Sonos Has a New $699 Soundbar That Bounces Sound Off Your Ceiling

Sonos has priced its new Beam Ultra soundbar at $699. It has small speakers built in that point up at the ceiling to create sound that feels like it comes from above. Engadget

Sonos says it offers true 7.1.2 Dolby Atmos sound. That means seven regular sound channels at ear level, one channel for deep bass, and two separate channels for sound above you. Sonos

Inside are nine speakers made for this bar. Five handle high sounds like voices and effects, and four handle lower sounds and bass. Two of the high-sound speakers point upward to carry the overhead effects. Engadget

Each of the nine speakers has its own power source and its own digital controls. That lets Sonos adjust each speaker separately for volume, timing, and tone.

The bar is 2.5 inches tall and weighs 6.35 pounds. Sonos calls it mid-size and suggests it for TVs up to 65 inches. Sonos

The older Beam Gen 2 used software to aim sound and suggest height. The Beam Ultra adds real upward-pointing speakers that bounce sound off the ceiling, like bouncing a ball so it comes back down to where you sit. That works best in a normal rectangular room with a flat ceiling 8 to 10 feet high.

You can still talk to it. It has a microphone that hears you from across the room and works with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. That means hands-free control by the TV without adding a separate smart speaker. Engadget

At $699, it sits between other Sonos models. The Beam Gen 2 costs $499, the original Arc cost $799, and the Arc Ultra started at $999 and now sells for $1,099. Engadget

That is $200 more than the Beam Gen 2. The extra money pays for the upward speakers, more speakers and power sources overall, and built-in support for 7.1.2 sound. Sonos introduced it with the Sonos Ace Ultra. Preorders opened Sept. 1, and it ships Sept. 29, 2026. Gear Patrol

The broader context here is that room shape still matters a lot. A small bar can understand overhead sound correctly and still have trouble keeping it separate in your living room. Ceiling height, ceiling material, how far you sit, and where the bar sits all affect what you hear.

In my view, giving each speaker its own power source matters as much as adding the two upward speakers, because it helps keep voices clear when overhead effects play. The 65-inch suggestion is a practical guide, not a strict rule. It is about how loud and wide a small bar can sound, so a bigger room or a couch farther away will still do better with the larger Arc Ultra, even if the numbers look close on paper.