Sonos has officially unveiled Beam Ultra, replacing speculation about its next compact soundbar with a much more substantial upgrade than a routine refresh. The new model delivers true 7.1.2 Dolby Atmos from a nine-driver acoustic system, including two dedicated upward-firing drivers, while the wider announcement also introduces Sonos Ace Ultra headphones and the company’s major new Sonos 27 software platform.
Beam Ultra is available to pre-order from 1 September for £699 in the UK, with general availability from 29 September 2026. That is a sizeable increase over the £449 Beam (Gen 2), but Sonos is also giving buyers something we specifically wanted to see from its next compact soundbar: genuine physical height channels rather than relying on virtualised overhead effects.
When we examined the evidence for a new Beam in August, dedicated upward-firing speakers were at the top of our wish list. Sonos has now delivered exactly that, while also adding Bluetooth and a broader system update that could prove just as important as the hardware itself.
Beam Ultra finally brings true 7.1.2 Dolby Atmos
The biggest change is inside the soundbar. According to Sonos’ launch announcement, Beam Ultra uses nine custom drivers, including two dedicated upward-firing units, to create true 7.1.2 Dolby Atmos from a chassis that remains close to the size of the existing Beam.
Sonos lists five tweeters and four low-profile woofers, with the upward-firing tweeters handling spatial audio and the redesigned centre channel aimed at improving dialogue clarity. Bass has also been strengthened, which should help the soundbar feel more substantial before a separate Sub is added.
This matters because Beam (Gen 2) already supported Dolby Atmos, but did so without physical height speakers. Its processing could create a sense of overhead space, yet it was never the same proposition as a soundbar with dedicated drivers firing towards the ceiling. Beam Ultra closes that gap.
If you are unsure why the connection between a TV and soundbar matters for Atmos formats, our guide to HDMI eARC explains the important differences.
AI Speech Enhancement gets four levels
Dialogue is another major focus. Beam Ultra introduces four selectable levels of AI Speech Enhancement, using voice detection to make speech easier to hear when effects become busy or background noise in the room gets in the way.
Night Sound remains available for reducing the intensity of louder effects while bringing quieter details forward, so the new soundbar keeps the practical late-night listening features that already made Beam easy to live with.
Bluetooth arrives, but HDMI passthrough still does not
Another item from our August analysis has been addressed: Beam Ultra supports Bluetooth 5.3 alongside Wi-Fi 6, AirPlay 2 and the wider Sonos multi-room system. That gives owners a more direct way to send audio to the soundbar without relying entirely on the Sonos app or network streaming.
However, Sonos still lists a single HDMI eARC/ARC connection for television audio. There is no separate HDMI input for passthrough, so consoles, streaming boxes and other devices will continue to connect through the television rather than through the soundbar itself.
That keeps setup simple, which has long been part of the Sonos approach, but buyers with several HDMI devices will still need a television with enough ports and reliable eARC handling.
The £699 price changes Beam’s position
The most difficult part of the announcement is the price. Beam Ultra costs £699 in the UK, compared with £449 for Beam (Gen 2). That £250 increase pushes the new model much further into premium soundbar territory.
Dedicated height drivers, stronger bass, newer connectivity and better dialogue processing all help justify the move, but £699 also means Beam Ultra will now face much more complete home-cinema packages from rivals. Our Samsung HW-Q930F review, for example, shows what buyers can get from a system that includes dedicated rear speakers and a wireless subwoofer.
The attraction of Beam Ultra is therefore likely to be less about raw speaker count and more about compact size, simplicity and access to the Sonos ecosystem.
Sonos 27 may be the bigger long-term story
The hardware is only part of this launch. Sonos has also introduced Sonos 27, the next generation of its audio operating system, with a much stronger focus on open AI control and moving audio more freely around the home.
Sonos says the update will be available across all products running its S2 software, although individual features depend on compatible hardware. Portable surrounds, for example, are initially limited to Move 2 and Sonos Play, while direct headphone linking launches in Early Access exclusively for Ace Ultra.
Two of the headline additions are Sonos 27voice, Sonos’ own AI-led control layer for music and mood requests, and Sonos 27mcp. The latter is designed to let external AI assistants and agents connect to the Sonos system, including services such as ChatGPT.
That could ultimately be more significant than another voice assistant. If Sonos can make its system accessible to whichever AI platform a household already prefers, control becomes less dependent on one closed ecosystem and more adaptable as AI assistants develop.
Sonos 27mcp is beginning its rollout in Early Access from 8 September, alongside refreshed app navigation and another genuinely useful home-cinema change: compatible portable speakers can start working as rear surrounds.
Portable Sonos speakers can become surrounds
From 8 September, compatible Sonos portable speakers including Move 2 and Sonos Play can be used as home-cinema surrounds. That removes one of the traditional compromises of buying dedicated rear speakers: the same pair can be part of a film setup in the evening and then return to portable use elsewhere in the home.
For smaller homes or anyone who does not want permanent rear speakers, that flexibility could make expanding a Beam Ultra setup considerably more attractive. It also gives Sonos another way to make existing products more useful rather than requiring a completely separate set of speakers for every role.
Sonos Ace Ultra completes the launch
Sonos Ace Ultra arrives alongside Beam Ultra with a new Sonos-designed 40mm driver, next-generation Adaptive ANC using ten microphones and up to 35 hours of battery life with noise cancellation enabled.
It also introduces direct headphone linking through Sonos’ new Headphone Engine 2 hardware. In Early Access, owners can move audio between the Sonos system and the headphones without needing a phone to remain in the middle of the connection.
Ace Ultra is an important part of the wider ecosystem story, but Beam Ultra and Sonos 27 are the more consequential developments for home cinema because they change both what the compact Sonos soundbar can physically reproduce and how the wider system can be controlled and expanded.
Tech Torque Verdict
Sonos has delivered the single hardware upgrade we most wanted from its next Beam: dedicated upward-firing drivers for genuine Dolby Atmos height effects. Add Bluetooth, stronger bass and four-stage AI Speech Enhancement and Beam Ultra looks like a substantial technical step forward rather than a cosmetic refresh.
The £699 price is the catch. Beam Ultra is no longer an easy mid-range recommendation on price alone, and it will need to prove that its compact design and ecosystem advantages can compete with larger packages offering separate surrounds and subwoofers.
Sonos 27 may ultimately matter even more. Open AI integration, portable surrounds and easier movement of sound around the system suggest Sonos is trying to make the whole platform more flexible, not merely launch another soundbar. If the software works as promised, this could be one of the company’s most important updates in years.
