On first listen, the Sonos Beam Ultra sounds great
At a product‑focused open house, Sonos introduced the Beam Ultra alongside $449 Ace Ultra headphones and a suite of software tweaks. The new soundbar measures roughly the same as earlier Beam models but features perforations on its top to accommodate upward‑firing drivers, enabling true Dolby Atmos playback. In a controlled demo room, the team paired two Play portable speakers as wireless rear channels, creating a five‑speaker configuration that delivered noticeable bass depth and clearer dialogue. The demonstration used high‑detail Atmos content such as “Widow’s Bay” and the “I Lied To You” scene from *Sinners*, showcasing the bar’s ability to render subtle ambient cues and directional effects that the previous Beam Gen 2 could only simulate through virtual processing.
The Beam Ultra lands at a price point that undercuts the $1,099 (now $899) Arc Ultra while offering more hardware than the discounted $399 Beam Gen 2. By inserting a true Atmos‑capable bar into the $699 bracket, Sonos is targeting consumers who want immersive sound without committing to a full‑height premium bar or a separate home‑theater receiver. This move mirrors a broader industry shift where manufacturers bundle upward‑firing drivers into compact soundbars to capture the growing demand for spatial audio on streaming services. Competitors such as Samsung and LG already ship similar 7.1.2 bars at comparable prices, so Sonos’ strategy hinges on its ecosystem lock‑in and the ease of adding wireless rear speakers without wiring.
Looking ahead, the Beam Ultra’s success will depend on real‑world performance outside the demo environment, especially in rooms lacking the acoustic treatment of the test space. Potential pitfalls include the reliance on Sonos’ proprietary app for calibration and the question of whether the optional Play rear speakers can deliver consistent latency‑free surround imaging. Reviewers will need to assess how the bar handles non‑Atmos content, its bass response without a dedicated subwoofer, and whether the $699 price truly represents a value proposition against similarly specced rivals. Pre‑orders have opened at Best Buy, B&H Photo, Sonos, and Amazon, with shipments slated for September 29, so consumer reaction in the first weeks will be a key barometer.
Key Takeaways
The Beam Ultra adds genuine side‑ and upward‑firing drivers for true Dolby Atmos at a $699 price, filling the gap between the Beam Gen 2 and the Arc Ultra.
Wireless pairing with Play portable speakers provides a flexible five‑speaker surround setup without permanent rear mounts.
By pricing the bar below $700, Sonos directly challenges other manufacturers’ compact Atmos offerings while leveraging its integrated ecosystem.
Real‑world performance, especially bass handling and latency with optional rear speakers, will determine whether the Beam Ultra lives up to its demo‑room promise.
About the Source
This analysis is based on reporting by The Verge. Here is a short excerpt for context:
The Beam Ultra is made for TVs up to 65 inches. It will also be available in black. | Photo by Cameron Faulkner / The Verge Sonos unveiled a bunch of new stuff today at its open house event. There's the $699 Beam Ultra soundbar and the $449 Ace Ultra headphones, plus several under-the-hood app updates (some coming sooner than others). While the show floor was a less than ideal venue to judge audio quality of either new product, a private demo in a smaller room provided a better hint as to what the Beam Ultra soundbar might be capable of. With the 7.1.2 soundbar about six feet in front of the press, the team ran through a couple demos to show off its range, particularly with Dolby Atmos content. The opening minutes of Widow's Bay subtly illustrates the Beam Ultra … Read the full story at The Verge.Read the original at The Verge
