Sonos has had a tough few years. A botched app redesign, management reshuffles, product cancellations and a stock price that gives the impression of a broken subwoofer.
When the company announced two new speakers, the audio world’s collective reaction was somewhere between cautious optimism and “Please don’t screw it up.”
The Sonos Play: A portable speaker with bigger ambitions
The main novelty is the Sonos Play – a $299 portable speaker that the company is positioning as its most versatile to date.
On paper, it’s really interesting: IP67 waterproofing, 24 hours of battery life, a built-in power bank that can charge your phone, and a removable lanyard for carrying around.
The audio setup consists of three Class H digital amplifiers, two angled tweeters and a midrange driver with Trueplay automatic tuning, which continuously adapts the sound depending on where you are.
The more compelling feature, however, is Bluetooth grouping of multiple speakers – something Sonos has never done before. When you’re away from home, you can now connect a Sonos Play to your phone and sync up to three additional Play or Move 2 speakers directly via Bluetooth.
Bluetooth grouping is finally available for Sonos
For anyone who’s ever tried to get Sonos to work without a Wi-Fi connection, this is a bigger deal than it sounds.
In addition to the Play, Sonos also announced the $189 Era 100 SL — a microphone-less, stripped-down version of the Era 100 aimed at people who want a clean entry point into the Sonos ecosystem without the hassle of the voice assistant. Both are available to pre-order now on sonos.com, with general availability beginning March 31st.
The Play’s battery is also replaceable – a small detail that, given everything Sonos has been through lately, feels like a conscious signal that it’s thinking longer term this time around.
