Skip to main content

Sonos headphones coming soon? Patent reveals possible designs and features

We’ve been eagerly awaiting more details on Sonos’ wireless headphone plans ever since Bloomberg let it be known in January 2019 that the multiroom audio company was actively developing them. Now, almost two years later, we have our first look at the designs thanks to a recently awarded patent from the United States Patent Office (USPO).

Buried within the 45-page patent document are drawings that illustrate two possible headphone designs — one that uses a single-sided earcup fork, similar to a Bowers and Wilkins PX7 or Microsoft Surface Headphones 2, and another that uses what appears to be a forkless approach that reminds us a lot of the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700.

The patent also discusses several features, which provide a strong sense of how the new designs could work — keeping in mind that patents are merely possible outcomes, not guarantees of what a company will launch.

Sonos Wireless Headphones Patent Illustration
Sonos / USPO

It’s clear that Sonos sees the headphones as being integral parts of a Sonos whole-home sound system. They’ll be able to operate over Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, just like the Sonos Move, and you’ll be able to stream audio to them from a smartphone, from another Sonos product that has built-in Apple AirPlay, like the Sonos Beam, or from a TV if it’s connected to a Sonos soundbar like the Arc.

But it will also — just like every other Sonos device — be able to access streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music directly, without the need for a constant connection to a smartphone or tablet. This part would require Wi-Fi, and would likely drain battery life faster than using Bluetooth. Curiously, the patent also makes room for the possibility that the headphones could have onboard storage for media files, something no other Sonos device currently offers.

Another feature the described headphones could offer is hands-free access to a voice assistant, using just a wake-word like “Alexa” or “Hey, Google.” Sonos already offers its customers the ability to use either Amazon or Google’s voice assistant in this way via its voice-enabled products, which now include the Arc, Beam, One, and Move. This would also require Wi-Fi unless the headphones were being used with a smartphone over Bluetooth.

Sonos Wireless Headphones Patent Illustration
Sonos / USPO

Speaking of Bluetooth, we’ve long wondered if a set of Sonos wireless headphones would work both inside and outside the home. That sounds like a dumb question, but the reason for the doubt is well-founded. The Sonos app, which controls the entire Sonos experience at home, does not let you control the Sonos Move when outside the home.

In those scenarios, the Move is no different than any other Bluetooth speaker, which means you must choose another app, like Apple Music or Spotify or Tidal, to control content and playback.

But the patented Sonos headphone design does include a way of transferring playback sessions from the headphones to other Sonos devices and back again. This might be used to continue listening sessions that occur outside the home once you get back inside or vice versa, as Protocol points out.

In many respects, these headphones will work just like other top-tier wireless headphones like Sony’s WH-1000XM4. There will be a way to control play/pause, volume up/down, and track skip forward/back. These will likely be touch controls of some kind, but could also be physical buttons. The patent suggests there could also be plenty of sensors that detect everything from touch, to voice, to whether or not you’re wearing the headphones.

There are references to active noise cancellation (ANC) so clearly Sonos anticipates that folks will want this very popular feature on its headphones. One of the designs lets people control both volume and ANC through the use of physical knobs at the ends of the headband stems, similar to how Microsoft’s Surface Headphones 2 use a physical dial for ANC features.

The patent doesn’t include any pricing info or when (if ever) Sonos will launch its own wireless headphones. In January 2019, Bloomberg reported that they could cost $300. This would be on the low side of comparably equipped headphones from Bose, Beats, Sony, and Sennheiser, especially when you consider their unique compatibility with the Sonos ecosystem.

When Digital Trends asked Sonos to comment on the patent, we were provided with the following statement from the company: “As a company founded in innovation, we’re always working on different ideas and innovations that can help the world listen better. We continue to make investments in our strong patent portfolio with dozens of new patents each year. We do not have additional information to share at this time regarding our future product roadmap.”

In other words: No comment.

We’ll keep you posted as soon as we hear more about Sonos’ wireless headphones.

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…
Soundcore’s latest earbuds steal some of Apple’s smartest features
Soundcore Liberty 4.

Soundcore is revamping its lineup of wireless earbuds with a new naming convention and a lot of new features. The Liberty 4 is technically the latest version of the company's popular Liberty Air earbuds, but the "Air" portion of the name is now history. They'll be priced at $150 when they go on sale in October.

Design-wise, the Liberty 4 will look very familiar to Soundcore fans. They maintain the same elongated-stem shape from the previous models and their wirelessly capable charging case uses the same sliding lid mechanism that the company first used on the Liberty Pro. But if you look a little closer at those stems, you'll see the first big change: a small set of flattened areas. Instead of touch controls, these are the same force controls seen on the Apple AirPods Pro, and they work the same way, with a squeeze-to-click gesture.

Read more
B&W’s flagship Px8 headphones cost way more than they were supposed to
Woman wearing B&W Px8 wireless headphones in tan.

Bowers & Wilkins (B&W) has finally released its Px8 noise-canceling wireless headphones, which it had previously teased at the launch of the Px7 S2, but the price is far higher than what we were initially told. In June 2022, the one detail the company was willing to share was the Px8's price: $549 -- a $150 premium over the price of the Px7 S2. Now, however, we've been given a new price for the Px8. It costs an eye-watering $699. You can order them starting September 28 from bowerswilkins.com.

This makes the Px8 one of the few sets of wireless headphones to break the $600 barrier, joining  the $899 B&O Beoplay H95 and $999 Mark Levinson No. 5909 as some of the most expensive models you can buy. Digital Trends reached out to B&W representatives to ask for an explanation of the sudden price change, and we received this response:
When we revealed our new Px7 S2 headphones earlier this year, we chose to announce our new flagship headphone model, the Px8, at the same time. This announcement was made much earlier than Px8’s planned on-sale date, but it was a conscious choice: we felt it allowed our customers to make their own decision on which model of Bowers & Wilkins headphone would be right for them. However, while that message was sent out with the best intentions, we mistakenly communicated a selling price for Px8 that was not an accurate reflection of the true final price.
The company also said that it believes the Px8 "truly offers great value at a competitive price" given their ability and position in the market.

Read more
Bowers & Wilkins’ upcoming Px8 are so secret, we can only reveal the price
Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2 close-up.

Bowers & Wilkins (B&W) just updated its flagship noise-canceling headphones -- be sure to read our Px7 S2 review. But even before the first reviews could be published, the British audio brand hit us with a bombshell: The Px7 S2 will have a very short reign as the company's best cans.

Later this year, we will be introduced to the Bowers & Wilkins Px8, a set of wireless headphones that B&W has already indicated will be its new flagship product.

Read more