Sonos Arc Ultra soundbar gets a claimed leaked price, and more hints of next-gen speaker tech inside
Last month we reported that Sonos' next soundbar, which was believed to be called the Sonos Arc Ultra. And now a newly leaked image that looks very much like an official Sonos product page appears to confirm it, and has given it a price tag too.
The image was shared to the r/sonos subreddit and includes the image above. The copy calls the Arc Ultra the "Premium Smart Soundbar" (which is the exact same description as the original Sonos Arc) and says that it is "The definitive Home Theater soundbar. Enhanced with immersive Sound Motion technology. And did someone say 'Bluetooth'?" The listed price: $1,199.
As ever with internet images, this could be a total fake. But it does fit with recent credible rumors, including a Google AI leak that appeared to share its specifications. We've reached out to Sonos for comment and we'll update you with any response.
What we think we know about the Sonos Arc Ultra soundbar
The Sound Motion technology is almost certainly Sonos's name for HeartMotion, a technology developed by Mayht – a firm Sonos bought in 2022. HeartMotion promises a huge upgrade to speaker technology by delivering drivers that are much smaller than normal speakers and considerably lighter too, so they need less power to drive them. As Sonos explained when it took over the company, Mayht "has invented a new, revolutionary approach to audio transducers. Transducers are the foundational element within speakers that create sound, and Mayht has re-engineered them to enable smaller and lighter form factors without compromising on quality."
That makes the Arc Ultra really interesting, because it could mean better audio quality, and a more immersive sound stage. The presence of HeartMotion ties in with previous rumors that the codename Lasso soundbar would look like the Arc but deliver a massively improved sound, especially at the low end, which HeartMotion is especially suited to.
According to Google's AI, as shared to r/sonos last week, there are eight woofers and three tweeters in the Arc Ultra, backed by 11 Class D digital amps. There's support for Wi-Fi, Spotify Connect and Apple AirPlay 2, and it'll be the first Sonos soundbar with Bluetooth. However, Google's AI has also claimed that fatal mushrooms are safe to eat and that you should put glue in pizza, so maybe take that with a big pinch of salt for now.
If the leaked image is an accidental upload by Sonos's marketing people then a launch can't be far away. We're also expecting to see a new version of the Sonos Sub, which is likely to launch around the same time.
This price is higher than most of the best soundbars and is serious high-end stuff, but if can meet its potential of delivering fulsome bass and incredible 3D sound from a single bar, then it could be very special.
