Sonos buys next-gen Bluetooth audio tech perfect for rumored secret headphones

There's something missing from Sonos's streaming portfolio –but perhaps not for much longer

Sonos wireless headphones illustration
(Image credit: Future / DPMA)

You know Sonos. They make one of the best soundbars you can buy, and some of the best smart speakers and best Bluetooth speakers too. But there's one key area of audio excellence where so far, Sonos isn't playing: headphones. But that may be about to change, with Sonos making a bid to be the best wireless headphones around.

According to our friends at Techradar, Sonos has acquired tech startup T2 Software. That's interesting because they're focused on Bluetooth LE (Low Energy) and the LC3 audio codec, which could be awfully important in a set of high quality headphones.

Better sound, better battery life

With high-end wireless headphones, two things matter: audio quality and battery life. Sonos's acquisition helps with both. Bluetooth LE is all about data transmission with minimal power drain, and LC3 is about delivering higher quality audio streaming without also requiring more bandwidth.

As Techradar admits, the acquisition is also relevant to Sonos's Bluetooth speakers such as the Sonos Roam, which also prize audio quality and battery life, but the prospect of high quality true wireless headphones from Sonos is too tantalising to ignore.

As for Sonos, they're keeping schtum about the whole thing, saying only that "occasionally, we will acquire teams, talent, and/or technology that augment our existing and future product roadmap." That's not a yes to wireless headphones. But it's not a no, either.

Carrie Marshall

Writer, musician and broadcaster Carrie Marshall has been covering technology since 1998 and is particularly interested in how tech can help us live our best lives. Her CV is a who’s who of magazines, newspapers, websites and radio programmes ranging from T3, Techradar and MacFormat to the BBC, Sunday Post and People’s Friend. Carrie has written more than a dozen books, ghost-wrote two more and co-wrote seven more books and a Radio 2 documentary series. When she’s not scribbling, she’s the singer in Glaswegian rock band HAVR (havrmusic.com).