Sonos Unveils all-new Sonos Amp to power smart home entertainment, doubles down on commitment to Installed Solutions channel
August 29 2018 - 12:00PM
Today, Sonos (Nasdaq: SONO) unveiled the all-new Sonos Amp, a
powerful and versatile home audio hub that powers traditional wired
speakers with sound from nearly any source, and fully integrates
these speakers into Sonos’ easy-to-use wireless home sound system.
The all-new Amp is twice as powerful as its predecessor, supports
Apple’s AirPlay 2 and more than 100 streaming services, and
includes an HDMI Arc port for TVs. Launching globally in February
2019, the $599 Amp will be available to professional installers in
the United States and Canada starting Dec. 1, 2018.
Amp is designed to fit perfectly into standard AV racks used by
custom install professionals, and can power up to four speakers
with 125 watts per channel—more than enough for even the most
demanding set-ups. Onboard HDMI and line-in ports means TVs,
turntables, CD changers, and other audio components can easily
connect with Amp and become part of the Sonos system.
Amp’s thoughtfully designed and versatile hardware was built to
power the Sonos software platform. New updates to the platform make
it easy for installers to incorporate Amp into integrated smart
home set-ups, including smart lighting and centralized control
systems. It is also AirPlay 2 compatible, meaning music and
other audio from any iOS device can be played wirelessly through
Amp. And when wirelessly connected to an Amazon Alexa-enabled
device like a Sonos One or Beam, Amp is controllable with voice
commands. Finally, like other Sonos devices, Amp will gain new
features, services, and integrations over time through free
software updates, ensuring customers will get the best from their
set-up for years to come.
“The growth of the Sonic Internet – the convergence of paid
streaming, the smart home, and artificial intelligence through
voice technologies drives everything we do at Sonos,” said Sonos
CEO Patrick Spence. “While plug-and-play options like Sonos Beam
and Sonos One are an important part of the equation, architectural
sound and making it even easier to integrate with lighting and home
control are equally as important. We’ve listened to custom
installers and dealers to create Amp, a versatile product designed
to be at the center of the smart home sound experience.”
Sonos Amp Product Specifics:
- More Power. More Possibilities. Packing
125 Watts per channel, Amp powers even the most demanding speakers.
You can now power up to four speakers instead of two.
- Enjoy music, TV, and more. Amp has an
HDMI ARC port and an input for an additional audio source, whether
listening on floor standing speakers, integrated home theater, or
through a turntable.
- Power home theater sound. Use Amp to add
stereo sound to TV, add wireless rears to a Sonos home-theater
setup or two Amps for surround sound.
- Stream everything. Listen to music,
podcasts, radio, audiobooks, and more. Also, play all the music
stored on a computer or other devices.
- Works with AirPlay. With Amp, use AirPlay
2 to send the sound from an iPhone or iPad to any speakers in the
home sound system.
- Choose how to control. Use the Sonos app
on a phone or tablet, TV remote, keypads, AirPlay 2, or through
voice with Amazon Echo and Alexa-enabled devices.
- More ways to customize the
experience. New APIs and deeper integrations with the
Sonos platform partners create seamless smart home
control.
- Wireless. Or not. Enjoy solid and
reliable WiFi performance, or connect Amp to an ethernet cable and
easily turn the WiFi off in the Sonos app.
- Stereo or dual mono sound. Whether
configuring Amp for an open floor plan or a custom listening room,
create the best experience.
- Engineered for reliability. With a
centralized heatsink, air inlets, and a discrete output stage, Amp
is built to keep its cool and deliver lasting power.
- Amazingly pure sound. Direct digital
input eliminates the need for analog conversion, so you get clear,
undistorted sound for music streaming and your TV.
- Custom speaker connectors. A pair of
threaded connections for left and right channels guarantee
high-quality performance. Plus, they’re standard diameter so you
can remove them and use your own banana plugs.
Sonos and Sonance Collaborate on Architectural
Sound
Sonos and architectural audio leader Sonance have announced a
collaboration aimed at delivering a series of three architectural
speakers - in-wall, in-ceiling and outdoor - that gain additional
functionality through software when paired with the new Sonos
Amp.
This collaboration will provide a complete offering for
professionally installed architectural sound, exclusively enabling
Sonos’ Trueplay tuning capabilities to ensure the best sound for
the space as well as the benefits of Sonos’ software platform.
These products, which will be sold and marketed by Sonos, will
launch in early 2019.
Open Developer Platform and New Control
APIs
Sonos has been a platform company since day one, with a goal of
giving customers unparalleled freedom of choice, starting with an
open approach to music services and expanding to support dozens of
additional content and control partners, including multiple voice
services.
Starting in early September, Sonos will further evolve the
developer platform by fully opening up to all potential partners
and will also add a new set of Control APIs, making it easier than
ever to integrate Sonos into the smart home.
The platform will continue to expand with new APIs that allow
partners to innovate on their integrations with Sonos. New Control
APIs and features make the experience better for customers,
especially those with integrated control systems, such as Control4
and Crestron.
These include:
- Line-in switching (for both analog and home
theater), to allow for line-in components to be selected within the
third-party control interface
- Volume pass-through for easier and more
predictable volume control
- The ability to add Sonos playlists within a
third-party interface
- In an early preview phase, capabilities to provide
notifications and alerts from third-party devices,
like a doorbell, through Sonos speakers
Sonos will invite partners to get certified and earn the “Works
with Sonos” badge. The badge will signal to Sonos owners that
companies building and innovating on our platform deliver
experiences that meet the Sonos high bar for quality. For
those interested in building on the Sonos platform, check out the
developer portal.
About Sonos
Sonos is the leading multi-room wireless smart home
sound system. As the inventor of multi-room wireless home audio,
Sonos innovation helps the world listen better by giving people
access to the content they love and allowing them to control it
however they choose. Known for delivering an unparalleled music
listening experience, thoughtful home design aesthetic, simplicity
of use and an open platform, Sonos makes the breadth of sonic
content available to anyone. Sonos is headquartered in Santa
Barbara, California. Learn more at www.sonos.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This news release contains forward-looking statements that
involve risks and uncertainties, such as statements regarding
product releases, collaboration with Sonance, availability of
product features, services and integrations, future product
development, market growth, timing of opening the developer
platform and expected platform expansion, among others. These
forward-looking statements are only predictions and may differ
materially from actual results due to a variety of factors,
including, but not limited to: our ability to successfully develop
and introduce new products and enhance existing products;
manufacturing delays or component supply shortages; product
liability issues; our ability to maintain, protect and enhance our
intellectual property; changes in market conditions; or other risks
as set forth under the caption “Risk Factors” in our final
prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)(4) on August 2, 2018 and
in our other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission
(SEC), copies of which are available at the SEC’s website located
at www.sec.gov or upon request from our investor
relations department. All forward-looking statements herein reflect
our opinions only as of the date of this news release, and we
undertake no obligation, and expressly disclaim any obligation, to
update forward-looking statements herein in light of new
information or future events.
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