It's no secret that the ongoing issues with the Sonos app have delayed the launch of key products including the Arc 2 soundbar: Sonos said as much to investors, although it didn't name the specific products. But it looks like the launches are finally moving forward. According to a new leak from a source with a relatively reliable history, there's a new Sonos Sub and Sonos Arc on their way imminently.
The leaker is Arsène Lupin, who posted on X that "The products will be marketed as 'Sub 4' and 'Arc Ultra'. The Sub 4 features a matte finish, dual force-canceling woofers, and is available in white and black."
Lupin added: "Arc Ultra is a soundbar which is also available in Black and White. It has what Sonos call a 'Sound Motion technology' which gives 'a balanced sound that surround you precisely from every direction'."
Sonos ($SONO) has begun preparations to launch its two delayed products after its updated app was met with numerous bugs. The products will be marketed as "Sub 4" and "Arc Ultra". The Sub 4 features a matte finish, dual force-canceling woofers, and is available in white and blackAugust 20, 2024
When might the Sonos Arc Ultra and Sonos Sub 4 launch?
The leak doesn't include launch dates, but Sonos will be keen to get both products onto the market as soon as possible: its financial predictions for this year were based on the expectation that new products – not just the Sonos Ace headphones, but also the second-generation Arc – would generate significant revenues for the firm. With the ongoing app updates munching through cash like a soundbar-shaped Very Hungry Caterpillar, for Sonos that means these two products can't come soon enough.
Images purporting to be the Arc Ultra leaked last month, and while its looks haven't changed much, it appears to support Bluetooth audio playback – a first for a Sonos soundbar – and will reportedly include tech from the speaker manufacturer Mayht, which Sonos bought way back in 2022.
Mayht's tech promises bigger sound from smaller speakers, and much lower frequency power than you'd expect: before being acquired by Sonos, the firm claimed that a subwoofer-free system using its tech could deliver frequencies down to around 30Hz, which is very low for a soundbar. Although naturally Sonos will also happily sell you a sub if even that isn't low enough: the current Sonos Sub Gen 3 goes down to 25Hz, and we assume the Sub 4 will be even more impactful, since it needs to pair with an Arc Ultra soundbar with lots of bass.
Team TechRadar has high hopes for the Sonos Arc Ultra – the Sonos Arc still ranks among the best soundbars thanks to its finely balanced sound, but rivals can now do even better spatial sound, and it sounds like the Ultra aims to address that. We loved the spatial sound of the Sonos Era 300, especially when paired with the Sonos Arc in Sonos' ultimate home theater configuration, and the Arc Ultra looks likely to take that to the next level.
