Sonos PLAYBASE soundbar now available for improved TV sound

Sonos has announced PLAYBASE, the latest addition to its wireless home sound system and the newest speaker system in its home cinema lineup. Available in both black and white, PLAYBASE is priced at £699.

Designed to sit directly under a TV, this speaker measures 58 mm in height and packs 10 drivers – six mid-range, three tweeters, and one woofer. It features a custom-designed glass-filled polycarbonate exterior to keep vibration to a minimum.

Designed for TVs that aren’t wall-mounted, PLAYBASE is easy to control and set-up using just two leads (optical and power). It expands to other rooms when wirelessly connected to a Sonos home sound system, and is equal parts TV speaker and music speaker, with access to more than 80 music services.

Later this year, like every other Sonos speaker, you’ll also be able to control PLAYBASE using your voice and any Amazon Alexa enabled device.

Says Sonos CEO, Patrick Spence:”When we think about what product we’ll invent next, we think first about the home, and the role each of our products play in the home.

“We saw a tremendous opportunity to deliver great sound in great style for the majority of homes where the TV sits on a piece of furniture. It was a huge challenge where we pushed the boundaries of design, acoustics, materials, wireless and software, and we can’t wait for people to bring it home.”

With software, Sonos claims it is able to deliver flexible control experiences – whether with your TV remote, Sonos app, or select partner apps—and add new features over time.

This includes Trueplay, recently available for Sonos’ home cinema products, which adjusts the sound of PLAYBASE to the specifics of any particular room. In addition, Dialogue Enhancement and Night Mode, both options within the Sonos App, allow for enhanced vocal clarity or toned down bass for loud action scenes, claims the manufacturer.

Founded in 2002, Sonos is now in more than 60 countries, with dozens of streaming music providers, through thousands of retailers, and in millions of homes.