After months of leaks and rumors, the Sonos Arc Ultra is official – it’s launching on October 29, 2024, at a price of $999 (other prices to come). It’s a massive upgrade over the existing Sonos Arc and it introduces a brand new speaker technology that promises to deliver incredible immersion. Here’s what you need to know.
Sonos Arc Ultra: key features and specifications
The original Sonos Arc was a 5.1.2 surround system, but the Arc Ultra is 9.1.4. And it has what Sonos calls Sound Motion, the technology it acquired when it bought speaker firm Mayht a few years ago. The technology, previously known as HeartMotion, makes powerful speakers much smaller than with traditional speaker drivers without compromising on sound quality.
Sonos says: “A significant breakthrough in audio engineering, Sound Motion drastically reduces the size of the transducer while supercharging the bass, opening a new chapter in sound innovation where bigger, better sound can be delivered from smaller products.”
That means Sonos has been able to cram more bass power into what’s still a relatively slim soundbar. There are fourteen drivers here, three more than in the Arc: seven tweeters “with waveguides on both ends”, six mid-range drivers, and a built-in subwoofer too.
The Arc Ultra is also designed to work with the new Sonos Sub 4 subwoofer ($799) for even more low-end power.
As ever there’s built-in support for wireless streaming services and easy integration with other Sonos devices. There’s also a redesigned touch control panel, and the addition of Bluetooth to bring it in line with Sonos’s other products.
Sonos Arc Ultra: clever customization
The Sonos Arc Ultra can listen to the sound of your room and adjust its configuration accordingly thanks to the combination of integrated microphones and Sonos’s Trueplay software, which is available for Android as well as for iOS for the first time, and there’s also a more advanced Speech Enhancement tool that “lets you choose your preferred level of dialogue clarity in the Sonos app.”
Updating with more information as we get it…
