Sonos Simplifies Its Wireless Music System Via Software Update That Allows Playback Over Wi-Fi

The Sonos announcement Tuesday that its wireless Bridge is no longer necessary for a Sonos multiroom audio system takes away one marketing salvo Sonos competitors have fired against the wireless music system leader. Companies hoping to take share from Sonos have used easy setup as a way to differentiate from Sonos, which until the latest software update required a bridge connected to a user’s router to establish a proprietary mesh network for the wireless music system to work.

In a blog post Tuesday, Sonos said software updates allow the company to “continuously improve Sonos -- making it easier, faster and more flexible for all, including those unboxing Sonos in their homes for the very first time.” Sonos 5.1 is a “major software update” that allows users to set up and run Sonos on an existing Wi-Fi network, the company said. “From now on, a wired connection to your router -- or a Sonos Bridge -- is no longer required,” it said.

When Sonos first launched more than a decade ago, Wi-Fi “was not good enough,” spokesman Eric Nielsen said: “We wanted to have a good music experience from the beginning so we created our own proprietary mesh network to make sure the music didn’t stop.” Some three years ago Wi-Fi systems “got better, faster, a little more robust … and we were able to figure out a way to simultaneously have our speakers connect to an access point wirelessly and have our wireless mesh network running at the same time,” he said. The latest software update creates a “best of both worlds” experience, he said.

Sonos still recommends using the Bridge when users want to ensure low latency in multiroom setups and for applications where a Wi-Fi signal isn’t strong, Nielsen said. If a home’s Wi-Fi network is taxed already by a Netflix movie streaming to a tablet, a bridge using the Sonos mesh network will beef up the signal, he said. “Some people still have challenging Wi-Fi environments,” he said. In its more than a year of testing, Sonos found that the Wi-Fi strength in most households was sufficient to support a Sonos system, he said. Owners of Sonos 3.1 and 5.1 home theater setups still require a wired connection, he said.

On whether the move to a Wi-Fi-only option was in response to competitors’ jabs at Sonos and the need for its Bridge, Nielsen said, “We just wanted to get simpler.” The need for a bridge was “confusing,” he said. “Now people can just start with a speaker.” The company isn’t telling existing users to remove the bridge from their system. “What you have now is a robust system; there’s no reason to unplug it,” he said.

Along with the software upgrade announcement, Sonos said it’s introducing later this year a “more powerful wireless accessory” called the Boost ($99) that delivers “enterprise-grade” wireless capabilities as an alternative to the $49 Bridge. Sonos had used the Bridge as a promotional item recently, bundling it for free with the purchase of a speaker, for instance, during last year’s holiday season. Sonos is still selling the Bridge on its website but now as an optional add-on to “improve wireless reliability in larger homes with heavy Wi-Fi traffic.” It was unclear whether the Bridge will remain in the line when the Boost begins to ship.