Sonos has launched a new soundbar in the Ace Ultra, a new pair of headphones with the Ace Ultra, and its next-gen audio OS, Sonos 27, adding AI control to the mix.
Sonos 27
Sonos 27 adds AI control through multiple assistants and agents, new ways to move sound around the home, and a more intuitive app experience, which will be music to the ears of fans who love the products but not so much the app interface.
The OS works with Sonos 27voice, the company’s own assistant built for music and mood curation. But it also works with Sonos 27mcp, which lets you connect any outside AI assistant or agent to your system, including OpenAI’s ChatGPT.
“With this Sonos integration, people can ask ChatGPT to play music anywhere in their home from their phone or computer, without leaving the conversation they’re having,” explains Atty Eleti, Product Lead for ChatGPT Voice at OpenAI. “It’s a simple way to stay in the moment, and we’re excited to bring it to Sonos listeners around the world.”
Using Sonos Custom Agents, you can create your own agents through the system, each with its own model, persona, and voice. Sonos Fabric, meanwhile, makes it possible for Sonos products to sense each other and adapt to the moment. This fall, it powers two new features. Headphone linking connects to the new Sonos Ace Ultra directly to the Sonos system as an Early Access feature, giving listeners the ability to push and pull sound between nearby speakers and your ears. Sonos Positioning Technology uses high-frequency sound to sense a speaker’s location and change its role within the system based on that. This enables the new portable surrounds feature, which lets Move 2 or Sonos Play become rear surrounds the instant they’re moved into position.
Sonos is also rolling out new features and improvements to its Sonos 27app, making it easier and more intuitive to navigate. Shaped and tested by the Sonos community, the Sonos 27app is one of many ways listeners can control their Sonos system, alongside Sonos 27voice and Sonos 27web.
Sonos 27 will become available through a software update to all Sonos S2 products, though some features are only available on certain products. New app navigation starts rolling out September 8, alongside Sonos 27mcp in Early Access. Portable surrounds also start September 8, available to Sonos Move 2 and Sonos Play owners.
Sonos Beam Ultra Soundbar
The Sonos Beam Ultra maintains Beam’s compact form factor while unlocking 7.1.2 Dolby Atmos. The mid-size soundbar is built with nine custom drivers, including two dedicated up-firing drivers that deliver true 7.1.2 Dolby Atmos and warmer bass. A redesigned centre channel brings clearer dialogue, with four levels of AI Speech Enhancement for when you want more clarity and Night Sound for late nights.
You can add a sub for deeper bass or rear surrounds, which now can include compatible Sonos portable speakers.
Sonos Ace Ultra Headphones
The Sonos Ace Ultra boasts a new driver, next-generation Adaptive ANC, and a direct connection to the Sonos system. The new premium over-ear headphone are built with a Sonos-designed 40mm driver and feature Adaptive ANC powered by 10 microphones. They offer up to 35 hours of battery life with ANC on.
They’re the first headphone built on Headphone Engine 2, new hardware that lets you link the headphone directly into the Sonos system, available in Early Access. One press pushes whatever’s playing on your Sonos system to your headphones, another press pulls it back, without needing a phone in range.
Using Both Together
With the new software experience, Beam Ultra groups and bonds with other Sonos speakers for multiroom listening and home theatre and Sonos Ace Ultra taps into that same system through headphone linking. Trueplay tunes Beam Ultra to any room, and TrueCinema does the same for Sonos Ace Ultra when it’s pulling sound from a compatible soundbar.
Beam Ultra connects over WiFi, Bluetooth, and HDMI eARC, and Sonos Ace Ultra adds USB-C and 3.5mm.
Beam Ultra and Sonos Ace Ultra will be available for pre-order starting September 1, 2026 priced at US$699 and US$449, respectively, with general availability on September 29, 2026.