Audio equipment manufacturer Sonos is about to expand its smart home portfolio with a home theater smart speaker combo, according to a regulatory filing published April 30.
Not much is known about this speaker, but it's referred to in the document as "S14" and apparently features an HDMI port.
A spokesperson for Sonos declined to address the filing directly, as Variety notes.
"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."
Home Theater
Sonos first entered the home theater market in 2013 when it introduced the Playbar, a wireless soundbar that can stream music and output full-theater sound. Its most recent home theater product is Playbase, another soundbar with internet features. This device is slated to get AirPlay support "soon."
The FCC filing reveals very little, and much of the important details were redacted. It does, however, refer to the product as a "high-performance all-in-one home theater smart speaker."
Exactly what Sonos means by this largely remains a mystery, but the easiest bet to make for now is that this soundbar will support voice commands, similar to the Sonos One, which is part of the company's smart speaker lineup.
What this device looks like also remains a mystery, but it could be aesthetically similar to the Playbase, which is smaller than the Playbar and is meant to sit directly below a TV.
Make sure to check out the label filing as it gives a sneak peak of the device's user interface, which is rather similar to the Sonos One. One notable visual element of the interface is a microphone symbol, lending credence to the rumor that the S14 will have voice control capabilities.
HDMI Port Included
Interestingly, the filing also mentions an HDMI port built into the device, which Sonos hasn't added before on any of its previous soundbars. Instead, it relied on optical out for digital sound. The downside? They weren't able to support more dynamic home theater audio formats such as Dolby Atmos. It seems that will change with this S14 product. Suppose it supports HDMI 2.1, then it would be able to play lossless audio formats.
Pricing and release date have yet to be determined, needless to say. Fillings usually occur when a product is almost ready to get an official launch, it should be noted. Take that however you will. If you have any thoughts about this mysterious S14 device, feel free to sound them off in the comments section below!
