Sonos Unveils New Smart Speaker for $399

As smart speakers continue to proliferate the home landscape, manufacturers are looking for innovative designs that deliver even more bang for the buck. Sonos has developed a new class of smart speaker with the upcoming July introduction of its Beam speaker. Created to provide consumers with more than just a voice-enabled speaker that responds to your verbal requests and plays music, the Sonos Beam also streams audio content from 80+ music services and functions as a soundbar for surround-sound setups.

It also supports multiple voice assistants and Apple AirPlay2. It is available for pre-order for $399, and is expected to ship globally starting July 17.

Like all Sonos speakers, Beam is part of the Sonos home sound system, which means you have the option of adding two Sonos Ones for surround sound, a SUB for more bass, or integrating Beam into your existing Sonos multi-room system. You have options in the way you control Beam: voice; Sonos app; third-party apps like Spotify, Audible, Pandora and Tidal; existing TV remotes; and smart home gadgets like wall switches and remotes made by Sonos-certified partners.

Out of the box, Beam comes with Amazon, but Beam will support additional voice assistants as they become available on Sonos.

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“In a smart speaker category increasingly filled with tech clutter, poor audio quality and ulterior motives, Beam is the best example yet of what makes Sonos different,” says Sonos CEO Patrick Spence. “Our open approach, obsession with design, maniacal focus on quality and commitment to building a system that’s easy to use and gets better over time are at the heart of everything we do. We believe we’ve created the best, most versatile, smart speaker in the world.”

Sonos Beam integrates four custom-built elliptical full-range woofers and three passive radiators delivering deep, warm bass and superior mid-range performance, while a single tweeter ensures crisp and clear dialogue.

Sonos Beam Product Details:

• Low profile and compact size, Beam was designed to fit on credenzas or under wall mounted TVs, providing versatility. At 25.6 inches long, Sonos Beam won’t hang off furniture, block the TV or overwhelm your space.
• Five linear far-field microphone array used for advanced noise suppression and multi-channel echo cancellation for both music and home theater content.
• Beam has three ports – power, Ethernet, and HDMI-ARC.
• Use the HDMI cable to connect Beam to the TV’s HDMI-ARC port. If your TV doesn’t support HDMI-ARC, use the included Optical Audio Adapter to connect Beam to the TV’s optical audio port
• Comes in black and white fabric with matte finishes.
• Adding an Amazon video streaming device like Fire TV unlocks voice control for Alexa-enabled streaming services. Ask for a specific movie or show, get more info about a favorite movie director or control playback, all with voice.

AirPlay comes to Sonos in July

AirPlay 2 will be available on Sonos in July via a free software update. With AirPlay 2, you can play music and podcasts from their iOS devices directly on their Sonos speakers, including the new Sonos Beam, Sonos One, Playbase, and the second generation Play:5. And, with a single supported speaker, AirPlay content can be streamed to other Sonos speakers in the system. Customers enjoying AirPlay 2 on Sonos will also gain a new voice experience with the addition of Siri. Ask Siri to play any track, album, or playlist on Apple Music by using an iOS device to start playing on Sonos.

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