Sonos Playbar 2 Leak Could Have Worrying Implications

It's not unusual for companies to silently drop products without further notice or succession and, for a time, it seemed that the Sonos Playbar was exactly that. Now it seems that Sonos has finally decided it is high time for a Playbar 2. But from the few leaked product photos, Sonos' next soundbar might not exactly be what many hoped it would, least not in terms of the functionality that the first Playbar offered.

Granted, what is allegedly the next Sonos Playbar does look sleek and modern compared to the 2013 original. That cylindrical design, however, does come at a price of flexibility in terms of placement. Unlike the boxy first Playbar that can be placed in two positions, there is really only one position for this new design.

The minimalism seems to carry over to the controls that now eschew physical buttons for touch-sensitive surfaces. Admittedly, placing those along the top is more convenient considering the Playbar would be placed on top of a drawer or cabinet, often below a TV. That the new soundbar could be 10 inches longer than the 5.5-inch PlayBar might also make reaching for side-mounted controls tedious.

What Zatz Not Funny is wondering about, however, are the ports for the soundbar. None can be seen, which suggests they are at least hidden from view. Unfortunately, that also doesn't assure interested buyers whether the bar will support multiple HDMI inputs or even Ethernet ports.

Other than the uncertainty of those features, the next Sonos Playbar is expected to support Dolby Atmos and even Apple AirPlay 2. When it will launch, however, is still up in the air but the new Playbar will come a time when that soundbar market is already filled with big names in the audio industry.