With its sleek profile and spacious sound, Sonos Beam has earned its place as one of the best-loved soundbars in our lineup. But innovation never sleeps, and we’ve found a way to bring the latest updates in Sonos home theater technology to a new version of Beam that improves on its iconic predecessor’s performance at all volume levels. Meet Sonos Beam Ultra.

Beam Ultra retains Beam’s beloved form factor, though its audio architecture represents a major step forward in size-defying sound. The additional front-facing drivers and dedicated upward-firing drivers unlock a stunningly spacious audio experience that pushes beyond your room’s limitations to put you right in the center of your favorite movies, games, and music.

But that’s not all that’s new. Let’s explore the design updates that help Beam Ultra set a new standard for performance and versatility in a mid-range soundbar.

Size-defying sound

You’d never guess from looking at Beam Ultra that it’s an absolute sonic powerhouse, capable of filling spaces large and small. Beam Ultra’s profile is slightly lower and slightly wider than its predecessor’s, but its sleek form conceals an all-new audio architecture designed to deliver size-defying sound.

Beam Ultra houses nine total speaker drivers, but the most notable updates are the addition of front-facing and upward-firing drivers. The additional front-facing drivers contribute to a more powerful and dynamic sound in the left, right, and center channels. There’s no need to pair separate front speakers with Beam Ultra, as the soundbar itself generates spacious, precise audio that sounds as if it’s coming from all directions. And we do mean all directions, as the upward-firing drivers add height as a third dimension of sound.

Immersive sound with Dolby Atmos

Beam Ultra’s unique architecture creates a genuine 7.1.2 surround sound experience, with seven (7) crisp ear-level channels, one (1) deep bass channel, and two (2) height channels. The result is a much more detailed and spacious listening experience than you might expect from a soundbar of this size.

How can a single soundbar produce this level of detail and spaciousness? The answer involves a technology called Dolby Atmos. This innovative spatial audio technology allows sound engineers and editors to place individual sounds in three-dimensional space, rather than grouping and assigning them to a limited number of channels. The result is a more realistic soundscape that incorporates not only the ear-level channels of traditional surround sound, but dedicated height channels as well. Note that Dolby Atmos experiences require Dolby Atmos-encoded content and a compatible HDMI eARC connection.

Crystal-clear dialogue

Anecdotally, it seems like more people than ever are opting to watch their favorite movies and TV shows with subtitles. One reason is that dialogue too often sounds muffled or unintelligible, especially when streamed through speakers that don’t support surround sound audio.

Beam Ultra solves this problem in several ways. Beam Ultra’s architecture includes an improved center channel designed for clearer dialogue audio. And if you still want the dialogue audio higher in the mix, Beam Ultra’s AI-powered Speech Enhancement feature offers four customizable levels tailored to different listening preferences.

Sleek design

A great soundbar should fit the look and design of your home. With Beam Ultra, we didn’t need to completely reinvent the iconic look of Beam (Gen 2), but we did take the opportunity to update the form factor for a better sound experience.

Beam Ultra is slightly lower and only 3.9 inches wider than Beam (Gen 2), enabling a larger soundstage while maintaining a low profile that doesn’t obscure TV screens or remote receivers. The look is subtly more sophisticated throughout, with an upper grille added to accommodate the upward-firing drivers.

Overall, it’s a beautiful design suited for any space, whether wall-mounted or placed on a shelf or credenza.

Unlock the power of the Sonos system

Beam Ultra requires no additional speakers or components to sound great. But if you’re building a Sonos sound system or already have other Sonos speakers, you can integrate Beam Ultra into your system to unlock an even better home audio experience. Here’s how.

Personal listening with Audio Swap

Beam Ultra can pair with up to two pairs of Sonos headphones via the TV Audio Swap feature. This WiFi-powered connection enables easy switching between your soundbar and headphone audio sources, giving you the option for a more private listening experience when the occasion calls for it.

Swapping audio from Beam Ultra to Sonos Ace Ultra can be a game-changer when you’re dealing with lots of external noise, as the headphones feature Active Noise Cancellation. And there’s no loss in sound quality, as Sonos Ace Ultra also benefits from Dolby Atmos technology that creates a virtual soundstage by tracking your head and automatically adapting the sound to your position in the room. Enable TrueCinema — available only with Sonos headphones and a compatible soundbar like Beam Ultra — for an even more realistic movie-watching experience.

The foundation of your home theater setup

Beam Ultra is designed to be the focal point of an immersive home theater setup. But it can seamlessly pair with other Sonos wireless speakers to create an even more dynamic surround sound experience. A set of Era 100 or Era 300 speakers can serve as dedicated rear audio channels when paired with Beam Ultra, and a standalone subwoofer like Sub 4 can generate deep, pulse-pounding low end with no buzz or rattle.

Beam Ultra also seamlessly connects to most other modern home theater components, whether via a wired connection or 6 GHz WiFi. This is a soundbar designed for the future of home theater, with interoperability features that can accommodate a wide variety of configurations — both now and in the years to come.

Multiroom audio and listening

The beautiful thing about the Sonos system is that it doesn’t confine you to a single room or listening space. With speakers positioned in multiple rooms throughout your home, you can go from one space to the next without losing track of the tune or plot.

If you already have Sonos speakers in your kitchen or bedroom, for example, you can pair them with Beam Ultra in a multiroom audio setup that fills your whole home with sound. And it’s always easy to expand into new rooms thanks to compact, space-filling speakers like Era 100 SL.

Beam Ultra and sustainability

Sustainability is an ongoing story at Sonos, and Beam Ultra represents the next chapter in that story. Our latest premium soundbar features better energy efficiency than Beam (Gen 2), using 25% less energy when idle. It is also made with 24% recycled materials, with nearly half of its plastic replaced by recycled alternatives. Additionally, Beam Ultra’s packaging is made from 96% renewable materials and is Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified. Beam Ultra was also built with longevity in mind. Packed with forward-looking technology, it's designed to be enjoyed for years and years to come.

How Beam Ultra compares to Beam (Gen 2)

It’s not easy to improve on a soundbar as beloved as Beam (Gen 2), which has remained one of our most popular soundbars since its launch in 2021. Beam Ultra does, however, mark a substantial step forward from its predecessor in terms of sound, design, and capabilities:

Sound:

• Beam Ultra improves upon the virtualized Dolby Atmos of Beam (Gen 2). Whereas Beam (Gen 2) gives the impression of overhead sound via simulated height channels, Beam Ultra features actual upward-firing drivers that provide a true Dolby Atmos experience.
• Beam Ultra features more expansive surround sound capabilities, with a 7.1.2 configuration that improves upon the 5.1.2 configuration of Beam (Gen 2). To learn more about the difference, see our guide to 5.1 vs. 7.1 surround sound.
• Beam Ultra features across-the-board audio improvements relative to Beam (Gen 2), including improved bass, spaciousness, and low-volume performance.
• Beam Ultra offers AI Speech Enhancement and an improved center channel for clearer dialogue audio; Beam (Gen 2) does not.

Design:

• Beam Ultra has a slightly lower and wider profile than Beam (Gen 2). This allows for more placement possibilities and makes it more compatible with the design of modern wide-screen TVs.
• In terms of aesthetics, Beam Ultra has an additional upper grille to accommodate the upward-firing drivers. The control panel is positioned closer to the front of the soundbar, relative to Beam (Gen 2).

Capabilities:

• Beam Ultra features Bluetooth and Line In connectivity, which are not available with Beam (Gen 2).
• Other improvements include increased energy efficiency and quick tuning with Trueplay to ensure Beam Ultra sounds great no matter where you’ve placed it.

Discover Sonos Beam Ultra

When Sonos launched the premium Arc Ultra soundbar, it marked the next evolution in home audio design. Beam Ultra brings the same innovative DNA to a mid-range, impressively compact soundbar, and the result is a home theater experience that’s truly best in its class.

Ready to listen for yourself? Get in touch with someone from our team by phone or chat.