offer any commentary. However, CEO Patrick Spence is thought to be keen to find new ways for Sonos to make money following the decline of demand for smart speakers with products like headphones thought to be one area where Sonos could find additional revenue.

Gurman's report claims that Sonos has been working on the new headphones since 2019 having canceled previous models that it was working on. The development is currently working under the codename Duke with the headphones expected to be offered in both white and black color options. They'll link in with existing Sonos hardware and offer voice control for switching back and forth between songs, we're told. The report goes on to add that Sonos is also thought to be keen on launching its own earbuds, based on technology acquired as part of the RHA Audio buyout a couple of years ago.

Alongside new entries into the personal audio space, Sonos is also thought to be working on a new set-top vox product that will allow people to stream content to their TV. It's being developed under the Pinewood codename and will become the hub for other Sonos devices in the home. There is also the suggestion that Sonos could launch its own TV streaming service to go with it, too.

Finally, the company is also thought to be working on new home theater hardware including a new subwoofer codenamed Lotus. It'll connect to the new set-top box and have advanced features like Wi-Fi 6 support, Bloomberg's report claims. It'll be an update to the existing Sonos Sub, and while there is also talk of a second-generation Roam speaker in development as well.