At an event held in New York City, Sonos announced the Sonos Beam Ultra soundbar, Sonos Ace Ultra headphones and the Sonos 27 operating system update. This was the company’s biggest product and software announcement since 2024, when it drew a backlash from customers over its troubled app redesign.
Sonos 27 will introduce the company’s in-house Sonos 27voice assistant this fall through an early-access and opt-in model. Sonos 27mcp will enable existing AI models such as ChatGPT and Google Gemini to connect to the system; however, Google Assistant will not be supported natively. In the system, which will enter early access on September 8, users will be able to create up to 10 custom agents with different voices and roles using the models they choose. These agents will not become available until 2027. All products compatible with the current app will be controllable through Sonos 27mcp, while devices with microphones will be controllable through Sonos 27voice.
As part of Sonos Fabric, wireless Play and Move 2 speakers will be usable in pairs as surround speakers in home theater systems and will be configured automatically according to their positions. Compatible headphones will also be added to the system, enabling audio to be transferred from the nearest speaker to the headphones. The “Headphone linking” feature will enter early access on September 29.
The app will add home, system and search tabs at the bottom, a pinable room order and a virtual volume button operated with two fingers. These updates will begin rolling out on September 8; the virtual button will initially be available only on iOS. The rollout of lock-screen controls began on August 17. System health views and presets will arrive this fall.
The Sonos Ace Ultra, which will launch on September 29 at $449, includes Headphone Engine 2, new 40mm drivers and 10 microphones for noise control. Battery life reaches 35 hours with ANC enabled; a three-minute charge provides three hours of use. The headphones support SBC, AAC, aptX Adaptive Lossless and 16-bit/48kHz audio via USB-C.
The redesigned 7.1.2 Beam Ultra features two upward-firing drivers for Dolby Atmos and four levels of AI speech enhancement. Available in matte black or white, the device will go on sale on September 29 at $699.
Why it matters
These announcements show that Sonos is placing the software experience at the center again following its app changes in 2024. With Sonos 27, ensuring that audio control is not tied solely to the company’s own assistant and allowing models such as ChatGPT and Google Gemini to connect to the system make the use of artificial intelligence more configurable; the lack of native support for Google Assistant, however, creates an adaptation issue in terms of existing user habits. The new app layout aims for more integrated control extending from devices with microphones to all compatible products. Adding headphones and wireless speakers to the same home theater system also expands transitions between devices. However, the fact that the features are being introduced through early access and a phased rollout leaves open when the experience will be complete on which products and platforms.
Background
Sonos is not a new name in the FikirPilot archive: we published a news story mentioning this name in the last 90 days; that article was dated September 1, 2026.
Term: early access
Early access is when a game is made available to play for a fee before it has been completed.