Sonos has a new thing

[Multicore]

To get back on topic: why did a brand that built its reputation on selling mid-fi convenience audio, buy a technology that’s supposed to deliver cutting edge high end sound?

My guess, given the discussion here, is size optimization. If they can deliver the SQ that their market expects from the brand with smaller devices then that could be very important competitively. Alternatively, ensuring that Sonos's competitors can't use this tech to make their devices sound like their gear but even smaller might be worth 100m.

Remember the Phaeton, a car that shared much of its construction with Bentley? It was a Volkswagen, so nobody bought it.

Cars are banal. That one was especially daft, looking like a Passat enlarged and rounded out with hydroforming.

 

[Petrushka]

Sonos Ones are sealed like all Sonos speakers, they don’t have ports.

I assume you have access to a source that I can’t find. Mine has a distinct bass note which sounds to me like a musical jug. All low bass hits this note, a single pitch, and it’s exaggerated.

 

[somebodyelse]

I assume you have access to a source that I can’t find. Mine has a distinct bass note which sounds to me like a musical jug. All low bass hits this note, a single pitch, and it’s exaggerated.

No port or passive radiator visible when stripped down at https://www.ifixit.com/Device/Sonos_One

 

[DudleyDuoflush]

Apparently you can no longer use Play 3s as surrounds for the Arc Ultra. That’s me out then.

 

[Old_School_Brad]

I assume you have access to a source that I can’t find. Mine has a distinct bass note which sounds to me like a musical jug. All low bass hits this note, a single pitch, and it’s exaggerated.

Room mode or the active DSP perhaps.

 

[vert]

All anecdotal and nobody likely will care, but I was a prospective Sonos customer - I had decided to buy a pair of Fives as a stereo system, and eventually decided not too, thinking that the fixing of their app was taking way too long, and not liking the way they were communicating with the public one bit. I lost trust in them. I couldn't be sure the product I was about to buy would still be supported a few years from now. A traditional system will work 30 years from now. I recently found a pair of Revel M16s, for less money, and don't regret my choice.

 

[Petrushka]

All anecdotal and nobody likely will care, but I was a prospective Sonos customer - I had decided to buy a pair of Fives as a stereo system, and eventually decided not too, thinking that the fixing of their app was taking way too long, and not liking the way they were communicating with the public one bit. I lost trust in them. I couldn't be sure the product I was about to buy would still be supported a few years from now. A traditional system will work 30 years from now. I recently found a pair of Revel M16s, for less money, and don't regret my choice.

Sonos is a convenience company, not a sound quality company. They have so far managed to outdo Bose in both convenience and quality, but they are not competing with traditional stereo components.

 

[Timcognito]

WiiM, Bluesound, Google, Apple are nipping at Sonos' heals. If this speaker is accurate down to LF and has small footprint it could differentiate them. And if they are bold they will enter the stand alone speaker market as size is big factor in producing LF.

 

[Martijn Mensink]

I believe Martijn ( Mensink) was evaluating the Mayht drivers at one point, pre sonos.
Keith

That's right. The technology is impressive. Lots of output with very little distortion. We designed a product around a dual 6.5" version of the Mayht driver. We were close to signing a contract with them, or so we thought, and then there was radio silence. After a few weeks we read the news, they had sold the company to Sonos for 100 million dollars. Damn. Quite a disappointment for us, but amazing for the Mayht brothers.

 

[kemmler3D]

That's right. The technology is impressive. Lots of output with very little distortion. We designed a product around a dual 6.5" version of the Mayht driver. We were close to signing a contract with them, or so we thought, and then there was radio silence. After a few weeks we read the news, they had sold the company to Sonos for 100 million dollars. Damn. Quite a disappointment for us, but amazing for the Mayht brothers.

Selling a driver technology for 9 figures is very remarkable in today's world, it's not like there has been radical innovation in voice coils for a while. I hope Sonos makes good use of it. Would be a shame to see it relegated to a slightly-better-than-the-competition soundbar and nothing more.

 

[vert]

Sonos is a convenience company, not a sound quality company. They have so far managed to outdo Bose in both convenience and quality, but they are not competing with traditional stereo components.

I guess I'll never know. Amir's review says they're more than a convenience product though.

 

[Timcognito]

That's right. The technology is impressive. Lots of output with very little distortion. We designed a product around a dual 6.5" version of the Mayht driver. We were close to signing a contract with them, or so we thought, and then there was radio silence. After a few weeks we read the news, they had sold the company to Sonos for 100 million dollars. Damn. Quite a disappointment for us, but amazing for the Mayht brothers.

Hi Martijn,
@Martijn Mensink what more can you tell us about your findings on this technology without breaking your nondisclosure agreement.

 

[Soniclife]

That's right. The technology is impressive. Lots of output with very little distortion. We designed a product around a dual 6.5" version of the Mayht driver. We were close to signing a contract with them, or so we thought, and then there was radio silence. After a few weeks we read the news, they had sold the company to Sonos for 100 million dollars. Damn. Quite a disappointment for us, but amazing for the Mayht brothers.

Good to know that low distortion was part of the deal, that wasn't guaranteed, a pity the whole market might never get to play with them.

 

[Timcognito]

We designed a product around a dual 6.5" version of the Mayht driver.

As an engineer who is named as an inventor on over 100 patents and intimately involved in two expensive patent infringement litigation's, my advice:
Anything that your speaker design added to the Mayht design and is a novel combination not covered by their patent or agreement should patented by your company ASAP. If Sonos can spend that much for that patent maybe yours could be worth something too.

 

[Pretorious]

Sonos is a convenience company, not a sound quality company. They have so far managed to outdo Bose in both convenience and quality, but they are not competing with traditional stereo components.

I guess I'll never know. Amir's review says they're more than a convenience product though.

Agreed with @vert. In the face of evidence, I don't understand why these detrimental remarks persist. The science is there and the point of this site is audio science. Does it matter who does it? The prejudices that exist are quite palpable at times.

We have Amir's own reviews showing Sonos's dedication to good sound quality. When joined with the convenience features, it's hard to beat. The video below shows the company is not just slapping together parts without direction and calling it a day; and this new product further proves that. Using this new driver is an interesting development. They have dedicated themselves to engineering good sound.

Like wise, here is a similar video that gets passed around here demonstrating Samsung doing the same thing. Clearly, the influence of Harman was a boon to their product development.

 

[GXAlan]

Like wise, here is a similar video that gets passed around here demonstrating Samsung doing the same thing. Clearly, the influence of Harman was a boon to their product development.

To be fair, Samsung hired Allan Devantier from Harman before they acquired Harman.

How Samsung plans to be the next Bowers and Wilkins

The name "Samsung" evokes images of phones, TVs and maybe even appliances. But the Korean electronics giant is betting big on audio, too. We got a look at the company's California testing lab where its sonic aspirations begin.

www.cnet.com

 

[Martijn Mensink]

Hi Martijn,
@Martijn Mensink what more can you tell us about your findings on this technology without breaking your nondisclosure agreement.

Much of the information covered by the NDA is now publicly available. Is there something specific you'd like to know?

 

[Timcognito]

Much of the information covered by the NDA is now publicly available. Is there something specific you'd like to know?

What is the thing that is worth $100 million, size to output, clarity etc.

 

[olieb]

Much of the information covered by the NDA is now publicly available. Is there something specific you'd like to know?

As I understand they are using multiple motors per diaphragm. How do they get low distortion without making the result (much) more expensive than a traditional woofer with low distortion?

 

[mmi]

I assume you have access to a source that I can’t find. Mine has a distinct bass note which sounds to me like a musical jug. All low bass hits this note, a single pitch, and it’s exaggerated.

Sonos One Mid-Woofer Diaphragm Repair/ Replacement

This guide is for the replacement of the woofer diaphragm for the Sonos One. Important: Accessing the internals of the Sonos One will void the...

www.ifixit.com