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Sonos has already added a brand-new speaker to its lineup, Sonos Roam SL, but it seems the smart audio brand isn’t done there. The US firm has listed a new role within the company that will be working with a “next generation Sonos Home Theatre OS”, fuelling speculation that Sonos is working on its own operating system. As it stands, Sonos has a hugely-successful soundbar range, with its Beam 2 and Dolby Atmos-certified Sonos Arc. However, if you want to stream anything – you’ll need to plug the speaker into a Smart TV with a satellite set-top box like Sky Q, cable box like Virgin TV 360, or a streaming box like Amazon’s Fire TV, Roku or Apple TV.
The new role is titled Head of Partnerships, Home Theatre. In the description of new position, Sonos says “The Head of Partnerships for our Next Generation Sonos Home Theatre OS will play a pivotal role in connecting users to the content and services they love with Sonos quality experiences they’ve come to expect.”
Adding fuel to this rumour is another new role at Sonos, dubbed the UX Lead, Next Generation Home Theatre Experience. For this position, Sonos is looking for a candidate with a “proven track record” in digital content creation and TV. To qualify for this role, Sonos wants at least eight years of experience designing a user interface for mobile and television that has “successfully shipped”.
Longtime Sonos fans will know that, while the company has a hugely useful smartphone app that’s used to control playback and set up new designs, it has never shipped a user interface for televisions. Plugging the Sonos Beam or Sonos Arc into the HDMI eARC port on your telly will show a nice screensaver …and that’s it.
When approached by gadget blog The Verge about the clues pointing to potential future plans in this job listing, a spokesperson for the smart home brand said: “As a leader in Home Theatre audio, we will continue to innovate and create products and experiences that make listening simpler and more joyful, bringing you closer to the music and content you love. We don’t have anything further to share today.”
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Donning our deerstalker for a moment, the new role could hint at a possible third-generation version of the Sonos Beam with Fire TV-like software built-in to launch Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, Apple TV+, BBC iPlayer, All4, and more. After all, Sonos’ smartphone app already does this with audio. It connects with 120 music services, including podcast apps, music streaming like Spotify, Apple Music, Deezer, and Amazon Music, as well as radio stations and meditation services like Calm. Recreating that formula with a one-stop-shop soundbar and streaming set-top box would be a logical next step for the firm.
But you don’t have to wait for this as-yet unconfirmed new hardware from Sonos to enjoy the same experience. That’s because rival Roku has already launched a soundbar with its streaming software, which powers its set-top boxes, baked inside. Plug in the soundbar and you will upgrade the audio performance of your flatscreen telly (these have notoriously bad sound performance due to the svelte design) and be able to access dozens of streaming services and games.
Unfortunately, it’ll likely be a while before we see the results of the new Head of Partnerships, Home Theatre and UX Lead, Next Generation Home Theatre Experience at Sonos …as neither position has been filled.
Sonos One – Gen 2 (Certified Refurbished)
This compact speaker packs the same internals as the pricier Sonos One, but drops the microphone array used for voice assistants Alexa and Google Assistant. If you’re looking for a great sounding speaker with support for AirPlay 2 and the ability to build out a multi-room smart sound system, this is a brilliant place to start.
View Deal RRP: £199 – SAVE £54
Sonos Move (Certified Refurbished)
Sonos’ first portable speaker is a triumph. At home, this Wi-Fi-enabled speaker acts exactly like any other Sonos – synchronised music playback between multiple rooms, AirPlay 2 capabilities, and more. But take the Move outside and it transforms into a portable Bluetooth speaker. It’s even water-resistant, so you can use it to DJ at the beach or pool.
View Deal RRP: £399 – SAVE £110
Sonos Beam – First Generation (Certified Refurbished)
Sonos Beam is a compact soundbar that elevates the audio from your television for movie nights and boxset binges. There’s even a dedicated mode to boost dialogue – perfect for late-night viewing when you don’t want to turn up the volume too high. Beam synchronises with your existing TV remote for easy control too. When the TV is off, Beam can stream music and more using the Sonos app, your voice, and Apple AirPlay 2.
View Deal RRP: £399 – SAVE £110
Sonos Five (Certified Refurbished)
If you’re looking for the ultimate Sonos speaker, this is it. The Five offers stereo sound and is the only speaker in Sonos’ line-up that offers a 3.5mm port, so you can connect a turntable, CD player or other audio device to your wireless sound system. Just like Sonos’ other speakers, you can use the Sonos app or AirPlay 2 to beam tracks, podcasts and radio stations to multiple speakers around your home with a tap or two.
View Deal RRP: £499 – SAVE £100
Sonos Playbar
Looking to boost the audio during your next movie night? Sonos’ Playbar packs nine Class-D digital amplifiers to create a full-bodied sound experience for your favourite television show, sports fixture and blockbuster movie. It includes more speakers than the Beam, although it lacks the built-in support for Alexa and Google Assistant. However, if you pair the Playbar with other voice assistant-enabled Sonos speakers, you’ll be able to control playback with your voice!
View Deal RRP: £600 – SAVE £191
Sonos Arc (Certified Refurbished)
If you’re looking for the best addition to your home cinema setup from Sonos, this is it. Packed into its sleek design, the Sonos Arc packs 11 speakers – including two dedicated to firing upwards to bounce off the ceiling and support you in sound. Arc boasts support for Dolby Atmos too
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