Forget the Sony WH-1000XM4 — Sonos is making its own wireless headphones

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A new patent reveals the framework for Sonos wireless headphones.

Sony WH-1000XM4
(Image credit: Regan Coule/Tom's Guide)

Sonos wireless headphones could soon join the company's collection of premium home speakers and sound bars. A new patent details what the alleged headphones look like, how they work and how they could challenge the best wireless headphones on the market. 

Often we see patents for elements of unconfirmed devices, but this Sonos one is pretty all-encompassing. As spotted by Protocol (via CNET), the filing reveals renders, controls, smart functions and how a pair of wireless headphones could integrate with existing Sonos home audio systems. 

This Sonos wireless headphones patent proposes two drivers in each ear cup along with a microphone and processor in the right cup, which enables advanced features like noise cancellation, smart assistants or any kind of automatic controls.

As for manual controls, the patent mentions a physical activation for voice assistants, a volume slider and pause-play control.

We last heard about Sonos wireless headphones in January 2019, when Bloomberg reported a pair of $300 cans with top-quality sound, voice assistants and access to multiple music streaming services is in the pipeline.

Despite many people spending more time at home these days, the company is showing interest in mobile devices. About a year ago it launched its first wireless smart speaker, the Sonos Move.

While it seems like a pair of high-end wireless headphones would be a natural progression for the Sonos product line, it's important to recognize the patent doesn't guarantee it will happen. Or that it will happen as the patent outlines.

If we do see a pair of Sonos wireless headphones in the near-future, however, we imagine it could challenge the Sony WH-1000XM4 for their crown in the category. Sonos has an excellent reputation for audio quality, music services and smart home integration.

In response to the speculation around the patent, Sonos issued this statement to  Protocol and CNET:

"As a company founded in innovation, we're always working on different ideas and innovations that can help the world listen better. We continue to make investments in our strong patent portfolio with dozens of new patents each year. We do not have additional information to share at this time regarding our future product roadmap."

Kate Kozuch
Kate Kozuch

Kate Kozuch is the managing editor of social and video at Tom’s Guide. She writes about smartwatches, TVs, audio devices, and some cooking appliances, too. Kate appears on Fox News to talk tech trends and runs the Tom's Guide TikTok account, which you should be following if you don't already. When she’s not filming tech videos, you can find her taking up a new sport, mastering the NYT Crossword or channeling her inner celebrity chef.