Sonos wants you to forget its app disaster with its biggest update yet

We’ve already reported that Sonos was preparing to launch the Ace Ultra headphones and Beam Ultra soundbar. Now, both products are official, but the new hardware is only part of what the company is announcing today. Alongside them comes Sonos 27, its latest software platform, with a redesigned app, deeper AI integration, and new ways to move audio between speakers and headphones. There’s quite a bit here, but the app might actually be the most important part.

Its previous major app overhaul was supposed to simplify the experience and prepare the platform for what came next, but instead frustrated users with missing features, unreliable controls, and other bugs. When the app is essentially the remote control for your entire speaker setup, even small problems can quickly become a big headache.

With Sonos 27 app, the company is essentially getting another shot. The new version has a simpler layout built around Home, System, and Search, with frequently used rooms pinned near the top. So, if most of your listening happens in the living room and kitchen, you shouldn’t have to hunt through the rest of your setup just to change what’s playing.

It sounds like a small improvement, but after the problems with the previous app, making everyday controls easier to reach could be one of the more meaningful changes here. That same thinking carries over to Presets, which let you save speakers, content, and volume levels together. A “dinner” preset, for example, could start a playlist in the kitchen and dining room, while a “party” preset could bring several rooms into the mix with one tap.

There are a few extra conveniences for iPhone users, too. Playback can already be controlled from the Lock Screen and Dynamic Island, while a virtual volume knob coming later lets you twist two fingers on the screen as if you were turning a physical dial. Siri and Shortcuts integration is on the way, too, making it possible to work speaker controls into existing Apple automations.

But cleaning up the app is only one half of what Sonos has done. The other is AI, and thankfully, the approach is a little more interesting than simply stuffing another chatbot into a speaker. Sonos 27 voice is a new in-house assistant focused on finding music and matching it to a particular mood.

More interestingly, Sonos 27 mcp opens the system to outside AI assistants and agents, including ChatGPT. That means someone planning a workout in ChatGPT could ask for a high-energy playlist and then have it start playing on the speakers in their home gym without jumping between apps.

Eventually, that openness will extend to Custom Agents, allowing people to create agents with different AI models, personalities, and voices. How useful that becomes remains to be seen, but having a choice of assistants is certainly more appealing than being locked into whichever AI happens to come built into the system.

The same theme of flexibility continues with the hardware. Ace Ultra owners can move audio between their headphones and nearby speakers using headphone linking. If you’re watching a movie through a Beam Ultra late at night, for instance, you could shift the sound to your headphones when everyone else goes to bed without interrupting what you’re watching.

Portable speakers are becoming more flexible, too. Sonos Positioning Technology uses high-frequency audio to figure out where compatible speakers are located, allowing a Move 2 or Sonos Play to automatically act as a rear surround when moved into the right position. A speaker could spend the afternoon playing music around the house, then move behind the couch and become part of your home theater setup for movie night.

Most of these changes aren’t far away. The redesigned app navigation, Sonos 27 mcp in Early Access, and portable surrounds begin rolling out September 8. Presets, the virtual volume knob, Siri and Shortcuts support, a refreshed iPad experience, and new system-health tools are coming later this fall. Meanwhile, the Beam Ultra and Ace Ultra are available for preorder now and go on sale September 29, with headphone linking also arriving that day in Early Access for Ace Ultra owners.

Sonos 27 has plenty of interesting additions, especially the ability to control your speakers through ChatGPT. But after the problems with the previous app, making the entire system simpler and more reliable could matter even more. If Sonos gets that part right this time, features like AI control, portable surrounds, presets, and easier headphone switching could make the whole ecosystem much more useful.