Sonos prepares to expand headphone lineup with AI-driven Ace Ultra expected soon

Sonos is set to unveil its second headphone model, the Ace Ultra, potentially as soon as next month, signalling a focus on artificial intelligence and deeper ecosystem integration amid a busy product cycle.

Sonos is preparing a second headphone model that appears to build directly on the limited success and mixed reception of its first over-ear product. A fresh FCC filing first reported by Bloomberg points to a device called the Sonos Ace Ultra, suggesting the company is moving ahead with a follow-up to the Ace headphones it introduced in 2024.

Bloomberg said the new headphones are expected to include AI features and tighter links to the wider Sonos home platform. That fits with comments from chief executive Tom Conrad, who has been describing future products as part of a broader push towards whole-home coverage and what he calls “conversational computing”. Conrad has also acknowledged that the first Ace headphones did not go far enough in connecting with the rest of the Sonos ecosystem.

What remains unclear is whether the Ace Ultra will be the product Sonos has said it plans to unveil in September. What Hi-Fi? reported that Conrad used the company’s third-quarter earnings call to signal a September launch with an emphasis on artificial intelligence, predictive intelligence and home integration, while saying Sonos’ long experience with sound, industrial design, connectivity and “systemness” would help differentiate it. The FCC filing, however, suggests the new headphones could arrive as soon as next month.

The timing would extend a busy product cycle for Sonos. The company recently introduced the Arc Ultra soundbar, which Sonos says uses its Sound Motion transducer technology to deliver stronger bass in a smaller package, along with the Sub 4 subwoofer. That launch showed Sonos continuing to push premium hardware, even as it works to make its products feel more interconnected across the home.