This is Sonos’ Next Flagship Soundbar

As Sonos continues to address bugs and improve its mobile app's performance, the company is also focused on several new hardware products. Among these is an ultrapremium soundbar set to succeed the current Sonos Arc. Codenamed Lasso, this device is currently in limited beta testing, and today, we can share the first images of it.

A Familiar Design with Revolutionary Changes

The exterior of the Lasso soundbar strongly resembles the Arc, which Sonos introduced over four years ago. However, the internal components and speaker drivers have been completely overhauled and redesigned. This redesign is expected to result in a cost upwards of ₹98,000 ($1,200). Sonos aims to ship Lasso later this year, although the timeframe could change.

If it ain’t broke... Image:

Integrating Mayht’s Revolutionary Technology

Lasso (hardware model S45) will be the first Sonos product to integrate technology from Mayht, a Netherlands-based startup acquired by Sonos in 2022 for $100 million (approximately ₹820 crore). At the time, Sonos credited Mayht for having “invented a new, revolutionary approach to audio transducers.” CEO Patrick Spence said the deal would bring “more incredible people, technology, and intellectual property that will further distinguish the Sonos experience, enhance our competitive advantage, and accelerate our future roadmap.”

Despite the acquisition, it has taken time to incorporate Mayht’s ideas into a shipping product. Sonos has released several small speakers over the last couple of years — the Era 100, Move 2, and Roam 2 among them — which could have benefited from Mayht’s innovative transducers. These transducers are said to “enable smaller and lighter form factors without compromising on quality.” The Lasso soundbar will be the first product to showcase the results of this acquisition.

Enhanced Performance and Features

The Arc is already an impressive Dolby Atmos soundbar, and you can expect even greater immersion from Lasso and its revamped internals. According to sources, the upcoming soundbar should deliver substantially better bass performance than its predecessor. With the Arc, adding a Sub or Sub Mini is necessary to get the most out of it. However, if Sonos is going to charge well over ₹98,000 ($1,200) for Lasso, the device needs to deliver top-tier home theater audio without any added help.

Lasso is the soundbar’s codename — not the final consumer branding. Image

The images also reveal a dedicated Bluetooth button, suggesting that Lasso could support Bluetooth audio playback — a feature absent from all previous Sonos soundbars. Additionally, there will be a physical switch for disabling the built-in microphones, similar to the company’s other recent products.

Integration with Sonos Ace Headphones

Just like the Arc, Lasso is designed to work with the recently released Sonos Ace headphones for private listening with spatial audio. The company has pledged to extend Ace compatibility to its more affordable Beam and Ray soundbars by late summer or early fall.

The Road Ahead for Sonos

Sonos continues to release updates to its mobile app at a frequent pace to address customer frustrations and lift the negative sentiment that has embroiled the company’s community since May. While the company is listening and moving quickly, a lot of damage has already been done. The Android version of the Sonos app currently has a brutal 1.2-star average review rating. The rating on Apple’s App Store isn’t nearly as bad since older reviews are still balancing out the spate of complaints that came with the redesign.

Stay tuned to Kushal Bharat Tech News for the latest updates on Sonos and other cutting-edge tech developments.