Sonos hints at more speakers beyond S5

EXCLUSIVE: Could a Soundbar be in the works?

21 October 2009 15:05 GMT / By Stuart Miles

Sonos has hinted that it could make more dedicated all-in-one speaker systems for different situations in a "fire side chat" with Pocket-lint.

"It is possible", said Thomas Cullen, one of the co-founders of the company, when Pocket-lint asked him about the possibility of making a Soundbar for under the TV.

"Everything that is under the speaker is clutter", said Cullen pointing to a TV stand with the Sonos ZonePlayer S5, and two Hi-Fi separates underneath echoing previous conversations with us.

"Or what about putting them in the ceiling?" Cullen questioned pointing to a speaker in the ceiling in the hotel suite we were in. "You could power it via Ethernet and let the mesh network do the rest".

That "mesh" network is at the core of how the system works with each ZonePlayer connecting to the system at the press of a button. Users can then get individual control over the system via a remote control that works on the same network.

"We are trying to simplify the process to two actions; your finger and your ear", says Cullen. "Your finger to control the music and your ear to listen".

The news comes off the back of the official launch of the company's new offering, the Sonos ZonePlayer S5, a 5-driver speaker system, including two tweeters, two mid-range drivers and a built-in single subwoofer.

Internet-connected, the system works in exactly the same way as the current Sonos system with control provided by a desktop application (in the box) although users can buy a dedicated controller or download the free iPod touch or iPhone app.

"The iPhone killed the speaker dock", states Cullen. "Here users don't have to lose the music if a phone call comes in."

The ZonePlayer S5 will cost £349 in the UK and $399 in the US. Users will have to either cite the S5 next to their router or buy a ZoneBridge adapter that means they can then put their new speaker anywhere in the house.

Current Sonos system owners can connect the S5 to their system at the press of a button.