Sonos has unveiled the all-new Sonos Amp, a home audio hub that powers traditional wired speakers with sound from nearly any source and fully integrates these speakers into Sonos’s wireless home sound system. The all-new Amp is twice as powerful as its predecessor, supports Apple’s AirPlay 2 and more than 100 streaming services, and includes an HDMI Arc port for TVs. Launching globally in February 2019, the $599 Amp will be available to professional installers in the United States and Canada starting Dec. 1, 2018.
Amp is designed to fit perfectly into standard AV racks used by custom install professionals, and can power up to four speakers with 125 watts per channel. Onboard HDMI and line-in ports means TVs, turntables, CD changers, and other audio components can connect with Amp and become part of the Sonos system.
Sonos and Sonance Collaborate on Architectural Sound
Sonos and architectural audio leader Sonance have announced a collaboration aimed at delivering a series of three architectural speakers — in-wall, in-ceiling, and outdoor — that gain additional functionality through software when paired with the new Sonos Amp.
This collaboration will provide a complete offering for professionally installed architectural sound, exclusively enabling Sonos’ Trueplay tuning capabilities to ensure the best sound for the space as well as the benefits of Sonos’ software platform. These products, which will be sold and marketed by Sonos, will launch in early 2019.
Open Developer Platform and New Control APIs
Sonos has been a platform company since day one, with a goal of giving customers freedom of choice, starting with an open approach to music services and expanding to support dozens of additional content and control partners, including multiple voice services.
Starting in early September, Sonos will further evolve the developer platform by fully opening up to all potential partners and will also add a new set of Control APIs, making it easier to integrate Sonos into the smart home.
The platform will continue to expand with new APIs that allow partners to innovate on their integrations with Sonos. New Control APIs and features make the experience better for customers, especially those with integrated control systems, such as Control4 and Crestron.
