If you’re in the market to buy a soundbar, you might want to save your cash for what Sonos has coming up.
The Verge is reporting that Sonos’ entry-level soundbar is nearly ready for its closeup, and it could be here as soon as June 7. The device is supposedly codenamed “Fury,” though the publication says it’s likely to be listed as “model S36.” The model will purportedly cost $250 and will join Sonos’ existing soundbar lineup, including the $450 Beam 2 and the $800 Arc.
There are no official pictures from Sonos showing off the new device, so The Verge mocked up its own 3D renders for the news. Though it’s not an exact replica of what’s to come, it does offer a bit of a glimpse into Sonos’ strategy going forward.
It was inevitable that Sonos would follow through with a budget offering. Its speakers have been lauded about for over a decade for their relative room-filling sound. There has also been a host of budget competition coming into the fold from other brands, namely Vizio, which managed to put together a particularly booming home theater package with the V-Series V51x-J6, now available for under $200.
Since it is not a flagship device, the rumored budget Sonos soundbar isn’t being reported as having the same offerings as its premium counterparts. It presumably won’t have Dolby Atmos or built-in microphones for calling on a digital assistant, nor will it have an HDMI port. There’s only an optical cable in the box for connecting it to your TV, says the leak. However, if you have other Sonos speakers in your household, you can supposedly sync them up with this one to get 5.1 surround sound. At least there will probably now be an affordable way to add to your ecosystem without breaking the bank even more than you already have after investing in a Sonos system.
The Sonos S36’s leaked specs make it out to be smaller than the Sonos Beam, which itself was already a pretty compact device. The company also figures that its existing userbase might want to grab one of these to add to their setup, says the report, so it will also supposedly be selling an accessory to vertically mount the soundbar on the wall.
Sonos has yet to announce this affordable soundbar, so for now, it’s merely something to look forward to. The Verge asked Sonos about this particular leak, to which the company replied that it doesn’t “comment on rumor or speculation.”
