Sonos has a new soundbar in its streaming-centric lineup: the Dolby Atmos-capable Beam Ultra. It falls between the existing Beam and the flagship Arc Ultra.
The Beam Ultra is the Dolby Atmos upgrade of the Beam Gen 2 — which remains in the lineup– and adds physical, upfiring drivers and “warmer bass” to become a 7.1.2-channel soundbar.
Sonos says it has redesigned the center channel for clearer dialogue, and the speaker comes with four different levels of AI Speech Enhancement as well as a Night Sound mode. The Beam Ultra also comes with the Trueplay feature for tuning the soundbar to any room.
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Connectivity on the Beam Ultra includes Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and HDMI eARC, while the new version of the Sonos app includes Sonos 27voice — the company’s own music assistant — and Sonos 27mcp for connecting an outside AI assistant. The Sonos ecosystem includes compatibility with dozens of streaming apps as well as the ability to add surround speakers and multiroom options.
The Beam is one of CNET’s favorite soundbars, but it has always been limited by its software emulation of Dolby Atmos — something which the Beam Ultra fixes. Adding this option between $500 and $1,000 gives Sonos users more flexibility when building their own home theater systems.
The Beam Ultra is available for preorder starting today for $699, with general availability on Sept. 29, 2026.
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