Sonos is preparing the successor to its Ace headphones, a commercial flop despite its qualities. The Ace Ultra, spotted via an FCC filing, focuses on better integration with the Sonos ecosystem and advanced voice controls. Its design, very close to the first model, is already known.
A flop at 200,000 units, a rebound expected
Launched in June 2024 at $449 (around €420), the Sonos Ace won praise for its noise cancellation and comfort but fell short commercially: only 200,000 units sold, far from the internal target of one million. Its main flaw? Limited integration with the Sonos ecosystem, a point the brand had bet on. Worse, its release coincided with the botched 2024 overhaul of the Sonos app, which made the headphones incompatible with the old version. Features like TrueCinema, announced at launch, were only rolled out in 2025.
Tom Conrad, Sonos CEO, acknowledged this failure earlier this year. The brand, which has emerged from two difficult years (layoffs, leadership changes), is counting on the Ace Ultra to restore its reputation. A product event is already scheduled for September 2026, as confirmed by Conrad during the latest financial results according to Korben.
Ace Ultra: A Familiar Design, Bold Colors
The FCC filing (reference S52a), spotted on August 10, 2026, confirms the headphones' existence. Although the commercial name is not yet official, the documents explicitly mention "Sonos Ace Ultra." Leaked images, published by WinFuture via Les Numériques, show a design nearly identical to the Ace: slightly deeper ear cups, repositioned wear sensors, and redesigned microphone grilles. These changes could improve noise cancellation, one of the first model’s strong points.
Aesthetically, Sonos is breaking with its minimalist tradition. The Ace Ultra will come in five colors: Greige (a mix of gray and beige), Shadow Black, Agave, Blush, and Sand. A much more varied palette than the Ace’s black and white, which clearly targeted the premium market.
AI and Wi-Fi at the Heart of the Strategy
The Ace Ultra could mark a turning point for Sonos, which is now focusing on artificial intelligence and conversational computing. The FCC documents mention compatibility with Sonos Voice Control, the company’s voice assistant, as well as third-party assistants. Tom Conrad also announced in July 2026 that AI would be a major focus, with features for "conversation and predictive intelligence at home" according to Bloomberg, cited by Korben.
Another potential new feature: an integrated Wi-Fi chip. The FCC filing mentions tests on 2.4 and 5 GHz bands, which could allow the headphones to stream lossless music via the home network, like Sonos speakers. A feature that would finally bring it closer to the rest of the ecosystem, for example, enabling audio to switch from a speaker to the headphones with one click.
Facing Apple, Bose, and Sony, a Risky Bet
The Ace Ultra will face the same competitors as its predecessor: the Apple AirPods Max 2, the Bose QC Ultra Headphones (Gen 2), and the Sony WH-1000XM6. Sonos will need to justify a likely high price (the Ace was €500) with tangible improvements: better ecosystem integration, advanced voice controls, and possibly acoustic optimizations. The question remains whether the Ace Ultra will replace the Ace or position itself as an additional premium model.
With the Ace Ultra, Sonos is trying to correct past mistakes. While the design remains cautious, software and hardware innovations could finally make the headphones a full-fledged part of its ecosystem. The answer in September.
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