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Contributor I
Sep 2, 2026 12:18 AM UTC

Ace Ultra with Arc Ultra

Can the new Sonos Ace Ultra be used at the same time as the Arc Ultra? I would like to be able to wear the headphones while watching TV with other people and be able to watch the show while not being distracted by conversations.

16 replies

AjTrek1
Sep 2, 2026 1:01 AM UTC

The phrasing of your question is a bit confusing. However here’s’ what I think you are asking….

  • The Ace Ultra can work in the same basic manner as the Ace. The Ace Ultra just adds more features/capabilities vs the Ace. 

If you are looking for a different answer please rephrase your question.

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Airgetlam
Sep 2, 2026 1:05 AM UTC

So, no. It’s one or the other, not both at the same time. 

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Bruce
Stanley_4
Grand Maestro
Sep 2, 2026 1:36 AM UTC

I wonder how the Ace Utra would work in noise cancelation  ANC mode and linked to a speaker Grouped to the Home Theater Room.

The 75 ms delay from the HT's sound should be masked by the ANC so it would only be a lip-sync issue.

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427Z06Author
Contributor I
Sep 2, 2026 4:32 PM UTC

Can we not get a feature where you can use both at the same time?  Doesn't make any sense especially for those who have hearing issues or have processing issues in noisy environments.  You should be able to listen to multiple devices from the same source at the same time.

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Headliner I
Sep 2, 2026 7:33 PM UTC

I wonder how the Ace Utra would work in noise cancelation  ANC mode and linked to a speaker Grouped to the Home Theater Room.

The 75 ms delay from the HT's sound should be masked by the ANC so it would only be a lip-sync issue.

I thought there was an asterisk implying anything linked as a surround speaker in an existing system couldn't link to Ace Ultra?

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Stanley_4
Grand Maestro
Sep 2, 2026 8:29 PM UTC

Yes (with a couple missed asterisks) the listed Sonos when set up as surrounds won't link to the Ace Ultra.

However that is not what my post was about, I was asking about Grouped speakers. Grouped, not Bonded, very different connection to the HT device.

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Airgetlam
Sep 3, 2026 12:03 AM UTC

I’d assume that ‘feature’ as requested is not easily implemented. Nothing tends to be ‘impossible’ when talking about software, but there is always a substantial difference between ‘this is easy’ and ‘this is not easy’ to implement.

Lots of things like that, I suspect. 

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Bruce
Stanley_4
Grand Maestro
Sep 3, 2026 1:52 AM UTC

It may also be a hardware issue, not enough CPU power or internal audio channels to process both the speaker audio and headphone audio at the same time.

Someone at Sonos had to look at this situation and decide providing the "both" option wasn't feasible. At least I hope that is the case rather than the option just being overlooked. 

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Headliner I
Sep 3, 2026 3:42 AM UTC

Yes (with a couple missed asterisks) the listed Sonos when set up as surrounds won't link to the Ace Ultra.

However that is not what my post was about, I was asking about Grouped speakers. Grouped, not Bonded, very different connection to the HT device.

Can you explain how this  works if the intended goal is one person watching a movie on headphones while others are watching and listening in the same “room” on the surround sound system, what am I missing?

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Airgetlam
Sep 3, 2026 4:39 AM UTC

I don’t think Sonos has ever supported that ‘goal’ in their software. As far as I’m aware, it can’t be done without using two outputs from the TV set, one for each device.

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Bruce