When the creators of Sonos took a gamble on wireless sound, before it became a luxury brand, they were told by those around them that they were crazy. But that’s how great technological revolutions begin, isn’t it?
From John McFarlane seeing the potential of the internet in 1990, to the Sonos Amp we know today, a lot has happened. Today we take a look back at the history of the brand.
How did wireless sound come about?
When John McFarlane moved to Santa Barbara to do his PhD, the Internet was beginning to gain power, and he saw it.
In those years, any music lover lived surrounded by hundreds of CDs, tangled wires and the financial investment to wire the entire house if they wanted to listen to their favourite songs in any room.
McFarlane and his partners, also music lovers, had the knowledge, resources and talent to find a solution to this problem. After many trials, they thought their own project was impossible. But they kept trying.
- It was then that they reinvented the form of communication between devices. The steps that were taken to achieve this were many and very complex: tests, learning in record time, travelling, searching for other talents…
- When they tested the final prototypes of wireless sound in a home, they were a complete failure: they barely worked. However, this team of geniuses is an example of persistence and effort, and they continued to work towards their goal.
- During that time, they asked themselves a thousand times why no one else was doing what they were doing. Perhaps they were not aware of what they had in their hands or of their own talent.
In 2004, Sonos is finally unveiled. The biggest milestones in music are set by an iconic song. The one played in public, and at full volume, on the ZP100 (the first Sonos product) was the Beastie Boys’ “Til Brooklyn”, produced by Rick Rubin, a Sonos fan and advisor.
From mad engineers’ project to luxury brand
Technically, Sonos is a perfect brand. Those who dismissed this group of engineers as madmen probably now listen to music on one of their speakers, headphones and sound systems.
But what makes Sonos such a high-quality product?
- The sound is exceptional thanks to the high-performance materials used. Neodymium magnets, fibre cones or structures designed to minimise distortion make up these products.
- Many components are designed and manufactured specifically for Sonos.
- The quality and control tests that their products have to pass are extensive and rigorous.
- Only products that meet high performance standards are brought to market.
- They integrate other technologies, demonstrating a high level of innovation and technical quality.
- They develop their own software in-house, which gives Sonos full control over functionality, optimising each update.
- These updates ensure that the devices are secure and compatible with music services and voice assistants.
- Sonos invests significantly in R&D to remain at the forefront of audio technology.
- It is a company made up of the best professionals in the field of engineering and acoustic design.
In short, Sonos wireless sound is so high quality because it is the result of superior material selection, continuous innovation, precise engineering and design, and meticulous hardware and software integration.
If you would like to learn more about Sonos products and how to integrate them into your home, as we did in this amazing project, please contact us.
