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Sonos unveils new headphones
5 min learnNew DelhiSep 2, 2026 08:14 AM IST
Sonos Inc. on Wednesday unveiled a brand new pair of high-end headphones, an upgraded soundbar, a brand new working system constructed round audio and an up to date app full of generative AI options.
Santa Barbara, California-based, maker of high-end audio system and audio tools, is making a significant push into synthetic intelligence, opening its audio platform to third-party AI assistants in what marks its largest step but towards remodeling itself from a standard audio {hardware} maker right into a making a tech platform on the traces of Apple Inc and Alphabet Inc.
The bulletins, unveiled throughout an occasion in New York, symbolize the most important updates to Sonos’ core merchandise and software program for the reason that firm confronted widespread criticism over software program updates that disrupted its app in 2024 and pissed off customers. The brand new adjustments are being executed below the brand new CEO Tom Conrad, who’s reimaging the sensible speaker firm.
Maybe the most important manner Sonos is differentiating itself from different audio firms is thru the event of a brand new audio working system. The corporate is looking it Sonos 27, and it’ll additionally embody an all-new app.
A significant push into AI
The large function, in fact, is Sonos 27 Voice, the corporate’s generative AI integration, which is presently being rolled out as a part of an early-access programme. The function lets customers speak to their audio system in a lot the identical manner they might work together with Amazon Inc.’s Alexa or a Google House speaker, together with requesting music primarily based on their temper. It additionally helps the Mannequin Context Protocol (MCP), permitting customers to attach the system to an AI service of their alternative. For instance, customers can ask ChatGPT to play music on their Sonos audio system.
The corporate can be highlighting Sonos Customized Brokers, which let customers customise AI brokers to automate duties throughout their audio system, corresponding to triggering a speaker in a selected room at a set time. Customers may personalise the brokers’ voices, giving audio system totally different personalities or accents.
Sonos is greatest recognized for its capacity to group audio system collectively, permitting customers to put audio system in numerous rooms and play music all through their dwelling. Beforehand, the corporate didn’t have a selected advertising and marketing title for this function, however it’s now calling it Sonos Cloth: the tech that serves because the underlying structure for grouping, pairing Sonos merchandise throughout the corporate’s ecosystem.
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Sonos 27 features a voice assistant for locating music, whereas its MCP integration lets customers join exterior AI fashions to their Sonos setup. (Picture credit score: Sonos)
Sonos is including two new options that makes use of its Cloth know-how. First one is Transportable Encompass, which lets customers transfer audio system between rooms and robotically sync them for encompass sound, and the second is Headphone Linking, which permits audio to seamlessly change between Sonos audio system and headphones.
Its model new app itself is visually altering and introduces a navigation, lock-screen controls, room organisation and digital quantity knobs, including extra management and a extra tactile really feel. The corporate additionally plans to introduce Presets and System Well being views later within the yr as a part of ongoing function updates.
Sonos Ace Extremely and Beam Extremely
Sonos can be launching two brand-new merchandise alongside its newest software program overhaul. The corporate launched the Ace Extremely, its second pair of over-ear headphones, and the Beam Extremely, a brand new soundbar.
The Ace Extremely is an replace to Sonos’ first pair of premium over-ear headphones, the Ace, which had been praised for his or her audio high quality and design however launched as the corporate was grappling with app-related points.
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The brand new headphones not solely combine with Sonos’ speaker ecosystem but additionally supply as much as 35 hours of battery life and may hook up with units by way of USB-C and three.5mm. They’ll additionally hook up with different Sonos audio system over Wi-Fi and help Sonos Cloth, permitting them to combine with the broader Sonos system and seamlessly change playback between Sonos audio system and the headphones.
Ace Extremely has a brand new Sonos-designed 40mm driver and adaptive lively noise cancellation powered by 10 microphones. (Picture credit score: Sonos)
The Beam Extremely soundbar, alternatively, is an improve to the corporate’s present Sonos Beam, that includes 9 drivers (4 greater than earlier Beam fashions) It additionally contains upward-firing drivers that bounce hold forth the ceiling for a extra immersive audio expertise. The soundbar additionally comes with built-in AI options, together with AI Speech Enhancement, which goals to make dialogue extra discernible throughout loud scenes. It may well join by way of Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and wired HDMI eARC.
The Ace Extremely and Beam Extremely are priced at $449 and $699, respectively, and can hit retail cabinets within the US. on September 29. Sonos stated each units can even launch in India “at a later date.”
Sonos can be bringing an upgraded Play, a transportable, waterproof speaker with 24-hour battery life, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi help, a line-in jack and bodily button controls. The speaker was launched earlier this yr and shall be out there in India on September 8.
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