Sonos Boost Launches To Supercharge Music Streaming

Sonos promised better wireless support, and the new Sonos Boost accessory is the way it'll deliver that, a range extender up to twice the strength of the existing Sonos Bridge. Resembling a home router, though focused entirely on improving the stability and performance of Sonos music streaming, Boost creates a dedicated network for audio purposes.

Like the Bridge, Boost hooks up to a router and builds a SonosNet. The difference is in the power: Boost has three internal antennas to help avoid interference from other wireless devices.

As you might recall, a dedicated SonosNet is no longer actually required in order to use Sonos' speakers. A software update earlier in the year meant that the home entertainment kit could, in fact, jump onto a regular WiFi network instead, meaning many users no longer needed a wired connection to at least one component.

However, performance while listening to music will be improved with Boost, Sonos says, and those using a Playbar or other speakers for a home theater setup should use either Boost or Bridge (or, indeed, a wired connection to at least one component) for the best synchronization with what's on-screen.

Practically speaking, the biggest appeal of Boost will be for those in big homes or offices, where range of the SonosNet mesh network may be an issue and cause drop-outs, stuttering, or poor sync of multi-room playback.

Sonos Boost is available to order today, priced at $99.