Kind of off topic, but it amazes me how many people I see wearing $400 headphones in public. There are a lot of people doing it now, and it would be so easy for some thief to snatch them off their heads and run away.
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Sonos to Launch $400+ Headphones and Set-Top Box, Competing with Apple Devices
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I could see it working if they are careful and watch their spending. I think they probably have in mind services via the streaming box, a FAST (free ad-supported streaming network) similar to Roku. Roku now brought in $912 Million in revenue this past year. A large part of that is their streaming ‘free’ tv deals and advertising on the platform itself.
Add to the fact that Sonos already has a built-in audience of audio consumers, add solid interoperability with their speakers, soundbars, the new streaming box, ad revenue, and headphone compatibility as well, and the new products could do well.
But only if they stand on their own as good quality products (the streaming box and headphones, as well as the implementation of the streaming platform software).
It does have potential—but we’ll definitely have to wait and see.
That’s why they need to offer services, like a streaming channel, or just the option to add channels, maybe some income from deals with the producers, and then advertising revenue. At least that’s my thinking on what they are thinking. Bring in a regular stream of income, because as you rightly say, good hardware lasts!
I don’t think Apple users would be the prime target market, for the reasons you’ve said, and also because Apple’s audio products are pretty good for what they are. But there are far more non-Apple users out in the world who would be interested in a new streaming box + service (free service—because consumers are now fed up with the endless pay streaming channels all commanding $10+ at minimum) + headphones (lossless would be necessary as a selling point, which should be doable).
My Apple TV box stutters like crazy with a top-of-the-line LG screen. I paid for the Apple Store-bought HDMI cables, as well.
If the Sonos set top box can access Apple streaming media and not blink every thirty seconds like the Apple TV box does, I am all in.
If the Sonos set top box can access Apple streaming media and not blink every thirty seconds like the Apple TV box does, I am all in.
Everyone I’ve heard talk about their Sonos speakers has generally been very upbeat about them. However I’ve helped people fix issues with their software, and the impression I got from the whole experience felt very messy.
On the one hand, they made what were some of the best AirPlay speakers on the market years before Apple made the HomePod. But now that Apple has the HomePod, I suspect their days of being able to glom onto Apple’s high end customers is going to continue fading.
On the one end, high end headphones are probably a good market for them. The cost to make them is pretty low compared to the margin, and they’ll probably end up just using off the shelf chips from somebody for the Bluetooth, maybe they’ll build in wifi for hi fi listening at home, but overall these are just gonna be also rans most likely.
At this point the headphone market is Apple, then Beats which I’d also Apple then everyone else ranging from Sony, to Bose, to… Skull Candy? Who else is big? I guess JBL/Samsung/HK.
Personally I have a set of Dyson Zone that I LOVE, but that’s more about the built in air purifiers than the sound quality, though the sound is excellent.
Dyson charges even more than Apple, but they have a niche, people who either choose to care about air quality, or who have no choice about whether or not they care about air quality. (I went shopping at Costco today and without these, people’s perfume would have had me in severe pain for the rest of the day.)
I don’t see how Sonos’ specialty of multi room audio will set them apart in the headphone market. My guess is that they’ll simply be focusing on ATMOS which isn’t the worst strategy.
As far as the Android box, I suspect that they won’t go out of their way to market it as being Android. They’ll probably just make it that so that they can more easily get the various streaming players to support the hardware.
On the one hand, they made what were some of the best AirPlay speakers on the market years before Apple made the HomePod. But now that Apple has the HomePod, I suspect their days of being able to glom onto Apple’s high end customers is going to continue fading.
On the one end, high end headphones are probably a good market for them. The cost to make them is pretty low compared to the margin, and they’ll probably end up just using off the shelf chips from somebody for the Bluetooth, maybe they’ll build in wifi for hi fi listening at home, but overall these are just gonna be also rans most likely.
At this point the headphone market is Apple, then Beats which I’d also Apple then everyone else ranging from Sony, to Bose, to… Skull Candy? Who else is big? I guess JBL/Samsung/HK.
Personally I have a set of Dyson Zone that I LOVE, but that’s more about the built in air purifiers than the sound quality, though the sound is excellent.
Dyson charges even more than Apple, but they have a niche, people who either choose to care about air quality, or who have no choice about whether or not they care about air quality. (I went shopping at Costco today and without these, people’s perfume would have had me in severe pain for the rest of the day.)
I don’t see how Sonos’ specialty of multi room audio will set them apart in the headphone market. My guess is that they’ll simply be focusing on ATMOS which isn’t the worst strategy.
As far as the Android box, I suspect that they won’t go out of their way to market it as being Android. They’ll probably just make it that so that they can more easily get the various streaming players to support the hardware.
It doesnt sound like the apple tv is working as it should. Bring it in for a check
It also seems like the " to compete with Apple" part was added in at the last moment to draw clicks. Otherwise, this would be a pretty mundane story about a company releasing a new pair of headphones and a run of the mill android set top box. Make it sound like they are try to go up against a tech giant, and suddenly, they gain legitimacy and reach, even when they haven't actually showcased anything yet.
If Sonos want to compete on the STB front the chip inside it has to be a Snapdragon Gen variant. It has to be as quick as the ATV for it t have a shot-especially at the rumoured price point.
Also, if they are using Android then they are using Google. And if they are using Google they will need a casting element to their STB and if that's the case, they can get it implemented in their other devices as well.
Also, if they are using Android then they are using Google. And if they are using Google they will need a casting element to their STB and if that's the case, they can get it implemented in their other devices as well.
Totally agree. Have found that even with all of the Sonos speakers I have that now I even use them as airplay first and then switch over to Sonos. The native, "magical" features of the Apple ecosystem just work. If Sonos could support all of these tie-ins then it would make sense. But in 18 months from now if this were to hit the market how far ahead will Apple be and then Sonos would be behind again.
I haven't seen this. But I have noticed more and more AirPod Pros all over the place.
Totally agree. It's so frustrating paying a premium then traveling for a week only to come home to updates that break and then require the removal and re-add of every speaker ugh. Get the base right and then build on it.
Inflation playing a big factor the past couple of years following a good ride with Pandemic too. They do make such an appealing product though that their product will just keep selling--pretty in-line with the Apple mentality IMO.
LOL! Where is Kensington when you need them? Total market opportunity for the headphone body lock.
They took over Scottish headphone maker RHA a couple of years back and I have loads of their gear and it was amazing. Might make me look at Sonos now…
I'm not a big fan of some of the EU's recent moves (the USB-C one, say), but… I think a case could be made that they require Apple to open up their AirPods pairing APIs. It should be possible for third parties to license them and make pairing third-party headphones just as easy.
Which in itself is terrible. As someone else said in this thread, competition is usually good for the consumer, and at the moment there is very little of that in this space. Would have been cool (if basically impossible!) for Sonos to branch out and use its name and cachet to take a chance on a different OS base for this.
If you’re talking about using video in one room and audio in another, you could easily do it with the AppleTV and HomePod/mini. I assume the use case would be for music video ? If you’re talking about having multiple screens, then I don’t believe there is anything, other than hdmi splitters.
They’re going to need to put some serious effort into making the software top notch if they’re going to compete. The Sonos app is awfully slow and buggy with my system.
I don't think the headphones would be competing with the AirPods Max directly.
I think their primary use case will be to be used at home over wifi.
They will still have BT to be used with your phone directly but that won't be the main use case.
I would find it quite useful to have headphone I can pick when going to rooms that don't have a sonos speaker (or at hours when other people are asleep) and be able to seamlessly keep listening to the TV sound (or music, or radio or whatever was playing).
I use my AirPods Max for that and it only works if I'm playing through the Apple TV. If I'm watching something else or go to far from my (apple) TV it doesn't work. And reconnecting to the apple TV is not as seamless and reliable as it should be.
I'm more confused about the STB. But it might enable that same use case for people that don't have a sonos soundbar connected to their TV. Or enable more flexible home theatre setups with 2x Era100 and a sub for instance. But using the STB as my main playing device on TV seams less realistic, to me anyways.
Another interesting use case that someone mentioned above would be to enable TV syncing to le them play the same content. I would not use that myself but I can imagine it could be useful.
I think their primary use case will be to be used at home over wifi.
They will still have BT to be used with your phone directly but that won't be the main use case.
I would find it quite useful to have headphone I can pick when going to rooms that don't have a sonos speaker (or at hours when other people are asleep) and be able to seamlessly keep listening to the TV sound (or music, or radio or whatever was playing).
I use my AirPods Max for that and it only works if I'm playing through the Apple TV. If I'm watching something else or go to far from my (apple) TV it doesn't work. And reconnecting to the apple TV is not as seamless and reliable as it should be.
I'm more confused about the STB. But it might enable that same use case for people that don't have a sonos soundbar connected to their TV. Or enable more flexible home theatre setups with 2x Era100 and a sub for instance. But using the STB as my main playing device on TV seams less realistic, to me anyways.
Another interesting use case that someone mentioned above would be to enable TV syncing to le them play the same content. I would not use that myself but I can imagine it could be useful.
Definitely not a huge market but also completely misunderstood the use case: not anti social types who want to sit in the corner but the DJ/Music programmer mashing up tracks/stems/loops live and needing to hear those transitions over the loud din of a party.
Certainly not a Sonos application by any means, especially with that lag between my computer and the speaker.
Definitely agree with the set-top box comments. It’s so far outside of what Sonos is known for, and why the heck would you buy a Sonos branded streaming box if you weren’t already in the Sonos ecosystem (after all, Chromecasts, FireTVs, Rokus, and Apple TVs are a thing, and even people in the Sonos ecosystem probably already have one of these)?
As for competing with the AirPods line up, Transparency works really well, and the Adaptive noise cancelling on the second generation AirPods Pro is a major upgrade on top of it. The fast device switching is also a major perk of the AirPods range. Plus, Sonos would have to present themselves as the headphone brand of cultural cachet, as a status marker on par with the AirPods if they want to compete in portable audio with the AirPods line up. (It would be far easier to target the “home listener” side of the headphone market, especially with Sonos’s established brand identity, than to challenge Apple for dominance in the “on the go” side of things, or to compete with Bose or Sony for the travel market.)
It seems like they’re trying to grow market share (maybe smart speakers have been killing the market for Sonos speakers by offering “good enough” audio and far more convenient connectivity) by moving into new markets, but the markets they’re moving into are mature, saturated markets, and I just don’t see them bringing anything new to the table.