Sonos Ace Ultra and Beam Ultra: Price, Specs and Release Date

Sonos is putting two new premium audio products on sale September 29, 2026: the $449 Ace Ultra over-ear headphones and the $699 Beam Ultra compact soundbar. Both are available to preorder now, but the bigger story is how tightly they plug into the company’s Sonos 27 platform.

The hardware upgrades are substantial on paper. Beam Ultra adds real upward-firing drivers and a 7.1.2-channel Dolby Atmos layout, while Ace Ultra brings stronger adaptive noise cancellation, longer battery life and direct system-to-headphone handoff. Neither product has completed ReaderSpice’s independent review process, so performance claims below are identified as manufacturer claims or early hands-on impressions.

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Price and September 29 release date

Sonos Ace Ultra costs $449 in the United States and comes in black, soft white, agave and sand.
Sonos Beam Ultra costs $699 in the United States and comes in matte black or white.
Preorders are open now, with Sonos estimating shipments beginning September 29, 2026.
Ace Ultra includes a travel case, USB-C cable and USB-C-to-3.5mm cable. Beam Ultra includes its power and HDMI cables.

Sonos Beam Ultra: true 7.1.2 Atmos in a compact bar

Beam Ultra sits between the $499 Beam (Gen 2) and the $1,099 Arc Ultra. Its nine-driver architecture includes five tweeters and four low-profile woofers. Two of the tweeters fire upward through directional horns, giving Dolby Atmos content physical height channels instead of relying only on virtualization.

The soundbar measures 29.53 inches wide, 2.56 inches tall and 4.13 inches deep, so it remains much easier to place than many flagship bars. It supports HDMI eARC/ARC, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3, AirPlay 2 and Sonos Trueplay room tuning on both iOS and Android.

Dialogue is another focus. Sonos says its redesigned center channel and four adjustable levels of AI Speech Enhancement can bring voices forward when effects or room noise make them difficult to hear. Night Sound compresses loud moments and lifts quieter detail for late viewing.

Early demonstrations reported wider, more separated Atmos effects, stronger mid-bass and clearer dialogue than Beam (Gen 2), but a controlled review will still need to test bass extension, overhead precision, music balance and performance in rooms with difficult ceilings.

Who should consider Beam Ultra?

Choose Beam Ultra if you want real upward-firing Atmos channels in a soundbar that is still under 30 inches wide.
Keep Beam (Gen 2) on your shortlist if $699 is too high or your room and content will not benefit from height channels.
Consider Arc Ultra instead for a large room or when maximum scale matters more than size and price.

Sonos Ace Ultra: stronger ANC and whole-home linking

Ace Ultra uses a new Sonos-designed 40mm driver in each ear cup and ten microphones for noise control, calls, Aware mode and TrueCinema. Sonos claims up to twice the active noise cancellation of the original Ace, while adaptive EQ compensates for acoustic leaks caused by glasses, hair or fit.

Battery life rises from 30 to as much as 35 hours with ANC enabled. A three-minute charge is rated for up to three hours of playback. Lossless audio is available over compatible Qualcomm aptX Bluetooth devices or a USB-C connection, and listeners can choose a simpler three-band EQ or a more precise eight-band EQ.

The defining feature is Headphone Linking. In early access, pressing the Content Key can pull music or TV audio from a nearby compatible Sonos product to the headphones, then send it back without opening the phone app. TV Audio Swap, Dolby Atmos, TrueCinema room calibration and dynamic head tracking remain part of the private-listening pitch.

Sonos also designed the ear cushions and battery to be replaceable, a welcome durability improvement for headphones expected to last several years. Replacement pricing and long-term parts availability will matter as much as the design promise.

Who should consider Ace Ultra?

Ace Ultra makes the most sense for an existing Sonos household that will use Headphone Linking and TV Audio Swap.
Frequent travelers may value the 35-hour ANC rating, fast charging and four color choices.
Buyers who only need Bluetooth headphones should wait for full comparative reviews against Sony, Bose and Apple models.

How the new models compare with what you can buy today

The original Sonos Ace remains listed at $349, while Beam (Gen 2) remains $499. That creates a clear $100 headphone step and a $200 soundbar step. The Ultras justify those premiums mainly through deeper Sonos-system integration and hardware that directly addresses limitations in the older products.

If you need a compact Sonos soundbar immediately and do not require upward-firing speakers, the current Sonos Beam (Gen 2) on Amazon remains the lower-cost route. Waiting until independent reviews publish could also reveal launch promotions or discounts on the outgoing models.

What to verify before ordering

Check that your television has HDMI ARC or eARC; eARC is required for the highest-bandwidth formats listed by Sonos.
Measure the available width and depth on your console, and leave the top of Beam Ultra unobstructed so its height drivers can work properly.
Confirm which Sonos products support the specific linking, surround and TV Audio Swap features you want.
Treat the two-times-stronger ANC figure, 35-hour battery claim and sound-quality promises as claims until independent tests confirm them.
Remember that Headphone Linking is launching in early access, so features and reliability may change.

Early verdict

Beam Ultra looks like the more consequential upgrade because physical upward-firing drivers change what a compact Beam can reproduce. Ace Ultra is a more targeted proposition: its improvements are meaningful, but its strongest advantage appears only when paired with the wider Sonos ecosystem.

For current Sonos owners, both products deserve attention. Everyone else should compare the full system cost, wait for measured reviews and decide whether Sonos-only conveniences are worth paying more for. Preorders are not necessary for shoppers who want verified performance rather than launch-day availability.