The Verge has seen in-progress photos of the Optimo 2, and it marks a substantial design evolution compared to existing Sonos products like the Sonos One, Five, Arc, Beam, and Roam. Housed in a funky, double-angled shell, the new device will be positioned as the best-sounding speaker Sonos has ever made. It includes an arsenal of drivers, including several that fire in different directions from under the shell between the front speaker grille and the backplate. The 3D recreation above is copper-colored, but the Optimo 2 will likely stick to Sonos’ traditional white and black color options. The front of the device can be seen in our image, with the vertical rectangle indicating where the Sonos logo will be. In terms of size, it looks like something like the Sonos Five / Play:5. According to people familiar with the product, the Optimo 2 includes twice the RAM and eight times more flash memory than any previous Sonos speaker. It’s a clearly designed powerhouse with a long software support road ahead. If current plans stay on track, the Optimo 2 will become the Swiss Army Knife of Sonos speakers. It will support music playback via Wi-Fi like all the company’s products and also Bluetooth audio. So far, Bluetooth playback has been limited to wearable hardware like the Move and Roam. Interestingly, the company is also considering USB-C line-in playback for the device. This would make it the only other modern Sonos speaker besides the Five to offer line-in capabilities. (The Sonos Five has a more traditional 3.5mm aux input.) With the help of built-in microphones, the Optimo 2 will have automatic sound tuning to optimize its performance in various settings. These microphones will also support Sonos Voice Control. As always, some of these features may be rejected and absent from the final shipping product. With its array of drivers (including one that appears to work upwards), the Optimo 2 will be a showcase for Dolby Atmos audio. But it’s only one piece of the puzzle. The Verge can report that the Optimo 2 is the flagship of a trio of devices in the works, which will also include the Optimo 1 and Optimo 1 SL. “SL” indicates that the latter will not include built-in microphones. The three products are intertwined with a major upcoming update to the Sonos software platform that will unlock new features. Apart from the microphones, specific differences between the three Optimo devices have yet to be learned. In theory, the Optimo 2 could serve as a successor to the Sonos Five, which hasn’t seen a major redesign in years. This would leave the Optimo 1 and 1 SL to fill the role of smaller smart speakers or satellite speakers in Sonos surround sound systems. Home theater has become a critical part of the business. Earlier this month, Sonos reported surging third-quarter earnings, blaming runaway inflation and an appreciating dollar for a lack of revenue. The company also revealed that it had pushed back the planned launch of a new product – almost certainly the Sub Mini – until the first fiscal quarter of 2023, which is between October and December of this calendar year. “Softening consumer demand across all of our product categories has had a huge impact on Roaming,” CEO Patrick Spence said on the quarterly investor call, also noting that the $279.99 Sonos Ray soundbar “significantly missed our expectations for the year” due to of the same reduced demand. . But Spence maintained an optimistic outlook. “We’re focusing on what we can control at this point. We are investing in a huge amount of new innovations and new products that we believe will help us emerge from these macroeconomic headwinds in an even stronger position.” The Optimo 2, Optimo 1 and Optimo 1 SL will be central to this innovation and stable product line-up. During fiscal 2022, Sonos released the second-generation Beam, Roam SL (plus new Roam colors), Sonos Ray, and Sonos Voice Control. It has also made acquisitions, including that of Mayht Holding BV, a company that Sonos claims has “invented a new, revolutionary approach to speakers” that allows them to be smaller and lighter without compromising quality. The Verge has reached out to Sonos for comment.
