GRAMMY, Emmy and ARIA award-winning engineer, producer and songwriter Eric J Dubowsky today launched a groundbreaking new music track engineered to maximise frisson in collaboration with sound experience leader Sonos.

In a post-pandemic world as people seek out awe-inspiring ways to satiate their emotional needs and sense of connection, Sonos is meeting the moment with an immersive listening experience so profound, it can literally give you goosebumps. Inspired by academic research, the song ‘Frisson Trigger’ takes listeners deep into their emotions as it envelops them in a sonic journey showcasing the limitless possibilities of spatial audio innovation.

Frisson, also known as “the chills,” is a psychophysiological response induced by music that evokes a pleasurable sensation resulting in skin tingling, chills, goosebumps and pupil dilation. Eric J has engineered a track that intentionally incorporates specific musical choices scientifically proven to trigger frisson – from unexpected harmonies, chords descending the circle of fifths and melodic appoggiaturas. The track further harnesses the full capabilities of Dolby Atmos and Sonos’ breakthrough spatial audio speaker Sonos Era 300 to create a mesmerising soundscape that wraps the listener in music.

“My life’s work is to get people to emotionally connect with music, so I really dug into the research to explore how I could tap into the extraordinary science behind frisson. The song is loaded with as many universal frisson triggers as possible, but what we’ve found is that listeners’ frisson reactions peak at different points, so it’s entirely personal,” said Eric J Dubowksy.

Dr. Solange Glasser, a music psychologist and lecturer at the University of Melbourne, has researched the value people place on music listening, noting its profound impact on our emotional wellbeing. In one of her most recent studies during the Covid-19 pandemic, Dr. Glasser and colleagues found 81% of people experienced self-compassion while listening to music – a key practice for improving mental health.

“During the COVID pandemic, music listening became a ‘social surrogate’ fostering shared connection with humanity during isolation. Even in moments of sadness, feeling frisson from music can be pleasurable, due to its cathartic power and communal bond,” said Dr. Solange Glasser. “There is often a misconception that creativity in music is only experienced by the artist, however, there is inherent creativity in listening to music. It sparks feelings of awe, grounding us in the present and helping us reconnect with our emotions – creating a sense of agency and belonging.”

As more people turn to sound as a means of self-care and enjoyment, Sonos is committed to creating sound experiences that are intimate, human and true to the artist’s intent. Giles Martin, VP, Sound Experience at Sonos said, “At Sonos, we are driven and inspired by innovations that can transform the way we listen, helping people feel more from the music they love. When you add spatial audio, it can supercharge that feeling and intimacy you feel with the artist. Our recent Era family launch marked this next evolution in listening with Era 300 being our first-ever smart speaker built for spatial audio – creating a sound experience that places the listener in the heart of their music.”

‘Frisson Trigger’ by Eric J is out now on Apple Music. Best listened to on Sonos’ revolutionary new spatial audio speaker, Era 300.

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Sonos has debuted Sonos Era 300 and Sonos Era 100 smart speakers ushering in a whole new chapter in sound and design innovation.

Era 300 is a bold, revolutionary new speaker built to deliver the best experience for out loud spatial audio with Dolby Atmos, while Era 100 is a remastering of the Sonos One.

Tuned by award-winning artists and engineers, the Era family powers new levels of immersive listening with expanded connectivity and Trueplay technology. Era 300 and Era 100 are also the first speakers built to Sonos’ new responsible design standards, which span long-term serviceability, energy-efficient technologies and use of post-consumer recycled (PCR) materials.

“In an age of constant background noise, quality listening matters more than ever. Our vision is to make listening an experience that is charged with feeling, and help our customers feel joy and vitality through their favourite music and audio content,” said Patrick Spence, CEO of Sonos. “The Era family is the next generation of smart speakers, epitomising our commitment to sound innovation, responsible design and a deep connection to the creator community.”

Unprecedented for a single compact speaker, Era 300 boasts six powerful drivers that direct sound left, right, forward and upward, delivering a breakthrough audio performance featuring Dolby Atmos that places listeners at the very heart of their movies and music.

“Dolby Atmos created a new way for music and audio entertainment to be experienced. Sounds and music come alive with unparalleled clarity and depth,” said Kevin Yeaman, President and CEO of Dolby Laboratories. “Era 300’s sound innovation with Dolby Atmos creates a completely immersive music experience. Just like the shift from mono to stereo, spatial audio is the next evolution in listening – creating a sound experience that wraps you in music,” said Giles Martin, VP, Sound Experience at Sonos. “As both creators and major streaming platforms embrace spatial audio for music, the time is right to create an out loud listening experience that delivers against the promise of this thrilling and creative format.”

Only slightly larger than its predecessor Sonos One, Era 100 features all-new hardware and software, with next-gen acoustics and design that deliver detailed stereo sound and deep bass.

Building on Sonos’s timeless acoustic-driven design aesthetic, Era 100 and Era 300 are responsive to the challenges facing our environment—and better for everyone who interacts with our designs, featuring a bold new UI and innovations that will help them last longer, use less energy and make use of recycled materials in each product.

“We bring the same forward-thinking mindset to responsible design as we do to creating powerful new listening experiences,” said Kitty Suidman, Design Director, Product Sustainability. “Our commitment to sustainability is embedded in our design process from the start, with the Era family marking a major step forward in our journey to create products that last beyond expectation, perform more efficiently, and use safer and circular materials.”

Both Era 300 and Era 100 will be available on March 29, 2023.

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Sonos has just announced it will add support for spatial audio on Apple Music in what will be a significant expansion of its next-gen sound experience.

Spatial audio delivers a multi-dimensional immersive sound experience that is fast becoming a primary recording format among leading artists, producers and engineers. Available on Sonos Era 300, Arc, and Beam (Gen 2), Apple Music with spatial audio will place listeners at the centre of their music with an ever growing catalogue of tracks and expertly curated playlists featuring renowned artists across all genres.

“It’s a thrilling time in music as spatial audio – and the artist creativity that comes with it – continues to grow,” said Giles Martin, Grammy Award-winning producer, songwriter, and composer and VP of Sound Experience at Sonos. “Sonos continues to put its listeners at the forefront of sound innovation, ensuring they have access through Apple Music to transformative experiences like spatial audio with Dolby Atmos, so they can feel more from the content they love.”

Sonos customers will have access to spatial audio on Apple Music starting March 29, 2023.

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Sonos has just announced their Sub Mini, the wireless subwoofer that sets a new standard in its category for powerful, balanced bass.

Building on the award-winning design of Sub, Sub Mini delivers rich, clear low end in a more compact, cylindrical design.

“We’ve entered a more thoughtful era of streaming that prioritises quality over quantity, with creators and platforms investing in immersive entertainment experiences that put premium sound at the forefront,” said Maxime Bouvat-Merlin, SVP for Hardware and Operations at Sonos. “Sub Mini is a welcome addition to the Sonos family, rounding out our home theatre product line-up so listeners can experience cinema quality sound that makes them feel like the main character, or player, in their favourite content.”

On the heels of introducing two new soundbars, Beam and Ray, Sonos is expanding its home theatre lineup even further with Sub Mini, the brand’s new subwoofer that makes it easier than ever to supercharge your streaming experiences.

The Sub Mini has dual custom woofers and advanced processing generate deep, dynamic low end while minimising buzz, rattle and distortion, helping you feel more immersed in every scene and song. Within the acoustically sealed cabinet, both woofers face inward to create a force-cancelling effect that neutralises distortion.

Advanced digital signal processing maximises bass response and reproduces the full-toned low frequencies expected from a much larger subwoofer, while handling the low frequencies so paired speakers like Beam, Ray, One, or One SL can focus on more mid-range and high frequencies for a richer, more powerful sound experience all around.

You’ll be able to drum up the drama in every movie scene by pairing Beam or Ray with Sub Mini, or drop it even lower on your at-home dance floor by making Sub Mini your Sonos One’s plus one.

Unlike other subwoofers, Sub Mini features a round design that allows it to blend naturally into your home aesthetic without taking too much space (or attention).

Add Sub Mini to your Sonos system in just a few taps on the Sonos app, mixing and matching with different Sonos speakers to create your perfect sound system, whether you’re hosting a housewarming party or movie night with friends.

You can also fine tune Sub Mini’s sound with Trueplay, which detects and adapts the speaker’s sound for reflections off of walls and furniture, giving you the best listening experience for your room and setup.

Sub Mini will be available globally starting 6th of October 2022.

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Sonos has announced new speakers that expand its home theatre and portable line-ups, offering listeners more ways to easily connect with the content they love.

The brand debuted Sonos Ray, a compact soundbar with impressive sound for its size, as well as three stylish colours for its ultra-portable Bluetooth smart speaker, Sonos Roam. As with all Sonos products, the brand’s newest speakers deliver great sound that helps you play more, hear more and feel more, whether at home or on-the-go.

“Homes have become movie theatres, fitness studios, gaming hubs and so much more, all supported by a streaming era that is no longer exclusive to just TV, music and film,” said Patrick Spence, CEO of Sonos. “Ray makes it easier than ever to enhance those listening experiences, thanks to its smaller size and impressive sound.” Blockbuster Sound from Sonos Ray Ray raises the bar for at-home entertainment with new acoustic innovations that deliver balanced sound, crisp dialogue and solid bass.

Ray brings the brand’s category-leading simplicity and versatility to a more accessible price point, making it easy to build your first home theatre setup or expand in more rooms. The new soundbar is compatible with all of your favourite streaming services, so you can enjoy movies, music and more with simple setup and control – just open the Sonos app and start listening in minutes. You can easily control Ray with your existing TV remote, the Sonos app, Apple AirPlay 2 and more. Add a pair of Ones to your home theatre setup for surround sound or connect to any Sonos speaker for multi-room listening.

Sonos’ ultra-portable smart speaker Sonos Roam is now available in three new hues: Olive, Wave and Sunset. Influenced by natural serenity, evening skies and outdoor living, Roam’s new colours are as versatile as the speaker itself, complementing interior and outdoor styles while still harmonising with the rest of the Sonos system.

“As we reignite our sense of curiosity and chase new experiences, we’re being more considerate about how the things we wear and carry represent our personal style,” said Maxime Bouvat-Merlin, SVP for Hardware and Operations at Sonos. “Inspired by the places you’ll go, Roam’s newest colours are the perfect accent piece to express individuality through more ways than just sound.” An ultra-portable companion, Roam lets you stream all your favourite content on Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, offering waterproof durability and all-day battery life to keep you connected wherever your curiosity takes you.

Ray will be available globally on 7 June 2022, while Roam’s three new colours are available 17 June 2022.

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The second generation of Sonos’ soundbar boasts perfectly channeled audio with home sharing capabilities all the while maintaining a small, compact footprint.

Bringing the expertly crafted audio engineering that Sonos are known for, they have moved on the first gen soundbar (released in 2018) and produced what can only be described as a one-stop audio solution for a small to mid sized room.

First thing you’re likely to notice when you unpack one of these small beasts is that there is no remote.

You don’t need one.

All control is either the touch buttons on the soundbar or via the free smartphone app, including setup.

And a seamless setup it is. From integrating in to your home network, through to adding to your tele via HDMI (use the ARC / eARC port if your TV has one) through to adding your favoured smart assistant. It just works.

Literally in a few clicks throughout the process – you’re up and running.

The idea of soundbars in general is to replace the sometimes questionable audio from your TV speakers.

The Sonos Beam Gen 2 most definitely adds superior quality to your streaming binges – but the Beam Gen 2 also comes with a built-in DLNA application, effectively being a home sharing server for your media.

Connect up other smartdevices to your Sonos Beam Gen 2 and stream to and from the soundbar.

If you’re an Apple user you’re really in luck. Using Apple AirPlay 2 you can stream any AirPlay compatible media from your iOS device over to the Beam Gen 2.

Sonos have Sonos Radio within their phone app. Within this are differing genres and playlists. Add or create your favs and play… or ‘beam’ across your home (hence the name of the device).

Using your preferred smart assistant (I used Alexa) is an additional means of controlling the Sonos Beam Gen 2.

While you’re not going to rattle the fine china in your neighbour’s kitchen with rumbly bass – the clarity and detail to the audio that you will experience is second to none.

This said, the Beam Gen 2 does have HD Audio with Dolby Atmos.

The Sonos Beam Gen 2 is not designed to replace a full cinema setup but is excellent for use with smaller TV’s or smaller settings, such as bedrooms, studies and gaming dens.

Beam via voice, touch or smartdevice and experience optimal HD audio from the professionals – Sonos.

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Sonos has today announced Beam (Gen 2), a new version of its industry-leading compact smart soundbar for TV, music, gaming and more.

The new Beam delivers an upgraded, more immersive sound experience with greater depth and clarity, as well as support for Dolby Atmos.

Sonos also revealed plans to offer both Ultra HD and Dolby Atmos Music later this year via Amazon Music, giving listeners the ability to experience the highest quality streaming music and immersive 3D audio.

“We often talk about ‘Hollywood at Home’ being a real catalyst for our business, and Beam has played a huge part in this as one of the top-selling soundbars in its category”, said Patrick Spence, Sonos CEO. “Taking what we’ve learned over the years about great listening and home theatre, we’ve found a way to bring new features and significantly better sound to Beam, all in the same compact size that has proven extremely popular with customers.”

Enjoy panoramic sound on the latest generation of Beam, now with support for Dolby Atmos, just in time for Australia’s footy finals and new year movie releases, the new Beam is upgrading the home cinema experience.

Compatible with more than 100 streaming services available in the Sonos app, fans can expect exciting improvements across sound, design and packaging, including:

● 3D Audio with Dolby Atmos: Immersive sound technology that places you in the centre of the action, whether it’s experiencing planes as if they were flying overhead, hearing footsteps moving across the room or feeling the score all around you.

● Enhanced Sound, Same Size: With more processing power and newly developed phased speaker arrays, Beam steers and localises sound around the room for a lifelike experience. The speaker is also now compatible with HDMI eARC on your TV, so you can experience your favourite movies and games in even higher definition sound with support for new audio formats.

● Sleeker Design: An updated polycarbonate grille that’s precisely perforated allows the speaker to sound great  and blend seamlessly into your home, just like Sonos Arc.

● Easy, More Secure Set-Up: With just two cables and new NFC capabilities, setup is seamless and will have you listening in minutes. Simply open the Sonos app, follow a few prompts and tap your phone to Beam.

● Sustainable Sound: The new Beam features sustainable packaging, including a premium uncoated kraft paper, a gift box made of 97% sustainable paper and no single-use foam.

Like all Sonos products, the new Beam was tuned with the input of the Sonos Soundboard – a collection of leaders across music, film and more – to deliver the best and most authentic sound experience. You can also fine tune Beam’s sound with Trueplay, which detects and adapts the speaker’s sound for reflections off of walls and furniture, giving you the best listening experience for your room and setup.

Place Beam in front of a standing TV, or easily mount to the wall with the existing Sonos Wall Mount for Beam. Beam can be controlled with the Sonos app, your existing TV remote, multiple voice assistants, Apple AirPlay 2, music service apps and more. Listeners can use Beam on its own or expand wirelessly with a subwoofer and pair of rear speakers for even more immersive entertainment.

Launching later this year in select markets, Sonos plans to support Amazon Music’s Ultra High Definition audio, which will allow listeners to hear tracks in lossless audio up to 24-bit / 48kHz on their Sonos speakers, as well as Dolby Atmos Music, an immersive audio format that breaks the boundaries of traditional studio recordings and puts you inside the song, revealing every detail of the music.

Available at no extra cost to Amazon Music Unlimited customers, Ultra HD will be available to listen on all S2 devices, except Play:1, Play:3, Playbase and Playbar, while Dolby Atmos Music will be available to listen on Arc and Beam (Gen 2). Sonos also announced plans to add support for decoding DTS Digital Surround

Sound later this year via the S2 platform on Playbar, Playbase, Amp, both generations of Beam and Arc. Beam (Gen 2) will be available starting 6th October 2021.

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