In brief: Sonos is preparing to launch a budget soundbar that'll reportedly be the company's most affordable yet. In its standalone configuration, the Sonos Ray will support Dolby Digital audio and connect to your television via optical cable. It can also be used in a 5.1 setup alongside other Sonos speakers, and can even be mounted vertically for use as rear surround sound speakers.
Sources familiar with the company's plans and internal documents seen by The Verge suggest the Sonos Ray (model S36 and codenamed Fury) will retail for around $249. To hit that price point, Sonos had to leave out key features like Dolby Atmos, built-in microphones and HDMI connectivity.
The soundbar is also said to have fewer speakers than other models in the company's lineup.
Despite not having integrated mics, users will still be able to lean on voice controls since Sonos' platform is compatible with Google Nest and Amazon Echo speakers.
Sonos is rumored to have at least a couple of other new products in the pipeline for 2022 including a set of wireless headphones and a subwoofer that's smaller and more affordable than its existing offering.
Retailer Ktronix accidentally published a listing for the sound bar this week, further supporting The Verge's claim that the product is real and likely to launch in the near future. The listing has since been removed but is still visible via Google's cached snapshot.
Image credit Jako Janse van Rensburg