It’s been almost two years since word dropped that Sonos was at work on a set of its first wireless headphones. A recent patent award is our first look at them.
We’ve been eagerly awaiting more details on Sonos’ wireless headphone plans ever since Bloomberg let it be known in January 2019 that the multiroom audio company was actively developing them. Now, almost two years later, we have our first look at the designs thanks to a recently awarded patent from the United States Patent Office (USPO). Buried within the 45-page patent document are drawings that illustrate two possible headphone designs — one that uses a single-sided earcup fork, similar to a Bowers and Wilkins PX7 or Microsoft Surface Headphones 2, and another that uses what appears to be a forkless approach that reminds us a lot of the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700. The patent also discusses several features, which provide a strong sense of how the new designs could work — keeping in mind that patents are merely possible outcomes, not guarantees of what a company will launch. It’s clear that Sonos sees the headphones as being integral parts of a Sonos whole-home sound system. They’ll be able to operate over Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, just like the Sonos Move, and you’ll be able to stream audio to them from a smartphone, from another Sonos product that has built-in Apple AirPlay, like the Sonos Beam, or from a TV if it’s connected to a Sonos soundbar like the Arc. But it will also — just like every other Sonos device — be able to access streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music directly, without the need for a constant connection to a smartphone or tablet.
