Sonos has just lifted the veil on two highly anticipated new products: the Arc Ultra soundbar and the Sub 4 subwoofer. But the real star of the day is the Sound Motion technology that equips the Arc Ultra. Fruit of the work of Mayht, a startup acquired by Sonos in 2022, it promises to revolutionize audio by offering richer and more immersive sound in a compact format. With significant improvements to the Sonos app at the same time, the connected audio specialist seems ready to regain the trust of its customers.
The Arc Ultra pushes the boundaries of home cinema sound
Successor to the excellent Sonos Arc, the Arc Ultra further pushes the limits of what we can expect from a soundbar. Equipped with 14 speakers including a Sound Motion woofer, it is capable of delivering breathtaking 9.1.4 spatial sound, all in an elegant design that blends into your interior. On the technical side, Sonos has equipped its soundbar with Wi-FI 6 supported by Bluetooth 5.3 and obviously AirPlay 2.
Sonos worked hand in hand with experienced film producers to optimize the rendering of Dolby Atmos content. The Arc Ultra also offers more control over dialogue clarity with an advanced Speech Enhancement feature. The icing on the cake is that it now supports Trueplay on Android in addition to iOS for millimeter-precise calibration.
The Sub 4 strengthens the bass, the Sonos app improves
In addition to the Arc Ultra, Sonos unveils the Sub 4, a new version of its iconic subwoofer with a slightly revised look. With its two inward-facing woofers, it promises deep, punchy bass without distortion, for an even more immersive home cinema experience.
On the software side, Sonos continues to improve its new app at great speed. The update which will accompany the launch of the Arc Ultra and Sub 4 should allow it to exceed the performance of the old version on key metrics. 90% of the missing features will then be back, pending other additions planned at a sustained pace.
The Arc Ultra and Sub 4 will be available on October 29 for €999 and €899 respectively. Two very promising products which could well allow Sonos to forget the setbacks of its app and to reestablish itself as the benchmark for high-end connected audio. One thing is certain, Sound Motion technology is likely to make waves and inspire other manufacturers.