Sonos buys Bluetooth audio startup fuelling Sonos headphones rumours

Sonos buys Bluetooth audio startup – Sonos headphones to have next-gen wireless audio?
(Image credit: Sonos)

Sonos has bought a company specialising in Bluetooth LE Audio, stoking the rumour fire concerning the highly anticipated first pair of Sonos wireless headphones.

T2 Software is a startup based in Louisville, Kentucky. Its specialism is implementing Bluetooth LE Audio, a new standard of Bluetooth Low Energy that promises higher-quality audio over Bluetooth while optimising a device's battery life. Speculation is rife that Sonos will implement the tech in its first pair of wireless headphones which are rumoured to launch soon.

Recently, a patent also revealed that Sonos is investigating making the headphones work over wi-fi as well as Bluetooth, which is another possible solution to the bandwidth issues that come with traditional Bluetooth transmission.

A Sonos spokesperson confirmed the acquisition to Protocol. While they didn't confirm how it would use Bluetooth LE Audio, they also didn't deny it would be used in a pair of headphones.

"Occasionally, we will acquire teams, talent, and/or technology that augment our existing and future product roadmap," the spokesperson said.

The acquisition was completed in November, but has only just been revealed. At the end of last year, it also emerged that Sonos had bought UK headphone maker RHA Audio.

T2 had previously worked with Bose. More recently, it had been working on implementations of Bluetooth LC3, an audio codec for the new Bluetooth LE Audio standard. LC3 is designed to transmit higher-quality audio at lower data rates than currently possible. This will have a major benefit to the battery life of all devices involved, including smartphones, wireless speakers and, yes, wireless headphones.

LC3 can also send out multiple audio streams simultaneously for better stereo pairing and more seamless voice assistant integration. And it can stream to multiple devices at once – so more than one pair of headphones could listen to the same audio simultaneously – much like a multi-room system working over wi-fi.

Throwing even more petrol on the rumour inferno, Sonos recently posted on networking site LinkedIn that it was searching for an advertising agency to help with "one of the most ambitious projects in [its] history." Now what could that be?

It seems a Sonos headphones launch could be getting closer by the day.

MORE:

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Our pick of the best wireless headphones

Sonos: everything you need to know about the multi-room king

Joe Svetlik

Joe has been writing about tech for 17 years, first on staff at T3 magazine, then in a freelance capacity for Stuff, The Sunday Times Travel Magazine, Men's Health, GQ, The Mirror, Trusted Reviews, TechRadar and many more (including What Hi-Fi?). His specialities include all things mobile, headphones and speakers that he can't justifying spending money on.

  • Crudehope
    I really hope Sonos release these headphones in time for Spring. Mowing the lawn will be enhanced no end with a never ending stream of music! But I also hope they include wifi streaming.
    Reply