Sonos Launches Sonos 27 Audio OS With Beam Ultra And Ace Ultra
Sonos is opening its system to external AI assistants and user-built agents rather than keeping control inside its own app, a bet that the home audio platform stays useful only if it can host other companies' AI.
Key Facts
- Sonos announced Sonos 27, a new version of its audio operating system, on September 2, 2026.
- Sonos Beam Ultra is priced at 99,800 yen with pre-orders starting September 25 and sales scheduled from October 9.
- Sonos Ace Ultra is priced at 69,800 yen with pre-orders starting October 16 and sales scheduled from October 30.
- Sonos Ace Ultra uses 40mm drivers, adaptive noise cancellation with 10 microphones, and offers up to 35 hours of battery life with ANC on.
- Sonos 27 will be available on all Sonos S2-compatible products through a software update, with the new app navigation and Sonos 27mcp rolling out as early access from September 8.
Reporting from 1 source: ASCII.jp.
Sonos announced Sonos 27, a new version of the audio operating system it has developed for more than 20 years, on September 2. The release names the system Sonos has built to date and adds AI control, home-wide sound linking, and a redesigned app. Two new products join the lineup. Beam Ultra is a mid-size soundbar with nine custom drivers, two of them upward-firing, for 7.1.2 Dolby Atmos, priced at 99,800 yen. Ace Ultra is an over-ear headphone with 40mm drivers, adaptive noise cancellation using 10 microphones, and up to 35 hours of battery life with ANC on, priced at 69,800 yen. Sonos 27 arrives as a software update on all Sonos S2-compatible products, though some features need compatible hardware. The new app navigation and Sonos 27mcp roll out as early access starting September 8. Headphone Linking comes to Ace Ultra as early access starting September 29.
Beam Ultra pre-orders open September 25 ahead of an October 9 release, while Ace Ultra goes up for pre-order October 16 and reaches partner stores nationwide, including online, from October 30. Both prices include tax, and infinity Inc. is the authorized distributor for Sonos Japan.
Ace Ultra carries Headphone Engine 2, hardware that links the headphones directly to the Sonos system and is offered as an early access feature. A single button press moves sound from a Sonos speaker to the headphones and back, with no phone required nearby. Beam Ultra can pair with a Sonos Sub for deeper bass or add rear surrounds when needed.
The software side leans on Sonos Fabric, a function that lets products recognize each other's location and status. Sonos Positioning Technology uses high-frequency sound to detect a speaker's position and reassign its role, which enables Portable Surrounds: users move a Sonos Play portable speaker into place and use it as a rear surround. Sonos Voice launches in US English, with other regions and languages to follow.
- Sonos 27: Audio operating system update for all Sonos S2-compatible products; new app navigation and Sonos 27mcp begin early access September 8
- Sonos Beam Ultra: Mid-size soundbar with nine custom drivers and true 7.1.2 Dolby Atmos, priced at 99,800 yen; pre-orders September 25, on sale October 9
- Sonos Ace Ultra: Over-ear headphones with 40mm drivers, adaptive ANC using 10 microphones, and up to 35 hours of battery life with ANC on, priced at 69,800 yen; pre-orders October 16, on sale October 30
- Sonos 27voice: Sonos's own assistant for selecting music suited to the mood of the moment
- Sonos 27mcp: Connects external AI assistants and agents, including OpenAI's ChatGPT, to the Sonos system
- Sonos Custom Agents: Lets users create their own agents on the Sonos system with different AI models, personalities, and voices
- Sonos Fabric: System function that lets Sonos products recognize each other's location and status and operate optimally
- Headphone Linking: Early access feature connecting Ace Ultra directly to the Sonos system, moving sound between speakers and headphones; rolls out to Ace Ultra starting September 29
- Sonos Positioning Technology: Uses high-frequency sound to recognize a speaker's location and switch its role automatically
- Portable Surrounds: New feature that lets a Sonos Play portable speaker serve as a rear surround; rolls out to Sonos Play owners sequentially starting September 8
- Sonos 27app: Redesigned app developed through months of improvement and testing with the community
- Sonos 27web: Web-based control option alongside the Sonos 27app and Sonos 27voice
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 1 cited source below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.