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India Today
08-05-2025
- Business
- India Today
Sonos bets big on India with Arc Ultra launch, dodges Trump tariffs with smart supply moves
Sonos is launching the Arc Ultra in India today. It is the most powerful soundbar that it makes at the time of writing. The Ultra is a direct sequel to the original Arc from 2020. Interestingly, Sonos didn't even exist in India back then, even though it has been around since 2002. It would take the Santa Barbara, California-based company – the makers of some of the most premium and pristine audio tech in the world – almost two more decades to arrive in the Indian subcontinent. But when it did finally make its way here, it did not waste any time. It learnt very quickly that this market was different, but maybe that is all it ever wanted. advertisement You see, Sonos, like Apple, likes to think differently, whether it is in the choices it makes with product, both hardware and software, the way it looks and feels, for instance, or the partnerships that would make them more appealing to the consumer. Those choices may be different depending on the category, but all point in one direction, which is to bring joy when someone sees and hears the understated Sonos Ace or the mighty Arc Ultra. On the sidelines of the launch, we sat down for an exclusive chat with Rennie Addabbo, General Manager for Sonos APAC, and Sara Lincoln, Principal Product Manager at Sonos Global. What followed was a fascinating deep dive into Sonos' ambitious India plans, the groundbreaking tech packed into its new devices, and how the company is navigating everything from global trade winds to the unique pulse of the Indian buyer. Sonos' big bet on India advertisement Forget a cautious dip in the water, Sonos is diving headfirst into the Indian market now. The late entry doesn't bother it (Its India story is relatively young, starting in 2021). The market is big, and the company is uniquely positioned. So, while one might think that this is a market dominated by the likes of Bose, Sony, LG, and so many more, Sonos feels right at home. 'At a market level, we remain incredibly excited about the potential of what we're seeing in India across a number of fronts,' Renee says. "I don't think there's been a more exciting time to be at home with entertainment and content.' Sonos Arc Ultra And he's got the numbers to back it up. Rennie points to India's growing appetite for content consumption – 'producing 1,800 movies out of Bollywood every year which is more than Hollywood by miles' – and the nation's undying passion for sports. 'I hear people in the US constantly talking about cricket and [Virat] Kohli and his following being bigger than LeBron [James],' he quips, clearly a fan himself. 'From a viewing point of view in home, I think 137 crores of digital audience, almost 40 percent larger than last year in the first weekend [for IPL]. So even after all these years, IPL gets bigger and bigger every year.' advertisement This explosion in content, coupled with over '540 million OTT subscribers in India,' creates a massive space for premium home entertainment. 'You bring that all into a home environment and that just means there's never been a better time to enjoy premium content at home,' Rennie asserts. But it's not just about what's on the screen. Sonos is keenly aware of the changing landscape of Indian homes themselves. 'What's also important to us is the growth in home ownership. It is the fastest growing market in the world,' Rennie explains. He highlights a significant trend in the premium segment: 'In 2024, in the premium home segment, 37 percent of unit sales of home sales were above 1 crore and a good part of that above 2 crores. When you translate that to the value of home sales, more than 70 percent of homes sold in 2024 in India were above a crore.' This, Rennie believes, 'really plays to the experience in people's homes with entertainment and their investment in appliances and home furnishings, which we know is a growing market and really plays to a sweet spot of ours.' It's a scenario mirroring Sonos's own success story. 'What we've seen work in our formative years in the US is playing out here [now] in India and that for me, is the joy of music throughout the home. We feel we've got a tight connection with Indian consumers and Indian consumers have a tight connection with Sonos.' advertisement This conviction is why 'India is a core priority market for us globally as we think about geographic expansion and so it's an area of accelerated investment for us,' Rennie reiterates, signalling a strong, long-term commitment. So, what's 'Ultra' about the Arc Ultra? The Sonos Arc already holds a cult status of sorts. So, when Sonos slaps an 'Ultra' on its successor, expectations are, well, ultra-high. The company knew from the very beginning it had big shoes to fill. 'When you see the Sub, it's a 4. It's a generational change,' Sara says, referencing the new Sonos Sub 4 (which is launching alongside the Arc Ultra). 'Even with the Beam Gen. 1 to Gen. 2, it was the same architecture, but we added virtualisation of Dolby Atmos, so it was very similar, but better. In the case of Arc to Arc Ultra, it is a step change in sound, and that's what we're trying to communicate to the customer.' advertisement At first glance, the Arc Ultra might look familiar. "When you put them side by side, you can see Arc Ultra is smaller both in height and in depth, but that's a little hard to see on first look," Sara admits. But don't let its subtly sleeker profile fool you. The magic is inside. Sara breaks down the 'Ultra' enhancements: 'Arc Ultra speaks to a couple of different areas where we've improved. In terms of bass, at the 50 Hertz frequency, the Arc Ultra delivers two times the bass output of Arc. That is huge.' At the heart of all this is a new type of proprietary transducer technology - Sonos calls it Sound Motion - that not only helps in doubling down on bass, but frees up space to fit more drivers. And so, it is able to pack 14 drivers (seven tweeters, six mid-woofers, and one woofer) up from 11 inside the original - and, somehow, still achieve a smaller footprint. Sonos Arc Ultra proprietary transducer that facilitates Sound Motion for deep bass. advertisement They are powered by 15 Class-D amplifiers for a more advanced 9.1.4 channel virtual surround sound (versus 5.0.2 in the Arc). 'In terms of spaciousness, with Arc Ultra, you're hearing more clarity within the same space and then more of it around you. So, you're just getting more spaciousness.' And for those crucial movie moments, 'The third piece is dialogue enhancement. We've improved both mechanically, like the physics, and then added speech enhancement on top of it. So, it's just really elevating. It's not a little bit better, it's a lot better.' For anyone wondering how Sonos could possibly top the already amazing Arc, Sara has a simple answer: 'It took me having to hear it, to believe it. You listen to them side by side, AB comparison is what we call it, it's [the difference] just night and day. It's amazing.' Rennie chimes in on the 'Ultra' naming, offering a glimpse into Sonos' product-first culture. 'There are a number of things that make Sonos unique in the consumer electronics space, but one thing I see is the product and engineering folks drive the bulk of these conversations – the naming conventions and the life cycle and longevity of products engineered deliberately from the start,' he explains. 'Virtually all our product decisions and the naming convention included, they will come from our product group... it's the product folks of the world who are declaring their perspective on the engineering we've put into the device.' So, 'Ultra' isn't just marketing fluff, it's an engineering statement. The Indian consumer One of the most fascinating parts of our conversation was the deep dive into what makes the Indian market tick, and how it's often surprising even seasoned Sonos executives. Rennie shares an eye-opening statistic: 'I saw a stat the other day that something like 37 percent of the commercial property sector in India is tech. That's unlike anywhere else in the market. There is this anchored premise in the Indian fabric, in the market that we aim to target and speak to, that tech is ever present, and tech is an everyday phenomenon and has been for some time.' Combine this inherent tech-savviness with the content boom, and you have an audience that 'is appreciating more and more overtime premium quality experiences.' Rennie continues, 'We also see that the Indian consumer is tuned in to the value of tech and the simplicity it can bring you.' This unique blend has led to some astonishing trends for Sonos in India. "We are seeing, for example, two and a half times more Arcs sold in India today than Beam – and Beam is selling really, really well!' Rennie exclaims. 'I don't see that anywhere else in Asia. I don't see that anywhere else in the world. Folks in the US are shocked when they hear that.' This, he believes, points to a 'cultural bias in India that is suited to Sonos, this love of entertainment and experiences throughout the home.' It harks back to Sonos' very origins. 'We started as a multi-room player – every song in any room, every room. So, that premise of filling homes with the joy of music is where we started. If you look at where we started, you look at where India is right now, for me it feels like a perfect fit.' When Indian consumers choose Sonos over competitors, the reasons are clear, according to Rennie. 'When they buy us versus someone else, we know why they're buying us, and they tell us when we do the research: it's the ease of use, the great audio quality, premium design, and the fact that how it works together whether they have two devices at home or twenty-two.' He adds, 'You could have up to 30 devices in your home and have them playing 30 different songs all at the same time if you really wanted to. That's what resonates with Indian consumers.' Sara adds another layer to this quality promise, revealing the calibre of experts Sonos consults. 'We're getting input on both how music sounds from music producers like Giles Martin to how the movie sounds from say, Chris Jenkins who has done the background score for Mad Max: Fury Road. So, what you're getting is a product that has been tuned to sound absolutely beautiful musically and completely cinematically. That is something that we are really uniquely positioned to do.' It's this dedication to authentic sound reproduction, whether it's your favourite tune or a high-octane movie chase, that sets Sonos apart. Software, services, and sensitivity While the shiny hardware often grabs the headlines, Rennie is quick to point out the heart of Sonos. 'I think we are anchored in software – founded by 4 software engineers who then had the love of democratising music throughout the home. So that for me is still true today as true it was back then.' This software-first approach has allowed Sonos to 'democratise other pieces of content and we talk about audio and sound and not just music.' This focus also informs decisions about not entering certain product categories. When asked about the perennial 'why doesn't Sonos make a TV?' question, Rennie offers a thoughtful business perspective. 'I'm always fascinated to see how product folks approach that kind of conversation. But I imagine part of it might start like, 'what are we really good at?' We want to be here to serve for the customer. And if we were to do anything, how would it change their lives for the better and what footprint would we put on something and how would we do it uniquely? So, to this point, if we haven't done it then, in my mind, it's because we haven't found the reason, the driver that we would deliver something that we felt like we needed to bring to the market ahead of our other choices like getting into a lifestyle category like Ace [headphones]." Sonos Sub 4 Speaking of compatibility, Sara clarifies the common query about Sonos and Apple products. 'No, we really want our products to work well both for iOS and Android devices.' The reason TruePlay which is Sonos' room-tuning technology is often highlighted with iOS is technical: 'It just so happens that TruePlay is reliant on the microphones on the phone and within iOS they've done a really incredible job of making the microphones consistent. Unfortunately, with the Android devices having such a variety of phones, it wouldn't be sustainable for us to try and keep up with that.' But Android users aren't left out. 'That's why Quick Tune is so great as it doesn't matter what phone you have, it would tune itself with its own microphones and you can be relying on that.' Content is king, and Sonos ensures users have a vast kingdom. 'Sonos started before iTunes was a thing. No other platform from any brand has as many music services on it – we're over 130 globally or more,' Rennie proudly states. Crucially for India, 'Every service that is important and is local and is based in India is on our platform.' This commitment extends to understanding local nuances. Sara shares a revealing anecdote: "On the product team, one of the things we've been talking about is how to make the setup experience even better. One of the examples was what if when we power cycle the product, it comes on and it chimes and it's like, 'I'm back, awake.' We had input from the regional teams saying wait a minute, in India, for example, we have brownouts, so the electricity comes in and out and if you are in the home like that and it's 2:00 in the morning and your soundbar is going, 'I'm awake', it's really not a good experience. So, we chose to not bring that feature to life. That's not a feature specific for India, but it's trying to respect, we don't yet know enough about this customer, but let's not make big mistakes like waking them up in the middle of the night.' It's this thoughtful consideration that builds true customer loyalty. Riding the waves In a globalised world, no tech company is an island, and Sonos is no exception. When the conversation turns to the issue of 'Trump tariffs' and global trade complexities, Rennie is candid. 'Every manufacturer around the world is looking to stay across what's happening and respond to it. We're all talking about it.' He reveals Sonos' proactive strategy: "One thing that's important to share is we have been diversifying our manufacturing throughout Asia over the last four or five years. We are not only manufacturing in China, but we also manufacture in Malaysia and Vietnam.' This foresight, he says, 'was a very strategic long-term decision that has now put us in a better position had we not made those decisions.' Sara concurs, 'As every other tech company at the moment, [we are also] monitoring the development, but because it's so complex and evolving, we're sort of just assessing the potential implications.' On the subject of [potential] make in India, Rennie adds that Sonos is 'always looking at how do we not only build for the next product, but how do we set ourselves up for the next 5-10 years.' The conversation also touched upon the new energy within Sonos, with new interim CEO, Tom Conrad onboard (who took charge after Patrick Spence stepped down from the role recently). Rennie is enthusiastic: 'It is easy to see, and we continue to talk about what our number one priority is and that's the experience itself. That's been strengthened if anything, since Tom joined us as CEO.' He praises Tom's 'long pedigree of software' and his understanding of the company, having come from the board. 'It's been a really positive sign to see Tom enroll and having the impact on the product team and the engineering team and the way he's having an immediate impact.'
Indian Express
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
This is how Sonos created its flagship Arc Ultra soundbar… and plugged some old gaps
'When you go to a movie theater and you are sitting there, there are speakers all around the hall—some placed horizontally and even some above your head to create that height effect—and there are dedicated subwoofers.' Sara Lincoln, the Principal Product Manager at Sonos Global, adds: 'So the question, when we are designing our home theater products, is: how do we recreate that experience with just one soundbar, or even with a soundbar and a subwoofer?' Lincoln was in Delhi recently during the India launch of Sonos Arc Ultra and Sub 4. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express) Lincoln, who has been with the California-based Sonos—known for its high-end wireless speakers and audio equipment—for a decade, says while designing home audio products like the next-generation Arc Ultra soundbar (Rs 99,999) and the Sub 4 subwoofer (Rs 84,999), a lot of thought goes into the audio design. That, she explains, is what sets Sonos speakers apart from the competition: a combination of excellent hardware and advanced audio technology. It's this approach that makes the premium Arc Ultra soundbar a strong performer, delivering an impressive level of immersion from a single soundbar. 'The audio design is really about creating speakers that make content sound the way the artist intended. Whether it's music or cinema, we want it to sound exactly as the creators intended, Lincoln told in an interview on the sidelines of the launch of the Sonos Arc Ultra and Sub 4. 'We put a lot of energy into that because when it sounds as the artist intended, it can create a truly connected, emotional experience. We love the 'goosebumps effect'—and that's what we're hoping to deliver.' The original Arc soundbar was well-received, but its weak bass response was flagged by critics. So, the biggest improvement the Arc Ultra offers over its predecessor is its ability to produce full, rich bass, thanks to the new Sound Motion woofers. Sonos has engineered these woofers to be super flat and compact, yet capable of deep excursion for maximum air displacement. The Arc Ultra features a total of 14 drivers (compared to the Arc's 11), which is enough to deliver a 9.1.4 surround sound experience. 'We actually have something that we call the Soundboard,' Lincoln explains, highlighting how complex the concept of sound can be—even though we are constantly surrounded by it and consume different types of content on our phones, laptops, TVs, big screens, or even in theaters. 'The Soundboard is a group of creators we work with. The first member is Giles Martin—he's the son of George Martin, the 'fifth Beatle.' He works at Abbey Road Studios, and we collaborate with him directly. He listens to his own music and video content on our speakers and tells us if it sounds right or not. Of course, we know what a voice or a guitar should sound like, but when it comes to a spaceship or some other unnatural sound, we want the artist to tell us how it should sound.' The Soundboard not only helps audio engineers better understand how artists want a Sonos product to sound during the design process, but Lincoln says the company has also invested in developing new technology to improve the audio quality. She was referring to Sonos' $100 million acquisition of a company called Mayht Holding in 2022, which had developed a 'revolutionary approach to audio transducers' that allows them to be smaller and lighter without compromising on sound. Also read | I travelled to Berlin with Sonos Ace, and this is what I learned wearing these elite headphones 'A transducer is the device that has a motor and a magnet, and it moves a membrane up and down to produce sound,' she explains. The Arc Ultra is one of the first Sonos products to use this technology in an actual product. 'We have created a product with two membranes and four motors, allowing us to produce the same amount of bass in one-third of the space. So we are really challenging the physics equation,' Lincoln said, adding, 'the Sound Motion technology we have created takes up less space, which allows us to add more transducers. This enables us to steer the sound around your room and create the experience of being in a cinema, with speakers everywhere.' Lincoln explained that Sonos' approach to designing a home theater system is very different from traditional methods that have been used for years. 'We not only use Sound Motion and transducers in the product itself, but also wave guides. If you take the transducer and add something like a horn to it, it sends sound out, and we bounce sound off the walls. We're also using what we call psychoacoustic effects which are ways to trick the brain into thinking sounds are coming from different places than they actually are, and we are really focused on creating that feeling of being immersed in sound. The Arc Ultra's new design allows for better bass output in less space, challenging traditional physics. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/ Indian Express) 'We are trying to create the experience of being in the movie theater at home, but you don't have nine speakers around you,' she continued. For Lincoln, the Arc Ultra is good enough to be a standalone soundbar in a room, eliminating the need for a separate subwoofer. However, if you have a larger space, there's always the option to add a subwoofer and build a complete setup. For the uninitiated, Sonos is a company that makes only wireless speakers. The Santa Barbara company has a cult following, and the audio industry looks up to it for its high-quality wireless speakers. It was Sonos that opened the door for others, such as Amazon, Apple, and Google, to enter the smart speaker market. Sonos systems are wireless and easier to set up, with better aesthetics. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express) As Lincoln explains, Sonos looks at different markets to understand local listening habits and preferences for music and movies, but ultimately, the company designs products for a global audience—not tailored to any specific market. 'We look at how to approach different markets, because music here in India is different from what it is in the US. What we aim to do is learn from these markets and better understand what people are listening to, so we can use that insight to inform our design moving forward,' she added. Before Sonos brings its home audio products to market, each one goes through a series of tests. 'We have listening rooms at our headquarters and around the world that are set up more like living room spaces, because no customer has a recording studio at home. We are not trying to replicate that environment. Instead, we invite producers—who record in studios—to come and sit in these living room-like spaces and tell us if it sounds right there. If it sounds right in those listening rooms, then we know it's also going to sound right in your home,' Lincoln says. Sarah explains the use of wave guides, psychoacoustic effects, and sound motion technology to create an immersive sound experience. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express) A lot of consumers still rely on their TV speakers to watch Bollywood, Hollywood, and South Indian blockbusters. But as Lincoln explains, as screens get thinner, the speakers inside them also become smaller, making it increasingly difficult to achieve good sound quality from a TV alone. That's where a soundbar comes in—it not only adds more bass and clearer vocals, enhancing dialogue clarity, but also doesn't take up much space, making it ideal for small to medium-sized living rooms or compact apartments. Lincoln adds that the Arc Ultra soundbar is designed in such a way that it brings voices forward, so when you watch movies, you can clearly hear what the characters are saying. 'We are introducing what's called speech enhancement—it's a three-tiered leveling system that takes voice content and elevates it above background noise,' she said, noting that around 50 per cent of Americans watch television with subtitles because they often can't understand the dialogue. Alongside the flagship Arc Ultra soundbar, Sonos is also bringing the Sub 4 subwoofer to India, which delivers powerful bass. It's smaller than the previous version, so it doesn't take up as much room. Both the Arc Ultra and Sub 4 serve as building blocks for a home theater setup within the larger, home audio system that Sonos is trying to create and is taking on old guardians, more established, in home theater systems.
