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Sonos Reveals Arc Ultra, The New Soundbar Featuring Sound Motion™

 

 

Today we are announcing the introduction of Sonos Arc Ultra, a new premium soundbar that also debuts the brand’s revolutionary transducer technology called Sound Motion™. A significant breakthrough in audio engineering, Sound Motion™ drastically reduces the size of the transducer while supercharging the bass, opening a new chapter in sound innovation where bigger, better sound can be delivered from smaller products. Arc Ultra delivers up to double the bass of its predecessor, with an unprecedented 9.1.4 spatial audio experience in a sleek, sophisticated  design. 

We are also introducing Sonos Sub 4, the next generation of our iconic subwoofer with a refreshed design and internals that elevate your favorite movies, hit shows and more with rumbling bass. 

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Arc Ultra: Breakthrough Sound for Your Home Theater

Built with first-of-its-kind technology and deep industry collaborations, Arc Ultra provides boosted bass, spine-tingling spatial audio with support for Dolby Atmos, and advanced Speech Enhancement for even more levels of control — all in a sleek package that blends into your space and complements large TVs. 

 

  • Theater Sound in Your Living Room: Arc Ultra delivers a massive sound stage that precisely places every detail of sound in your room to envelop you in content. The all-new architecture features 14 Sonos-engineered drivers, including a Sound Motion™ woofer and a cluster of tweeters with waveguides on both ends to deliver a 9.1.4 spatial audio experience. Tune with Trueplay™ to pinpoint the best sound for your space, now available for both iOS and Android.
  • Never Miss a Word or Whisper: With a new center channel architecture, Arc Ultra maximizes vocal clarity so it’s easier to follow dialogue. An all-new advanced Speech Enhancement feature lets you choose your preferred level of dialogue clarity in the Sonos app.
  • Cinematic Collaborations: Arc Ultra is the product of deepened Sonos Soundboard relationships. We worked with veteran movie producers and creators like Chris Jenkins and Onnalee Blank to fine-tune Dolby Atmos content and assemble a studio-worthy experience that rivals professional sound systems. 
  • Design Worthy of Your Home: Arc Ultra is thoughtfully crafted with a distinctive curved profile, matte finish, and a slimmer appearance that looks elegant when mounted and doesn’t obstruct TV bezels when placed on a credenza. Its wrap-around grille extends around the back of the speaker so sound can travel in every direction to completely surround you.
  • Seamless Setup and Control: Unlock theater-quality sound in a matter of minutes with a simple HDMI eARC connection and effortlessly control with your TV remote, the Sonos app, Sonos Voice Control, or Amazon Alexa. Touch controls are cleverly housed in a dedicated ledge behind the soundbar to prevent visual distraction. With Bluetooth line-in, Arc Ultra also gives you more ways to stream - whether binging a podcast or setting a playlist before guests arrive.
  • Committed to Sustainability: Arc Ultra was designed responsibly with improved serviceability by using more screws and fewer adhesives, halogen-free PCB materials, less silicon material, and a reduced idle power consumption by as much as 20% as a standalone player compared to Arc. Its packaging is 100% recyclable and also 18% smaller in volume, making it more efficient to ship.

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Sub 4: Our Most Immersive Subwoofer, Revamped

Sub 4 is the next generation subwoofer producing bass you can feel, transforming your home theater experience to draw you closer to the content you love.

 

  • Pulse-Pounding Sound: Feel every beat, roar or rumble in your chest with dual custom woofers that generate deep, dynamic low frequencies to enhance your entertainment. No buzz or rattle either — both Sub 4 woofers face inward to create a force-canceling effect that neutralizes distortion.
  • Rebuilt, Inside and Out: Sonos’ most advanced subwoofer to date, Sub 4 includes increased processing power and memory, as well as new WiFi radios for better connectivity so you never miss a beat. 
  • Same Iconic Design: Sub 4 sports an elegant sculptural shape maintaining much of its predecessor’s aesthetic, with an updated matte finish in Black and White and a profile that’s easy to stand upright, lay on its side, or tuck under the couch. Sub 4 also comes in a more sustainable form through dematerialization efforts and a nearly 50% reduction in idle power consumption.
  • Breathtaking Home Theater: Add more drama to your movies and shows when you pair Sub 4 with Arc Ultra, Arc or Beam for deeper lows. Pair two subwoofers together for maximum bass that supercharges every scene and song — Sub 4 is compatible with previous generations of Sub.

Arc Ultra and Sub 4 will be available beginning October 29, 2024 for USD 999 (EUR 999, GBP 999) and USD 799 (EUR 899, GBP 799). For more information, visit sonos.com, and follow along on @sonos.

You guys haven’t even returned playlist editing to the new app. Good luck with the new hardware, my wallet is staying closed. 

 

Wrong time wrong place. Nobody wants these, not really.

@Marco.B Is this information from the Arc Ultra User Guide correct?

 

@Marco.B Is this information from the Arc Ultra User Guide correct?

 

To my knowledge, yes.

@Marco.B Is this information from the Arc Ultra User Guide correct?

 

To my knowledge, yes.

 

So why is it being promoted as 9.1.4? Even The Verge reported this:

“With that array of speakers, Sonos says the new soundbar is capable of delivering 9.1.4 output all on its own.”

@Marco.B Is this information from the Arc Ultra User Guide correct?

 

To my knowledge, yes.

 

So why is it being promoted as 9.1.4? Even The Verge reported this:

“With that array of speakers, Sonos says the new soundbar is capable of delivering 9.1.4 output all on its own.”

not on its own, need pair era as well + sub

@Marco.B Is this information from the Arc Ultra User Guide correct?

 

To my knowledge, yes.

 

So why is it being promoted as 9.1.4? Even The Verge reported this:

“With that array of speakers, Sonos says the new soundbar is capable of delivering 9.1.4 output all on its own.”

not on its own, need pair era as well + sub

Exactly. The wording on The Verge is incorrect. Arc Ultra is 9.1.4 capable, but needs a Sub and 2x Era 300 with their additional up firing tweeters.

@Marco.B Is this information from the Arc Ultra User Guide correct?

 

To my knowledge, yes.

 

So why is it being promoted as 9.1.4? Even The Verge reported this:

“With that array of speakers, Sonos says the new soundbar is capable of delivering 9.1.4 output all on its own.”

not on its own, need pair era as well + sub

 

IMO, this description of the Arc Ultra is quite misleading:

 

Sonos censorship of adverse comment has now moved undercover. 

Agreed, if the little footnote 1 mentioned the additional speakers required (like it does for the TV and Atmos content) it would be fine - otherwise the suggestion is that with all of those drivers it can do it on its own.

What are the 14 drivers doing in regards to sound placement/output?

@Marco.B Is this information from the Arc Ultra User Guide correct?

 

To my knowledge, yes.

 

So why is it being promoted as 9.1.4? Even The Verge reported this:

“With that array of speakers, Sonos says the new soundbar is capable of delivering 9.1.4 output all on its own.”

not on its own, need pair era as well + sub

Exactly. The wording on The Verge is incorrect. Arc Ultra is 9.1.4 capable, but needs a Sub and 2x Era 300 with their additional up firing tweeters.

 

The wording on all the major tech news outlets is incorrect:

 

TechRadar:

“The original Sonos Arc was a 5.1.2 surround system, but the Arc Ultra is 9.1.4.” 

 

Engadget:

In all, the soundbar features 14 drivers, including a set of tweeters on both ends of the device, allowing it to deliver 9.1.4 spatial audio.

 

What HiFi?

According to B&H: "Each driver, engineered by Sonos, is precisely placed and angled within the soundbar to deliver 9.1.4 channels of sound all on its own. 

 

Digital Trends

The $999 Sonos Arc Ultra uses a 9.1.4 setup with spatial audio and a new transducer that Sonos calls Sound Motion…

 

This is obviously a communication issue with the product description. Even the official press release is misleading:

Arc Ultra delivers up to double the bass of its predecessor, with an unprecedented 9.1.4 spatial audio experience in a sleek, sophisticated design.

Yep needs it’s own footnote specifying whats required for 9.1.4

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As new Sonos Arc Ultra is capable of TruePlay with Android devices I think Sonos Arc should be also compatible. If not, bad move from company

No Sonos, I remember my unpleasure with you guys!

As new Sonos Arc Ultra is capable of TruePlay with Android devices I think Sonos Arc should be also compatible. If not, bad move from company

 

I believe this Trueplay on android was made possible because the Arc Ultra has additional mics to more accurately measure the room.  The Arc does not have these same mics, so is only capable of  the lesser quicktune as I understand it.  

 

I am guessing here, but I suspect that the tuning process will be similar to the existing trueplay tuning, accept the mics used will be on the soundbar, not on your phone/tablet.  Once complete, the phone/tablet will process the data as it currently does before applying tuning the speaker?

When the Arc Ultra is bonded with a sub, what will the “Sound Motion™️ woofer” be doing?   Will it be repurposed to higher frequencies in the center channel, will it be silent, will it continue to play the low frequencies, or something I haven’t thought of?

Please provide weekly updates about progress on the App with the same level of enthusiasm as you promote new products. 

My question is - what is the Ultra actually offering that would entice some who owns the Arc to consider “upgrading” to it?

My question is - what is the Ultra actually offering that would entice some who owns the Arc to consider “upgrading” to it?

Sound motion obviously 🤣 I hear it’s a big deal.  I wonder if it sounds as good as True Cinema on Sonos Ace 😎 

My question is - what is the Ultra actually offering that would entice some who owns the Arc to consider “upgrading” to it?

 

The most significant upgrade is going to be sound quality. It seems like that difference is mostly going to be apparent when not used with a sub.  Whether it’s enough an improvement is going to be a judgement call.  I don’t see any product reviews yet, but that’s where I’d go for a more objective opinion on that.

 

 

Other features were already mentioned, so it’s up to you if they are important or not.  There is also the likelyhood that Ultra has more horsepower overall, so it’s better futureproof to possible enhancements.

I for one am excited about the Arc Ultra especially for speech enhancement everything else is icing on the cake. Whether one purchases the Arc Ultra will always come down to ones person sound preference. Fortunately, I have more than one Arc which allows me to do an A/B comparison.

Questions on Arc Ultra:

  • Will upgrade credits be allowed in the future if one owns an Arc?
  • Is a Sub 4 required for dual subs or will either a Sub 4 or a Sub Gen3 suffice as one of the subs paired with a Sub gen1 or gen2.. The use of “and/or” is a bit unclear. 
  • How is the Arc Ultra either 9.0 or 9.1 as a stand-alone device. In short I compute three channels across the front (6 speakers), two side channels (2 speakers) and one upward channel (2 speakers acting as 1). Total 9 speakers.

Hopefully they bring whatever the new speech enhancement is to the other Sonos products that have speech enhancement. 
 

For dual subs this is what the FAQ says

”All generations of Sub and Sub Mini are compatible with Arc Ultra. A dual Sub setup requires Sub 4 and/or Sub (Gen 3).”

 

I have Era300 rear speakers. I would like to use only eras+sub to play music. With current arc it is not possible and it was suspected that new version would have more processing power to make that possibility happen. So question is that does the new ultra have it?

I have Era300 rear speakers. I would like to use only eras+sub to play music. With current arc it is not possible and it was suspected that new version would have more processing power to make that possibility happen. So question is that does the new ultra have it?

I very seriously doubt it. There’s just no quick way to bond/unbond/rebond surrounds and sub to a Sonos soundbar.

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