Skip to main content

Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

Sonos’ $449 Wi-Fi headphones delayed by software bug

Close up of Sonos logo on a Sonos Arc soundbar.
Simon Cohen / Digital Trends

Sonos‘ widely expected Wi-Fi-enabled headphones are facing a delayed release due to a software bug according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. Citing “people with knowledge of the matter,” Gurman said that the new product, which goes by the internal code name Duke, won’t be available until at least the first half of June, a month later than the company had reportedly planned.

At the core of the delay is a problem with the way the headphones connect to available Wi-Fi networks. The report claims that the bug was discovered during production validation testing, which is often scheduled two weeks in advance of the start of mass production.

All of Sonos’ existing products connect over Wi-Fi, with some, like the Sonos Move 2 and Sonos Era 300, also being capable of Bluetooth connections. Still, the Sonos app — a key differentiator for the company — has only ever supported Wi-Fi-connected Sonos products, underscoring the importance of having a set of wireless headphones that can connect using both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. Gurman says Sonos is readying a new version of that app known internally as “Passport,” which may finally add Bluetooth connectivity.

It’s expected that the headphones will cost $449 when they eventually launch. Sonos CEO Patrick Spence has only referred tangentially to the existence of the new product in his previous public comments, referring in 2023 to “our entry into a new multibillion-dollar category in the second half of the year that will complement our current offering, delight customers, and drive immediate revenue.” Spence’s next public appearance is a fireside chat alongside Sonos’ Chief Financial Officer Saori Casey on March 4 at the Morgan Stanley Technology, Media & Telecom Conference.

Editors' Recommendations

Simon Cohen
Contributing Editor, A/V
Simon Cohen covers a variety of consumer technologies, but has a special interest in audio and video products, like spatial…
JBL upgrades its 2024 wireless headphones with massive battery life
JBL Live 770NC in white.

JBL Live 770NC in white. JBL

JBL always brings tons of new products to CES, and CES 2024 is no exception. In addition to new wireless earbuds and Bluetooth speakers, the Harman-owned brand has debuted six new Live and Tune wireless headphones models in both on-ear and over-ear designs.

Read more
Raycon launches $149 Everyday Pro wireless earbuds and headphones
Raycon Everyday Pro earbuds and headphones.

Ahead of CES 2024, Raycon, the audio brand that gets a lot of love from social media influencers, has created a new tier for its flagship Everyday lineup of wireless earbuds and headphones: the Everyday Pro.

Both the Everyday Earbuds Pro and the Everyday Headphones Pro are priced at $149 and come in three color choices: white, black, or blue. You'll be able to buy them at the end of January.

Read more
JLab steps closer to Sony and Bose with JBuds Lux ANC headphones
Woman wearing JLab JBuds Lux.

Only days ahead of the official start of CES 2024, JLab has given us a look at its continuing move into higher-performance audio with the $80 JBuds Lux ANC Wireless Headphones. They can be preordered starting January 3 in four different colors: white, graphite, sage, and mauve, with shipping expected to start as soon as late February.

JLab is also debuting its latest budget-priced noise-canceling wireless earbuds, the $60 JBuds ANC 3 True Wireless Earbuds, available in black, starting January 3.

Read more