Hey Sonos Community! 🌟 For this week's Throwback Thursday, we’re taking a nostalgic trip down memory lane to revisit our transformative journey from 2020 to 2025. These years were filled with innovation, challenges, and significant milestones that shaped who we are today.
Let's dive into what hardware released during this period. This is also when I was attending a few events at Sonos in the Nordics, so why not show you all some of the products 'live' instead of only using promotional photos?
2020: A Year of New Beginnings
In 2020, we launched the Sonos Arc, our premium soundbar with Dolby Atmos support, delivering immersive, cinema-quality sound:
The Arc was our first product to support Dolby Atmos, and it quickly became a favorite for home theater enthusiasts. Alongside it, we introduced the Sonos Sub Gen 3 and Sonos Five on June 8th, enhancing bass performance and providing rich, room-filling audio.
Later that year, we released the Sonos Arc SL on December 2nd, offering a sleek, microphone-free version of our popular soundbar.
2021: Expanding Our Ecosystem
2021 was all about expanding our product lineup and enhancing our ecosystem. We introduced the Sonos Roam on March 9th, a portable smart speaker designed for both indoor and outdoor use, featuring automatic Trueplay tuning and up to 10 hours of battery life. This made it perfect as a speaker to bring with you while traveling.
We also collaborated with IKEA to launch the Symfonisk picture frame on July 15th and the Symfonisk speaker lamp on October 12th, blending high-quality sound with home decor.
Additionally, we released the Sonos Beam Gen 2 on October 5th, bringing enhanced audio performance and Dolby Atmos support to our compact soundbar.
This update also went away from the cloth fabric as the grill, which I personally appreciate as the white Beam on my desk may have gotten a few stains 😅
2022: Embracing Sustainability
In 2022, we continued our commitment to sustainability and innovation. We launched the Symfonisk bookshelf Gen 2 on January 7th and the Sonos Roam SL on March 1st, a streamlined version of our portable speaker without a microphone. The Sonos Ray, a compact soundbar, was introduced on June 7th, offering impressive sound in a smaller form factor. Along side it, was the new color variations of the Roam. I participated in the reveal event in Copenhagen, which was particularly interesting as it was done in an old warehouse. So I got to show off the wonders of Trueplay:
No, your eyes are not deceiving you. Ray's presentation took place inside a greenhouse within an old warehouse building. You can probably imagine how the acoustics were before we added a thick carpet and a wall to prevent sound reflection. 😅
And this is what the Roams looked like, of course paired with other similar colored items:
Anyone able to guess where the location is? It is a fairly famous part of Copenhagen and the area and this building has even been used in some music videos. 😉
Later in the year, we released the Sonos Sub Mini on October 6th, providing powerful bass in a more compact design. The Sub Mini was designed to fit seamlessly into any room, making it a versatile addition to our lineup. I personally have one of my plants sitting on top of it, which helps it blend in even more.
2023: Navigating Market Competition
The competitive landscape intensified in 2023, and we responded by focusing on our unique selling points: superior sound quality and a robust multi-room audio experience. We introduced the Sonos Era 100 and Sonos Era 300 speakers on March 28th, featuring advanced audio technology and spatial audio capabilities. The design of the Era 300 sparked some controversy because the speaker design was so different compared to our previous speakers. I asked Aki Laine our Director of Industrial Design about this, and here's what he had to say:
At Sonos, design is not about applying a fashion point of view or responding to a styling trend.
We believe audio experiences should stand on their own, free from unnecessary visual distractions, decorative accents, or gratuitous technological flourishes. For us, design is about crafting forms that enable as many people as possible to enjoy the content they love — all from the comfort of their own homes.
The Era 300 represents a bold reimagining of what a smart speaker can be. It also serves as a prime example of Sonos' design philosophy in action. Our process starts, first and foremost, with sound. This is our first speaker designed from the ground up with spatial audio as its guiding inspiration. From the earliest stages of development, design and engineering worked in close partnership, continuously informing each other’s progress with complementary perspectives. This collaboration allowed us to envelop the speaker’s intricate acoustic architecture in a sleek, compact form — one that’s elegantly cinched like an hourglass to seamlessly blend into a wide range of home environments. Every angle, proportion, and perforation of the Era 300 is intentionally crafted to enhance sound direction and dispersion, all while elevating the aesthetic of any space it occupies.
What do you think about the Era 300 now that is has been out for 2 years? Have your opinions changed about the design?
Here are a few photos from the event:
And my favorite, the transparent Era 100 and 300. I wish we sold these as a special edition:
Later in the year, we launched the Sonos Move 2 on September 20th, an upgraded version of our popular portable speaker. It features improved battery life, enhanced durability, a new touch interface similar to the Eras, and my favorite part—updated internals that eliminate the need to switch between Bluetooth and Wi-Fi modes:
2024: Continuing Innovation
In 2024, we remained committed to innovation, launching the Sonos Roam 2 on May 21st, which was an updated version of the original Sonos Roam, and Sonos Ace on June 5th.
The Ace brought groundbreaking features like TV Audio Swap, allowing users to seamlessly switch audio from their TV to their headphones for a private, immersive experience. We also introduced the Sonos Arc Ultra and Sonos Sub Gen 4 on October 29th:
The Arc Ultra featured the revolutionary Sound Motion driver from Mayht, delivering deeper bass and enhanced clarity.
2025: Looking Ahead
As we enter 2025, we have released the Sonos Era 100 Pro with PoE for installers and businesses.
I personally wish I had a few of them, as I have Ethernet all around the house, and it would be a great way to get everything installed with as few cables as possible. But I wonder if I am one of the few or if some of you could find a use case for them at home?
And that was it, we have gone through all 20 years of the Sonos Community so far.
The future of products and features remains uncertain, but that doesn’t stop us from speculating about what the engineers might have in store for us!
So, we want to hear from you! If you could choose one new feature or product that Sonos should release, what would it be and why? Share your ideas down below, and maybe your idea will be the lucky winner of an Arc Ultra and an Ace.
Feel free to share your favorite Sonos memories or products in the comments below. Happy Throwback Thursday! 📻✨
Read the T&C’s here:
SONOS “20-YEAR ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION” TERMS AND CONDITIONS
The “Sonos Community 20-year Anniversary” contests (collectively, the "Contest") begins on January 6th at 15.00 AM CET and ends on March 2nd, 2025 at 12.00 AM CET (the "Entry Period").
HOW IT WORKS
To participate in the Contest and to be eligible for winning a prize, users must participate in the Contest during the Entry Period .
You can enter the Contest through any of the following methods, each an individual contest:
- Show us your sonos hacks. Post pictures and ideas of your favorite Sonos hacks or DIY projects to see who receives the most likes for their hack/idea. The comment with the most likes will win the prize.
- Show us your setups. Users will be invited to post pictures of their Sonos setups and share stories about how their setups have evolved over the years. The comment with the most likes will win the prize.
- Your most wished for Sonos product/feature. You will be asked to share what feature or product you wish for Sonos to release. The comment with the most likes will win the prize.
- Best answers. You will be giving the best answers when another user marks your comment to their question as the “best answer”. The winner will be the user with the highest amounts of best answers across the community during the Event Period.
- Most likes. You will be given a like when other users press the “like” button to your comment on the community. The winner will be the user with the highest amount of likes received across the community during the Event Period.
- Most comments. The user with the highest amount of comments (on all subforums) across the community during the Event Period will be the winner.
- Most Comments in the Sonos 20 Year Anniversary Event group. The user with the highest number of comments created specifically in the 20 year anniversary group during the Event Period will be the winner.
- Most likes in the Sonos 20 Year Anniversary Event group. Only likes within the Sonos 20 year anniversary group will be counted towards this. The user with the highest amount of likes specifically within the 20 Year Anniversary Event group during the Event Period will be the winner.
Participation in the Contest does not constitute entry into any other promotion, contest or sweepstakes. By participating in the Contest, users unconditionally accept and agree to comply with and abide by these Official Rules and the decisions of Sonos, Inc. ("Sonos") and Sonos' designated representatives, which shall be final and binding in all respects.
ELIGIBILITY
Only legal residents of Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada (except Quebec), Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guernsey, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Jersey, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxemburg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, and the United States (collectively, the “Territories”), who, at the time of entry, are 1) located in one of the Territories, and 2) are of the age of majority in their respective Territory, are eligible to enter and/or win a prize in the Contest. Sonos, and its parents, subsidiaries, affiliates, distributors, employees, contractors, retailers, sales representatives, advertising and promotion agencies and any other individual or company involved in the development or execution of the Contest and each of their respective officers, directors, agents and employees (collectively, with Sonos, the "Promotion Entities"), and each of their immediate family members and/or people living in the same household are NOT eligible to enter the Contest or win a prize. Sonos reserves the right to verify eligibility qualifications of the potential winners. No group entries. This Contest is void where prohibited. No purchase necessary. A purchase will not improve your chances of winning.
Participation by a user has to be completed by the end of the Entry Period in order to be eligible to win. The database clock located on www.sonos.com will be the official timekeeper for this Contest. Except as otherwise contemplated in these Official Rules, and to the extent participants may otherwise elect at the time of participation, personal information collected in connection with the Contest will be used in accordance with Sonos' privacy policy located at http://www.sonos.com/legal/privacy.
WINNER SELECTION AND NOTIFICATION
How do you win?
At the end of the Entry Period, Sonos will select a total number of eight (8) winners of the Contest, one for each of the categories listed in the “How It Works” section above. If two winners “tie” based on the metrics above, the user with the older account will win the tiebreak. If the winner does not want the prize the user with the second best metrics in the chosen category will win the prize.
No later than March 2nd, 2025, Sonos will contact the winners via private message in the community. Sonos shall have no liability for any winner notification that is lost, intercepted or not received by a potential prize winner for any reason. Time is of the essence in verifying each potential prize winner and awarding each prize. If, despite reasonable efforts, a potential winner does not respond within twenty-four (24) hours of the first notification attempt, or if the prize notification is returned as undeliverable to such potential winner, such potential winner will forfeit their prize and a runner-up winner may be selected. If any potential winner is found to be ineligible, or if they have not complied with these Official Rules or declines a prize for any reason prior to award, such potential winner will be disqualified, and an alternate winner may be selected. Sonos may successively attempt to contact up to two (2) potential winner(s) of an applicable prize in accordance with such procedure, and if there is still no confirmed winner(s) of such applicable prize after such attempts have been made, if any, such prize may go unawarded.
What do you win?
Each winner of the Contest, determined as set forth above, shall receive the following product(s) (each a “Prize” and collectively, the “Prizes”).
- Show us your sonos hacks. The winner will receive the following prizes from the contest: One (1) Sonos Arc Ultra and One (1) Sonos Sub 4 for a value of 1798 USD, 1898 Euro or the equivalent in the local currency.
- Show us your setups. The winner will receive the following prizes from the contest: One (1) Sonos Ray and One (1) Sonos Sub Mini for a value of 708 USD, 798 Euro or the equivalent in the local currency.
- Your most wished for Sonos product/feature. The winner will receive the following prizes from the contest: One (1) Sonos Arc Ultra and One (1) Sonos Ace for a value of 1448 USD, 1498 Euro or the equivalent in the local currency.
- Best answers. The winner will receive the following prizes from the contest: Two (2) Sonos Era 300 for a value of 898 USD, 998 Euro or the equivalent in the local currency.
- Most comments. The winner will receive the following prizes from the contest: Two (2) Sonos Era 100 for a value of 498 USD, 558 Euro or the equivalent in the local currency.
- Most likes. The winner will receive the following prizes from the contest: One (1) Sonos Ray for a value of 279 USD, 299 Euro or the equivalent in the local currency.
- Most Comments in the Event group. The winner will receive the following prizes from the contest: One (1) Sonos Ace for a value of 449 USD, 499 Euro or the equivalent in the local currency.
- Most likes in the event group. The winner will receive the following prizes from the contest: One (1) Sonos Ace for a value of 449 USD, 499 Euro or the equivalent in the local currency.
Sonos will ship the Prizes to verified winners shortly following the end of the Entry Period and only following execution of all Prize Claim Documents (as more fully described below). The Prizes will be delivered only to addresses in the Territories. Further details and instructions for redeeming the voucher are included in the private message the winner will receive.
Prizes will be awarded only if a potential Prize winner fully complies with these Official Rules. Each Prize winner shall be solely responsible for all state, federal and/or local taxes, and the reporting consequences thereof, and for any other fees or costs associated with a Prize. Sonos shall be responsible for shipping each Prize to each potential winner. Each potential winner may be required to execute an Affidavit of Eligibility, a Liability Release, any other applicable form or documentation concerning the Prize and (where legal) a Publicity Release, and confirmation of shipping information (collectively, "Prize Claim Documents"). If a potential winner fails or refuses to sign and return all relevant Prize Claim Documents within three (3) days of Prize notification, such potential winner may be disqualified and an alternate winner may be selected.
Sonos makes no warranties, and hereby disclaims any and all warranties, express or implied, concerning the Prizes furnished in connection with the Contest.
GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS
By entering the Contest, you agree that Promotion Entities (A) shall not be responsible or liable for, and are hereby released from, any and all costs, injuries, losses or damages of any kind, including, without limitation, death and bodily injury, due in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, to participation in the Contest or any Contest-related activity, or from Entrants' acceptance, receipt, possession and/or use or misuse of the Prizes, and (B) have not made any warranty, representation or guarantee express or implied, in fact or in law, with respect to the Prizes, including, without limitation, to the Prizes' quality or fitness for a particular purpose. Sonos assumes no responsibility for any damage to an Entrant's, or any other person's, computer system which is occasioned by participating in the Contest, or for any computer system, phone line, hardware, software or program malfunctions, or other errors, failures, delayed computer transmissions or network connections that are human or technical in nature.
Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, Sonos is not responsible for incomplete, illegible, misdirected, misprinted, late, lost, damaged, stolen, or postage-due submissions or prize notifications; or for lost, interrupted, inaccessible or unavailable networks, servers, satellites, Internet service providers, websites, or other connections; or for miscommunications, failed, jumbled, scrambled, delayed, or misdirected computer, telephone or cable transmissions; or for any technical malfunctions, failures, difficulties or other errors of any kind or nature; or for the incorrect or inaccurate capture of information, or the failure to capture any information.
Sonos reserves the right in its sole discretion to disqualify any individual who is found to be tampering with the entry process or the operation of the Contest or the Website, to be acting in violation of these Official Rules, or to be acting in an unsportsmanlike or disruptive manner, or with the intent to disrupt or undermine the legitimate operation of the Contest, or to annoy, abuse, threaten or harass any other person, and Sonos reserves the right to seek damages and other remedies from any such person to the fullest extent permitted by law. No mechanically reproduced, illegible, incomplete, forged, software-generated or other automated multiple entries will be accepted. If a dispute as to the identity of the individual who actually submitted an entry cannot be resolved to Sonos' satisfaction, the affected entry will be deemed ineligible. Sonos reserves the right to modify, extend, suspend, or terminate the Contest if it determines, in its sole discretion, that the Contest is technically impaired or corrupted or that fraud or technical problems, failures or malfunctions or other causes beyond Sonos' control have destroyed or severely undermined or to any degree impaired the integrity, administration, security, proper play and/or feasibility of the Contest as contemplated herein.
In the event an insufficient number of eligible entries are received and/or Sonos is prevented from conducting the drawing, awarding prizes or continuing with the Contest as contemplated herein by any event beyond its reasonable control, including but not limited to fire, storm, flood, earthquake, explosion, accidents, public disorders, civil unrest, disease outbreak, sabotage, acts of terrorism, acts of war (declared or undeclared), labor shortages riots or acts of God or public enemy, satellite or equipment failure, order of any court or jurisdiction, or other cause not reasonably within Sonos' control (each a "Force Majeure" event or occurrence), then subject to any governmental approval which may be required, Sonos shall have the right to modify, suspend, or terminate the Contest. If the Contest is terminated before the designated end date, Sonos will (if possible) select the potential winner from all eligible, non-suspect entries received as of the date of the event giving rise to the termination. Only the type and quantity of prizes described in these Official Rules will be awarded. These Official Rules may be modified or amended at any time before, during or after the Entry Period, only by a written document published on the Website by a duly authorized representative of Sonos.
Except as otherwise contemplated in these Official Rules, and to the extent Entrants may otherwise elect at the time of entry and/or verification as a semi-finalist, personal information collected in connection with the Contest will be used in accordance with Sonos' privacy policy located at www.sonos.com/legal/privacy.
By entering this Contest, you understand and agree that you shall have no right to enjoin or restrain the development, production, advertising, promotion, distribution or exploitation of the Contest, or any other business or project of Sonos or any of the Promotion Entities.
If any part of these Official Rules is deemed to be invalid or otherwise unenforceable or illegal, the balance of these Official Rules shall remain in effect and shall be construed in accordance with its terms as if the invalid or illegal provision, or the invalid or illegal portion of a provision, were not contained herein.
These Official Rules will be posted on the Website during the Entry Period and for at least six (6) weeks thereafter.
For residents of Australia and New Zealand
ALL ISSUES AND QUESTIONS CONCERNING THE CONSTRUCTION, VALIDITY, INTERPRETATION AND ENFORCEABILITY OF THESE OFFICIAL RULES OR THE RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS OF ENTRANTS OR SONOS IN CONNECTION WITH THE CONTEST SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE OR TERRITORY WHERE YOU LIVE WITHOUT GIVING EFFECT TO ANY CHOICE OF LAW OF CONFLICT OF LAW RULES OR PROVISIONS THAT WOULD CAUSE THE APPLICATION OF ANY OTHER STATE'S LAWS.
Except where prohibited by law, by entering this Contest, you agree that: (a) any and all disputes, claims, and causes of action arising out of or connected with the Contest shall be resolved individually without resort to any form of class action (b) any and all claims, judgments and awards shall be limited to actual out-of-pocket costs incurred (i.e., only costs associated with participating in the Contest), but shall not include attorney’s fees under any circumstances; and (c) you hereby waive all rights to claim punitive, incidental, and consequential damages. If any provision of these Official Rules is found to be invalid or unenforceable by a court of competent jurisdiction, such provision shall be severed from the remainder of these Official Rules, which will otherwise remain in full force and effect.
For residents of all countries of the Territories other than Australia and New Zealand
ALL ISSUES AND QUESTIONS CONCERNING THE CONSTRUCTION, VALIDITY, INTERPRETATION AND ENFORCEABILITY OF THESE OFFICIAL RULES OR THE RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS OF ENTRANTS OR SONOS IN CONNECTION WITH THE CONTEST SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE INTERNAL LAWS OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA WITHOUT GIVING EFFECT TO ANY CHOICE OF LAW OF CONFLICT OF LAW RULES OR PROVISIONS THAT WOULD CAUSE THE APPLICATION OF ANY OTHER STATE'S LAWS.
Except where prohibited by law, by entering this Contest, you agree that: (a) any and all disputes, claims, and causes of action arising out of or connected with the Contest shall be resolved individually without resort to any form of class action and exclusively by arbitration under the Commercial Arbitration Rules of the American Arbitration Association; (b) any and all claims, judgments and awards shall be limited to actual out-of-pocket costs incurred (i.e., only costs associated with participating in the Contest), but shall not include attorney’s fees under any circumstances; and (c) you hereby waive all rights to claim punitive, incidental, and consequential damages. If any provision of these Official Rules is found to be invalid or unenforceable by a court of competent jurisdiction, such provision shall be severed from the remainder of these Official Rules, which will otherwise remain in full force and effect.
