

Beam Ultra and Ace Ultra: Sonos introduces soundbar and headphones
With the Beam Ultra and Ace Ultra, Sonos is launching a new soundbar and headphones – including new software.
Sonos is expanding its multiroom system at the IFA tech trade show with two new devices: the Beam Ultra soundbar and the Ace Ultra headphones. Both are launching with Sonos' new software "Sonos 27". You can pre-order them now – they will be shipped starting September 29th.
Beam Ultra: Nine drivers in a compact housing
Sonos' new soundbar stays true to the brand's look and is designed for smaller living rooms. It is just 6.5 centimeters high, 75 centimeters wide, and 10.5 centimeters deep. At 2.88 kilograms, it is also a lightweight in this segment.
Inside, Sonos has installed a total of nine drivers: five standard tweeters and four flat tweeters. Due to their design, the latter are positioned on the sides for stereo separation, but also serve as upfiring tweeters. There is also a centrally located tweeter designed to ensure clear dialogue. The Beam Ultra supports the 7.1.2 Dolby Atmos standard. However, you will only hear this if the soundbar is connected to the TV via HDMI eARC and if the content you are watching is encoded accordingly.

Source: Sonos
Sonos has also installed a microphone array with beamforming. In addition to voice control, this is used for measuring the room (Sonos Trueplay). The sound is adjusted based on the distance from walls and other objects, as well as the room's acoustics. You can completely disconnect the microphone array from power using a dedicated switch. For further sound adjustments, you can use the EQ in the Sonos app.
In addition to WiFi 6, the Beam Ultra also supports Bluetooth 5.3. If you want to connect your smartphone directly to the soundbar, you can do so via USB-C. Both Android and iOS devices are supported – as is AirPlay 2.
Sonos Ace Ultra: Switch to the speaker at the touch of a button
The Sonos headphones are entering their second round. The over-ear model uses a 40-millimeter driver developed by Sonos itself and features a total of 10 microphones for noise cancelling and telephony. The manufacturer states the battery life is 35 hours with noise cancellation activated. If you want to use the headphones wired, you can do so via USB-C or the included 3.5-millimeter jack cable. Despite the cable, you must keep the headphones switched on. Bluetooth is also supported – Sonos has not yet revealed which generation or which codecs. What is clear is that for the iPhone, it will likely be AAC and SBC.

Source: Sonos
A new feature is "Headphone Engine 2". This allows you to connect the headphones to the Sonos system at the touch of a button – without a smartphone. So, if you have other Sonos speakers or soundbars, the Ace Ultra joins the multiroom system. In addition to the well-known Trueplay, the Ace Ultra features "True Cinema". This allows the system to take the audio wirelessly from the Sonos soundbar when things need to be quieter.
Sonos is charging 649 francs for the Beam Ultra and 419 francs for the Ace Ultra.
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