Sonos Unveils New PLAYBASE Speaker That Sits Under Your TV [Video]

Sonos has unveiled PLAYBASE, a new speaker that's designed to sit under your TV.

At just 58 mm in height and packing 10 drivers, PLAYBASE offers everything you’d expect from a Sonos speaker – great sound when the TV is on and music all the time when it’s off. It was designed to disappear into the home. Appearing as if it was cut from a single piece of granite, it challenges conventional expectations of sound from a thin speaker. The construction comes together with no visible seams resulting in incredibly clean lines, an ultra-flat top surface, and more than 43,000 holes that make up an acoustically transparent grill.

"When we think about what product we’ll invent next, we think first about the home, and the role each of our products play in the home. What we realized is that PLAYBAR only met the need of the small percentage of homes where people mount their televisions on the wall," said Sonos CEO, Patrick Spence. "We saw a tremendous opportunity to deliver great sound in great style for the majority of homes where the TV sits on a piece of furniture. It was a huge challenge where we pushed the boundaries of design, acoustics, materials, wireless and software, and we can’t wait for people to bring it home."



Sonos manufactured the PLAYBASE using a complex insert molding process and a custom-designed glass-filled polycarbonate exterior to keep vibration to a minimum and withstand the weight of a TV. It is set up using just two cords (optical and power), expands to other rooms when wirelessly connected to your Sonos home sound system, and is equal parts TV speaker and music speaker, with access to more than 80 music services. PLAYBASE has 10 custom-designed drivers with dedicated amplifiers – six mid-range, three tweeters, and one woofer – that are powered by software to precisely control the sound coming from each transducer. The result is a sound stage much wider than the speaker itself.

With software, we’re also able to deliver flexible control experiences – whether with your TV remote, Sonos app, or select partner apps—and add new features over time. This includes Trueplay, recently available for Sonos’ home theater products, which adjusts the sound of PLAYBASE to the specifics of any particular room. In addition, Dialogue Enhancement and Night Mode, both options within the Sonos App, allow for enhanced vocal clarity or toned down bass for loud action scenes.

Later this year, like every other Sonos speaker, you'll be able to control PLAYBASE using your voice and any Amazon Alexa enabled device.

Pricing and Availability:
PLAYBASE will be available globally starting on April 4, 2017. It is priced at $699 US and available in both black and white. Starting today, current Sonos owners have access to an exclusive pre-order of PLAYBASE on Sonos.com.

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