Sonos has obtained two patents for headphones, which could see the wireless speaker firm go head-to-head with the likes of Sony, Bose, Microsoft, AKG, Marshall, JBL and dozens more. Based on the information contained in the patent, it seems Sonos is looking to bring active noise-cancelation and the ability to fling the audio from the cans to your Sonos system as soon as you walk in the door – so you don’t have to worry about fiddling with your phone to resume your playlist on nearby speakers.
The two patents reveal a duo of potential designs, neither of which reveal anything particularly radical. If you’ve seen the Bose 700 Series, Sony WH-1000XM4, or the latest from AKG – you’ve seen these patented Sonos designs. Trust us.
More interesting is the potential addition of touch controls on the side of the ear-cups to provide advanced controls of whatever you’re playing on the headphones. Just like your wireless Sonos speaker system at home, you’ll be able to bring playlists, albums and artists from a plethora of sources, including Apple Music, Spotify, Deezer, Amazon Music, as well as radio from TuneIn and Global Player as well as audiobooks from Audible, to name a few. Sonos also has its own curated radio service.
A 3.5mm port will enable wired listening as well as doubling up as a charging port, Android Authority claims.
Sonos is purportedly set to use both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi for listening on the headphones. When approached about the recently-obtained patents, a spokesperson for Sonos said that it files “dozens” of patents each year and that Sonos didn’t have anything to share “at this time” from its upcoming product roadmap.
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That makes sense. After all, multi-national firms like Sonos are constantly exploring new technologies, designs and hardware.
Unfortunately, not all of these result in products we can buy on store shelves.
However, Sonos already offers one of the most comprehensive wireless speaker systems around – with the ability to slowly build out your kit in more rooms, or add a home theatre, portable Bluetooth speakers, and more. Buying a pair of headphones with active noise-cancellation for travels or the commute that ties seamlessly into the audio system powering your home would undoubtedly be hugely appealing for a number of committed customers.
If Sonos is ready to launch a pair of wireless headphones, we’d wager they make an appearance before the Christmas shopping rush. Express.co.uk will keep our eyes peeled over the coming weeks, so stay tuned.
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