Sonos will announce tomorrow that it’s shipping a second-generation version of its Sonos One smart speaker (the first-gen model is pictured above). There have been reports on Sonos’ customer forums, however, of consumers already buying Sonos One (Gen 2) speakers at Best Buy. In fact, a picture of the box has been posted to the Sonos forum.
As usual, Sonos is circumspect about releasing details of the components inside its hardware, but a company spokesperson confirmed to TechHive that the Sonos One (Gen 2) is outfitted with a Bluetooth LE (Low Energy) radio, an updated processor, and increased memory.
“There are no changes to the design and features available for customers,” the spokesperson said, “and both the Sonos One (Gen 2) and the original Sonos One will continue to be supported through regular updates.”
The Bluetooth radio will be used only for initial setup, as is the case with the Sonos Beam soundbar. Once the speaker is set up, the Bluetooth radio is deactivated. As with other Sonos speakers that have Bluetooth radios onboard, the Sonos One (Gen 2) cannot receive Bluetooth audio streams from a smartphone or other device.
My contact did not comment on what benefits the updated processor and increased memory would provide, other than to confirm that there are no improvements to the speaker’s decoding abilities—it’s limited to 16-bit/48kHz resolution just like the rest of the line. He did confirm that the first- and second-generation speakers will be completely compatible, to the point that they can used together as a stereo pair, or as the left and right channels in a surround-sound setup with a Sonos soundbar.
If you’re in the market for a Sonos One, you might want to wait until tomorrow to pull the trigger, as retailers might be offering the Sonos One (Gen 1) at a $20 discount ($179).
Author: Michael Brown, Executive Editor
Michael is TechHive's lead editor, with 30+ years of experience covering the tech industry, focusing on the smart home, home audio, and home theater. He built his own smart home in 2007 and used it as a real-world test lab for product reviews. Following a relocation to the Pacific Northwest, he is now converting his new home, an 1890 Victorian bungalow, into a modern smart home.