Sonos released a software update for its speaker system on Tuesday that lets users directly connect to a Wi-Fi network.
The multi-room streaming system previously needed at least one wired connection to a home router in order to work, according to CNET. With the new update, the speakers function completely wirelessly when they are within the range of the Wi-Fi router in the user's home.
However, a wired connection is still needed for Sonos setups that use the Playbar soundbar in 3.1 or 5.1 configurations in order for the main and surround speakers to sync together.
The Santa Barbara, California-based company said it has been working on the wireless update for its speakers for two years, and that it took this long to deliver the feature because of issues that could come up in challenging wireless environments. Such scenarios include speakers that are out of range of the Wi-Fi signal, which affects the timing of music streaming. A Boost bridge device is being developed to handle these situations, Re/code reported.
Sonos' wireless speakers include the Play-1 Speaker, which costs $199, the TV Playbar, priced at $699, and the Sub, also priced at $699. The update allows all of these speakers to communicate with each other to play music in sync. Current owners can also use the Sonos mobile app to bring the update to their speaker systems.
Sonos is facing several competitors in the whole-home audio market, such as Samsung, LG, Bose and Play-Fi, CNET reported. The decline in price for Bluetooth speakers also poses a challenge.
