Sonos’ first headphones will reportedly be available in June for $449

Main points

• Sonos is preparing to launch $449 wireless headphones in June that offer audio streaming over Wi-Fi and Bluetooth for a comprehensive experience.
• The launch has been delayed by software issues, but Sonos aims to produce between 650,000 and 1 million units to compete with Apple, Sony and Bose.
• The headphones leverage Sonos’ ecosystem for seamless audio streaming, improving the home audio experience at a premium price point.

Sonos, the audio company best known for its speakers and soundbars, is reportedly preparing to launch a long-rumored pair of wireless headphones in June, according to Bloomberg. The $449 headphones will reportedly be able to stream audio over Wi-Fi and Bluetooth and integrate into Sonos’ existing wireless audio ecosystem.

According to Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman, Sonos originally planned to release the headphones earlier, but had to postpone its release until the summer due to software issues “related to how the wireless over-ear headphones connect to Wi-Fi networks.”

The headphones are capable of transmitting higher-quality audio over Wi-Fi and, in theory, passing audio to the speakers when you’re within range of a wireless network, just two possible features that rely on a reliable connection to make it possible. It makes sense that Sonos would want to solve this problem.

Regardless of the state in which the headphones arrive, the company is confident they can compete with the likes of Apple, Sony, and Bose. According to Bloomberg, Sonos plans to produce “650,000 to 1 million units next year” to meet expected demand for the new headphones, and is even considering producing in-ear headphones to compete with AirPods Pro.

How Sonos stacks up against the competition so far

While the move from speakers to headsets may seem like a big move for Sonos, the company has been increasingly interested in portable speakers, whether it’s the backpack-sized Sonos Roam or the more backyard-friendly Sonos Move 2. That’s the price for a relatively affordable speaker and Sonos’ rumored headphones. $449 is a lot of money.

With that much charge, the Sonos price falls between Apple’s AirPods Max (starting at $550) and Sony and Bose headphones like the $400 Sony WH-1000XM5 and the $429 Bose QuietComfort Ultra. All three companies had built their reputations on personal audio products before setting such high standards for their headphones, and in Apple’s case, perhaps even asking too much for their first-generation products at the time.

For a pair of wireless headphones costing $350 and up, you can generally expect great sound quality, active noise cancellation (sometimes at multiple levels), and additional software features like immersive 360-degree audio. All of these headphones excel in one area or another, but the point is that they cover all your bases and give you a better audio experience than a pair of wireless earbuds.

Possible Advantages of Sonos Headphones

In the absence of an official announcement, we can only speculate, but the advantages Sonos offers appear to be very similar to Apple’s offerings. Sonos has a well-established product ecosystem and has maintained it for decades. The beauty of Sonos audio products is that they work together, and the more speakers you buy, the better your home audio experience will be. Sonos also makes it easy to set up the speaker, adjust it to your acoustic environment, and move audio between speakers, all from the same app.

In the absence of an official announcement, we can only speculate, but the advantages Sonos offers appear to be very similar to Apple’s offerings.

Likewise, one of Apple’s main strengths is that all of its products work better together than anything else. Complete the process of syncing your AirPods with your phone for the first time, and like magic, your Apple TV and MacBook Pro instantly recognize them and let you connect to them. Sonos has the potential to pull off a similar trick with its own headphones.as an edge It’s worth noting that these rumored headphones can theoretically pull audio from any TV with a Sonos soundbar connected, without having to deal with Bluetooth menus.

Just like Sonos can easily transfer audio from portable speakers to stationary speakers, headphones can take it to the next level. Do you listen to music while getting ready in the morning and want to continue listening to music on the way out the door? Imagine being able to listen to songs by simply holding your headphones close to the speakers, put them on and go out without having to take your phone out of your pocket. This seamless connection, combined with excellent audio performance, may be worth the $449.