Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

News

Sonos One Battles Amazon, Apple & Google for Smart Speaker Supremacy

Sonos One Stereo Pair Wireless Smart Speakers

$349 Now Buys 2 Sonos One Smart Wireless Speakers For Stereo or Multi-room Listening

Sonos may be on the brink of getting squeezed out of whole-home wireless speaker industry it first sparked 15 years ago. When Apple, Amazon, and Google enter your category there is little margin for error. Sonos speakers have never been inexpensive, but the company is getting chopped in the knees by Amazon with it’s Echo “Alexa” voice-assistant wireless speaker line now priced at $99. Apple is taking aim at the neck with its new HomePod “Siri” voice-assistant wireless speaker set to debut at $349. Meanwhile, Google’s Home line-up has products across the spectrum laying multiple body blows to the gut.

To fight back, Sonos announced a new price war strategy by offering two Sonos One speakers for $349. That’s only $50 off, but looks compelling because it matches the price of HomePod, and gets you two speakers for the price of Apple’s. The Sonos One includes Alexa voice integration now, with Google Assistant to follow. However, with no AI voice service of their own, Sonos can only depend on one of the big three platforms and therefore can only be as good, never better.

The last battle left to fight could be over sound quality, but that may not even matter as all similarly sized smart wireless speakers may be perceived as sounding good enough for the average consumer. Sure, there will be slight differences that will appeal to some, but likely not enough to gain any ground. Amazon is certainly winning right now. Consumers are literally falling in love with Alexa. It’s likely to be a bloody year, and the other audio industry stalwarts are likely to struggle in the smart home speaker segment including BoseSony, and JBL. Only Ultimate Ears has found a niche in its rugged, drop-proof, waterproof Boom/Blast series that go-anywhere.

Nevertheless, the “Sonos Two” bundle now gets you two Sonos One speakers for just $349 in the US and £349 in the UK. Or $199 for one. Each speaker can be used independently in different rooms or together as a stereo pair in the same room. The now six-month old Sonos One is already getting smarter through cloud updates that have added Spotify voice control, Alexa Flash Briefings, improved voice responsiveness and simplified the setup process. Later this year Google Assistant as well as Apple AirPlay 2 will be arrive via software update to Sonos One.

About Sonos:
Sonos is now in more than 60 countries, with dozens of streaming music providers, through thousands of retailers, and in millions of homes. With a constant investment in software and services, Sonos is improving the experience customers have with music in the home for years after they buy it. Sonos is changing the way people listen to music – one home at a time.

Sonos, Inc. is a privately held company, headquartered in Santa Barbara, California with additional offices in Boston and Seattle, as well as in the Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark, France, the United Kingdom, Australia, Germany and China.

Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading.

Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Advertisement

New Products

Classe Delta Preamp MKII

New Products

At $12,000, the Delta PRE Mk II is the first Classé preamplifier to get HEOS built-in for music streaming and whole-home integration.

HSU Research VTF-TN1 Subwoofer Black HSU Research VTF-TN1 Subwoofer Black

New Products

The new flagship VTF-TN1 subwoofer from HSU Research has a 15-inch driver and some additional improvements for $1,199 USD.

Bang & Olufsen Beoconnect Core Network Music Streamer Bang & Olufsen Beoconnect Core Network Music Streamer

Digital Music Systems

Beoconnect Core seamlessly adds digital music streaming capabilities to Bang & Olufsen powered speakers.

ELAC Debut ConneX Adsum Powered Speaker Pair White ELAC Debut ConneX Adsum Powered Speaker Pair White

New Products

ELAC collaborates with Brooklyn based clothing company Adsum on new Designer Series wireless speakers for $649/pair.

Cambridge Audio Evo 150 DeLorean Edition Network Amplifier Silver Cambridge Audio Evo 150 DeLorean Edition Network Amplifier Silver

Digital Music Systems

Just add speakers and stream digital music like it's the 80s with bouncing VU meters on the Evo 150 DeLorean Edition streaming amplifier.

McIntosh C55 Solid State and C2800 Vacuum Tube Preamplifiers McIntosh C55 Solid State and C2800 Vacuum Tube Preamplifiers

New Products

At $9,000 each, McIntosh offers audiophiles a choice of either solid state or vacuum tube preamplifiers.

You May Also Like

Car Audio

From Charlottlesville, Virginia in 1974, learn how Bill Crutchfield grew a tiny car stereo mail order business into a national electronics retailer.

Articles

Not in the market for new components in 2024 but still want to improve the sound quality of what you already have? We have...

Daily Deals

Looking for a truly massive 4K TV to enjoy the Super Bowl? Hisense is offering the brand new 100-inch U76N ULED TV for 60%...

In-Wall Speakers

Sonos in-ceiling speaker options have expanded from 6-inch to 8-inch sizes for even greater bass extension without a subwoofer.

News

Disney+ subscribers will be able to watch 3D movies on Apple Vision Pro upon its release, but Netflix is taking a wait and see...

News

All of the major video streaming platforms have begun a consolidation of their content on redesigned apps. Apple TV is the latest to get...

Gift Guides

With less than 2 weeks to go before Christmas, there are still some great Hi-Fi gifts that you can order that will arrive in...

Articles

At $6,000, the Bowers & Wilkins 703 S3 are certainly not inexpensive and demand a high-end system that can drive them properly. Get it...

Advertisement

ecoustics is a hi-fi and music magazine offering product reviews, podcasts, news and advice for aspiring audiophiles, home theater enthusiasts and headphone hipsters. Read more

Copyright © 1999-2024 ecoustics | Disclaimer: We may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site.



SVS Bluesound PSB Speakers NAD Cambridge Audio Q Acoustics Denon Marantz Focal Naim Audio RSL Speakers