Sonos Arc Ultra and Sub 4: New standards for soundbars and subwoofers?

Yesterday, Sonos unveiled two of its latest products: The Sonos Arc Ultra, an evolution of their popular Arc soundbar, and the Sub 4, the fourth generation of the subwoofer.

While the company's technological development has hardly stood still in recent years, the launch of these two devices brings with it a number of innovations that should delight home cinema enthusiasts and music lovers alike.

A look at the Sonos Arc Ultra

The Sonos Arc Ultra is a soundbar designed from the ground up. At the heart of the Arc Ultra is "Sound Motion" technology, which Sonos describes as "one of the most significant breakthroughs in audio technology in almost 100 years".

This is a sound conversion technology that should make it possible to produce an even greater fullness of sound despite more compact speakers. Sonos even claims to have doubled the bass performance of the Arc Ultra compared to the previous model, while the housing is slightly more compact.

This technology probably comes from Mayht, a startup that Sonos acquired in 2022. Despite its slightly smaller housing, the Arc Ultra actually houses 14 drivers - three more than its predecessor.

In concrete terms, seven tweeters, six mid-range drivers and one woofer with Sound Motion technology are installed. Two of the tweeters are directed upwards to enable 3D audio with Dolby Atmos. Sonos speaks of a 9.1.4 system, which surprises me at first glance, as there are only two up-firing speakers. It's quite possible that Sonos is including virtual height channels here to create the illusion of four upfiring speakers.

The new centre channel architecture is also interesting. This is said to have been developed in close collaboration with sound engineers from the film industry in order to create a sound experience that can compete with professional sound systems. The new centre channel architecture is intended to ensure improved voice clarity, which is particularly beneficial for dialogue-heavy films and series. In addition, there will be an advanced voice enhancement function in the Sonos app that allows the clarity of the dialogue to be individually adjusted.

Apropos: Sonos plans to release a comprehensive software update for the Sonos app at the same time as the launch of the Sonos Arc Ultra. The update should significantly improve the performance of the app and reintroduce many of the functions that were recently removed - Sonos speaks of 90 per cent. And: Trueplay EQ tuning, i.e. the calibration of Sonos devices, is now finally also available for Android users. Previously, only Apple users could do this.

New streaming options and sustainable design

Another feature is the expansion of streaming options: Bluetooth has now become standard on many Sonos products - this will now also apply to the Arc Ultra. The soundbar will not only be used for home cinema, but also as an oversized Bluetooth speaker for music and podcasts. However, the soundbar should still be connected to the TV via a single HDMI eARC; unfortunately, the Arc Ultra does not have any additional HDMI ports.

In terms of design, Sonos continues to focus on a simple but elegant design. The Arc Ultra is available in either black or white, with the minimalist curved profile and matt finish strongly reminiscent of its predecessor. On the other hand, Sonos is making progress in terms of sustainability: The soundbar is designed to be easier to repair, uses less silicone and is produced more sustainably thanks to the use of halogen-free materials.

Encore: The Sub 4 - even deeper, even more powerful

The Sonos Sub 4, the fourth generation of the Sonos subwoofer, was introduced at the same time as the Arc Ultra. It contains two inward-facing woofers that create a so-called "force cancelling" effect. This prevents unwanted vibrations or distortion - a problem that often occurs with powerful subwoofers.

This is not new in itself. Sonos' older subwoofers, such as the Sub Mini, were already capable of force cancelling. Perhaps the American audio manufacturer is talking about a new type of technical sophistication because the Sub 4 aims to achieve low frequencies of up to 25 Hz despite its compact form.

On the outside, the Sub 4 remains true to its iconic predecessor. The design with the characteristic opening in the centre is still there, but has been slightly modernised. In combination with the Arc Ultra or other Sonos products such as the Beam, the Sub 4 aims to create a home cinema experience that reproduces deep bass even more intensely. And the ability to link two subwoofers further increases the bass pressure, which can be an advantage for large rooms or particularly bass-intensive films and music.

Price and availability

The Sonos Arc Ultra and Sonos Sub 4 will be available from 29 October 2024. You can also pre-order them now here:

Multiroom systems

Sonos Arc Ultra

Airplay 2, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth

19

Multiroom systems

Sonos Arc Ultra

Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Airplay 2

19

Multiroom systems

Sonos Sub 4

Wi-Fi

4

Multiroom systems

Sonos Sub 4

Wi-Fi

4