Sony brings Amazon Alexa support to its soundbars and wireless headsets, allowing users to request music or ask questions with their voice.
The Japanese technology giant has revealed that an upcoming firmware update on its HT-ZF9 soundbar will allow it to play with other Alexa-compatible devices to adjust the volume or play a specific artist. .
In addition, Sony has revealed that an update in the coming months would allow users to pair their soundbar with Amazon’s Echo Smart Speakers at home so they can listen to their music in multiple rooms of the house .
Alexa everywhere
As part of Amazon’s grand plan to introduce Alexa around the world, the e-commerce giant this year launched the Mobile Accessory Kit to encourage manufacturers to market Alexa on multiple devices, including laptops. A number of headsets on the market already support Alexa, while a few months earlier, ECS became the first company to announce Alexa technology-enabled Wi-Fi headsets, allowing users to interact with Alexa without having to connect, like a smartphone.
Sony is now putting its hat on the market with an update of its range of wireless headsets coming this winter, but this integration will still require that the headphones are connected to the Alexa application on a smartphone.
“Adding Alexa support to our critically acclaimed wireless headphones means we can improve the consumer experience by allowing them to use the voice to control the music they listen to,” said Richard Palk, Manager video and audio product from Sony Europe. “Similarly, with the soundbar in a home environment, we will offer an additional way to interact with your favorite home entertainment products.”
Sony already offered integrations with its audio products and Google Assistant, while Sony’s Android TVs were already playing with Alexa via Amazon’s Echo devices. Adding Alexa support to soundbars and headphones is a logical step for one of the major players in the audio technology sphere.