Sonos' leaked Dolby Atmos speakers sound like the upgrade I’ve been waiting for

Sonos' current line-up sounds great, but it’s getting left behind in the Dolby Atmos race

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According to a report inThe Verge,Sonosis currently developing a new range of speakers that will include multi-directional speaker drivers and Dolby Atmos support.The Vergesays that it’s seen photos of the still-in-development larger flagship model (a recreation of which is just below), which apparently is known as ‘Optimo 2’ – for the moment, at least.

The report says that a smaller ‘Optimo 1’ speaker is also in development, as well as an ‘Optimo 1 SL’. It appears that the ‘Optimo 2’ would be a replacement (or equivalent to) theSonos Five, while the ‘Optimo 1’ and ‘Optimo 1 SL’ would replace theSonos OneandSonos One SL, respectively.

Aside from speaker upgrades and Dolby Atmos,The Vergesays that the flagship speaker is also being built with more advanced computing power than previous Sonos speakers, plus Bluetooth audio support in a non-portable speaker for the first time, and new features in the Sonos app. There will also be mics for voice control (though not in the ‘Optimo 1 SL’, most likely), and the company is considering USB-C audio input (the Sonos Five currently supports 3.5mm wired input).

The ‘Optimo 2’ will apparently have a new angular design, which looks like it would help it to fit in a range of speakers firing in all directions.

Based on whatThe Vergesays in its report, we wouldn’t expect these new speakers to arrive any time soon. In its earning report, Sonos mentioned another launch in 2022, but that’s expected to be the long-awaitedSonos Sub Mini.

And there’s no guarantee this is the final design, either.

During the launch of theSonos Ray, we interviewed Brandon Holley, Product Creation Lead at Sonos, and he told us that Sonos' design process includes a period of testing different physical shapes in people’s homes, to see how well they work in practical terms. These may not have any audio tech in – they’re to help in the overall design process.

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We suspect that it’s one of these prototypes thatThe Vergehas seen pictures of, which means that the product could be anywhere from in the middle of the engineering process – where neither acoustic or aesthetic designs are final – or it could be that it’s actually quite an advanced test unit. So don’t hold your breath, just in case.

The other big question is whether these speakers will use the new super-small speaker technology that Sonos gained in its acquisition of Mayht earlier this year. Mayht’s HeartMotion tech would enable Sonos to put much more speaker power in the same kind of space as its current speakers – but there’s no way to guess whether it can integrate the tech into its speakers any time soon. If it has, though, it could be very exciting.

Opinion: we’ve been waiting for this Dolby Atmos push

Regardless of what technology is inside the new ‘Optimo’ speakers, Sonos getting deeper into Dolby Atmos is desperately needed for the company.

TheSonos Arcis still a fantastic and popular soundbar, and its ability to work with other Sonos speakers in a surround system delivers excellent audio quality, but it’s being left behind in the tech race… and the price race.

Using Sonos Ones as your rear speakers means you only get upfiring Dolby Atmos sound from the Arc soundbar – not from the rear, so you’re only getting half the height experience that you could be.

Some of thebest soundbarsat the higher end now include rear speakers that feature upfiring Dolby Atmos sound, creating a more complete ‘dome of sound’ for home theater thrills. And they’re doing it for extremely competitive prices – theSamsung HW-Q930Bincludes soundbar, subwoofer and rear speakers with upfiring drivers, and costs abouthalfof what you’d pay for an equivalent Sonos setup, despite include better Atmos effects. And the Sonos system wouldn’t blow it away for sound quality or anything.

Soundbars and home theater speakers are now the major way Sonos makes its money, so it can’t afford to be left behind here – these new speakers with Dolby Atmos support are the perfect way for it to catch up, so let’s hope they’re not too far away.

And while we’re at it, here’swhat we’d like to see from a Sonos Arc 2to go with them…

Matt is TechRadar’s Managing Editor for Entertainment, meaning he’s in charge of persuading our team of writers and reviewers to watch the latest TV shows and movies on gorgeous TVs and listen to fantastic speakers and headphones. It’s a tough task, as you can imagine. Matt has over a decade of experience in tech publishing, and previously ran the TV & audio coverage for our colleagues at T3.com, and before that he edited T3 magazine. During his career, he’s also contributed to places as varied as Creative Bloq, PC Gamer, PetsRadar, MacLife, and Edge. TV and movie nerdism is his speciality, and he goes to the cinema three times a week. He’s always happy to explain the virtues of Dolby Vision over a drink, but he might need to use props, like he’s explaining the offside rule.

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