Sonos has introduced the new Beam Ultra soundbar and Ace Ultra headphones alongside Sonos 27, a rebranding of its audio platform that brings AI-powered assistants and ChatGPT integration for music control.
Priced at $699, the Beam Ultra and $449 Ace Ultra launch alongside the rebranded Sonos 27 platform. The new ecosystem offers optional AI-powered controls through Sonos 27voice, while users can also connect external AI assistants such as ChatGPT through Sonos 27mcp.
Updated app navigation and Sonos 27mcp Early Access will begin rolling out on September 8, while the Ace Ultra’s headphone linking feature is scheduled to arrive as an opt-in Early Access feature on September 29.
Ace Ultra brings longer battery life and music transfer
The Ace Ultra features a new Sonos-designed 40mm driver and adaptive active noise cancellation powered by 10 microphones. Sonos rates the headphones for up to 35 hours of battery life with ANC enabled, five hours longer than the original Ace’s rated battery life.
The headphones also introduce Headphone Engine 2, new hardware that enables a direct connection to compatible Sonos products for music playback. The feature expands on the original Ace’s TV Audio Swap capability, which allows television audio from a compatible Sonos soundbar to be transferred directly to the headphones.
For wired listening, the Ace Ultra comes with both USB-C to USB-C and USB-C to 3.5mm cables.
The new headphone linking feature allows existing Sonos users to transfer music from their home speakers to the Ace Ultra for private listening. However, users without compatible Sonos hardware will not have access to this functionality, making factors such as sound quality, noise cancellation and battery life more important considerations when choosing the headphones.
Amazon Extends $30 Preorder Discount on M5 Pro Mac mini Into September
Apple’s M5 Pro Mac mini is available for a $30 preorder discount at Amazon ahead of its official September 22 release, making the high-performance desktop an attractive option for users looking to secure the latest model before launch.
The 2026 Mac mini is currently ranked as the top new release in Amazon’s Mini Computers category. The M5 Pro configuration is priced at $1,669.99, representing a $30 reduction from its regular retail price.
According to the latest M5 Pro Mac mini price guide, the offer is currently the most significant discount available ahead of the September 22 release.
The M5 Pro configuration upgrades the standard M6 chip to Apple’s M5 Pro, featuring a 15-core CPU and 16-core GPU, compared with the M6’s 12-core CPU and 12-core GPU.
It also comes with 24GB of memory and 307GB/s of memory bandwidth, compared with 170GB/s on the M6 configuration with the same 24GB of RAM. Storage is provided by a 512GB SSD.
For users who do not require the additional performance of the M5 Pro, Amazon is also offering preorder discounts on M6 Mac mini models, with prices starting at $879.99.
Top 2026 Mac mini Preorder Deals
M6 Mac mini, 12-core CPU, 12-core GPU, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD: $879.99 ($20 off)
M6 Mac mini, 12-core CPU, 12-core GPU, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD: $1,069.99 ($30 off)
M5 Pro Mac mini, 15-core CPU, 16-core GPU, 24GB RAM, 512GB SSD: $1,669.99 ($30 off)
Sonos 27 Arrives with AI-Powered Features Alongside New Beam Ultra and Ace Ultra
