AirPlay 2 Coming to Sonos Speakers in July

[MacRumors]

Sonos is planning to implement AirPlay 2 support for its speakers starting this July, the company announced today at an event unveiling new technology.

Sonos has previously said that AirPlay 2 will be available on the Sonos One, the second-generation Play:5, the Playbase, and future products.

Older Sonos speakers will not support AirPlay 2 on their own due to processor limitations, but they can be paired with the Playbase, the Play:5, or the Sonos One to enable AirPlay 2 functionality. A Sonos Play:1 grouped with a Sonos One, for example, will support AirPlay 2.

AirPlay 2-enabled Sonos speakers will also work with other AirPlay 2 speakers such as the HomePod, and Apple Music will work on Sonos devices using Siri on a paired iPhone, according to Sonos.

Sonos today also announced that Amazon Alexa works with its devices starting now in multiple countries, and the company unveiled a new smart speaker for the living room -- the Sonos Beam. The Sonos Beam, priced at $399, is a smart, compact soundbar designed for the TV, and it too will support AirPlay 2 and Siri. The Sonos Beam and other AirPlay 2 Sonos speakers are the first that have dual-assistant support, working with both Alexa and Siri. Google Assistant support is also in the works.

Apple first enabled AirPlay 2 in the iOS 11.4 update, released in late May, and following the release, Apple published a list of all of the speakers that have announced plans to implement support for AirPlay 2. AirPlay 2 will be enabled on Sonos speakers through a software update.

Pre-orders for the Sonos Beam are available starting today from the Sonos website, with Sonos planning to launch the speaker in July.

Article Link: AirPlay 2 Coming to Sonos Speakers in July

 

[lw9090]

Bose? (crickets)

 

[Squirrelxb]

This is not an SE 2 leak.

 

[robjulo]

Great news.

 

[Lounge vibes 05]

I'm just waiting for the complaints.
"It was promised a year ago!!!"
"Its stupid!!!"
"Apple was better when Steve was here!!!"
"Where's AirPower!!!"
"Where's the new MBPs!!!"
So predictable

 

[vixster1901]

If they can connect a current model with the old to allow airplay2 , why not provide a bridge replacement to allow old speakers to work?

 

[jacobh101]

Sonos is onboard to increase company valuation for IPO

 

[Moakesy]

So I admit I'm a being a bit slow here, but what will AirPlay2 support allow me to do with my Sonos that I can't do with the Sonos App?

 

[daanodinot]

One reason I'm considering buying two Sonos Ones is that they actually have a mounting solution and fitting floor stands. The HomePod has neither of those things. Surely I can't be the only one who doesn't have one or two tables at the exact spots that are ideal for a stereo setup?

If the HomePod had a mounting solution and there were great first or third-party floor stands, I'd buy two of them in a heartbeat. Now I'm not sure.

 

[tzm41]

So I admit I'm a being a bit slow here, but what will AirPlay2 support allow me to do with my Sonos that I can't do with the Sonos App?

One example is you could play the sound of the video you're watching on your phone through the speakers.

 

[scottlitch]

So I admit I'm a being a bit slow here, but what will AirPlay2 support allow me to do with my Sonos that I can't do with the Sonos App?

You will be able to control Sonos with Siri on your iOS devices.

 

[Mikey44]

Wait...

Is this saying that Siri will be able to control the speakers, because that's just part of Airplay 2. Or is Sonos saying that Siri will be available to talk with using the speaker?

If it's the later, that's a huge deal, and could potentially disrupt the market if it supports all 3 voice assistants.

 

[scottlitch]

Wait...

Is this saying that Siri will be able to control the speakers, because that's just part of Airplay 2. Or is Sonos saying that Siri will be available to talk with using the speaker?

If it's the later, that's a huge deal, and could potentially disrupt the market if it supports all 3 voice assistants.

Siri will not be on the speaker. Siri will be activated from and iOS device and send the music to the speaker.

 

[DotCom2]

So I can buy 2 of the newer Sonos One's and pair each with my older Play 1's and get Airplay 2 on the older unsupported Play 1's??? That is AWESOME!

 

[tzm41]

Wait...

Is this saying that Siri will be able to control the speakers, because that's just part of Airplay 2. Or is Sonos saying that Siri will be available to talk with using the speaker?

If it's the later, that's a huge deal, and could potentially disrupt the market if it supports all 3 voice assistants.

I think it meant you could use Siri on your phone to control Apple Music on the Sonos speaker. e.g. "Hey Siri play Snow Patrol on my Sonos One".
[doublepost=1528304028][/doublepost]

So I can buy 2 of the newer Sonos One's and pair each with my older Play 1's and get Airplay 2 on the older unsupported Play 1's??? That is AWESOME!

Means you could stream audio to Sonos One and the same stream will be shared to the Play 1.

 

[DotCom2]

I think it meant you could use Siri on your phone to control Apple Music on the Sonos speaker. e.g. "Hey Siri play Snow Patrol on my Sonos One".
[doublepost=1528304028][/doublepost]

Means you could stream audio to Sonos One and the same stream will be shared to the Play 1.

As paired stereo though right?

 

[tzm41]

As paired stereo though right?

This I don't know for sure but my guess is yes...

 

[rbf1138]

Any idea if Airplay 2 will allow me to cast my phone's audio to Sonos speakers AND my Apple TV at the same time? This would negate my need for a Connect, cause my Apple TV is connected to my receiver and JBL speakers...Does anything said today clarify an answer to that?

 

[tzm41]

Any idea if Airplay 2 will allow me to cast my phone's audio to Sonos speakers AND my Apple TV at the same time? This would negate my need for a Connect, cause my Apple TV is connected to my receiver and JBL speakers...Does anything said today clarify an answer to that?

That should be a built in functionality of AirPlay 2, yes.

 

[danieljamesmiranda0]

Dumb question: Once Airplay 2 is enabled with Sonos speakers, would I be able to connect the Sonos subwoofer to play with a HomePod stereo pair?

 

[Mikey44]

Siri will not be on the speaker. Siri will be activated from and iOS device and send the music to the speaker.

I think it meant you could use Siri on your phone to control Apple Music on the Sonos speaker. e.g. "Hey Siri play Snow Patrol on my Sonos One".
[doublepost=1528304028][/doublepost]

Means you could stream audio to Sonos One and the same stream will be shared to the Play 1.

Are you sure? They report that they are smart speakers, and the Sonos One has Alexa built in, and then in the article it even states that:

The Sonos Beam and other AirPlay 2 Sonos speakers are the first that have dual-assistant support, working with both Alexa and Siri. Google Assistant support is also in the works.

It looks like it might rely heavily on a paired iPhone, in order to work, but again, I'm not sure.

 

[tzm41]

Dumb question: Once Airplay 2 is enabled with Sonos speakers, would I be able to connect the Sonos subwoofer to play with a HomePod stereo pair?

The sub doesn't seem to support AirPlay 2, but you could if you pair it with a AirPlay 2 enabled Sonos speaker.
[doublepost=1528304646][/doublepost]

Are you sure? They report that they are smart speakers, and the Sonos One has Alexa built in, and then in the article it even states that:



It looks like it might rely heavily on a paired iPhone, in order to work, but again, I'm not sure.

From Sonos website:

Beam will ship with Amazon Alexa built in—And adding a FireTV device will make that experience even more powerful. With the arrival of Airplay 2, we will unlock the ability to control Apple Music on Sonos through Siri.

So maybe you could control music with Siri on the microphone-equipped speaker itself? It still sounds vague.

 

[Mikey44]

The sub doesn't seem to support AirPlay 2, but you could if you pair it with a AirPlay 2 enabled Sonos speaker.
[doublepost=1528304646][/doublepost]


From Sonos website:



So maybe you could control music with Siri on the microphone-equipped speaker itself? It still sounds vague.

That's what it sounds like to me, but it's hard to pin down. I know they are adding Google assistant at some point down the road as well, so that it has both Alexa and Assistant. Based on what has previously been said, it sounds like it's just Alexa that is able to control Apple Music, and Siri isn't actually present on the actual device like Alexa is.

Kinda confusing announcement in that regard.

 

[neuts]

This is interesting. I am looking forward to more information coming out. We are looking for a new soundbar and can wait a bit.

Im hoping that airplay 2 will allow my HomePod, which is in our kitchen, connect to the Beam and have the sound from the TV relayed to the kitchen. We have a long rectangular Kitchen/dining/den area and would like a simple setup like this. Even getting a voice controlled Spotify through Alexa and having the HomePod play as well would be great

Most comments seem to think it needs an iPhone to be paired with for Siri. What about a HomePod? Need more info.

 

[Donar]

As paired stereo though right?

Unfortunately you can not create a stereo pair between a Sonos:One and a Play:1.