Sonos debuts Ace Ultra Headphones with upgraded ANC and seamless system integration

Credit: Sonos

Sonos officially expanded its audio lineup with the new Sonos Ace Ultra over-ear headphones, launching alongside the new Beam Ultra soundbar, for CA$599 in Canada. Built around custom 40mm drivers, the flagship headphones offer up to 35 hours of battery life with Active Noise Cancellation enabled. A new 10-microphone array powers adaptive ANC and Adaptive EQ, which dynamically tunes playback to correct for acoustic seal leaks caused by hair, glasses, or head movement.

Engineered around Sonos’s new Headphone Engine 2 architecture, the Ace Ultra natively connects to the broader Sonos ecosystem, fixing early integration issues seen in the previous model. Users can swap TV audio directly between a Sonos soundbar and the headphones with a single button press via TrueCinema technology, without needing a smartphone app. Additional features include 32kHz high-resolution call quality with background noise suppression, multi-device Bluetooth switching, custom app EQ controls, and an included 3.5mm cable for wired listening.

SOURCE | VIA

Sonos launches new compact Beam Ultra soundbar

Credit: Sonos

Sonos keeps things compact with the new Beam Ultra soundbar, while promising better sound that can work effectively without a separate subwoofer (but can still work with one if wanted). This mid-sized soundbar has nine custom drivers, including two dedicated up-firing drivers to support true 7.1.2 Dolby Atmos. Its redesigned center channel is specially tuned to enhance dialogue, with four levels of AI Speech Enhancement available through the Sonos app.

The app is also your primary way to control the device, but the Beam Ultra has capacitive touch controls for play, pause, skip, and replay. It also has controls for volume, disabling voice assistant capabilities, and grouping and ungrouping other Sonos devices.

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Sonos Era 100 Pro & new Zones feature now available

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Sonos announced the availability of its first speaker designed specifically for professional installers: the Era 100 Pro. This Ethernet-powered speaker is sold in pairs through authorized Sonos installation partners. Pricing is set by these partners, with one Toronto installer estimating a price of $409 each, or $499 CAD with a wall mount. Buyers should note the Era 100 Pro requires a powered Ethernet connection because it won't work with typical wired home networks.

Alongside the new speaker, Sonos has introduced Zones in its app. This new feature allows for the creation of semi-permanent speaker collections of up to 16 compatible devices, simplifying control in commercial settings. Zones offer synchronized content and volume, with individual speaker trim and EQ adjustments. 

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Sonos weighs old app revival

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Sonos has been grappling with the issues surrounding the redesigned app it launched in April. The buggy, incomplete app was met with widespread criticism and customer dissatisfaction. Despite the company's efforts to address the issues, the app continues to cause frustration for users.

In an attempt to alleviate the situation, Sonos leadership is reportedly considering a return to its previous "S2" app. This move would provide a temporary solution for users while the company works to resolve the problems with the newer app.

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