Sonos Beam Ultra, Ace Ultra: New Audio & Smart Home OS

Sonos is introducing its new Sonos 27 operating system, aiming to improve how smart home audio systems work together. This update includes two new flagship hardware products. First, there's the Sonos Beam Ultra, a mid-size soundbar. It claims to deliver true 7.1.2 Dolby Atmos with nine custom drivers, including two up-firing drivers for spatial audio and warmer bass. The Beam Ultra also has a redesigned center channel for vocal clarity and four levels of AI Speech Enhancement, plus a Night Sound mode. It costs A$1,099 and supports WiFi, Bluetooth, and HDMI eARC. Then, there are the Sonos Ace Ultra headphones, priced at A$699. These over-ear headphones feature a custom 40mm driver and next-generation Adaptive ANC with a 10-microphone array. They offer 35 hours of battery life with ANC enabled and include USB-C and 3.5mm inputs. What's interesting is a new Headphone Engine 2 hardware feature that allows you to push audio from your soundbar directly to the headphones with a single button press, without needing a smartphone. The bottom line is that Sonos is trying to make it easier to integrate personal and home audio systems, offering more flexibility for users.