What you need to know
- A new leak suggests the Sonos "Fury" soundbar will debut in early June.
- This soundbar is said to be priced around $249 and will be the cheapest Sonos soundbar to date.
- The leak claims that it will lack Dolby Atmos support and built-in microphones.
For years, we've know Sonos to be at the top of the tower for those looking at the best soundbars. While options like the Beam and Arc are specifically aimed at the higher-end market, Sonos has decided to stay out of the more budget-friendly market. But it seems that won't be the case for too much longer.
A new leak from The Verge describes the Sonos "Fury," which is internally known as "model S36." Pricing for the Fury is said to come in at $249, which is at least $200 cheaper than the ultra-popular Sonos Beam lineup and even cheaper than the Sonos Move. Coming in at this price point allows Sonos to better compete with the likes of Vizio and Yamaha while leaving others like Roku to clean up the sub-$200 market.
The Verge also provided a couple of in-house created renders that are based on the dimensions and available in the leak. These show a rather muted design on the whole, and it seems that there won't even be any physical buttons on the top to control the audio playback.
Of course, releasing a new soundbar at this much-lower price point means that we're in store for some compromises. According to The Verge, the Sonos Fury will not include Dolby Atmos support, nor will it include any built-in microphones for voice assistant commands. Another surprising omission seems to be the lack of an HDMI eARC port, instead leaving the Fury to only be connected using an optical cable.
As noted in this leak, Sonos is set to also release a new soundbar mount that will allow the Fury to be mounted either vertically or horizontally. It's said that "Sonos anticipates that a fair number of customers will use the new soundbar as paired surrounds for the high-end Sonos Arc." This will provide a Dolby Digital surround sound 5.1 system with the audio quality you would expect from a Sonos soundbar while allowing the Arc to provide all of the power and smart home features you would want.
Finally, The Verge claims that Sonos is likely to formally introduce its next soundbar on June 7, a little more than a month away. Sonos also responded to The Verge, stating that it "don’t comment on rumor or speculation."
The Sonos Beam (Gen 2) is a great step-up for those who want more than just a barebones soundbar. You'll be able to enjoy Google Assistant support, along with controlling your TV with your voice, and that tried-and-true Sonos sound profile.
