Amber Neely
To meet sustainability goals set by the company, Sonos is refreshing the design of its One SL speaker to use less power and be easier to recycle.
For the last few years, Sonos has committed itself to do better in regards to environmental sustainability when it comes to its products. On the Sonos corporate responsibility site, a paragraph reads, "Sonos builds premium sound experiences. To us, premium also means responsible." To do this, Sonos has begun making sure that the paper included in the packaging is sustainability resourced.
Now, Sonos is refreshing its Sonos One SL, a pared-down version of the Sonos One. Not only is the Sonos One SL slightly cheaper, but it also lacks the microphones of the Sonos One, making it an obvious choice for privacy-minded individuals.
While the refresh won't add any new features, it does include a "more efficient" wireless radio, according to The Verge, who spoke to Sonos. Additionally, the speaker has superficial plastics removed from the base, making it easier to recycle. Sonos also notes that the updates Sonos One SL will only work with the newer Sonos S2 app, so it controversially can't be mixed in one set up with S1-compatible gear.
Lastly, the packaging will be updated to bring it in line with the company's long-term sustainability goals.
AppleInsider was able to try out the Sonos One SL shortly after it launched in 2019, noting that it sounds every bit as good as the Sonos One. The lack of microphones makes it a better choice for those who do not want an always-on voice assistant.
The Sonos One SL is AirPlay 2 compatible and works with over 100 streaming services, and can be purchased Sonos for $179.
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4 Comments
I’m not buying any more Sonos speakers. I’ve spent so much money buying them over the years, and the fact that the new ones aren’t compatible with some of my older ones has highlighted to me the risk of the company obsoleting my speakers when there is nothing wrong with them. It’s such a shame.
My current Sonos speakers still sound great by the way, but I’m not willing to pay to replace them in order to expand my system further.
Better question: airplay 2 compatable?
Sonos have questionable environmental ethics, forcing users to upgrade to S2 app. This stinks of corporate greed. I don't buy it that these cannot be cross compatible. Saying that, the Sonos app is simply awful. It seems Sonos are playing the green wash game, being able to make a song and a dance about going greener when in the behind the scenes they are doing everything possible to get the upgrades turning over (sigh).