Key Things to Know
- Sonos introduced Sonos 27, the newest version of its audio operating system, adding open AI control, new ways to move sound and a refreshed app.
- Amp Multi, a new professional-grade multizone streaming amplifier, is now shipping and delivers eight 125-watt outputs across up to four independent zones.
- The AI strategy centers on Sonos 27 voice, Sonos 27 mcp for connecting outside assistants including ChatGPT and a preview of Custom Agents.
- Sonos Fabric powers new headphone linking and portable surrounds that turn compatible Sonos portable speakers into rear surrounds.
- Beam Ultra is a mid-size 7.1.2 Dolby Atmos soundbar with nine drivers, priced at $699.
- Sonos Ace Ultra is a premium over-ear headphone with a 40 mm driver, Adaptive ANC and up to 35 hours of battery, priced at $449.
- Beam Ultra and Sonos Ace Ultra open for pre-order Sept. 1 with general availability Sept. 29, while the Sonos 27 app update starts rolling out Sept. 8.
What Did Sonos Announce?
Sonos announced a major expansion of its whole-home audio ecosystem, led by Amp Multi, a professional-grade multizone streaming amplifier that is now shipping, alongside the debut of Sonos 27, its latest audio operating system.
The company also introduced Beam Ultra and Sonos Ace Ultra as new flagship products designed to take advantage of the platform’s expanding capabilities. Together the announcements gives integrators new tools to build scalable, seamless entertainment experiences from distributed background music to immersive home theater and personal listening.
“Twenty years ago, we made a bet that the rest of the industry is only now arriving at: a home deserves an audio operating system made just for it,” says Tom Conrad, CEO of Sonos. “We built our system around a shared love of music and the belief that nothing sets the mood like great sound. Sonos 27 takes that further, bringing acoustic engineering, adaptable software, intelligence and design together in a way only Sonos can. This is just the start of what our audio operating system can do.”
What Is Amp Multi and Why Does It Matter for Integrators?
Amp Multi is Sonos’ new professional-grade multizone streaming amplifier, purpose-built for residential and light commercial installation. It delivers eight amplified 125-watt outputs configurable across up to four independent zones, letting integrators design systems around how clients use each space while supporting future expansion.
Each output can power up to three Sonos Architectural speakers, making it possible to blanket large residences and commercial environments with immersive audio without adding unnecessary complexity. An audible identification feature helps locate hardware in crowded equipment racks, and new ProTune sound optimization tools provide detailed DSP controls for tuning based on speaker placement and room acoustics. Its compact, fanless 1.5U design minimizes rack space, heat and noise while supporting clean cable management and efficient airflow.
What Is Sonos 27?
Courtesy / Sonos
Sonos 27 is the latest version of the audio operating system Sonos has spent more than two decades building. The update expands the company’s open platform with AI control through multiple assistants and agents, new ways to move sound around the home and a more intuitive app experience. For integrators, the release signals a shift from a collection of connected speakers toward a more adaptable, intelligent system that can grow and evolve with the home.
What Is Sonos’ Open AI Strategy?
Sonos’ open AI strategy gives listeners the option to control their system using any AI they prefer, a natural progression of the company’s open platform philosophy. Sonos is introducing Sonos 27 voice, its own assistant built for music and mood curation, and Sonos 27 mcp, which lets you connect any outside AI assistant or agent to the system, including OpenAI’s ChatGPT.
Sonos is also previewing Custom Agents, which will let people create their own agents through the system, each with its own model, persona and voice. For integrators, that openness means clients aren’t locked into a single assistant.
“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,” says 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.”
Nick Millington, chief innovation officer at Sonos, adds, “The smartest home isn’t run by one do-everything assistant, it’s run by people having the ability to pick, or create, the right agent for each job. That’s what Sonos’ open platform gives you,” says
What Is Sonos Fabric and How Do Portable Surrounds Work?
Courtesy / Sonos
Sonos Fabric is the system capability that enables Sonos products to sense each other and adapt to the moment. This fall, it powers two new features that show what a system built for adaptability can do. Headphone linking connects Sonos Ace Ultra directly to the Sonos system as an Early Access feature, letting listeners push and pull sound between nearby speakers and their ears.
Sonos Positioning Technology uses high-frequency sound to sense a speaker’s location and change its role within the system, enabling the new portable surrounds feature. That feature lets compatible Sonos portable speakers become rear surrounds the instant they’re moved into position, then transition back to standalone speakers for listening throughout the home or outdoors.
What Is Beam Ultra?
Beam Ultra is Sonos’ new mid-size soundbar, built with nine custom drivers, including two dedicated up-firing drivers that deliver true 7.1.2 Dolby Atmos and warmer bass. A redesigned center channel brings clearer dialogue, with four levels of AI Speech Enhancement for added clarity and Night Sound for late nights.
The soundbar keeps Beam’s compact form while anchoring a home theater setup that grows and adapts, whether that means adding a Sub for deeper bass or rear surrounds that now include compatible Sonos portable speakers. Sonos will demonstrate Beam Ultra alongside its new multi-functional portable speakers in a dedicated home theater section of its CEDIA Expo exhibit.
Beam Ultra is priced at $699.
“A great mix means the listener feels everything without noticing how,” says Chris Jenkins, EVP digital studios, Universal Music Group. “That’s exactly what Beam Ultra delivers: sound that pulls you into the scene instead of reminding you you’re listening to a speaker.”
Courtesy / Sonos
What Is Sonos Ace Ultra?
Sonos Ace Ultra is Sonos’ newest premium over-ear headphone, built with a Sonos-designed 40mm driver, Adaptive ANC powered by 10 microphones and up to 35 hours of battery life with ANC on. It’s the first headphone built on Headphone Engine 2, new hardware that lets you link the headphone directly into the Sonos system as an Early Access feature.
One press pushes whatever’s playing on the Sonos system to the users headphones, and another press pulls it back without needing a phone in range. Users can transition audio between compatible Sonos speakers and Ace Ultra without pausing playback or reconnecting devices, allowing entertainment to move naturally throughout the home.
Sonos Ace Ultra is priced at $449.
How Do the New Products Work Together Within the Sonos System?
The new products work together to give integrators a layered, flexible system that spans distributed audio, home theater and personal listening. Amp Multi provides the professional foundation for multi-room audio distribution, while Beam Ultra anchors the primary home theater space. Compatible portable Sonos speakers bridge both worlds, pairing with Beam Ultra as wireless surrounds when needed and returning to standalone listening anywhere else.
Sonos Ace Ultra extends the experience from shared spaces to personal listening without breaking the flow of playback. All new hardware was tuned with input from the Sonos Soundboard, a group of leaders across music, film and more, to keep sound true to the artist’s intent. Beam Ultra connects over Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and HDMI eARC, and Sonos Ace Ultra adds USB-C and 3.5mm, so nearly any source has a way in.
When Will Sonos 27 and the New Products Be Available?
Amp Multi is now shipping. Sonos 27 will become available through a software update to all Sonos S2 products, though some features are limited to certain products. New app navigation starts rolling out Sept. 8, alongside Sonos 27mcp in Early Access, and portable surrounds also start Sept. 8 for eligible Sonos portable speaker owners.
Beam Ultra and Sonos Ace Ultra open for pre-order Sept. 1 at sonos.com and select retail partners, priced at $699 and $449, with general availability everywhere Sept. 29.
Headphone linking arrives as an Early Access feature exclusive to Sonos Ace Ultra on that same date.
Why Does This Matter for AV Integrators?
This matters for AV integrators because Sonos is positioning its ecosystem as a complete, adaptable audio operating system rather than a set of standalone products, which reshapes how to spec and grow client systems.
Amp Multi gives integrators a professional-grade distributed audio foundation that pairs with the rest of the Sonos portfolio, reducing the need to mix platforms. The open AI approach lets clients choose or build the assistant that fits their home, reducing the risk of platform lock-in. Features like portable surrounds and headphone linking let a single system flex between distributed music, immersive home theater and private listening without added hardware.
With products designed to work across generations and continuous platform updates, integrators can pitch a system that gets more capable over time.
