Sonos Unveils Arc Ultra Soundbar With New Motion Sound Tech And Double The Bass

Home audio has long been where movie and music enthusiasts get their enjoyment, with Sonos as a well-known name. To that end, there is a new soundbar in our midst, as Sonos has unveiled its Arc Ultra. The successor to the popular Arc soundbar released in June of 2020, the Arc Ultra is now on preorder and will come with a $999 price tag. Availability is on October 29th, together with its Sonos Sub 4 refresh. This finally comes after Sonos had various delays due to its app issues. 

Sonos Arc Ultra is packing a new transducer technology called Sound Motion.  This approach reduces the size of the transducer, while increasing bass output. The Arc Ultra also supports 9.1.4 Spatial Audio, where Dolby Atmos has been dominant amongst consumers. Other notable features include Bluetooth support, Apple AirpPlay 2, and Trueplay. 

Sonos has also announced its refreshed subwoofer, the Sub 4, with new design details and internals. With increased processing power and a matte black finish, it will be available for $799 on October 29th as well. 

As an owner of Sonos products, including the Arc Gen 1 and Sub, they have historically been great products. Sonos has unfortunately had significant issues with its app this year, resulting in product delays and frustrated users. Sonos has even had to slash jobs in light of its woes, with sales going down because of ongoing problems. 

While I have not personally experienced any serious problems, I can understand the frustration many have had. Sonos has long been a favorite amongst audio enthusiasts for a high-quality, convenient solution for audio throughout the home. If the app, where most of the interaction occurs, is not up to snuff, it can be its Achilles' heel. 

The Sonos CEO has even apologized for the setbacks, and promised to revamp its technology. Sonos released its Ace headphones earlier in the year, which I have found to be good and integrate nicely with the Gen 1 Arc. While the headphones are more of a niche product, the updated Arc Ultra soundbar and Sub 4 are vital since they are at the core of Sonos products. 

The Sonos hardware has and continues to be excellent, providing high-quality audio for music, games, and movies. The app has let down its users, so it will be interesting to see how sales of its new flagship soundbar fare in the current mired situation.

Amazon has both the Arc Ultra soundbar and Sub 4 up for preorder now.