Sonos is known for speakers that you could describe as 'affordable premium', which is another way of saying 'not cheap'. However at least one respectable source seems certain the multi-room pioneer is about to launch a cheap soundbar to go along side its affordable premium Beam and its really-rather-pricey Arc. Sonos is one of the biggest names in both multi-room and home cinema audio. Not only is the aforementioned Sonos Arc one of the best soundbars on the market, with its Dolby Atmos and 3D audio advances, but the cheaper Sonos Beam has proved a popular option for smaller set-ups. Both the existing Sonos soundbars have Alexa and Google built in as well.
Well, according to some exciting news this week, there could be a third soundbar on the way, and it's expected to be a budget model. This would sit below the Beam as an entry-level offering, and could sell for as little as £250/$250. The Beam, by contrast is £449/$449.
One of Sonos' biggest rivals, Bose already offers its TV speaker as a budget offering at around this price point. There are also budget offerings from Vizio, TCL and Roku that have until now gone unchallenged by Sonos.
Could a new model be a Beam SL?
According to The Verge, who claim to have seen a preview of this new soundbar, the device would forgo advanced features such as Dolby Atmos and any kind of voice assistance. Instead, it would provide a simple optical connection to your TV. The new soundbar would still be able to connect to other Sonos speakers though and in theory, could be used as a satellite device for the Sonos Arc or paired with Sonos One and subwoofer devices for a 5.1 setup.
Sonos has previously offered SL models of its Sonos One home speakers and its Roam portable speakers. Perhaps this new model will be a Beam SL rather than a completely new model.
The Verge has previously correctly predicted the Sonos Roam ahead of its launch, so I take this news as more than just a rumor. The predicted release date of June 7 is still some time away though, so hopefully, more info will follow before then. Maybe we'll see a wider Sonos showcase including updates to other models and the much anticipated Sonos headphones.
