“India Is Ready for Premium Sound”: Sonos Executive

As India’s smart home and premium audio market accelerates, Sonos is positioning itself at the intersection of innovation, culture, and lifestyle. In an interview with Rennie Addabbo, General Manager of Sonos APAC, he discussed how the brand is leveraging AI for sharper sound, why Indian consumers are embracing premium products faster than expected, and what trends like spatial audio and connected living mean for the future of listening.

In this conversation, Addabbo shares how Sonos sees India not just as a price-sensitive market, but as one where discerning consumers value quality, ease of use, and music as a shared cultural experience.

1. What is the role of AI in the audio industry? How is Sonos incorporating it, and where do you see it going in the next few years?

Rennie: If I touch on one key area where AI is already improving the customer experience — it’s in speech enhancement. We recently rolled out upgrades that deliver sharper vocal clarity in home theater setups. Traditionally, most audio dialogue comes from the center channel, and while we could already enhance speech through signal processing, AI now allows us to do a much sharper job.

We can separate dialogue from background effects, action noises, or musical notes with far more precision, so that voices are clearer without losing the cinematic richness. It’s an example of how AI can directly improve listening for customers who really care about dialogue clarity in movies and shows.

2. Smart homes are picking up in India. How is Sonos looking at that space? How important is India as a market for Sonos?

Rennie: Really exciting dynamics in India. You’re right, smart homes are becoming more relevant, especially with the growing need to control devices and automation seamlessly. From the very start, Sonos was designed to bring music into any room, with software and our app at the core.

Today, most of the world’s leading home automation systems integrate with Sonos first. In India, our installation channel is critical — it makes up over 50% of our business. Often, these installers are also at the nexus of home automation — connecting TVs, audio, lighting, and more. So, for us, India is still at the beginning of a marathon, not a sprint, but the potential is massive.

3. India is also a very price-conscious market. Is that a challenge for Sonos in building a strong foothold here?

Rennie: Actually, what we’re seeing is quite interesting. The premium nature of Indian consumers who are discovering Sonos is clear. For example, we sell about 2.5 times more of our premium Arc and Arc Ultra soundbars than our mid-range Beam in India. And Beam itself is doing well.

That tells us Indian customers are willing to invest in the best when they see the value. Another encouraging insight is that India has one of the highest multi-Sonos households globally. Nearly four in ten customers who buy one product immediately buy more. That shows they see Sonos not just as a product, but as a connected system.

So whether someone enters through a premium soundbar or an entry product, the value proposition really shines as you expand — everything works together. That’s resonating strongly here.

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4. Since Gen Z and millennials are experimenting with new trends like spatial audio, how is Sonos tapping into that?

Rennie: Great question. Hardware-wise, we’ve launched the Era 300, which is designed for spatial audio and is doing very well in India. It supports Dolby Atmos and high-resolution audio from Apple, Amazon, and others.

On the software side, we’ve introduced TrueCinema on our Sonos Ace headphones. With it, you can experience the same spatial audio from your Sonos soundbar directly on your headphones. This blend of hardware and software innovation lets us stay at the forefront of spatial audio trends, meeting the growing appetite for immersive listening.

5. What do you think Indian buyers value more: better sound or convenience?

Rennie: Both matter, but our research in India shows that great sound comes first. Consumers consistently tell us they recognize Sonos for its audio quality and design. The second priority is ease of use — having everything controlled from a single app.

Innovation is the third piece. We just introduced technology in Arc Ultra, for example, that delivers deeper bass in a smaller form factor, something we know Indian consumers appreciate.

And there’s another cultural insight: Indian customers place high value on gathering time — bringing family and friends together. Music is often central to that, and Sonos makes it seamless to fill homes with sound. That emotional value is a big differentiator here.

And those insights inspired us to launch initiatives like Sonos Sound Suites. We noticed a surge in traditional and classical music listening in India, so we designed experiences that celebrate that. For example, we’re hosting an event in Mumbai tomorrow to bring those insights to life for audiences.

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