Sonos has announced the release of the Sonos Beam Ultra, a new soundbar that sits between the existing Sonos Beam (Gen 2) and the more advanced Sonos Arc Ultra. The Beam Ultra is set to launch on September 29, 2026, with a price of $699 in the U.S., £699 in the U.K., and AU$1,099 in Australia. The device features nine drivers, enabling it to deliver 7.1.2 channels of Dolby Atmos audio. One notable upgrade is the inclusion of upfiring drivers, which are absent in the standard Beam model. These drivers help create a more immersive, three-dimensional sound experience by projecting audio upward to reflect off the ceiling, enhancing the perception of height and depth. Designed to offer a more expansive home theater feel, the Beam Ultra was demonstrated with a focus on spatial sound. During a live demo, the soundbar created an effect where audio seemed to spread across the room rather than being confined to the soundbar itself. Listeners noted the impressive "airiness" of vocals and the precise placement of instrument effects, which added a sense of realism to the audio experience. The soundbar also showed significant improvements in mid-bass performance, an area where smaller speakers often struggle. The Beam Ultra maintained a consistent and strong bass presence across the entire frequency range, offering a richer and more balanced sound. In tests with movie and TV content, the Beam Ultra performed well in delivering clear dialogue over background noise. A scene from the Apple TV+ show Widow's Bay highlighted the soundbar’s ability to separate voices from ambient sounds. Another clip from the show Sinners, specifically the music scene in I Lied to You, showcased the Dolby Atmos positional effects, with sounds appearing to come from beyond the edges of the TV and the soundbar itself, creating a more enveloping experience. However, during the demo, the height channels—responsible for creating a sense of vertical sound placement—were not as pronounced as expected, and more testing will be needed to fully evaluate their performance. Sonos also demonstrated the Beam Ultra’s ability to work with portable speakers as rear satellite speakers for a surround sound setup. In the demo, two Sonos Play speakers connected seamlessly to the soundbar without requiring an app. This setup can create a 7.1.4-channel system when paired with additional speakers, though the extra two height channels will be simulated rather than physically present.