After launching its budget Ray AirPlay 2 soundbar, Apple Music voice control back in May, and seeing a delay of its budget subwoofer, we’ve got a look at Sonos’ upcoming high-end speaker. Codenamed “Optimo 2,” The Verge shared an exclusive look at the future flagship product.
Sonos has focused on its entry-level and portable products this year as it has launched the Ray soundbar and Roam SL ultra-compact speaker.
An FCC filing surfaced in June for the budget subwoofer from Sonos hinting we could have seen a summer launch for that product. However, the company recently told The Verge that it has “decided to push an anticipated product launch” into Q1 2023.
Sonos Optimo 2 flagship speaker
Shifting back to its high-end offerings, Sonos is making progress on its next-gen flagship speaker. The Verge got access to early “work-in-progress” images of what’s codenamed the “Optimo 2.”
The Verge’s Chris Welch writes “Encased in a funky, dual-angled shell, the new device will be positioned as the best-sounding speaker that Sonos has ever produced. It includes an arsenal of drivers, including several that fire in different directions from beneath the shell between the front speaker grille and backplate. The 3D recreation above is bronze-colored, but Optimo 2 will likely stick to Sonos’ traditional white and black color choices.”
Optimo 2 looks similar in size to the Sonos Five and according to sources familiar with the product, it features 2x the RAM and 8x “more flash memory than any previous Sonos speaker.”
If the current plans follow through, Optimo 2 will support both WiFi and Bluetooth playback, come with built-in microphones, automatic EQ, and a USB-C line-in is also being considered.
Sonos Optimo family
Optimo 2 should be a prime way to experience Dolby Atmos audio and The Verge also notes that this flagship Sonos speaker will be “the lead product in a trio of in-the-works devices, which will also include an Optimo 1 and Optimo 1 SL.” SL is Sonos’ product naming for speakers without built-in mics.
It’s unclear if the Optimo 1 and 2 products would replace the Sonos Five and One speakers or would join the lineup as the most premium speakers.
3D rendering by The Verge’s Grayson Blackmon
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