Has the speaker with its simply directional sound had its day at Sonos? This is what a leak from the site seems to suggest The Vergewhich announces the upcoming arrival of the top-of-the-range model Optimo 2 (product code name).
Intended for multiple uses, this new Sonos will of course be suitable for listening to classic music, but also for operation as a Surround and Atmos speaker.
The high-end mystery speaker
Kind of “Swiss army knife” speaker according to The Verge, the future Optimo 2 will pave the way for a more upscale approach than usual. As such, if no design has yet been unveiled, it will approach (in terms of volume) the Sonos Five models, while displaying a largely reworked shape. The device should therefore bet on an hourglass design, with flat ends and marked edges. For colors, there will be a priori no surprise, she will opt for black and white.
The interest of such a design is above all sound, since it allows to integrate a lot of transducers, arranged on all sides. This topology will be the basis of a much more omnidirectional sound than before, without being really 360° in principle.
In addition to these aesthetic and sound improvements, this new speaker will carry twice as much RAM memory and eight times as much flash memory as a model like the Five. In fact, Sonos will bet on a frank move upmarket compared to its other speakers of comparable volume.
A do-it-all product
The Optimo 2 will be able to operate in Wi-Fi mode (via the Sonos S2 ecosystem) and Bluetooth for music listening, but will go further than this simple use. For starters, the speaker will integrate microphones that will allow the use of the brand’s sound calibration system and support for the new home assistant, Sonos Voice Control.
As far as wired inputs are concerned, Sonos will obviously swap the 3.5 mm analog jack connection for support for the USB-C interface, a little less universal (although) but more modern.
But above all, thanks to the use of upfiring-type speakers (pointing upwards), the Optimo will be able to function as an Atmos music speaker and as an Atmos/surround speaker in a home- movie theater. What pave the way for very expensive Dolby Atmos Sonos sets?
To this top-of-the-range model, the price of which has of course not yet been announced, should be added more simple and affordable versions, under the code names Optimo 1 and Optimo 1 SL (without microphone). They can also be used as surround speakers.
Source : Engadget
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