The life of the Sonos company is anything but a long, quiet river, the result of strategic decisions, at best imprudent, at worst inconsequential. We remember for example the Upgrade program which, at its beginnings in 2019, planned to make the first generation Sonos speakers, perfectly functional and without concern for recycling, unusable for the purchase of a new model. A true ecological aberration and commercial error denounced by Sonos customers, the brand fortunately was quick (in 2020) to reverse its mechanics and ensure the sustainability of its original products.
Sonos and the misadventures, bis repetitae££££
After having struggled mightily to get out of the mess it got itself into at the end of the 2010s, the Sonos company stumbled once again last May with the update of its application, full of bugs but also lacking certain flagship features hitherto acclaimed by users. Black anger from the latter who can no longer use their playlists and music library as usual. The very use of Sonos products, on a daily basis, is degraded... To the point where its CEO Patrick Spence published a letter of apology to calm the grumbling and exasperation of owners of Sonos equipment. Since then, Sonos has been working hard to improve its application with a sustained pace of updates and things are improving even if there are still obstacles to overcome.
Sonos Arc Ultra and Sonos Sub 4, new "leaked" products££££
Alongside this, Sonos must manage the anticipated online release of photos of its upcoming Sonos Sub 4 (subwoofer, see photo below) and Sonos Arc Ultra (soundbar, see photo above) hardware. The company has decided to accompany these leaks as best it can by giving some technical details on the soundbar. We thus learn that the Sonos Arc Ultra will include Bluetooth compatibility and Sound Motion technology, based on the process of the Mayth company acquired in 2022. As a reminder, the latter is capable of delivering powerful and fully structured sound from modestly sized transducers: a sound bar could therefore offer powerful and deep bass without requiring additional subwoofers.
Sonos is also developing a new subwoofer, the Sub 4, which should succeed the Sonos Sub. If technically, few developments are expected, its matte finish will allow its easy integration into Scandinavian-style interior decorations.
Availability of the Sonos Arc Ultra and the Sonos Sub 4, in white or black, expected for the first quarter of 2025. Indicative prices still unknown but they should be close, in euros, to those expected in the United States, i.e. $799 for the Sonos Sub 4 and $999 for the Sonos Arc Ultra.
More details later.