Sonos is reportedly working on a new steaming player and it looks like it could be an expensive one, with the price rumored to be between $200 and $400. This is according to a new report by The Verge, which provides some additional details on what consumers can expect from this new streaming box.
Although this is not the first time that a rumored Sonos streaming player has been mentioned, the report seems to indicate the release of the streaming device has now become a priority for Sonos.
Naturally, with a streaming device priced in this range, one would expect it to come with some high-end features, and that appears to be the case, especially in terms of audio. In addition to all the usual streaming players bells and whistles, the box will apparently be able to wirelessly transmit audio to Sonos speakers and soundbars.
Building on this point, the report suggests Sonos speaker compatibility will also mean users can create their own wireless surround system by connecting and dictating which speakers act as left and right.
In addition to acting as a speaker hub, it also looks like the device might act as an HDMI hub as well. Thanks to the inclusion of additional HDMI ports with passthrough support, the streaming player is expected to remove the need for users to connect speakers and other devices directly to the TV.
In spite of seemingly designed, and priced, as a premium product , the device could end up looking a little basic and plain. According to the report, the Sonos streaming player is currently not much more than “a flattened black square.”
There is also the issue of the user experience. Based on the report, the new Sonos streaming player is expected to come running on Android. This would appear to be a customized version, with the report stating the ‘beautiful interface‘ and software has been developed in partnership with a digital ads firm.
In our experience, it remains unclear just how popular a customized version of Android will be, and especially one that might place some emphasis on ads.
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