FCC filing reveals details of Sonos' upcoming Ace Ultra headphones
An FCC filing suggests Sonos will launch new over-ear headphones called the Ace Ultra in September, featuring voice control support and five color options. The device appears to build on the design of the original 2024 Sonos Ace.
During its third-quarter earnings call, Sonos said it was planning a product launch in September. A newly spotted FCC filing, first noticed by Lowpass, suggests one of the products being unveiled could be a pair of headphones called the Ace Ultra.
Although much of the filing is redacted, it indicates the Ace Ultra will retain an over-ear design similar to the original Sonos Ace launched in 2024. Unlike that first model, which came in just two colors, the new version is expected to be offered in five: a light gray shade called Greige, Shadow Black, Agave, Blush and Sand.
Voice control and AI ambitions
The filing also points to support for Sonos Voice Control, the company's built-in voice assistant. Since the headphones lack a screen, voice interaction is seen as essential for connecting with AI assistants and chatbots. Sonos CEO Thomas Conrad said on the earnings call that artificial intelligence is becoming a core part of the company's strategy, suggesting the Ace Ultra could tap into current or future AI features from Sonos.
Lessons from the original Ace
The original Sonos Ace launch in 2024 was overshadowed by problems with the company's app, which broke and lost key functionality after a faulty update. Sonos later acknowledged it released the redesigned app too early, since it wasn't compatible with the previous version. The headphones' TrueCinema spatial audio feature, billed as one of its key selling points, wasn't released until a year after launch. TrueCinema factors in a room's acoustics when a Sonos soundbar is present, using that data to generate spatial audio for the headphones.
The Ace Ultra is expected to be just one of several AI-enabled products Sonos plans to introduce going forward, as the company positions itself around whole-home audio devices that can work together as an interconnected system.
