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Sonos unveils new audio gear and AI-powered Sonos 27 platform at New York event

Sonos unveiled new Beam Ultra soundbar, Ace Ultra headphones, and Sonos 27 software at a New York event.

AI News Feed · 2026-09-02 01:21

The Sonos Ace Ultra headphones are an upgraded version of the original Ace, featuring newly designed 40mm drivers and 10 microphones for noise control. According to Sonos, the Ace Ultra's active noise cancellation is twice as effective as the Ace's at frequencies like 65Hz. The headphones also support headphone linking, which lets users transfer audio between the headphones and a compatible Sonos speaker or group with the press of a button. This feature will be available in early access when the headphones ship on September 29. The Beam Ultra is a new soundbar, though specific technical details were not provided in initial coverage. Both products are designed to integrate with the Sonos ecosystem.

The Sonos 27 software platform introduces several new features. One is Sonos 27voice, a voice assistant built in-house for music and system control. It is designed to understand natural requests like "Play that song I had on in the kitchen last night." The assistant will be available as an opt-in early access feature this fall. Another feature is Sonos MCP, which connects the Sonos system to external AI models such as ChatGPT or Google Gemini, allowing control through familiar chatbot interfaces. Sonos MCP will launch in early access on September 8. Later, in 2027, users will be able to create custom agents with their own "model, persona and voice" for various roles, such as a detective delivering morning news or a motivational coach.

The software update also includes a new capability called Sonos Fabric, which allows Sonos products to sense other members of a system and adapt accordingly. For example, a pair of Move 2 or Play portable speakers can automatically act as surround sound speakers when placed behind a couch, without user setup. Additionally, the Sonos app is being redesigned with persistent home, system, and search tabs, a room sort option, and a virtual volume knob controlled by twisting two fingers. These app changes will roll out on September 8, with the volume knob initially available on iOS. Lock screen controls for volume and play/pause are also returning, having started rolling out on August 17. Sonos 27 will be available to all devices running on the company's S2 platform.

In other announcements on September 1, The Verge reported that Homey, the smart home platform owned by LG, launched the Homey Portal, a touchscreen controller with a dial for controlling lights, music, and climate. It is priced at $249 for preorders and will ship in December. The Portal supports over 70,000 devices from more than 2,000 brands and works with Matter, Zigbee, Z-Wave, and Thread. According to Homey, the Portal is not a hub and requires a connection to a Homey hub or cloud service. Stefan Witkamp, CEO at Athom, Homey's parent company, said the goal is to make a smart home "as simple as flipping a light switch."

TechRadar reported that Sony introduced three new party speakers: the ULT Tower 5, ULT Tower 7, and ULT Tower Max, priced at £349, £499, and £1,299 respectively. The speakers feature newly developed circular woofers, multiple sound modes, and 360-degree party sound. Sony product manager Mike Somerset explained that the circular driver unit was chosen to emphasize deep bass. A TechRadar editor who attended a demo said the ULT Tower 5 was the most impressive relative to its size and cost.

TechCrunch reported that Amazon launched a new feature for its Alexa for Shopping assistant called "Update Me When." This feature sends personalized notifications when something new or relevant happens that could lead to a purchase, such as a favorite brand launching a new product or a new season of a TV show. The feature is part of Amazon's broader AI shopping efforts, which include price tracking and automatic purchases.

In a separate Engadget report, a staffer tested the Dolby Atmos for Headphones feature, which costs $14.99 and simulates spatial audio on stereo headphones. The staffer played several PC games and found the effect subtle, concluding that it isn't worth the money compared to headphones with native Dolby Atmos support.