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At the open house event, Sonos showed off the new Beam Ultra soundbar priced at $699 and the Ace Ultra headphones priced at $449
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Sonos launched the Beam Ultra soundbar and Ace Ultra headphones alongside app updates, delivering new directional audio hardware and software refinements.
Engineers evaluating mid-range home-theater options now have a Sonos soundbar that adds true upward-firing speakers for Dolby Atmos without stepping up to the pricier Arc Ultra. The ability to pair existing Sonos Play speakers as wireless rear channels reduces wiring complexity, while the accompanying app updates may require adjustments to current integration workflows.
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The Beam Ultra soundbar is priced at $699, launches September 29th, and can be preordered at Best Buy, B&H Photo, Sonos, and Amazon.
It features side-firing and upward-firing speakers for directional audio and Dolby Atmos, differing from the Beam Gen 2 which virtualizes its spatial effect.
Two Sonos Play speakers can be wirelessly linked to the Beam Ultra to act as rear channels, offering a 7.1.2 setup without permanent mounts.
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At the open house event, Sonos presented the Beam Ultra soundbar with a $699 price tag and the Ace Ultra headphones listed at $449. The Beam Ultra is scheduled to become available on September 29th, with preorders already live at Best Buy, B&H Photo, Sonos, and Amazon. The Ace Ultra headphones carry the $449 price mentioned in the announcement.
The Beam Ultra adds side-firing and upward-firing speakers that enable directional audio and Dolby Atmos playback. Unlike the Beam Gen 2, which creates its spatial effect through virtualization, the Beam Ultra relies on those physical speakers for its spatial audio. During the press demos, two Sonos Play speakers were wirelessly paired to the Beam Ultra and positioned behind listeners to serve as rear channels for a 7.1.2 configuration. This configuration can work as a rear-channel solution for small rooms where installing fixed rear speakers is impractical.
The soundbar is intended for use with TVs up to 65 inches and is offered in a black finish. The author noted that the demo room contained Sonos subwoofers and extra speakers, which were difficult to ignore despite the team’s statement that they were not used. Accompanying the release are several under-the-hood app updates that could alter how the Beam Ultra interacts with other Sonos products. Price-wise, the Beam Ultra falls between the Beam Gen 2 and the Arc Ultra in the Sonos lineup.
He described the Beam Ultra’s sound as punchy during the demos but warned that press-event conditions often lead to overly positive impressions. He also pointed out that the presence of subwoofers and extra speakers in the demo space made it hard to judge the soundbar’s true standalone performance. Accordingly, he remains curious about how the Beam Ultra will behave in a typical home when it is the only Sonos speaker present. His colleague John Higgins will conduct a more extensive evaluation in an upcoming review.
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