Smart speaker company Sonos looks like it is preparing to launch a new home theater speaker with the model number S14, according to a regulatory filing with the Federal Communications Commission that was recently made public.
Though much of the filing has been redacted from public view, one thing we can be sure of is that the new speaker will feature an HDMI port and that it will have wireless capability. The speaker was originally labeled a smart speaker but was later renamed as a home theater speaker, and is described in the documents as, “A high-performance all-in-one home theater smart speaker and part of Sonos’ home sound system.”
There is no word on what the physical shape of the new model will take, but the filing does indicate that it could be a prominent new member of the Sonos multiroom audio universe, which allows listeners to easy transmit audio from various sources throughout their homes, offices, and beyond.
It’s worth noting that the new S14 model will not be the company’s first foray into home theater audio. The company released the Playbar, a soundbar that also integrated with the rest of the Sonos ecosystem, five years ago. Just last year, Sonos launched the Playbase, a soundbar-like device that is designed to sit below a TV.
Any new home theater device from Sonos should be viewed as good news for fans of the company, or of TV audio in general. We’ve had great experiences with every Sonos product that has been explicitly designed for home theater use, with the more recent Playbase garnering our Editors’ Choice award for its wide soundstage, high-impact bass response, and ease of use. Given our positive past experiences with the company in this space, we expect more of the same from the new S14 model.
The company itself has yet to comment on the product, with a Sonos spokesperson writing to Variety via email, “We are constantly looking at new ways to deliver the best possible experiences for our customers. We do not have any additional details to share.”
We’ll update this piece as we get any further information about the new home theater speaker. For now, at least, fans of the company or those considering a home audio upgrade will have to wait.
